Unjeong charcoal lamb skewers and tangy guobaorou: Sannaemaeul Yang

Where is Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao in Unjeong, Paju?

I was trying to figure out where to eat on the weekend and ended up at Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao (산내마을양꼬치앤칭따오). It's near the Homeplus in Sannaemaeul, so it's easy to swing by with the kids on a weekend evening. I went on a weekend night and, since this place is already pretty popular, the tables were packed. Lots of families around, and it felt like a great spot for a beer too. 👩👧👧🍻

Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao Closed Mondays Open daily 15:30–01:00 (next day) ✔️ Paju Pay accepted ✔️ Parking available (up to 3 hours)

What else is on the menu if you don't eat lamb skewers?

Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao really has a huge menu. Usually places that sell yang kkochi (lamb skewers) only offer fried eggplant or guobaorou (sweet and sour pork) as sides to go with the skewers.

But here they also serve Chinese-restaurant staples like jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) that kids can enjoy too, so even if someone can't eat lamb skewers, there's still plenty to order!! Being a Paju Chinese-food spot with such a varied menu is a real plus. 👏👏

There are set menus built around the signature yang kkochi

and also 1-person and 2-person sets for trying a bit of everything

They even had dishes you don't often find easily, like spicy mala chicken wings and spicy mala shredded meat. Plus there's mala xiang guo (spicy stir-fry), so you can pair yang kkochi with mala xiang guo too~! 👍

What comes in the yang kkochi, lamb rib meat skewer and guobaorou set?

Once you sit down and order, the basic side dishes are set out right away. If you need more, there's a self-serve bar off to the side where you can grab extras.

The self-serve bar is next to the kitchen, so you can go help yourself to more pickled radish, shredded radish, or onions.

They bring the charcoal out right away. Since it's real charcoal and not an electric grill, it tastes even better — grilling over charcoal seems to bring out more of the meat's juiciness.

I ordered the ₩50,000 guobaorou set, which comes with yang kkochi, lamb rib meat skewers, and guobaorou — a great option for a light meal when two people visit. I'd recommend it if you're visiting as a pair or if you love guobaorou. (Because... this place is seriously a guobaorou spot..,)

Here's one serving each of yang kkochi and lamb rib meat skewers. At Sannaemaeul Yang Kkochi & Qingdao, one serving is 8 skewers. The twisted meat skewers in front are the lamb rib meat skewers, and the block-shaped ones in back are the yang kkochi.

Then you just place them on the charcoal one by one — the heat is strong so they cook fast. That seems to trap the juices inside the meat even better. The owner also brings out food quickly; next up was shrimp egg fried rice, with a side of jjajang (black bean) sauce, topped with fluffy egg and plump shrimp bouncing on top. 🍤🍤

A side of jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) broth also came out, and it was full of smoky seafood flavor, which made me curious about their noodle dishes too. I had a feeling the jjajangmyeon or jjamppong would be above average as well.

Why the tangy guobaorou is the dish to order

And now the dish I recommend most: guobaorou. I *really* love guobaorou, so whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant that serves it, I always order it. The guobaorou here is the kind you'd find at a top guobaorou spot in Seoul — Chinese-style, I'd say. It's an appealing guobaorou with a strong tangy flavor. Personally I like it tangier, so if your tastes are similar to mine, this is the dish for you!! 👍👍👍👍👍🤤 (It really tastes similar to the guobaorou I had in China)

The fried outer coating wasn't hard at all — it shattered crisply while still being chewy. You'd think it would harden as time passed, but it stayed crisp and chewy until the very last bite. Great as a beer snack or as a side with yang kkochi — highly recommend!

Pulling the cooked yang kkochi off the skewers one by one, there wasn't much of that distinctive lamb smell, and it tasted great!

It really was the kind of flavor that makes you crave a beer.

While we were enjoying the meal, the owner also brought out a complimentary bean sprout stir-fry on the house. The service dish had a nice oyster sauce and smoky flavor, perfect as a side with rice, and the bean sprouts still had a good crunch.

They also offer generous parking, up to 3 hours, so you can enjoy your meal without rushing! 🚗