Ajiyang Itaewon 아지양 이태원

Ajiyang Itaewon is a Sapporo-style lamb restaurant on the first floor at 14 Itaewon-ro 19-gil in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The kitchen uses chilled Hokkaido lamb chops and loin that are aged in-house before cooking. A brazier and ridged grill occupy the center of each dining table, and staff cook the meat directly in front of diners. The loin is cut thick enough to brown several surfaces while retaining its shape. Bone-in chops are turned around the grill so the outer fat, cut face, and meat near the bone receive heat separately. Onion, mushrooms, pineapple, and other vegetables or fruit are grilled beside the lamb. Condiments include plain salt, truffle salt, cumin seasoning, mint jelly, and a house sauce, with olives and kimchi served separately. The meal menu extends beyond grilled meat. Soybean-paste bean-sprout ramen combines noodles and crisp sprouts in a doenjang broth adjusted with the restaurant's sauce. Garlic-soy eel is placed over rice cooked with bean sprouts. The onion curry develops its dark color and dense texture from onions cooked slowly in butter. Furikake rice and a fish-cake soup are additional rice and broth dishes. Smoked dried pollack is torn into strips and served with a mayonnaise sauce containing Cheongyang chili. The room uses low lighting, dark timber, a long counter-style table, and conventional tables, each fitted with its own grill. Individual lockers separate coats from the cooking area. The drinks list includes Japanese and Chinese beers, highballs, sake, and wine, served by the glass or bottle alongside the table-grilled lamb.