Planning a trip to Shanghai? You can't miss the buzz around Henjiuyiqian, the city's top spot for incredible lamb skewers. Get ready for a flavorful adventure!
📍 Shanghai No.1 Department Store 830 Nan Jing Lu Bu Xing Jie, Huang Pu Qu, China 200001
🐑 This Shanghai gem, Henjiuyiqian at Shanghai No.1 Department Store, comes highly recommended if you are:
✔︎Looking for an authentic lamb skewer experience in Shanghai
✔︎Trying lamb skewers for the very first time
✔︎Searching for a late-night lamb skewer spot in Shanghai
Wondering where to eat in Shanghai?
If you ask people who've visited,
9 out of 10 will tell you the wait is insane,
but they'll also insist you absolutely *must* go to Henjiuyiqian for their lamb skewers—it's that good!!
Among its branches, the most famous one is located on Nanjing East Road,
on the 6th floor of Shanghai No.1 Department Store. And guess what? I went there!
Given its popularity, I initially planned to end my day on a high note by having dinner there...
But when I tried to reserve a table around 8-9 PM... the waiting list was already closed! ✨️
My friend's sibling had reserved around 5-6 PM and only managed to eat around 2 AM, near closing time. I thought they were exaggerating, but it turns out it was true...
So, I realized trying to go for dinner might be impossible,
and decided to do an early morning 'open run' instead! ✨️
In the morning, after a quick stop at Miniso, I joined the remote queuing system.
So it wasn't a *complete* open run,
but I still waited for about an hour using the remote queuing.
Once our turn was almost up, we finally arrived at Henjiuyiqian.
Since remote queuing is an option,
I thought there wouldn't be many people waiting physically, but I was wrong...
There were still tons of people waiting at the actual location.
Thankfully, there were chairs nearby for waiting, so we could sit comfortably while
eagerly waiting for our turn to come up!
Just a heads-up: you can scan a QR code at the restaurant to get a waiting number when you arrive, but
you'll have to wait a *really* long time.
So, I highly recommend using Alipay for remote queuing in advance!
How to Use Alipay for Remote Queuing
‼️Please note: remote queuing is only possible within a 50km radius‼️
First, open Alipay and tap on the magnifying glass icon (search).
Search for Henjiuyiqian (很久以前羊肉串).
After searching, tap on 'Services.' Then, select the image that looks like a ticket dispenser,
which is highlighted with a pink marker.
If you select the option that says 'Take a Number,' it will then ask you to choose the number of people in your party.
Once you've chosen your party size,
you can then select which branch you'd like to remotely queue for.
Choose Shanghai, and then search for your desired branch name.
For me, it was the Shanghai No.1 Department Store (第一百货店), so after typing that in and selecting the branch,
Once you've chosen your desired table size,
you'll successfully receive a waiting ticket.
And since Alipay offers Korean translation, making a reservation wasn't difficult at all.
So, if the Hunjie Yiqian you're planning to visit is nearby,
I highly recommend joining the queue remotely from your accommodation beforehand,
taking a little rest, and then heading out.
(Or maybe some street sightseeing in the meantime?!)
Even though Hunjie Yiqian at the First Department Store had a pretty spacious interior,
remembering how long the waiting time was truly made me realize again
what an incredibly popular spot it is! My anticipation for the lamb skewers just soared even higher.
The tables were set up like this,
You can place your order using the QR code at the end of the table,
and since the menu was well-translated into Korean, ordering was a breeze.
So, first we ordered lamb skewers, pork belly skewers, and naengmyeon (cold noodles),
along with Budweiser Black Gold beer, and Coke.
Next to the lamb skewer grilling machine, as you can see in the picture,
they give you sauces for dipping your lamb skewers.
The red one is Ziran,
and the yellow one was a powder with a curry-like scent (?).
Just for reference, I personally found the Ziran to be more delicious.
Popcorn
They even handed out popcorn before the lamb skewers arrived, which was a pleasant surprise!
I was only really looking forward to the lamb skewers,
so I didn't expect much from the popcorn, but it was surprisingly delicious!
Lamb Skewers
As we were munching on the popcorn, our ordered
lamb and pork belly skewers arrived,
so we quickly started grilling the lamb skewers first.
Lamb Skewers
It was delicious even without Ziran,
but adding Ziran definitely elevated the flavor!
Pork Belly Skewers
We also grilled and ate the pork belly, and while it was tasty,
the lamb skewers were definitely the star!
So, we ended up ordering even more lamb skewers.
Naengmyeon
It's a bit different from the Naengmyeon we have in Korea, but
it was delicious?!
Honestly, I didn't think I'd be full just eating lamb skewers,
so I ordered Naengmyeon as a side, and it turned out to be a great choice.
So, if you're wondering what else to order besides lamb skewers at Xuanjiuweiqian, I highly recommend getting the Naengmyeon.
For drinks, I had a Coke and Budweiser Black Gold,
The Coke was 4 yuan (~$1), and it came in a cute (mini) bottle,
which made this Coke enthusiast very happy.
What's more, they even gave us cooling packs (I guess because it gets hot eating lamb skewers?)
and if you have long hair, they provided hair ties so you could tie it up and eat comfortably.
I forgot to stick mine on my forehead,
but apparently, people stick the cooling packs on their foreheads and take photos.
Don't be like me and take your photos without the cooling pack...
Make sure to stick it on! Haha.
By the way, I traveled in late January to early February 2026, so it was winter, but
as you can see in the picture, they also gave us a bag (?) to put our clothes or bags in.
Ice Cream
They also gave us milk candy (?) and ice cream,
and the flavors were really rich.
Personally, I liked the ice cream a bit more,
and it seemed even tastier because it was chewy (?).
I had such high expectations, so I was worried I might be disappointed after eating the lamb skewers,
but I completely understood why there's always such a long waiting line.
I was full and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meal,
so if I travel to Shanghai again, I'd definitely visit this place.
Dental Floss
As a thoughtful touch, they even gave us dental floss after we finished the lamb skewers.
✔︎ Review of Xuanjiuweiqian, a Must-Visit Lamb Skewer Spot in Shanghai
It's easy to see why this place is so popular among Koreans!!
The lamb skewers were delicious, and even though we ate until we were full,
the bill came out to around ~$41, so I understood why people say it's great value for money.
Although there's usually a bit of a wait...
since remote queuing is available,
it seems like all you need to do is get in line in advance,
so I'd definitely revisit if I come back.
▼▼▼▼▼Another Must-Try Skewer Spot in Shanghai: Fan Xiaoxiao▼▼▼▼▼
Shanghai Travel: Fan Xiaoxiao, a Must-Visit Lamb Skewer Restaurant in The Bund (Paid for by Me)
