Howie C.
Yelp
What a fun place!
My most vivid memory of eating lamb skewers was a chilly night over 20 years ago in Beijing, on a desolate street corner with a man grilling them over coals, asking me if I thought the US was wrong for flying a reconnaissance spy plane that crashed on Chinese island. When in a foreign country, avoid political conversations, agree with the locals and just revel in the tasty food.
Chubby Skewers has skewers galore and it's all self serve at $1.20 each stick ($1.10 each if you are a member). Lamb skewers. A5 Wagyu fatty beef. A5 Wagyu lean beef. Chicken Wings. Chinese Sausage. Mini Squid. Chicken Hearts. Chicken Skin. Gizzards. Corn on the Cob. Veggies. Sesame Bread... And others...
You get a metal tray, pick out the raw skewers you want. Then you can season at the central area or season them at your grill. There's chili pepper, cumin, sesame, spice mix, black pepper, sugar, salt. If you want it traditional Chinese style, I recommend going heavy on the cumin and powered red pepper, and toss on a touch of sugar and salt. My friends, who were not Chinese, did not try it the traditional way, which is perfectly fine, but in my mind it can't be an authentic lamb skewer with out cumin and a crusting of red pepper powder.
Side Dishes:
Wagyu Fried Rice - This had robust flavor and the rice was glistening and tender but the value for the price was not there as it was only about a rice bowl full of rice served on a plate.
Indomie Fried Noodles - I know, why are we paying for instant noodles that are stir fried that we can easily make at home. Because it's good with these skewers! Yes on this if you want noodles.
Spicy Oily Peanuts - It says this is new to the menu and I thought they were some of the best peanuts I've ever had. It was $10-$11 but you get a large pyramid of plated peanuts that were cooked with dried red chilies, white onion bits that have been marinating in this chili oil. The peanuts themselves were each burnt crusted with some salt and sugar and some Sichuan peppercorn taste. If I drive by here I will order a container of these to go. I'm in love!
Wet Fries/Potatoes - Crinkle cut fries extra crispy, then tossed and glazed in a soy garlic sauce, topped with scallions and cilantro. If you want some sweetness and some starch to balance out all the grilled meat you are eating, this is a good side.
For four of us, it was about $45 a person with one bottle of Soju. If you are getting alcohol, beer actually matches better with the meats and the spices, so I recommend that. If you aren't super hungry, then it'll probably be about $30 a person.
Seating is at short tables with small, short chairs, reminiscent of the compact seating you might see at Asian night markets. If there is a large sized person in your party (either tall or wide), they are probably not going to be comfortable in these seats.
The sides/small plates are plates that come out already cooked. The skewers you have to season and grill yourself. You might come out a little smokey, but not as smokey as you would if you went to KBBQ.
I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the experience. I'm sure they must have huge wait times on the weekends so try to go on a weeknight. I will be back!