# Wasabi over sauce at a Cheonan Sinbu-dong gyukatsu spot: Izawa - By Yerin Tak (https://superchart.com/en/@dunsan-noon-griddle/) - Written Sep 21, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Cheonan, Chungnam - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@dunsan-noon-griddle/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@dunsan-noon-griddle/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/index.md) ## In short Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch is a gyukatsu (Japanese beef cutlet) restaurant on the 2nd floor of the food alley across from Sinsegae Department Store in Sinbu-dong, Cheonan. Arriving on a weekend at 1:30 PM meant waiting as the second group, and Set Menu B brought two gyukatsu set meals plus one drink, each cutlet grilled to taste on a mini brazier at the table. Skipping the sauce and eating the beef with wasabi alone was the best bite of the meal. ## Good to know - **Location**: Sinbu-dong food alley across from Sinsegae Department Store, 2nd floor - **Ordered**: Set Menu B - two gyukatsu set meals + 1 drink - **Gyukatsu set includes**: 180g gyukatsu + rice + soup + sauce + kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) - **Refills**: Rice and salad refillable on request - **Waiting area**: Beside the entrance, seats about 2 groups (4-5 people) - **Visit time**: Weekend 1:30 PM, second group in line - **Lunch service ends**: 2:40 PM, may close early if ingredients run out - **Restroom**: Not inside the restaurant - on the 2.5th floor *as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026* I had some errands in Cheonan recently, and my husband and I ended up on a rare date in Sinbu-dong. There are a bunch of good restaurants in Sinbu-dong, but I'd been craving gyukatsu (Japanese beef cutlet) for a while, so I looked up where to get it around here and found this place. ## Where Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong is and how to find it Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch sits in the food alley across from the Sinsegae Department Store in Sinbu-dong. It's on the 2nd floor, so you go inside the building and head upstairs. ![Exterior of the Izawa building in the Sinbu-dong food alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-01-u3r70-900.webp) Impossible to miss — the Izawa sign, in Japanese lettering, jumps right out at you! ![Izawa sign written in Japanese](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-02-1wto1-900.webp) Even with a Japanese-language sign, gyukatsu references are posted all over the place so you know instantly what kind of restaurant this is! There's a menu board out front before you even go in, so you can decide what to order ahead of time. ![Izawa menu board placed in front of the entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-03-dvpb7-900.webp) ![Signboard displaying the gyukatsu menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-04-13cbx-900.webp) Since Izawa is on the 2nd floor, just walk into the building and head upstairs. ![Izawa entrance leading up to the 2nd floor](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-05-1519n-900.webp) ## How long is the wait at Izawa at 1:30 PM on a weekend? Right next to the entrance there's a waiting area with room for about 2 groups (roughly 4-5 people), assuming two per group. We visited around 1:30 PM on a weekend and were second in line! That's how popular this place is. I wanted to take a photo of the waiting area, but there were people lined up both when we went in and when we left, so I never got the shot... Just a heads-up — the restroom isn't inside the restaurant, it's on the 2.5th floor! ![Interior view of the Izawa restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-06-1lvl8-900.webp) ![Japanese-style interior decor at Izawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-07-1luew-900.webp) ![Decorative items inside Izawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-08-r7lfg-900.webp) ![A table for two at Izawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-09-1lot8-900.webp) ![Seating layout in the Izawa dining hall](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-10-p1jbf-900.webp) ![Wall-facing counter seats at Izawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-11-j19i8-900.webp) ## Inside Izawa: tables and a counter for solo diners Inside, it's mostly tables for two or four. There are plenty of seats, and orders come out fast, so turnover is quick! There's also a counter seat facing the wall in the back, which looked great for solo dining. ![Izawa gyukatsu menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-12-ubeym-900.webp) ![Menu page listing the gyukatsu set meals](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-13-nldhn-900.webp) ![Page describing the set menu options at Izawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-14-1fb1j-900.webp) ![Side menu information at Izawa](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-15-17enc-m-900.webp) ## Izawa's menu and what comes with Set Menu B Here's the Izawa menu! They used to serve tonkatsu (pork cutlet) too, but apparently not anymore — gyukatsu is the main event now. Rice and salad get refilled on request! We were full with just the first serving, so we skipped the refill. Each table already has a mini brazier set up on it in advance. ![Mini brazier already set on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-16-1r01j-900.webp) We ordered Set Menu B — two gyukatsu set meals plus one drink! ![Set Menu B table setting with two gyukatsu sets](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-17-3zbu8-900.webp) ## Is 180g of gyukatsu enough for one person? Here's what the basic gyukatsu set looks like! It comes with 180g of gyukatsu, rice, soup, sauce, and kkakdugi (radish kimchi). ![180g gyukatsu with rice, soup, and kkakdugi](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-18-1aqik-1200.webp) Doesn't it look amazing?? At first I thought the portion seemed small, but as I ate I got full. Guys might feel like it's on the smaller side, so I'd recommend adding extra meat or ordering the double portion from the start! ![Two sauces and kkakdugi served alongside gyukatsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-19-6gdkr-862.webp) The basic set comes with two sauces perfect for dipping the gyukatsu, plus kkakdugi to cut the richness. The soup was refreshing and delicious too! ![Close-up of gyukatsu with a pink cross-section](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-20-1vhex-900.webp) ![A slice of gyukatsu on a plate](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-21-1euye-900.webp) I wanted to get a shot with the mini brazier in frame, but the angle just wouldn't work out... ![Gyukatsu placed on the mini brazier](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-22-1rb5s-900.webp) ## How to grill the gyukatsu on the mini brazier The mini brazier has strong heat, so it cooks quickly! The best part about gyukatsu is that you can adjust the doneness exactly to your taste! Just keep checking on it and flip it front and back every so often. ![Gyukatsu being flipped and grilled on the brazier](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-23-161to-900.webp) I ate mine as soon as there wasn't any raw pink left, haha. Personally, I find slightly medium-rare more tender and tastier than fully cooked. ![A piece of gyukatsu topped with wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend-24-dkb7t-900.webp) ## Wasabi instead of sauce: the best combination The sauce is good too, but I found it tastiest just topped with wasabi alone! It let the meat's natural flavor come through, and it was tender and delicious. Eating it together with rice and salad — so good! This is Japan right here!! I get why this place is always packed. Lunch service runs until 2:40 PM, and they may close early if ingredients run out! Especially on weekends, I'd definitely recommend booking ahead through Naver Reservations!! ## Where it is - Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch (이자와 천안 신부동점) - 18-1 Meokgeori 10-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea - 충청남도 천안시 동남구 먹거리10길 18-1 - 36.8177884, 127.1558004 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9D%B4%EC%9E%90%EC%99%80%20%EC%B2%9C%EC%95%88%20%EC%8B%A0%EB%B6%80%EB%8F%99%EC%A0%90/@36.8177884,127.1558004,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@dunsan-noon-griddle/cheonan-sinbudong-gyukatsu-izawa-weekend/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt