Janghowon beef BBQ restaurant: daily-limited 800g platter, Jowatso

Went on a weekend trip to Yeoju!! Whenever I go to Yeoju or Icheon I always end up looking for hanjeongsik (Korean set meal) or rice-focused restaurants, but as a committed carnivore I really wanted meat... needed to demolish some beef, so after a ton of searching I ended up at Jowatso Janghowon Gamgok Main Branch (조왔소 장호원 감곡 본점)!

The two of us pigged out on close to 1kg of meat together lol. Here's my honest review — the taste and the generous service were both perfect!!

Where is Jowatso Janghowon Gamgok Main Branch, and the basics

Jowatso Janghowon Gamgok Main Branch is a beef restaurant at 25 Seodongdae-ro 8809beon-gil, Janghowon-eup, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00 (last order 21:20), and Naver reservations are available, so group visits work too.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:20)
• Signature menu: Specialty-cut platters, seasoned beef short rib, and other beef dishes
• Reservations & groups: Available via Naver
• Parking: Dedicated lot on-site

Parking and dining room: fits family gatherings and post-golf dinners

Jowatso's main branch sits in a cozy Janghowon neighborhood! There's plenty of parking right in front, and the lot behind the building is genuinely huge, so it's really easy to drive in and visit.

The inside is one big hall, so it's totally suited to family gatherings, company dinners, or dropping by after golf (Gamgok CC, Solmoro CC, etc.) lol. Since it was a weekend evening, a lot of families seemed to be there!!! If families are eating there??? That's basically a guarantee it's good lol.

I wondered why there were so many fans by the entrance — turns out it's because the grilling is done over charcoal, so it can get warm, and the owner wants guests to eat comfortably in the cool!!! Such a small but big thoughtful touch from the owner!!! (Not gonna lie, the AC units are also huge and plentiful for the size of the place lol.)

The self-serve bar is also set up neatly!!!

What is on the Jowatso menu?

After a happy struggle deciding what to order while looking at the menu board!! We went straight for the daily-limited main menu!!

Note the self-serve bar, the table fans provided, and the complimentary beef hangover soup!!! Also checked the country of origin!!

Side dishes and the free beef hangover soup

Jowatso's basic table setting comes with lettuce wraps, seasoned chives, various side dishes, and even sushi rice, plus a complimentary bowl of spicy beef hangover soup on the side.

Lettuce wraps, seasoned chives, various basic side dishes, and even sushi rice!!!

And that complimentary 'spicy beef hangover soup' — this is seriously an item of magic lol. It's the pure essence of the good stuff. It's a free side dish, but the amount of meat inside is genuinely generous!! One sip of the broth and you go 'ahh~', and soju gets opened immediately!!!

What comes in the daily-limited 800g pick-your-cut platter?

Jowatso's daily-limited 'pick-your-cut' 800g platter comes with skirt steak and beef tartare as the base, plus you choose one of LA-style short rib, thick-cut short rib, or honey-mustard seasoned grill. We went with the special seasoned grill option made with Jeju rapeseed honey!!

Once the main dish arrived, the table was seriously packed full!!! This was really for two people right?? lol haha

Take one more look at these pretty pieces of meat lol (beef tartare, honey-mustard seasoned grill, skirt steak).

Top blade steak and yukhoe (beef tartare)

Started grilling the skirt steak first!! Meat cooked golden-brown over strong charcoal heat is just — words fail me lol. Started drooling.

While the meat was grilling, took a bite of the beef tartare lol. This is basically the Korean appetizer!! Great for making into tartare sushi lol.

The skirt steak, grilled to a perfect medium-rare, went into my stomach with salt, with chives, with wasabi, and finally wrapped in lettuce lol.

The rapeseed honey marinated beef grill

Now it's time for the seasoned grill lol. The special rapeseed honey seasoned grill is a mix of specialty cuts flavored with the house's special sauce, and the moment it hit the charcoal, the sweet, savory meaty aroma that burst out was insane. It's not an artificial, harsh sweetness — it's the subtle, deep sweetness unique to rapeseed honey soaked right into the meat, so it never gets tiring and you just keep eating lol. In the end the two of us demolished all 800g...!

Adding one serving of raw beef short rib, then a soup refill

After finishing 800g between the two of us we were a little disappointed (?), so it's no secret we added a serving of raw beef short rib lol.

With the savory marbling and chewy texture of the unseasoned raw short rib added in, the meat feast reached its perfect finale!! Meat eaten with rice is truly the real deal lol.

The complimentary beef hangover soup... the owner said refills were possible, so shamelessly we cleaned up two whole bowls lol. The second bowl was just as loaded with beef — super happy!!!

Pairing Jowatso with the Janghowon Peach Festival

For reference, Jowatso is running an amazing event where the owner personally prepares ground beef and gives it free to guests after their meal! Take it home and put it to good use when you cook!!

Also, apparently the Janghowon Peach Festival is happening this week from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20!! Since the festival grounds are right near the restaurant, I'd highly recommend the course of enjoying the peach festival and a drive over the weekend, then finishing with a hearty beef dinner!!

Value for money, meat quality, service, and parking — 'Jowatso Janghowon Gamgok Main Branch' didn't miss a beat on any front! Strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a good beef restaurant in Janghowon, or anyone near Icheon who wants a generous, filling beef platter with hangover soup done right!!!