Mini-brazier gyukatsu and a 90-minute parking pass in Cheonan: Izawa

📍: 18-1 Meokgeori 10-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, 2nd floor ⏰: Tue-Sun 11:30-21:00 Break time 14:40-16:30 / Last order 19:50 *Lunch orders must be placed by 14:40, may close early if ingredients run out Closed every Monday 🚘: Nearby public parking available * Sinbu No. 5 public parking lot: 90 minutes total usage available :)

What kind of restaurant is Izawa in Cheonan Sinbu-dong?

Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch is a Japanese restaurant in Cheonan's Sinbu-dong food alley known for its gyukatsu (beef cutlet). I suddenly had a huge craving for gyukatsu and went searching for where to go — and that's how I ended up at this Cheonan Sinbu-dong restaurant, Izawa.

Sinbu-dong has so many restaurants and cafés in Cheonan that picking a place to eat is honestly kind of hard, but that day there was no hesitation — I went straight to Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch for gyukatsu :) Since gyukatsu is their signature menu, it's a good place to visit when you're craving proper gyukatsu after a while 🖤

Izawa is located in the Sinbu-dong food alley area and is also easy to get to from Cheonan Bus Terminal! It's actually a spot that comes up a lot when people search for restaurants near Cheonan Sinbu-dong or Cheonan Terminal.

Here's the waiting area! I wondered what was up with the two cute fans placed there — turns out it's the waiting room haha 😎

Inside Izawa and how the 90-minute parking pass works

Parking pass provided ➡️ Sinbu No. 5 public parking lot pass gives 90 minutes total :) Onnuri gift certificates also accepted!

Walking inside, the vibe was clean and casual! Not intimidating at all for solo dining, and comfortable for meals with friends or a date. There were quite a few couples too — it really does seem like a good date spot :)

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What's on the menu at Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch?

Grilling the striploin gyukatsu on a mini brazier at the table

What we ordered at Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch that day was the striploin, the signature gyukatsu menu item. If you're at Izawa, you have to try the signature gyukatsu.

Gyukatsu is beef coated in a thin layer of batter and fried crispy on the outside — it looks similar to donkatsu (pork cutlet), but using beef makes the texture and flavor noticeably different! What's fun about Izawa's gyukatsu specifically is that you grill it yourself on a mini brazier to whatever doneness you like ✨

The gyukatsu comes out fairly rare inside at first, so you place each piece on the brazier and grill it yourself. This was more fun than I expected haha. Even the kids stared at it in fascination 👀

The idea is that you're not supposed to grill everything at once — you grill just enough to eat right away so it stays warm until the last bite, which is a nice touch — but my little ones ate so fast and kept rushing me that I ended up putting several pieces on at once… sigh. And in the middle of all that they wanted to see the inside of the gyukatsu too?! They must be crazy 🫢

It was genuinely delicious — crispy outside, juicy inside! Crispy-on-the-outside-tender-on-the-inside 🌈 That melt-in-your-mouth feeling the moment you bite in… ✨ Especially good eaten with wasabi — wow, seriously so good :)

Is Izawa a good date spot in Sinbu-dong, Cheonan?

Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch is in a good spot for a date course of dinner then coffee in Sinbu-dong, so it's worth checking out if you're looking for a Cheonan Sinbu-dong date restaurant :)

What made it fun above all is that gyukatsu involves grilling it yourself on the brazier, so it's a slightly different dining experience than eating regular donkatsu or a rice bowl. If it's your first time, you might wonder how to grill it, but you can just grill it little by little and find the doneness you like ✨ I personally found it tastiest lightly grilled and still juicy!

Final verdict on Izawa, a gyukatsu restaurant in Cheonan Sinbu-dong

I visited Izawa Cheonan Sinbu-dong Branch after suddenly craving gyukatsu after a while 🌈 I ordered the signature striploin gyukatsu and grilled it myself on the brazier — being able to eat it right away at exactly the doneness I wanted was the most fun part!

If you're looking for something different to eat in Sinbu-dong, or searching for a gyukatsu restaurant, a Cheonan Sinbu-dong restaurant, or a Cheonan Terminal restaurant, this is worth a visit at least once! If you like gyukatsu, you'll probably understand right away why this is the signature dish here. Next time I'll come back to try other menu items besides gyukatsu too‼️ If you're ever in Cheonan Sinbu-dong craving gyukatsu, be sure to stop by Izawa 💖