Icheon weekday lunch Korean beef restaurant with beef hoe: Jowatso

The sky's so blue and pretty these days, perfect weather for a trip to the Yeoju outlets or a round of golf. Last weekend Janghowon in Icheon even had a peach festival going on. And when you're out and about like this, isn't finding a good restaurant the most important thing?

Big parking lot, and I'd come back a hundred thousand percent — the quality here is seriously great. This is a Korean beef restaurant in Icheon that I want to see get way more famous, so here's the post.

Where does the name Jowatso come from?

The name Jowatso seems to be a cute mash-up of "joatda" (it was good) and "so" (cow) haha. Before I went, I wondered if it was owned by someone with the surname Jo, but no — joatso~~ jowatso~~ it just rolls off the tongue somehow.

I went with my mom and dad, just the three of us, and even on a weekday lunch there were already 4-5 tables grilling meat — clearly a proven spot.

The 850g signature platter at 89,000 won: enough for three?

I was really craving meat that day, so we ordered Jowatso's signature special-cuts platter. It lets you enjoy top-grade special cuts — udae galbi, bonkkotsal, beef rib meat, and fan meat — 850g for ₩89,000, and on top of that we added doenjang jjigae (₩3,000), rice (₩1,000), and beef hoe too.

I half-worried there wouldn't be enough meat, but wow, we ended up so full there was leftover, going back and forth with "just one more bite," "okay it's your turn...", "seriously the last piece." This signature platter could honestly feed four people if they're not big eaters.

Just look at that gorgeous color on the meat. If you're looking for a Korean beef restaurant in Icheon, head to Jowatso in Janghowon. Nearby golf courses include Gamgok CC, Blackstone Icheon CC, Icheon Silk Valley CC, and Solmoro CC, so it's a great place to refuel after a round!

Beef that stays tender even well-done, especially the rib meat

Shouldn't beef be eaten the moment it's grilled? My dad and I like ours barely past raw — rare-ish, once the pink fades (only possible with Korean beef) — while my mom prefers hers well-done.

My mom said, "Even cooked well-done, the meat here isn't tough at all — it's delicious." We were too busy scarfing it down right after grilling, so I don't have many photos of the fully cooked pieces, oops ^^:;

The cut that impressed me most was the rib meat. Seriously, how is this so thick, savory, chewy in a good way, and bursting with nuttiness at the same time?! If foreigners tried this they'd be losing their minds saying "so amazing." This alone made me sure I'd be back — even looking at the photo now makes my mouth water. If you've had saeu-sal (shrimp-shaped rib finger) before, this is like ten times better. I promise.

How to eat beef sushi, and the self-serve side dish bar

Oops, I forgot to photograph the self-serve side dish corner, but when they set the table after we ordered, they also gave us rice for making beef sushi bites, along with lettuce and sauce, pickled peppers, and a bit of wasabi on the side.

This combo is the real kicker. Insanely good... it felt like fireworks going off in my mouth. And the basic salt they give you is really good too.

The beef hoe (raw beef) my mom kept going back for

Right when we were deep into the meat, the beef hoe (raw beef) showed up.

Pop the egg yolk in, give it a quick mix, and it's pure freshness!!! My mom loves beef hoe, so she called this a must-visit spot and dug in happily, already saying next time we should bring my sister too and make it a party of four. It's honestly shocking that you get this quality and quantity of meat at this price — three of us ate until we were stuffed for ₩100,000..

Doenjang jjigae and the free beef hangover soup

The doenjang jjigae had a seafood-ish base — something that reminded me of blue crab broth — salty but clear, so it didn't clash with the meat. Jowatso's kimchi and other side dishes also paired really well with the beef.

The beef hangover soup that comes free by default was a real surprise — there was actual meat in it. It had a slightly spicy beef-rice-soup vibe. I wanted a whole bowl of it on its own~~~

Whenever I'm with my parents, even if I try to grill the meat for them, they say "you eat" and keep grilling for me anyway, and I just take it like a baby bird being fed. Even at 60, I'll probably still be mom and dad's forever baby~~~ haha.

Mini fans, take-home ground beef and a cup of Maxim coffee

Grilling didn't feel particularly hot to me, but for anyone who gets warm by the grill, there are this many mini fans set out. Must be really comfortable in summer.

It made me worry what's even left for the restaurant with how much they give out, but at checkout they hand you packed ground beef too!!!!!!!!!! I'm thinking of putting it in seaweed soup~~ or maybe donggeurangttaeng (Korean meat patties)??

A Korean restaurant that gives you Maxim coffee after the meal is truly the best~~ For a Korean beef restaurant in Icheon, I recommend Jowatso without hesitation :)