Chowon
After a bit of shopping in Hannam-dong, we headed over to the Namyeong-dong food alley for the first time in a while. The area around Namyeong-dong and Sinyongsan Station has become one of my go-to spots lately, with so many great restaurants clustered together.
We decided to check out a Korean barbecue restaurant called “Chowon.” It’s a place I’d been meaning to try for a while, and lately, it seems to have gotten quite popular, especially after being featured on many YouTube channels.
This place is known for its top-grade beef tongue, premium Hanwoo (Korean beef) sirloin, and expertly grilled beef tripe and intestines.
The restaurant proudly receives the Blue Ribbon every year, South Korea’s very first and most trusted restaurant guide.
The restaurant spans two floors, and we were seated on the first floor.
Menu
The menu features a variety of premium hanwoo beef cuts, including sirloin, beef tongue, and grilled tripe. As expected from a restaurant specializing in top-grade Korean beef, the prices are on the higher side.
On the side, they offer dishes like fried rice, soup, and noodles, along with a wide selection of alcoholic drinks. We ended up ordering the marinated hanwoo sirloin, beef tongue, soup, and fried rice.
The side dishes were neatly presented and genuinely satisfying.
Among the side dishes, there were seasoned tripe and Gaejang (marinated raw crab), both incredibly tasty and perfect with soju. If you'd like more of them, there’s a small additional charge.
The marinated raw crab was great, but it was the seasoned tripe that paired perfectly with soju. It was easily the highlight.
Hanwoo beef tongue 36,000 won
The thinly sliced beef tongue arrived beautifully presented. You could immediately tell how fresh and high-quality it was. They also provide scallions and lemon to help neutralize the distinctive scent of beef tongue.
Hanwoo Sirloin 38,000 won
This dish featured top-grade marinated Hanwoo sirloin, beautifully marbled and just begging to be grilled over charcoal.
We grilled just a couple pieces at a time over the charcoal, enjoying the process slowly. The staff kindly demonstrated how to cook the beef tongue first, then left us to grill at our own pace.
Topping the grilled tongue with scallions lightly dressed in lemon brought out the best in its tender, slightly chewy texture; it was absolutely delicious.
Next came the sirloin. I prefer mine slightly undercooked, so I gave it just a quick sear on the grill and dipped it in salt. It was so tender it practically melted in my mouth.
My girlfriend said the sirloin was her favorite. We kept grilling piece by piece, pairing each bite with soju. It was the perfect combo.
Beef offal soup 9,000 won
I was curious how the offal soup would taste, and it did not disappoint. It came with generous portions of intestines, along with radish and scallions. The broth was clean, not greasy at all, and really comforting. I was tempted to order another bottle of soju!
Chowon Fried Rice 10,000 won
Fried rice is my girlfriend’s favorite side dish. She loves wrapping up a meal of grilled meat or tteokbokki with it. The fried rice is prepared in the kitchen rather than at the table, and they serve it topped with not one, but two fried eggs. The quality is impressive.
It’s a truly high-quality fried rice, and when paired with the remaining sirloin, it becomes even more satisfying.
The beef was amazing, but the side dishes were just as impressive. Next time, I’d love to come back with my family and try a variety of other dishes together.
Address : 80-4 Namyeong-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone : +82-10-4976-5949
Operation Hours : Mon-Sun : 12:00 - 23:00
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Source : https://blog.naver.com/yonghyun0903/223793138367
Writer : yonghyun0903
Special thanks to yonghyun0903