There’s one hanwoo place I keep coming back to whenever I’m out in Gijang.
It’s Cheolma Hanwoo Chowon (철마한우초원).
The place has been known for good beef for years, but they recently gave it a full renovation. The food is just as good as I remembered, and the space is so much cleaner and more put-together now. Honestly, I was a little surprised when I walked in.
So here’s how the visit went.
The basics
- Name: Cheolma Hanwoo Chowon (철마한우초원)
- Address: 8 Jungri 1-gil, Cheolma-myeon, Gijang-gun, Busan
- Phone: 051-724-7680
- Hours: 11:00 – 21:00, daily
- Parking: about 7 spots in front, plus an open lot across the street
- Instagram: @chowon_k.beef
📍 View Cheolma Hanwoo Chowon (철마한우초원) on Google Maps →
Getting there
Cheolma is the part of Busan famous for its beef houses, all clustered together in one little area. The restaurant sits just off the main road, tucked down a side lane. If you punch the name into a map app you’ll find it easily enough.
A quick heads-up for visitors: Google Maps walking and transit directions are pretty unreliable in Korea. Use Naver Map or KakaoMap instead — they’re what locals actually use. If you don’t have a rental car, a taxi from central Gijang isn’t far, and the KakaoT app makes calling one painless.
Once you turn into the lane, you’ll spot the standing signboard. It lists the phone number and hours too, so when you see it, you’ve arrived.
When you pull up, there’s this big old pine tree standing right by the entrance. It’s got a nice quiet charm to it, and it kind of sets the mood before you even walk in.
Parking fits about 7 cars out front, and if that’s full there’s an empty lot across the road. The front spots fill up fast at lunch, so give yourself a little buffer.
The yard is done up like a small garden — a touch of a Japanese garden feel, with the stones and trees laid out neatly.
Near the entrance there’s a round moon-gate (달문) frame, and through it the stone path and garden look like a picture in a frame. It’s a nice spot to grab a photo with the family before you head in.
From outside it almost looks like a house, but the moment you step in the mood shifts. The windows are placed so the garden stays in view, so you can watch the greenery even from your seat.
Private rooms, and a much cleaner space
The best thing about this place is that most of the seating is in private rooms. Each one has a door you can close, so it stays nice and quiet while you eat.
I went with family, and having our own room meant we could just relax without worrying about anyone. It’s great for bringing your parents, easy with kids, and honestly ideal for any kind of family gathering.
Since the renovation is recent, everything feels genuinely clean. The interior is tasteful without trying too hard — a calm, almost grown-up atmosphere for a beef house.
Menu and prices
The heart of the menu is charcoal-grilled hanwoo. Beef is priced per 100g.
- Deungsim (등심) / sirloin (100g): 28,000 KRW
- Galbisal (갈비살) / boneless short rib (100g): 28,000 KRW
- Nagyeopsal (낙엽살) / shoulder cut (100g): 28,000 KRW
- Angeomi (안거미) / inside skirt (100g): 39,000 KRW
- Yukhoe (육회) / beef tartare (large): 40,000 KRW
There are also rice-and-soup options like doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), yeongyang sotbap (rice cooked in a pot), and cold noodles.
A couple of practical notes for travelers: pretty much every restaurant in Korea takes cards, so any international card should be fine here. And there’s no tipping culture in Korea — you don’t need to leave anything, and staff may actually be a little puzzled if you try. As for ordering, English isn’t really spoken, but you can just point at the menu and hold up fingers for how many portions you want. It’s genuinely no trouble.
A table full of side dishes
Once you order, the banchan (side dishes) start arriving, and this is part of what makes the place.
First comes a warm bowl of hobakjuk (호박죽), sweet pumpkin porridge. It’s soft and gently sweet — perfect on an empty stomach before the meal.
Then there’s a whole spread — pickled vegetables (jangajji), kimchi, salad, scallion salad, and more. They grow their own vegetables and make their own kimchi, and you can taste it. Everything was clean and fresh.
There’s a generous pile of ssam (lettuce and leaves for wrapping) too, which is great with the beef.
And nicely, they bring out yukhoe (육회), beef tartare, on the house. Fresh, with a slightly sweet seasoning that works really well — a good way to wake up your appetite before the grilled beef shows up.
Onto the beef
The owners raise their own cattle here and sell hanwoo (Korean native beef) from female cows. They’ve been running the place since 2008, now into the second generation.
When the beef came out, the marbling was beautifully fine. We ordered deungsim (sirloin) and galbisal (boneless short rib).
If you want to try several cuts, the assorted platter (modeum) is a good call. You could tell at a glance how fresh it was.
Everything is grilled over real charcoal, and even the sizzle as it cooks is part of the fun. The charcoal lends a faint smoky aroma, and the beef cooks fast.
The sirloin was tender and clean-tasting, turning nuttier the longer you chewed. The galbisal had a bit more chew than the sirloin and held its juices well — the kind of bite that makes you reach for rice.
There was none of that beefy off-smell at all, so the first bite I had with just salt and sesame oil. The sweet onion sauce on the side works nicely too.
Cheolma is actually known for marinated beef bulgogi, and you can get the marinated charcoal version here too. The seasoning isn’t heavy — it’s mild and natural enough that it was easy even with kids at the table.
Wrapping up
Look at the whole table and you can feel the care behind it. Good beef, good side dishes — I left feeling properly looked after.
After the meal there’s a self-serve corner with sikhye (sweet rice drink), maesil-cha (plum tea), and coffee. A cold cup of sikhye after all that beef is just right to finish on.
Location / getting there
- Address: 8 Jungri 1-gil, Cheolma-myeon, Gijang-gun, Busan
- Parking: ~7 spots in front, plus the lot across the street
📍 View Cheolma Hanwoo Chowon (철마한우초원) on Google Maps →
It was already a well-known spot, but with the space this clean after the renovation, I’d feel good bringing just about anyone here now. If you find yourself wanting hanwoo around Gijang, it’s worth the drive out.