Sowana Yakiniku 소와나 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Sowana (소와나) is a beef-omakase restaurant in Seoul known for its grilled Hanwoo and top-quality charcoal. Tucked away in a small alley just a stone's throw from Hannam-dong's busiest shopping streets, the restaurant offers a 5-course and 7-course sets at an remarkably value-for-money prices.

Having sampled various wok-fried Hanwoo joints, we found nothing quite compares to the smoky allure of charcoal-grilled beef.

The restaurant features a bar-only setting, fostering interactive communication with the chef. Guests can even book their preferred chef in advance through Catchtable, adding a personalized touch to the experience.

Time to sit back and let our chef do the rest.

Like many meals in Japan, our chef presented all the ingredients in front of us before he officially got started. 

Prawn, zucchini – The real highlight here was the juicy zucchini that came with a nice char.

Sirloin, mushroom – We didn't have to wait very long for the rich taste of Hanwoo. I thought the sirloin was pretty flavorful. It was nicely complemented by a grilled mushroom topped with what I thought were sunflower seeds. 

Tenderloin, green pepper – A little too bouncy for my liking with some tendons hidden in the middle.

Tenderloin, green leeks – Lean and flavorful. I liked the sweet soy which they showered with paprika. 

Striploin – Bouncy (or chewy) but in a nice way. These were cooked with a teriyaki-like sauce so a little on the sweet side.

Striploin, red cabbage – More tender than the previous cut. The mayo and sauce made with egg yolk added a bit of creaminess and richness to the beef. I liked the last two cuts.

Beef rice, soft-boiled egg, seaweed – This was where things started to go downhill. First and foremost, I hate it when a restaurant tried to rush me out of the door. I was still trying to enjoy my striploin when our chef was already attempting to push the envelope by placing this on deck.

And to add salt to the wound, I thought the rice was pretty underwhelming. On top of the steamed rice were beef floss, fresh chives, seaweed powder, bits of seaweed and a soft-boiled egg. It looked like something from a hole-in-the-wall fast food joint in Hong Kong.

Deep-fried Korean rice cake – This dessert arrived with a generous sprinkle of sugar on a bed of syrup but the crust was so hard that none of us could really enjoy it.

A mixed-bag experience with its ups and downs. While I like the inviting vibe and reasonable prices, some of these misses made it hard for me to consider coming back for a return visit.

Food Rating: 5.4/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 684-16 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Hangangjin

Tel: +82 2-6080-8586

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 10:30pm daily