Thai basil banh mi at a Suwon Vietnamese restaurant: Madam Hao

I was craving Vietnamese food lately, so I visited Madam Hao near Ajou University. Besides pho, they also serve pad thai and banh mi, so it's a place where you can try several Vietnamese dishes in one sitting. I went on a weekday for lunch, and customers kept coming in the whole time I was eating.

There were a few parking spots available in front of the restaurant, but the space wasn't very generous, so it's something to keep in mind if you're driving.

Inside Madam Hao: the feel of a local Vietnamese eatery

Walking in, the space was bigger than I expected. There were quite a lot of tables, plus a separate area further inside, so even with lots of customers at lunchtime it didn't feel cramped.

Above all, the interior was decorated to feel like a local Vietnamese eatery, so even before the food arrived I felt like I was on a trip somewhere.

The lighting and bamboo-style props suited the space well, making it a pretty spot for photos too.

What two people ordered at Madam Hao, and what it cost

The two of us ordered three menu items.

• Brisket pho — ₩11,000
• Pad thai — ₩12,500
• Madam Hao banh mi — ₩10,000

They also gave us shrimp chips as a welcome snack at the start, so we had something simple to nibble on while waiting for the food.

Brisket pho, 11,000 won: rich broth and generous beef

The first dish to arrive was the brisket pho. Right away I liked that there was a generous amount of meat, and the broth wasn't just clear-tasting — it had a rich depth to it.

When I took a spoonful, the meat and broth blended together well — personally, this was exactly the style of pho I like.

Eating the bean sprouts and noodles together, the bowl disappeared quickly.

If you're looking for a good pho restaurant near Ajou University and pho is the dish you think of first, this one should be a solid, easy favorite.

Pad thai, 12,500 won: lightly sweet with plenty of shrimp

Next up was the pad thai.

The pad thai wasn't overly sweet — more of a moderate sweetness.

I added a bit of the lemon juice served alongside and mixed in some chili powder, which added a tangy, spicy kick and made it taste even better.

There was also quite a lot of shrimp in it. One thing I noticed throughout the meal at Madam Hao was that they're generous with ingredients overall. It's not just noodles or vegetables piled high — meat and shrimp were also included without holding back, which was satisfying.

Madam Hao banh mi, 10,000 won: Thai basil instead of cilantro

And the dish I was personally most excited about was the Madam Hao banh mi.

Banh mi is my second-favorite Vietnamese dish after pad thai, but not many places actually do it properly, so I was already pleased to see it on the menu.

Inside the crispy rice baguette was a generous amount of meat and vegetables. With each bite, the crunchy bread and the filling came together deliciously.

But there was one unusual thing about the Madam Hao banh mi. Vietnamese food usually uses a lot of cilantro, but here they used Thai basil as the herb instead. Cilantro is famously divisive, so having basil instead meant I could eat it without any hesitation. Even people who avoid Vietnamese food because they dislike cilantro should feel fine trying this banh mi.

Worth it when you want Vietnamese food near Ajou University?

Overall, all three dishes were satisfying, and above all I liked how generous the portions of ingredients were. The pho had a rich broth and plenty of meat, the pad thai had a generous amount of shrimp, and the banh mi paired a crispy rice baguette nicely with a hearty filling. The interior also looked pretty with its authentic Vietnamese feel, and the owner was friendly throughout the meal, so I left in a good mood. Personally, this is a place I'd want to come back to the next time I'm craving Vietnamese food near Ajou University.

Madam Hao hours, address and parking

• Address: 49 Worldcup-ro 193beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–3:00 (break 15:00–17:00)
• Saturday 17:00–3:00
• Sunday 11:30–3:00 (break 15:00–17:00)
• Parking: Available in front of the restaurant, though space is somewhat tight