Banh mi on a rice baguette and terrace baby chairs in Suwon: Madam Hao

Lunch near Ajou, pho near Ajou, drinks near Ajou — I split my day into five pieces these days, so a weekday dinner out is a real stroke of luck haha. If the baby naps late, bedtime gets pushed back too, which means eating out becomes possible!! Today the baby's nap got split up, bedtime slipped, and I got to enjoy a golden window for dinner out. Since I was already going out on a weeknight, I figured I'd go get that pho everyone raves about near Ajou.

Where is Madam Hao, and what are its hours and parking?

Madam Hao is a Vietnamese restaurant at 49 Worldcup-ro 193beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si. It's open from 11am to 3am, with a break time from 3 to 5pm. The taste reminded me of eating in Vietnam itself, and the atmosphere felt like a little trip abroad — I really liked that about Madam Hao.

Parking is available beside the building, and you can also park along the street nearby. Madam Hao has seating that's run like an outdoor terrace, so it seemed like it could also work as a late-night spot for drinks near Ajou.

Can you bring a baby? Madam Hao's terrace seats and baby chairs

Madam Hao has baby chairs, so it was easy to bring the baby along. It seems like a lot of people come for pho at lunch near Ajou, but visiting in the evening meant the lights were on and the atmosphere felt even better!

The staff were kind, and even late in the evening customers kept steadily coming in — a real local favorite! The atmosphere was nice so we chose to sit on the terrace side.

There were also seats inside, and once you sit anywhere comfortable, you order through the table-order kiosk. My husband picked the beef brisket pho, and I picked the banh mi — the banh mi here is truly the real deal!! I don't eat cilantro so I asked for it to be left out.

The complimentary shrimp chips!!! Crispy and perfect as a drinking snack haha. The baby wanted some, but since they seemed a bit salty, we gave the baby rice crackers instead and kept the shrimp chips for ourselves haha.

Lunch near Ajou — Madam Hao's menu board

Beef brisket pho with 4,000 won extra meat: how much do you get?

Madam Hao's beef brisket pho lets you add extra meat for ₩4,000. I ordered it because I'd heard the brisket pho was delicious, and since my husband was hungry, we added extra meat. For ₩4,000 it came out really generous, and I shared it with him.

The food came out fast at Madam Hao. The beef in the brisket pho was cooked until tender and soft. The broth is clear, so I think kids would eat it well too.

Every table has sauces set out, so it's easy to customize as you like. My husband scooped out some noodles and mixed them with the spicy sauce, which ended up tasting like a bibim-guksu (mixed noodles) situation haha. They actually have a mixed pho dish on the menu, so we decided we'll try that next time we come.

The portion of noodles was surprisingly generous too, so Madam Hao's pho worked great as a full meal. Being right in front of Ajou University, it seems to draw a lot of student customers. There are plenty of bars nearby too, so I'd recommend it as a late-night drinking spot near Ajou as well.

Madam Hao's banh mi: a crisp, chewy rice baguette

What I ordered was Madam Hao's banh mi. I once had banh mi delivered from another place and the bread was so tough it was disappointing — but Madam Hao's banh mi has a rice baguette that's crisp and chewy, and it was so good. The fillings were generous too, and the sauce was genuinely delicious!!

I'm not exactly sure what all the ingredients in the banh mi were, but they seemed like the kind used in Vietnam itself. It felt like a spot near Ajou where you could enjoy truly authentic Vietnamese food! I liked the texture of the crispy fillings.

Is Madam Hao good for solo dining, lunch or a late-night meal?

I'd recommend Madam Hao to anyone eating solo near Ajou! I went in the evening because I was craving pho, but it seems like it'd also work well as a lunch spot near Ajou. I'm planning to visit on a weekday lunch next time haha. If you're into banh mi like me, ordering it as a side would work nicely too. They're running a review event, and since they're open until late at night they also sell drinking snacks, which I'd imagine is popular with students.

If you want to try authentic Vietnamese pho, this is a spot near Ajou I'd recommend! The broth had rich depth, and the meat was tender and delicious. It's a rare restaurant near Ajou with easy parking, so I think I'll be back often haha.