Gangnam Vietnamese spot with a table for six: bun thit nuong at Anan

What kind of restaurant is Anan Gangnam Direct Store?

Anan Gangnam Direct Store is a Vietnamese restaurant at 31 Gangnam-daero 92-gil, 1st floor — one of only two directly-run Anan branches. With the wind suddenly turning cold, I found myself craving hot broth after work and ended up at Anan near Gangnam Station. Since it's a direct store, I figured the taste would be reliably good~ The exterior looks a bit like a beauty device shop or a Rejuran clinic (?), but inside it turned out to be a modern Vietnamese restaurant~

Wood-toned tables and chairs paired nicely with sand-colored flooring, with mint-toned accents scattered throughout — I felt it would suit a group gathering with friends or even hosting guests~~ Also, a lot of pho places tend to be cramped and hectic, making you feel like you have to eat quickly, but this wasn't like that at all, which I loved.

Group tables for six and service at Anan

Anan Gangnam Direct Store has a table that seats 6, which seems great for a casual lunch or dinner gathering with a group! The staff serving us were friendly, and my friends were like, you've been here before?, impressed that I'd picked such a good spot, hehe.

What we ordered at Anan Gangnam Direct Store

I...need to talk about the menu separately — this Vietnamese place I came to for the vibe turns out to be seriously good at its actual job too....

Usually popular menu items are popular for a reason, so we picked banh xeo and beef pho to share, but we agonized over whether to get the popular spicy seafood pho or the grilled pork fried rice noodles.

So what was the result? Everyone but one person ended up picking the fried rice noodles, bun thit nuong, hahaha.

What does bun thit nuong (stir-fried rice noodles) taste like?

Anan Gangnam Direct Store's bun thit nuong is grilled pork fried together with rice noodles and onion in a sweet-savory sauce. The name is unfamiliar, but please order this one, seriously.....................it's an absolute treasure....

It tasted a bit like bun cha sauce but savory, and the pork paired really well with the mint sprinkled on top. The toppings included a generous dusting of bean sprouts and crushed peanuts.

It was convenient that you could choose to have cilantro left out, and once everything was mixed together it looked like this. Everyone took a bite and loved it — hahahaha, I guess everyone's tastebuds are pretty similar, since this was my favorite too. The owner could really promote this as a signature dish.

Anan's beef pho: the meat and the broth

Anan Gangnam Direct Store's beef pho comes topped with tender, brisket-like meat balanced with fat, instead of the usual flaky brisket cut.

The meat's color was insane, and there was a decent amount, so I could eat it alongside the noodles all the way to the end~~

The clean, deep broth had soaked right into the noodles. When broth is just salty it can taste flat, but this one had depth plus a slight sweetness that boosted the savoriness. The noodles were soft and had a crowd-pleasing flavor.

Can you order cilantro on the side at Anan?

The cilantro I asked to have served separately came out like this, with lime, hahaha. As someone with cilantro-lover DNA, adding it into the pho myself definitely made it taste even better. Cilantro really should be a must~

When can you order banh xeo at Anan?

Anan Gangnam Direct Store's banh xeo is cooked in the kitchen the moment it's ordered, so it's not even available during weekday lunch peak hours! We were well into our pho when the banh xeo finally arrived!!! Since it's a big banh xeo grilled fresh to order, it took a little while to come out, but that turned out to be a good thing. Seeing how huge and freshly grilled it looked, so warm and inviting, the wait was totally forgiven~

One unusual thing: the accompanying vegetables included mint, an herb you don't always see. Usually you wrap banh xeo in rice paper or lettuce, but here you could add mint leaves too, which felt special and I liked it!!

The banh xeo was seriously hot, so I had to blow on it before pulling pieces off!! Inside the pancake(?) were grilled-looking shrimp, hearty bean sprouts, and meat, all packed in. On its own, the banh xeo was crispy outside and moist inside — great to eat by itself~

Following the owner's suggestion, I tried tearing off a mint leaf and eating it on top of the banh xeo — the fragrant herb hit my mouth first, followed by the savory banh xeo chewed together with bean sprouts and lettuce. Absolutely excellent!

Verdict: is Anan Gangnam Direct Store worth it near Gangnam Station?

So, the result??? Every single dish, gone, hahahahahahaha. We really scraped every plate clean. Everyone said they'd definitely be back~~

There are only two directly-run branches of the noodle restaurant Anan, and one of them is in Gangnam~~ You can get there without going through the main Gangnam strip, so the walk over is pleasant, and above all, the food is just so good... Also, it doesn't feel like a spot overrun by the young crowd(?) hahaha, which was actually a plus. I hope it stays this way as a restaurant with real atmosphere. Hehe.