Pho restaurant in Bundang, Seongnam with free extra cilantro: Camon

I was resting at home for the first time in a while when a pho craving hit out of nowhere. So I looked up Seongnam pho places and ended up at Camon Bundang Sunae Station Flagship (까몬 분당수내역직영점), a new Vietnamese restaurant near Sunae Station.

Camon Sunae Station opening hours and parking

Camon Bundang Sunae Station Flagship is open every day from 11:00 to 21:00, with parking, Naver reservations, takeout, delivery and baby chairs. It's a newly opened pho place on the restaurant street near Sunae Station.

Parking is 1 hour in the building's basement, but it was full when I went at weekday lunchtime, so I parallel-parked in a nearby alley and walked in. Sunae Station gets a big office-worker crowd at lunch, so if you're going on a weekday, I'd avoid the 11:30–12:30 window.

Camon's exterior and the menu board outside

Camon gives off real Vietnam-street vibes from the outside, and it was my pick of the day.

Maybe because so many office workers come here, the good-value set menus really stood out. Eating out is so expensive these days that I've fallen into the fun of hunting down budget-friendly spots like this.

There's a menu sign outside the shop, so it was nice to look it over before going in.

How long is the lunch wait at Camon near Sunae Station?

When I went around 1 p.m. on a weekday, the restaurant was busy but we were seated right away with no wait. I went around 1 to dodge the lunch peak, and luckily plenty of people were heading out.

Looking around, everyone seemed to be grabbing a quick lunch and leaving, so tables turn over fast. Even if there's a wait, it didn't feel like it would be very long.

Camon menu, prices and how to order

At Camon you order and pay in one go on the tablet at your table.

Basic pho on its own is ₩11,000, which is a friendly price. Pho really is cheaper than a lot of other dishes in many places, so it's easy to eat regularly without feeling the pinch. There are also less common items like fried rice, banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancake) and rang sang, so if you come with a group you could order a bit of everything.

Self-serve bar side dishes

Side dishes are at the self-serve bar by the entrance, and you take as much as you like. Pickled radish, pickled chili and pickled onion are things pho just isn't complete without, so I grabbed them before the food came out.

What we ordered: Camon pho + water spinach stir-fry set

• Camon pho + water spinach stir-fry set - ₩15,000
• Spicy brisket pho + water spinach stir-fry set - ₩15,000

The food was served quickly, within 10 minutes of ordering.

Nutty, crunchy water spinach stir-fry

I had a water spinach dish on my last trip to China and loved it so much that now I can't walk past water spinach stir-fry without ordering it.

My mom likes water spinach too, so we both ordered the set, and the stir-fry came on one big plate. It's not salty, stir-fried in nutty pork fat so the crunch stays, and it goes well with both pho and rice. I heard it often sells out if you go late.

How does Camon pho broth taste?

Camon pho has a clean, savory broth like galbitang (beef short rib soup), so it goes down easily even on a hot summer day. When it comes to pho, the base broth is what matters most.

And the portion was really generous. I kept eating and it just wouldn't go down, and I thought I'd burst. But it was so tasty I never even thought of leaving any.

My mom and I firmly believe pho isn't pho without cilantro, so when we choose a pho place, cilantro is a must. I was a little disappointed that none came on top at first, but I asked just in case, and they brought a whole bowlful of cilantro at no extra charge.

Camon spicy brisket pho: how spicy is it?

Camon's spicy brisket pho is the basic pho with added heat. It's a chili-oil style that isn't heavy or stuffy, with a subtle, addictive kick.

The portion is huge here too, and the brisket is generous and not tough at all, so it was great wrapped in the soft rice noodles. It's a fatty cut, so the nutty, tender meat went really well with the spicy, sharp broth.

Does Camon charge extra for cilantro?

Camon Bundang Sunae Station Flagship gives you cilantro at no extra charge if you ask. My mom loves cilantro too, so we asked for extra on both sets, and they brought a bowl piled high and overflowing.

A hearty spread that makes your heart feel full.

If you soak the cilantro in the hot broth, the soup takes on a faint cilantro aroma, and once you get hooked on that, there's no getting out. I couldn't eat cilantro at first because of that distinctive smell, but somewhere along the way it grew on me, and now Southeast Asian food feels so lacking without it.

If you don't like the flavor soaking into the broth, it's also good piled a little at a time on top of the noodles! Both the pho and the water spinach were good on their own, and with a fistful of fresh cilantro on top, this was the most satisfying Vietnamese meal I've had in a long time.

Verdict: would I go back to Camon near Sunae Station?

• If you love cilantro, be sure to order extra
• Cheap prices and a tasty base broth
• Whenever I crave pho near Sunae Station, I'll probably go back from time to time