Pho restaurant at Dongtan Station, two rounds of hot sauce: Mibundang

If you're craving pho, Mibundang (미분당) is a name you'll hear at least once. There's a branch near Dongtan Station, so my husband and I tried Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch for Sunday lunch.

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch hours and parking

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is open 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last orders at 14:30 / 20:30. It's closed every Tuesday.

• Hours 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 14:30 / 20:30
• Closed every Tuesday
• Building parking lot available (register your car when you leave)

How long is the Sunday lunch wait?

On Sunday lunch there were 4–5 parties ahead of us and we waited about 20 minutes. I'd heard there's usually a line, and sure enough. There's a wait, but turnover seems fast.

I was especially impressed by how they look after waiting guests. It was a hot day, and they had parasols and hovenia tea (heotgae-cha, a Korean herbal tea) ready, which made the wait much more comfortable. One small touch like that really improves your first impression of a restaurant.

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch menu and how to order

The menu is pho and sides. I ordered the brisket pho, my husband got the brisket-with-tendon pho, and we picked sweet potato cha gio (Vietnamese-style fried rolls) as our side.

You order at the kiosk, and when the receipt comes out you have to stick it up on the rack. They call orders in the order the receipts were placed.

Is Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch good for eating alone?

The inside isn't big and it's set up as a bar, so I think it's perfect for solo dining. It felt a bit like eating ramen in Japan? They even have mouthwash to take with you on the way out. Perfect for office workers!!

Mibundang is a quiet place to eat, and everyone seems to chat softly and focus on their food. That makes it great for eating alone, and the turnover seems good too. Once you sit down you get side dishes and a small plate, and each seat has sauce bottles up on the counter.

Are noodle refills free?

Good to know: if you order one meal per person, a noodle refill is free! But even without a refill, the portion is huge haha. They'll also give you cilantro if you want it. There's a guide to eating pho deliciously too, so read it while you wait~

How is the side dish, sweet potato cha gio?

The sweet potato cha gio I ordered as a side was seriously amazing. The outside is fried crispy and the inside is packed with sweet sweet potato, so it went really well with the pho.

If you only keep eating broth it can get a little dull, but adding the crispy cha gio brought more variety in texture and made the meal much more satisfying. It wasn't greasy to the point of being heavy, so it was easy to eat.

What does the brisket-with-tendon pho taste like?

And now the main pho!! The portion was enormous.

My husband's brisket-with-tendon pho is the brisket pho with tendon added, and the texture of the tendon, simmered long until tender, was really good. It felt like eating braised ox knee (dogani suyuk)! Chewy but not tough, great with the broth, and the charm is enjoying several meat textures at once. If you usually like tendon, I'd recommend this over the basic menu.

How are the broth and meat in the brisket pho?

I'm not a big tendon fan, so I ordered the plain brisket pho. It's packed with brisket and flank! And since the cuts are lean, it was really easy to eat.

The broth is clear and clean yet has deep savory flavor, the kind you keep eating from the first spoonful without it feeling heavy. The brisket and flank were generous, so the meat flavor really came through, and the noodles didn't get mushy, so the texture held up to the end. If you prefer clean broth over rich, I think the brisket pho is the most satisfying choice.

How much hot sauce should you add?

Mibundang's hot sauce is spicier than you'd expect, so add it little by little~ First I ate it the recommended way, and since I love hot sauce, I skipped the hoisin and used only hot sauce.

I ran hot sauce twice around the bowl and the broth got seriously spicy. If you like heat, definitely get the hot sauce! Honestly, the portion was so big I was already full by then, haha. How do you even ask for a refill...

If you like big portions, definitely go to Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch!! If it were in front of my office, I'd go all the time!