Pho spot with phone charging in Cheongsapo: Cheongsapo Rice Noodles

Why I go to Cheongsapo for the pho, not the sea

Many people visit Cheongsapo in Haeundae, Busan, to see the sea, but I go only for the pho and banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese savory pancake) at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles (청사포쌀국수). Once you've eaten here, you keep thinking about it, so let me introduce this Haeundae place I keep coming back to.

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles opening hours and parking

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles is open 10:00-18:00 and closed on Wednesdays. For parking, you can use the free Cheongsapo street parking or the paid Cheongsapo public parking lot.

Location and how to get there

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles is in Cheongsapo, Haeundae, Busan. Cheongsapo is a sightseeing spot where people enjoy the sea and stroll around the harbor. This time, too, my reason for visiting was perfectly clear.

Once you've eaten it you keep thinking about it, so I have to visit regularly. Off to Cheongsapo for Cheongsapo Rice Noodles!

Parking in Cheongsapo: will there be a spot?

On the weekends and weekdays I've visited so far, the free street parking by the Cheongsapo sea always had room. Cheongsapo gets a lot of visitors, so parking can be a worry. (Even if the free street spots aren't an option, the Cheongsapo public parking lot is a 3-minute walk away, so you can use that too.)

Inside: seating and atmosphere

Inside, the window side looks out on Cheongsapo Harbor. You can see the Cheongsapo sea and eat tasty Vietnamese food at the same time, which is why I love this place.

At lunchtime it fills up fast and even gets a wait. It's already a famous pho spot in Cheongsapo, Haeundae!

The interior has tables for four, and turnover is fast, so even if you have to wait at lunchtime, you usually don't wait long. (No need to worry about the wait.)

Baby chairs are also available, so it's a good place for families.

Good for travelers: water refills, coat hooks, phone charging

At Cheongsapo Rice Noodles you can fill your tumbler or water bottle with water. As you'd expect from a restaurant in a tourist area, you can feel consideration for travelers everywhere. You can take water along to help on your trip,

and there's plenty of space to hang your coat. You can also charge your phone easily, so it's a really good stop in the middle of a trip.

Menu and prices: what did I order?

I ordered chicken rice-crust pho (닭누룽지쌀국수, ₩15,000), beef intestine pho (소곱창쌀국수, ₩15,000), and butter shrimp fried rice (₩7,500) as a side. If you order 2-3 pho, Cheongsapo Rice Noodles gives you a plate of banh xeo for free. On top of that, if each person orders one pho, the noodles are unlimited refills. I wonder if they can really be this generous, but the food is so good that I like this Haeundae spot even more.

Chicken rice-crust pho: samgyetang vibes with a whole drumstick

Chicken rice-crust pho is my favorite at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles and its signature dish. It has a familiar samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) feel while still tasting of rich pho broth, and a big whole chicken drumstick goes in, so the portion is very hearty.

You can add cilantro for free once per bowl. I always put in cilantro, so I piled it on again this time. (It makes the rich pho taste even richer.)

The whole drumstick is so big that it surprises me every time. Tear off a big chunk of the moist, tender meat and slurp it down with the soft noodles.

Beef intestine pho: spicy-style but not actually spicy

Beef intestine pho is another signature dish here. I'm someone who craves intestines regularly, and I love getting a whole bowlful of tender beef intestine.

The broth is hearty and spicy-style (but it's not spicy), and the savory richness of the beef intestine makes it a different kind of deep flavor from the chicken rice-crust pho.

What's really great about the pho here is the noodles, which are soft. Unlike the stiff noodles at chain Vietnamese restaurants, these are soft and slide right down.

The intestines are tender too. Tender plus tender, so it can't not taste good. The beef intestine pho sells out faster than the other pho, so if it's still available when you visit, I recommend grabbing it right away.

Side dish butter shrimp fried rice: ₩7,500 but a full portion

Butter shrimp fried rice is a side dish I added for the first time this visit. I had always ordered only pho at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, but this time I added one side. Butter shrimp fried rice!

It costs less than ₩10,000, so I ordered without expectations and was surprised at how good it was. (Not a small side portion. It's a full single serving.) The rice is stir-fried nice and fluffy, and the buttery savory flavor was so good that I kept eating and eating.

I mixed in the sauce that came with it, and it was heavenly!

How is the free banh xeo?

The free banh xeo, unique to Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, is what keeps me coming back. (This photo was taken after I'd already eaten one piece. I was just too hungry, haha.) If you think free means small or disappointing, you're completely wrong. The crispy, well-grilled banh xeo is so, so good that it could be a main dish.

You wrap the banh xeo in the rice paper that comes with it. It's really tasty when you add the vegetables, pineapple, pickled onions and pickled chili peppers and make one big wrap! The chewy rice paper and crispy banh xeo get chewed together, and the texture is just wonderful.

I keep thinking about that crispy texture. Even more after I get home.

The vegetables, pineapple, pickled onions and pickled chili peppers can all be refilled. Don't take it lightly just because it's free banh xeo. It's a truly bewitching banh xeo that pulls me back to Cheongsapo.

Is Cheongsapo Rice Noodles worth going back to?

Many people go to Cheongsapo in Haeundae, Busan, to see the sea, but some people, like me, go to Cheongsapo to eat at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles. The pho is good, the banh xeo is good, the side fried rice is good! And the portions are generous and unstinting, so once you've visited you keep thinking about it. I'm already revisiting diligently and plan to go even more often. Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, a Haeundae favorite: highly, highly recommended.