Couple's lunch: 8-piece fried assortment at Mibundang Dongtan Station

Today I went back to Mibundang, a famous pho spot in Dongtan, after a while!! The first Mibundang I ever tried was in Seoul, and since then I've been to the Pyeongtaek branch too, and this time I tried the Dongtan one. Chain restaurants really are the best, haha — Mibundang seems to be a pho place that never disappoints no matter which branch you go to, seriously.

This time my husband tried Mibundang for the first time, and before we went he said, "Isn't pho pretty much all the same?" haha, but after eating, his reaction totally changed. You really do have to try it yourself to know, haha.

How long is the lunch wait at Mibundang Dongtan Station?

We got to Mibundang Dongtan around 11:30am and whoa... there was more of a wait than I expected! There were about 3 parties ahead of us. Still, since Mibundang is a pho place, the turnover is pretty fast, so we didn't end up waiting as long as I thought.

They even had parasols ready for people waiting outside, but true to form, we couldn't resist and darted over to the Olive Young right next door, haha.

After a quick round of Olive Young shopping, we came back to find we were already next in line!! Nice~~ haha. At Mibundang, you order in advance and slot in your number ticket, and they call you when it's your turn. So once we got inside, we didn't have to wait long for the food either, which was great.

A dining room quiet enough to eat comfortably

When we finally got called in, our seats were already set up. The inside is arranged so everyone sits around the kitchen in a circle. I noticed this at other Mibundang branches too, and this one was the same — it has a quiet dining atmosphere, which I appreciate. Rather than a loud, bustling restaurant, it's a place where you can focus on the food and eat comfortably! I think this vibe is another part of Mibundang's charm, haha.

There were also hangers on the wall behind our seats for coats and bags. I hung my bag there, and it looked like it'd be great for a padded winter coat too. It felt like they really made efficient use of a narrow space!!

On the table there's hot sauce, chili sauce, and hoisin sauce, and if you open the drawer in front of you, there are small dishes so you can portion out sauce for yourself.

8 pieces of fried assortment — a must if there are two of you

While we waited for the food, the fried assortment came out first. It comes as 8 pieces total, which is a perfect amount for two people to split 4 each!! And of course, fried food is best eaten right when it comes out, haha. Eating it hot and crispy was really delicious.

My husband especially loved the shrimp potato roll, and after eating it he said,

This is a whole new world?

Haha, he must have really liked it. I tried it too, and the combination of shrimp and crispy batter went really well together. If you're visiting with two people, definitely order Mibundang's fried assortment too!! Being able to taste several kinds of fried food at once was nice as well. It's the perfect side dish to order when just pho feels like it's not quite enough.

Beef brisket tendon pho: a husband who never eats tendon reacts

Then the pho finally arrived!! I ordered the pho with all three parts of beef brisket and tendon, and my husband ordered the beef brisket pho. Honestly, my husband doesn't really like parts like tendon or beef tripe. He tends to avoid tendon altogether, thinking it'll smell or be too chewy.

So I handed him a piece of tendon from my bowl, and after trying it he said,

Huh? This is actually really tender. And there's no funky smell either?

Haha, in the end he ended up eating the tendon happily too. The meat in Mibundang's pho is definitely tender overall, which I loved. The meat piled on top is really generous too, and since it's so tender, it's great to slurp down together with the noodles.

Free noodle and bean sprout refills — the base portion was plenty

Another great thing about Mibundang!! You can get free refills of noodles and bean sprouts if you ask. That seems especially great for guys with a big appetite, haha. If you run short while eating, you can add more, so you can eat until you're as full as you want.

But honestly, we didn't even need a refill, haha. The base portion that comes out is already quite a lot. I got too full and couldn't finish mine, and my husband also left a little behind since he was stuffed too, haha. With generous meat and plenty of noodles, one bowl really fills you up.

The fun of switching up sauces as you eat

Mibundang's pho tastes great even just eating the noodles and bean sprouts straight in the broth, but I also like the method of scooping some noodles and bean sprouts into a small side plate and mixing in whichever sauce I want. Mixing the sauces a bit differently each time changes the flavor every time!!

Mibundang's hot sauce was especially good since it's quite spicy. It goes well mixed with chili sauce or hoisin sauce too, and adding a spicy sauce gives the mild broth a whole different feel. Eating something spicy in between refreshed my palate, so I never got tired of it all the way to the end.

Looking for a Dongtan pho restaurant? Try Mibundang!

It had been a while since I'd had Mibundang pho, and it was just as good as ever! I tried it first in Seoul, then in Pyeongtaek, and now in Dongtan, and it's satisfying that the quality stays basically the same no matter which branch you go to. My husband, who was trying Mibundang for the first time this trip, had such a different reaction before and after eating that I felt weirdly proud, haha.

With generous meat, tender pho, a hearty portion plus free noodle and bean sprout refills, and the fried assortment on the side, you can have a really filling meal. And the quiet atmosphere where you can eat comfortably was another thing I really liked.

If you're looking for a good pho restaurant in Dongtan or just a good place to eat in Dongtan, give Mibundang a try!! Personally, it's one of the places that comes to mind whenever I'm craving pho, haha. Seriously top-tier pho!! I think anyone who already loves Mibundang will agree, haha.