Dongtan Station pho bar, pre-order in line & hushed counter: Mibundang

The weather is turning chilly in the evenings, and that's when I start craving a bowl of hot pho broth, you know? So I'm off to Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch (미분당 동탄역점), a pho spot near Dongtan Station that I keep going back to.

How long is the weekday dinner wait at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch?

I arrived around 6pm on a weekday and there were already 3 groups ahead of me. At lunch you basically can't eat at Mibundang unless you're there at opening, so the shorter evening wait was a relief.

Clearly a lot of people come looking for pho near Dongtan Station, and Mibundang is one of the places they pick.

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch hours, parking and location

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is in Unit 109 on the first floor of the Dongtan Station Richan Arcade, and it's open from 11am to 9pm. You can park in the building: 1 hour is covered, and if there's a wait, up to 1 hour 30 minutes.

• Address: 495 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Dongtan Station Richan Arcade, 1st floor, Unit 109
• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 14:30 / 20:30
• Parking: 1 hour covered in the building, 1 hour 30 minutes if there's a wait
• Join the queue on site
• Takeout available

Staff take your order while you wait in line

Once you put your name down, a staff member comes out, explains how to order and takes your order in advance. So you can spend the wait studying the menu, cover to cover.

Here's what I ordered at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch that day.

• Assorted fried starters ₩8,500
• Cola ₩2,500
• Brisket pho ₩10,000
• Brisket, flank and tendon pho ₩13,000

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch: a quiet bar counter for solo dining

The mood here is very different from a typical Vietnamese restaurant, and I love it. The bar counter makes it easy to eat alone, and there are really a lot of solo diners. It's a calm, comfortable space for eating in peace.

Signs in the shop explain how to enjoy your pho and the Mibundang etiquette.

Shh! Focus on your meal!

Every seat has chili, hot sauce and hoisin sauce. Once they show you to your seat, they bring water, pickled radish and onion to go with the pho.

There's also a review event that gets you a free can of a drink! I forgot to claim it again, but here I am writing this review of a great pho place anyway.

How does the brisket, flank and tendon pho taste?

The brisket, flank and tendon pho (차돌양지힘줄 쌀국수, ₩13,000) at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is a mixed pho with all three cuts: brisket, flank and tendon.

Its best feature is getting the richness of brisket, the clean taste of flank and the chewy bite of tendon all at once. You can choose your meat, and if you like a chewy texture, you'll probably prefer the tendon. The tendon was especially good!

The broth of the brisket and flank pho

The brisket and flank pho comes with plenty of thinly sliced brisket, plus bean sprouts and rice noodles, so one bowl is filling. The broth is really good: it tastes like a real stock, nothing artificial or harsh, just clean, mild and savory. Broth and noodles go well together.

And the portion is huge... You can add extra noodles at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch, so if you run short, you can get a refill!

Are the assorted fried starters worth ordering as a side?

Just pho alone felt like a shame! So I ordered the Mibundang assorted fried starters (모듬전식, ₩8,500), which I had last time too. You get to try several kinds of fried items, like sweet potato, shrimp and chicken, which makes the meal feel richer.

Why I keep going back to Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch

Personally, I love the clean, mild, non-harsh broth, and I love Mibundang's quiet so much that I've been here many times. It's the place I think of when I want a hot bowl of pho in a peaceful setting. If you're looking for pho near Dongtan Station or a good place to eat alone nearby, give Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch a try!