Pho restaurant in Cheongsapo, Busan: mild pho lunch with Mom

Where is Cheongsapo Rice Noodles Main Branch and when is it open?

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles Main Branch is at 6 Cheongsapo-ro 128beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan. It is open daily 10:00-18:00 and closed every Wednesday. The yellow exterior stands out, and it's just a short walk down from the Cheongsapo Haeundae Beach Train tracks.

Jangsan, where I lived for over 20 years, is my hometown. My family home is in the apartment complex just before you go down to Cheongsapo, so I played here a lot when I lived in Jangsan, haha. I can't believe how developed it's become, and it's always packed with foreign tourists now. I'm the kid who used to swim and catch crabs in Cheongsapo! Back then there were only grilled clam restaurants, but now there are so many good places, so I went to Cheongsapo Rice Noodles for a lunch date with my mom.

Where to park for Cheongsapo Rice Noodles

You can park on the street in front of the restaurant from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but it was crowded with people. I parked in the free lot by the Cheongsapo seafront and walked over. It was a weekday, so there were spots, haha. If there's no space, use the public parking lot.

Cheongsapo gets a lot of tourists, and it feels awful when you go to a restaurant on a trip and regret it, right? Cheongsapo Rice Noodles is a place where you can feel the owner's business mindset ✨ An honest restaurant. A place that sends tourists home satisfied is the real deal.

Inside Cheongsapo Rice Noodles: atmosphere and handy extras

At the entrance there's a spot for charging batteries, a coat storage service, and a baby chair too. I also noticed a friendly sign saying to help yourself to water for your next travel stop.

The interior has a Southeast Asian feel. There were plenty of tables further inside too. Even on a weekday, customers kept coming in. From the window you can see Cheongsapo harbor. Romantic.

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles menu and free banh xeo

The most special thing about Cheongsapo Rice Noodles is that you get a free banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy savory crepe) when you order two or more bowls of pho. The owner is so generous 👍 At Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, banh xeo comes as a bonus.

There are four kinds of pho: beef intestine, water spinach, beef, and chicken rice-crust. Each comes mild or spicy (up to 3 spice levels).

Fried rice and extra refills are also ordered at the kiosk.

For first-timers, the details are also shown on the order screen and on the tables ☺️

✔️ With one order per person, refills of noodles and bean sprouts are free.

I've only had southern-style pho, and Cheongsapo Rice Noodles serves northern Vietnamese-style pho, so I'm looking forward to a different flavor. I like that there's a detailed must-read guide for first visits and for people with babies. There's even a thorough explanation of how to eat banh xeo properly.

What to order for a parent who can't eat spicy food

My mom can't eat spicy food, so I chose the mild versions we could share. Here's our order!

• Mild beef pho ₩15,000
• Mild chicken rice-crust pho ₩15,000
• Butter shrimp fried rice ₩6,000

At the back of the restaurant there are aprons and a self-serve bar. Wait a little and the food arrives. It's pho, so it came out fast.

How did the mild beef pho and chicken rice-crust pho taste?

Pho piled with beef, and chicken rice-crust pho topped with a whole chicken drumstick. The generous meat toppings looked really filling. The banh xeo that comes by default, honestly I'm more excited for it than the pho 💗 Butter shrimp fried rice, chili and fish sauce, pickled chilies and onions, all in one spread. Eating pho while looking at the Cheongsapo view.

The pho at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles is soft, a good meal for kids and parents too.

Hoisin sauce (and sriracha) is given if you ask. Seeing Mom eat so well made me proud.

Wrapping banh xeo in rice paper

Put a piece of banh xeo, vegetables, pineapple, chili and pickled onion in rice paper and take a big nom nom bite. The rice paper is chewy, the banh xeo crispy, and with the vegetables and sauce it fills your whole mouth. The banh xeo wasn't greasy at all, very light. The butter shrimp fried rice was nutty and savory too.

The beef pho was full of smoky wok-fire flavor, and the chicken rice-crust pho had a rich broth like eating samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).

Since I ordered mild, I absolutely needed the hoisin sauce, haha. The banh xeo is so good. I got too full and couldn't finish everything, sob.

Is Cheongsapo Rice Noodles Main Branch worth a return visit?

The owner is very kind, and customers of many nationalities visit this representative Cheongsapo restaurant 👍 It was a Cheongsapo pho place where ordering pho brings out banh xeo.