Chilgok pho restaurant: first seafood pho and crispy banh xeo, Raichen

A pho lunch after shopping at Chilgok Homeplus: Raichen Chilgok Branch

Raichen Chilgok Branch is the pho place I ended up at when lunchtime hit while I was running an errand at Chilgok Homeplus. What should we eat? I started frantically searching. Deciding on a menu while out shopping is the hardest thing ever. When I searched "Daegu Chilgok pho", Raichen was right at the top.

Raichen... that's the place I tried before in Dongseongno! Their banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese savory pancake) there was so good, and they have a branch in Chilgok too?! Happy to see it, so off we went, let's gooo.

What's the vibe at Raichen Chilgok Branch? Vietnam-style interior

The moment you walk into Raichen Chilgok Branch, the interior feels Vietnamese. The decorations aren't over the top, just neat, and I liked that.

It has that easygoing pho-shop feel, plus it's clean, so I was comfortable the whole meal. You can feel why it has a reputation as a Palgeo Station favorite just from the atmosphere.

There's also group seating in the back, so it seems good for get-togethers.

The Raichen Chilgok Branch menu: what did we pick?

At Raichen Chilgok Branch we ordered three things: seafood pho, banh xeo and bun cha (Vietnamese grilled pork with cold noodles). Okay, time to decide on the menu...

So many delicious-looking dishes... choosing is so hard. Banh xeo was a given, then bun cha, which I loved back in Vietnam, and wow, so many kinds of pho. After some agonizing, I decided to try something new: seafood pho.

How is Raichen's seafood pho? The shrimp are plump and bouncy

The seafood pho at Raichen Chilgok Branch came loaded with seafood, and the broth was refreshing. This one came out first.

I'd only ever had beef pho, so this was my first seafood one, and true to a top Chilgok pho spot, it was packed with seafood.

Look at all that seafood, held back on nothing. Can you feel it? The shrimp were plump and bouncy, with a great chew. The broth carried the clean, cooling flavor of the seafood. Seafood lovers will go wild. It was a different kind of refreshing from a seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup). It was my first try at seafood pho and it was good. Highly recommended for anyone who likes seafood broth!!!

Raichen banh xeo: the Chilgok branch is a banh xeo hit too, just like Dongseongno

I'd enjoyed Raichen's banh xeo at the Dongseongno branch last time, so I ordered it with high expectations.

The banh xeo came out golden brown. Already looks delicious. The crispy outside is no joke.

It lived up to expectations. Crispy outside, packed with filling inside. The rice paper is about to burst, haha.

It's good wrapped in rice paper, and good just dipped in the sauce. It's fun to switch up how you eat it. Among Chilgok pho places in Daegu, Raichen is the best for banh xeo, at least.

What does Raichen's bun cha taste like? Smoky like charcoal-grilled ribs

The bun cha at Raichen Chilgok Branch is eaten by dipping the noodles in the broth served alongside, and the broth has a strong smoky flavor. Couldn't skip the bun cha, of course.

Beautifully plated bun cha. You dip the noodles in the broth that comes with it. A smoky flavor like the charcoal-grilled pork ribs we all know hit you right away from the broth.

The broth was full of meat too, so the meat came up along with the noodles, which I loved. Somehow familiar yet exotic, a fun flavor.

It was better localized than the bun cha I had in Vietnam years ago, a really tasty one that nobody would be split on. It's a bun cha worthy of a spot on any list of Dongcheon-dong favorites in Daegu.

Lunch verdict for Raichen Chilgok Branch: parking and transport

Raichen Chilgok Branch is near Palgeo Station, so transport is easy, and the building has a parking tower, so parking is fine too. A tasty lunch at Raichen in Chilgok~

It was a rushed lunch in the middle of shopping, but a satisfying meal. The seafood pho was generous, and the banh xeo and bun cha are dishes I trust. If you're craving pho and looking for a great Chilgok pho spot, Raichen is the answer. I'd also recommend it to anyone searching for good places in Dongcheon-dong, Daegu. Next time I'm nearby and start thinking about banh xeo, I'm heading straight to Raichen Chilgok Branch.