Dongcheon-dong Vietnamese restaurant with cold pho: Raichen Chilgok

It's been a really long time since I've written a post. In the middle of exhausting parenting, I suddenly craved Vietnamese food so badly that I went to Raichen Chilgok Branch, a well-known pho spot in Chilgok, Daegu. Let's get started.

Where is Raichen Chilgok Branch and what are its hours?

• Address: 30-23 Dongcheon-ro 23-gil, Buk-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:15

Outside Raichen Chilgok Branch

Here's the exterior of Raichen Chilgok Branch, located in Chilgok 3-jigu, Daegu. It really looks like you've stepped into Vietnam, and the blue sign is so pretty.

Self-serve bar and baby chairs: what is the interior like?

This is the self-serve bar tucked in one corner of the store. You can grab various utensils yourself here.

In another corner, there's a baby chair set up for families visiting with little ones. This was actually the first outing with my own baby, and knowing I'll soon need one of these chairs myself made the owners' small consideration feel really precious.

The interior is very spacious, with tables ranging from 4-seaters all the way up to 6-seaters.

The interior is done up with a wood-base design, and the curtains by the window are so pretty. The atmosphere is really nice.

Here's another table. The street trees visible through the window are so green and pretty.

There was also a Vietnamese conical hat hung on one wall as decoration. Raichen Chilgok Branch, the pho spot in Chilgok 3-jigu, Daegu, gave off the feel of an upscale, authentic Vietnamese restaurant, to the point where it felt like I'd actually traveled there.

Raichen Chilgok Branch menu and how to order

This is the menu board at Raichen Chilgok Branch. There's a physical menu board plus a tablet at every table, so you can use whichever is more convenient. We ordered braised pig's trotter rice, cold pho, and banh xeo.

How do the banh xeo, cold pho and pig's trotter rice taste?

About 15 minutes after ordering, the banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake) came out. Banh xeo is a dish we never skip whenever we're in Vietnam, and Raichen Chilgok's version tasted just like the real thing back home. The crust was super crispy, packed with fresh vegetables and filling, and the crunch was so good. The meat served alongside the banh xeo was also delicious.

Next up was the cold pho, which I was trying for the very first time. Being a completely new taste for me, it was fascinating, and it turned out to be exactly my style. The cold pho blew away the sweltering summer heat.

Next is the braised pig's trotter rice. What's different from typical Korean-style pig's trotter is that the soy sauce comes poured in like a broth, and the meat isn't sliced up. Aside from that, there wasn't much difference in taste from Korean-style pig's trotter. The trotter, braised well in a soy-based sauce that wasn't too salty, was chewy, clean-tasting, and delicious.

I took a photo with all the dishes we ordered laid out together on the table. Looking at it again, it looks so delicious, and the visual alone makes me want to eat it all over again in my head.

Is Raichen Chilgok Branch worth a visit?

That's it for this review of Raichen Chilgok Branch, the well-known restaurant in Chilgok 3-jigu, Daegu. Let me sum up what makes Raichen stand out.

• If you're looking for a restaurant in Daegu that does authentic Vietnamese food well, I highly recommend Raichen Chilgok Branch.
• The great atmosphere and interior lift the mood even more, making Raichen Chilgok Branch an excellent spot for a date with a partner or a meal with family.