Dongcheon-dong Vietnamese restaurant, surprise cold noodles: Raichen

If you like Vietnamese food, you've probably heard of Raichen (라이첸). It's a place I go to all the time whenever I'm craving Vietnamese, and this time I visited the Raichen Chilgok Branch. I already liked it, so I went with high expectations, and as always I was satisfied haha.

Where is Raichen Chilgok Branch? Location, hours and parking

Raichen Chilgok Branch is at 30-23 Dongcheon-ro 23-gil, Buk-gu, Daegu, Unit 108 and 109 on the 1st floor (Dongcheon-dong 953-1). It's open 11:00–21:30 with last order at 20:45, and closed every Monday. There's a parking lot, baby high chairs and group seating.

Atmosphere and seating at Raichen Chilgok Branch

The restaurant is spacious and bright, with a refreshing view on the window side, so it works well for lunch in Dongcheon-dong. I'm introducing it for anyone looking for a good place in Chilgok 3-jigu or a good lunch spot in Dongcheon-dong!! And the interior is seriously clean!!!

It's a roomy, comfortable space, and the window side even has a nice open view, which makes for a good meal. The whole place feels bright and tidy, so it looks great for a family meal, a get-together with friends, or a lunch gathering haha.

There's a self-serve bar too haha. Have a look at how to eat things here.

We sat at this lovely window seat! One side has group seating, which looked handy for bigger parties, and they have baby high chairs too, so it's no hassle to come with a kid. When I eat out with my child I always check whether there's a high chair, so I was happy about that too haha.

What we ordered at Raichen Chilgok Branch, with prices

For this lunch we ordered three things: banh xeo, cold rice noodles and trotter rice. So many menu options, which is even better!

• Banh xeo ₩15,500
• Cold rice noodles ₩14,000
• Trotter rice ₩12,500

Why Raichen's cold rice noodles were the surprise best dish

The cold rice noodles (₩14,000) at Raichen Chilgok were the dish I liked best this visit, thanks to the tangy, refreshing broth. They're really good haha, and a generous portion!

When the weather warms up, hot pho can feel like too much, and cold noodles are a great choice then. The tangy, refreshing broth had me spooning up the soup again and again. Personally it was my favorite dish this time, so I plan to order it again next visit haha.

The cold noodles were the dish I expected least and the one that impressed me most!!!!! Honestly, I always thought of pho as a hot-broth food, so I ordered without big expectations, but one bite changed my mind haha.

How was the trotter rice my husband picked?

The trotter rice (₩12,500) at Raichen Chilgok was my husband's order, and it was far tastier than I expected. The trotter rice is good too T_T I actually came for pho or banh xeo, and the trotter rice was my husband's pick. But it was way better than I thought haha.

Banh xeo, my must-order dish at Raichen

Whenever I come to Raichen I almost always order banh xeo. It's one of my favorite dishes here. Inside the golden-fried Vietnamese pancake were generous amounts of bean sprouts, shrimp and meat. Crispy outside and moist inside, it's satisfying every time.

Raichen trotter rice: flavor and portion size

Heaping portion~ The trotter rice came topped with plenty of moist, tender pork trotter, and the seasoning wasn't too strong, so it was easy to eat. The meat itself was soft and clean with no gamey smell, and went really well with the rice. My husband said it was delicious, so I took a bite too, and I could see why.

If you usually stick to pho, I think it's worth trying a rice dish like this too. A hearty, filling meal haha. It's all so good T_T

How to eat banh xeo at Raichen

Raichen's banh xeo is really good wrapped up: put it on the lettuce and rice paper that come with it, add vegetables and roll. The crunchy vegetables go so well with the nutty banh xeo that I kept reaching for more.

There's plenty of shrimp and meat, so it's satisfying to chew, and the crunch of the bean sprouts makes it even better.

It gives you a bit of a real Vietnam feeling, so if you visit Raichen I really recommend trying it once.

Digging in happily!

Raichen cold rice noodles: broth and noodle texture

The cold rice noodles at Raichen Chilgok have a cool, tangy broth, perfect when you've lost your appetite in summer. The broth is so appealing~ a cool yet subtly tangy flavor comes through, just right for a summer day with no appetite.

It came with plenty of meat and vegetables, and the noodles were springy with a good texture. Best of all, it finished clean with no greasiness, which I really liked.

Doesn't it look so good? haha

Is Raichen Chilgok Branch a good lunch spot in Dongcheon-dong?

I was satisfied with Raichen Chilgok Branch from the atmosphere to the food. The banh xeo was as good as I'd hoped, the trotter rice was far more satisfying than expected, and the cold rice noodles were the best of this visit. The place is wide and clean, good for a family meal or lunch, and with high chairs and group seating it looks fine for all kinds of gatherings.

If you're looking for good pho in Chilgok 3-jigu, a lunch spot in Dongcheon-dong, or a place to eat near Palgeo Station, Raichen Chilgok Branch is worth a visit. Next time I'll order the banh xeo and cold rice noodles again. A place you go back to whenever you crave Vietnamese food clearly has its reasons.