Jeonju noodle spot with spicy vs regular pho for two: Phodam

I love pho, but it's one of those foods my husband just won't eat 🥲 So this time I dragged him along to have a proper pho meal, and we ended up at Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch. We ordered a bunch of dishes that day and walked out having eaten way better than expected~

We went in just for pho but ended up ordering spring rolls and banh mi too, and what stuck with me was that even after four dishes, my stomach didn't feel heavy at all.

Where is Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch, and what about parking and hours?

Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch is at 262-9 Paldal-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, near Jeonju City Hall, Jungang Market, and Save Zone. It's open daily from 08:30 to 20:30 (last order 19:40), and since that differs from what's listed on Naver, it's worth double-checking before you go.

• Address: 262-9 Paldal-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk, South Korea
• Location: near Jeonju City Hall, Jungang Market, and Save Zone
• Hours: daily 08:30–20:30 (last order 19:40)
• Parking: 1–2 spots always available right in front of the restaurant
• Parking lot: 1 hour free at Nosongcheon Public Parking Lot (655-1 Seonosong-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk)

Being close to Jeonju City Hall and Jungang Market made it a good spot to explore before or after a meal. If there's space in front of the restaurant, you can park right there, and if not, Nosongcheon Public Parking Lot gives you 1 hour free.

Inside Phodam: kiosk ordering and leaving out the cilantro

Phodam has apparently been running near Jeonju City Hall as a Vietnamese restaurant since 2021. Once inside, the place was cleaner than I expected, and there were quite a few customers, probably because it was lunchtime.

Ordering was convenient since you could pick your menu and pay through the kiosk right on the table.

Cilantro comes standard, and my husband and I both asked to have it left out. If you want to add it, it's ₩500 — and they even put a photo of cilantro next to that option, which I found kind of amusing 🤣

Aside from the male owner, the staff were foreign nationals, but their Korean was excellent and taking orders and handling service felt completely natural. Everyone was friendly, so there was nothing uncomfortable about the meal.

What two people ordered at Phodam, and what it cost

At Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch we ordered four things between us: brisket beef pho ₩9,900, spicy beef pho ₩11,000, Phodam spring rolls ₩6,900, and bulgogi banh mi sandwich ₩7,900.

• Brisket beef pho ₩9,900
• Spicy beef pho ₩11,000
• Phodam spring rolls ₩6,900
• Bulgogi banh mi sandwich ₩7,900

It ended up being quite a lot of food for two people, which wasn't really the plan at first,, We meant to each order a pho and share a small side, but while looking at the menu we got curious about the spring rolls and banh mi too, so we ended up with four dishes.

Brisket beef pho: 1,000 won more than the flank cut

I went back and forth between brisket point and brisket, and ended up choosing the brisket beef pho, which was ₩1,000 more. When it arrived, the broth was generous and there was more brisket in it than I expected, so I wasn't left wanting more meat.

When I eat pho, the broth is what matters most to me, and this one was rich without being overwhelming. The distinct pho aroma and flavor really came through, and eating it hot was easy on the stomach.

There were two sauces on the table — a spicy chili sauce and another darker one. The spicy chili sauce was hot and went well with the pho, while the darker sauce was too salty for my taste, so I didn't reach for it much.

You can ask for extra bean sprouts, so there was no need to worry about running short from the start.

How spicy is the spicy beef pho at Phodam?

The spicy beef pho itself isn't that spicy — the chili sauce on the table is actually spicier. My husband ordered it, so I just tried a bit of the broth.

I do enjoy spicy food, but I lean more toward classic flavors, so personally I liked the regular pho better.

My husband, though, was the opposite. He dunked his spicy pho into the chili sauce on the table on top of everything. He was sweating and huffing away by himself, and watching him from across the table, I couldn't help wondering why he was putting himself through it lol.

Still, if you're someone who likes spicy food, adding chili sauce to the spicy pho seems like a solid move.

Phodam spring rolls: four pieces, and peel off the wrapper

The Phodam spring rolls, ₩6,900, come as a set of four, served with a fish-sauce-style dipping sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet and paired well with the rolls.

When they first arrive, the rice paper is tightly wrapped in plastic film, so make sure to peel that off before eating. Inside, the rolls were packed with noodles, cucumber, carrot, and meat, with shrimp sitting on top of the vegetables.

The filling itself wasn't heavily seasoned and had a light, clean taste, but dipping it in the sauce really brought the flavor to life. With fresh vegetables, meat, and shrimp all in one bite, it was more filling than expected, and personally I love this style of spring roll, so I really enjoyed them.

I'd only ever had spring rolls with shabu-shabu before, but this style was pretty great too~ It struck me as a good light meal while dieting, or even a brunch option.

Bulgogi banh mi sandwich, the unexpected favourite

The bulgogi banh mi sandwich, ₩7,900, wasn't a dish I expected much from going in, but it turned out to be a nice surprise too.

From the outside it didn't look like it was packed with special ingredients, but the bread was crispy, which gave it great texture, and the bulgogi seasoning inside was delicious. It had a seasoning similar to the meat in the spring rolls, but paired with bread it took on a completely different flavor.

Looking at everything we ate at Phodam as a whole, it leaned more toward dishes that highlighted the ingredients themselves rather than bold, strong flavors — the spicy chili sauce on the table was probably the strongest flavor in the whole meal.

Honest verdict after eating all four dishes at Phodam

That day we ate two bowls of pho plus spring rolls and banh mi — four dishes total — and I was really full. But strangely, I didn't feel weighed down or bloated after the meal at all; overall it was an easy, comfortable meal.

I especially loved the brisket pho, and really enjoyed the spring rolls and banh mi too. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the spicy pho. Even though he went with me despite not being a big pho fan, he ended up enjoying what he ordered quite a bit, which made me happy too.

Part of it may have been that it had been a while since I'd had pho, but every dish we tried that day was solidly good, and I found myself thinking I'd want to come back next time I'm craving pho.

If you're looking for a lunch spot around Jeonju City Hall or Jungang Market, it seems like a good idea to order beyond just pho — pairing it with spring rolls or banh mi to share a few different dishes.

Preferences for the regular pho versus the spicy pho can really go different ways, so if you're visiting as a couple, it could be fun to order one of each and compare :)