Paldal-ro Vietnamese restaurant in Jeonju, banh xeo wraps: Phodam

The banh xeo in particular showed off flavor beyond what I had in Nha Trang.

Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch: hours, parking and seating

Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch is a Vietnamese restaurant on the first floor of 262-9 Paldal-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju. It's open every day from 8:30 to 20:30, with last order at 19:40. There are baby chairs and parking spaces in front of the store. If there's no spot, Nosongcheon Public Parking Lot gives 1 hour free.

You know how coming back from an overseas trip gives you that 'it's just different' bug? I caught it too after a recent trip to Nha Trang, eating Vietnamese food and getting hooked all over again, haha. As a certified noodle fanatic, I went into Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch craving pho.

We walked in around 10:40–10:50am, and since they open early at 8:30, there were already a ton of customers!

The space was pretty spacious and comfortable too @_@ It looked like it could seat about 30–35 people.

Apparently all the Vietnamese dishes at Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch are made directly by Vietnamese staff!

The interior, with a non (traditional Vietnamese conical hat) hanging up, really gave off Vietnamese vibes too.

What's on the Phodam menu, from pho to bulgogi banh mi

A Vietnamese specialty restaurant can't skip pho! There's a wide range, from brisket pho to spicy pho that's great for a hangover.

Side dishes like spring rolls and banh xeo are pretty standard, but they even had bulgogi banh mi!? Honestly, it's rare to see banh mi at a pho restaurant, but since they open in the morning, these look like solid brunch options for early birds.

How the brisket pho, fresh rolls, bun cha and banh xeo tasted

The dishes don't come out staggered a few minutes apart — all 4 arrived almost at once, so it's a great restaurant for photos ;D

This is the brisket pho — even though it's under ₩10,000, the portion is huge!?

It holds its own as a Jeonju lunch spot for pho. The broth is light without feeling heavy.

The spring rolls (yolnamssam) come with peanut sauce. They're about the thickness of a toilet paper roll core, so it's a good portion for a meal or a brunch!

Next up was the bun cha (grilled pork noodle salad). At most restaurants it comes on a flat plate with each ingredient separated, but at Phodam it comes in a noodle bowl, which felt like a fresh take.

We just mixed all the ingredients together and enjoyed it comfortably. With the tangy sauce and fresh vegetables, it felt healthy, ㅇㅅㅇ.

How to wrap Phodam's banh xeo in rice paper

Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch's banh xeo (savory Vietnamese pancake) comes with rice paper and various vegetables, and you can check how to wrap it by scanning the QR code on the kiosk, which pulls up a YouTube video the owner filmed personally. The dish parade isn't over yet. Honestly, this one is the highlight of the whole restaurant — banh xeo!

Banh xeo comes with rice paper and various vegetables, and for how to wrap it, scanning the QR code on the kiosk brings up a YouTube video the owner personally filmed and uploaded, so if it's your first time, be sure to check it out!

Still, I can explain with photos too, so here goes! Cutting the pancake into bite-sized pieces first,

lay a piece of lettuce on the rice paper, put the pancake on top, roll it up, and dunk it into the sauce — it's absolutely blissful, ㅠㅠ. From the crispiness of the pancake to the generous filling, it was truly more delicious than the banh xeo I had in Vietnam, way more!

Is Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch worth a visit?

If anyone asks about Vietnam in Jeonju, point them to the banh xeo at Phodam.

As a noodle-obsessed noodle fanatic, the pho was delicious! The noodles were bouncy and the broth was light, ☆.☆ If you visit, make sure to eat the banh xeo. It's genuinely delicious, total thumbs up!! I ate happily until I was stuffed at Phodam Jeonju City Hall Branch — highly recommending this Jeonju restaurant.