Dongtan Station pho restaurant, basement parking, 3 sides: Mibundang

Today's post is about a visit to Mibundang for Vietnamese pho near Dongtan Station haha. Mibundang is a famous pho chain with locations all over the country, but this was actually my first time visiting. I'd passed by it many times on the main road, so it felt familiar, but I didn't realize just how popular it was.

Even though we came on a weekday evening, there was a wait — about 15 minutes before we got in. Watching the line keep growing behind us, I figured this must be a place Dongtan locals really love.

Where is Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch, and what about hours and parking?

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is on the 1st floor of Dongtan Station Richian Shopping Center, 495 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open daily 11:00-21:00, closed every Tuesday, with a break time. It's in the same building as Hayan Pungcha Bakery and a Starbucks, right next to the Dongtan Station Lotte Department Store, so it's not hard to find even on a first visit.

We came by car, and since the building has its own basement parking lot, we could park easily and head straight up. Parking near Dongtan Station can be tricky in some spots, so having in-building parking made driving there quite convenient.

A 15-minute weekday evening wait, with heotgaesu (hovenia water) while you wait

All ordering at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is done via kiosk, and since we visited on a weekday evening, we waited about 15 minutes after ordering. There were already people waiting when we arrived.

At first I wondered if we'd really need to wait on a weekday, but more and more customers kept arriving after us, and the line just kept growing.

While waiting, you can drink the cornus tea (heotgae-su) they have set out. Sipping on a cup, the 15 minutes went by faster than I expected.

When our turn finally came and we headed inside, the table already had sauces set out that go well with pho.

There were also side dishes ready to go with the meal, which we picked at throughout.

It was nice being able to mix in sauces to taste as we ate the pho.

What we ordered at Mibundang: brisket-tendon pho and three sides

On this visit we ordered:

• Beef brisket and tendon pho
• Scallop cha gio (fried spring rolls)
• Wedding siu mai
• Buffalo wings

Pho alone felt like it wouldn't be enough, so we ordered a few sides we'd been curious about haha. I was especially curious about the scallop cha gio, which had actual scallop meat inside, making it a bit different from a regular cha gio.

The outside was crispy with scallop meat inside, and it worked better than I expected — really tasty. Alternating between the pho broth and a crispy piece of cha gio was a great combo.

We also ordered wedding siu mai and buffalo wings together, and if you're visiting with a group, ordering a few sides to share seems like a good idea.

The buffalo wings had thick meat with plenty to eat, and since the flavor was completely different from the pho, they were great to nibble on in between bites.

Working through everything from the brisket-tendon pho to the sides, I understood why so many people come to Mibundang.

How much meat is in Mibundang's brisket, flank and tendon pho?

For the main dish I chose Mibundang's signature beef brisket and tendon pho, and I was surprised the moment it arrived. The bowl itself was generous, but the amount of meat piled on top was truly impressive.

There was cha-dol (thinly sliced beef brisket), yangji (brisket), and tendon all mixed in, so even eating noodles and meat together, we never ran short of meat until the very end. No wonder there's a wait even on weekday evenings.

I tried the broth too — it was refreshing yet rich, the kind of flavor that keeps you coming back for more. I asked for cilantro on the side and piled it into the broth.

If you like cilantro in your pho, definitely ask for it separately haha. Adding that cilantro aroma gave me exactly the pho flavor I love!

I dipped the meat into the sauce on the table, and it tasted quite different from eating it straight from the broth — also delicious. I especially worried the tendon (sujigi) might be chewy, but it turned out to be surprisingly tender.

With its chewy yet soft texture, it was fun alternating between the tendon, cha-dol, and yangji, and since there was so much meat, one bowl alone left me quite full.

Takeout at Mibundang, and a meal stop after department store shopping

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch offers not just dine-in but also fully cooked and half-cooked takeout, so if you'd rather enjoy it comfortably at home, takeout is a good option. Being right next to the Dongtan Station Lotte Department Store also makes it convenient to grab a meal after shopping, and the basement parking made the location easy to access.

Above all, seeing that we still waited 15 minutes on a weekday evening — and that the line kept growing even after we got in — it really does seem like a pho restaurant Dongtan locals love.

The beef brisket and tendon pho in particular had such a generous amount of meat that I'd recommend it to anyone who loves meat. This was my first visit, and since the portion was so generous and the broth so tasty, I'd like to try other pho options next time. If you're looking for a warm, filling meal near Dongtan Station or searching for a great pho spot in Dongtan, I'd recommend Mibundang.