Late-lunch combination pho in Bangbae-dong: Bangbaedong Ssalguksu
In short
Bangbaedong Ssalguksu is a Vietnamese pho restaurant tucked into an alley on Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil in Seocho, Seoul. Arriving after 2:30pm for a late lunch, the writer ordered five dishes — combination pho with fewer noodles (12,000 won), pineapple fried rice (12,000 won), bun cha (14,000 won), fresh spring rolls (6,000 won) and chicken wings (6,000 won) — and even the noodle-light pho arrived overflowing. Portions at Bangbaedong Ssalguksu are big for the price, making it an easy pick for a solo meal or a table sharing several plates.
Good to know
- Address
- 34 Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, 1st floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- Daily 11am–10pm (last order 9pm)
- Closed
- Closed Sept 25, 2026 for Chuseok
- Combination pho
- 12,000 won
- Pineapple fried rice
- 12,000 won
- Bun cha
- 14,000 won
- Fresh spring rolls (4pc)
- 6,000 won
- Chicken wings (4pc)
- 6,000 won
- Extra noodles
- 2,000 won
- Parking
- Use the nearby Bangbae Bokgae-doro public parking lot
- Price reference
- ₩2,000 ≈ $1.4 (2026-09-20)
as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026
[Bangbaedong Ssalguksu]
Words / Photos / Video by Yeni Select
Today I want to introduce a place that's dripping with Vietnamese local vibes — "Bangbaedong Ssalguksu."
Where is Bangbaedong Ssalguksu, and what are its hours?
- 34 Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, 1st floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul
- Open daily
- 11am–10pm
- Last order 9pm
- Closed one day, Sept 25, 2026, for Chuseok
Walking through a Bangbae alley, you'll spot a small restaurant with a white sign reading Bangbaedong Ssalguksu, right next to a lottery ticket shop.
From the entrance frame to the interior decor, everything is styled to make you feel like you've traveled to a local Vietnamese eatery — and it really did feel that way.
Thanks to the bright sunlight pouring in through the full glass front, I stayed in a good mood the whole meal.
Where to park near Bangbaedong Ssalguksu
If you're driving, there's a public parking lot nearby.
The Bangbae Bokgae-doro public parking lot is spread out along the road, but I pinned the spot closest to the restaurant, haha.
Bangbaedong Ssalguksu menu and prices
The menu is broadly split into noodle dishes, fried rice, and sides.
The five dishes Yeni ordered
- Combination pho ₩12,000
- Pineapple fried rice ₩12,000
- Bun cha ₩14,000
- Fresh spring rolls ₩6,000
- Chicken wings ₩6,000
On the table, there's fried chili sauce, sriracha hot sauce, pho sauce, and utensils set out so you can season to taste.
For side dishes, you get tangy pickled onions and spicy pickled Vietnamese chilies.
Combination pho: still huge with fewer noodles
True to its name, the combination pho comes loaded with all kinds of meat toppings, so it was fun discovering a new bite of meat with each spoonful.
Being able to taste so many different meat toppings in one bowl is a real strength here.
And the portion is genuinely massive.
I deliberately asked for less noodles, thinking about how much I could eat — but I was still surprised by how much came out.
For reference, you can pay ₩2,000 to add extra noodles, but the base portion is so generous you'll be plenty full without it.
Pineapple fried rice at Bangbaedong Ssalguksu
The pineapple fried rice comes with fresh, tangy pineapple cut into big chunks alongside the rice.
Fried rice alone can get heavy, but eating it with the pineapple made my mouth feel fresh and helped digestion, or so it felt.
The fried rice also felt like 1.5 servings, lol. There was chicken mixed in as a topping, which made it even tastier.
We were already full so a bit was left over, and my companion neatly packed it up to take home.
Bun cha: smoky grilled pork, not ground meat
Of all Vietnamese dishes, my absolute favorite is bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli)!
When I travel to Australia or other hot countries, I notice people eat a lot of noodles cold, without hot broth.
Compared to Korean food, regular broth-based pho is like anchovy noodle soup, while bun cha has the charm of bibim guksu (cold mixed noodles).
The bun cha noodles weren't clumpy at all — really well boiled and delicious.
They also gave us cilantro on the side, so I could adjust it to my taste.
What I liked most was that the meat wasn't ground pork — it was real grilled pork slices with a smoky char.
They gave plenty of sauce too, and above all the noodle portion was massive — it definitely felt like 1.5 servings.
Sides: 4-piece chicken wings and 4-piece fresh spring rolls
The chicken wings we ordered as a side had a deep, salty-spicy seasoning that really hits the appetite.
Eaten alone they could be a bit salty, so pairing them with the leftover bun cha noodles worked great.
The fresh spring rolls with shrimp inside were great dipped in chili sauce, or dunked deep into the bun cha sauce.
Was the late lunch at Bangbaedong Ssalguksu worth it?
The staff were all friendly, and eating delicious food while basking in warm sunlight through the full glass wall lifted my mood even more.
Even though we visited well past lunchtime, after 2:30pm, the restaurant was still packed with customers.
At the table next to us, a foreign couple was enjoying their meal, adding even more to the exotic atmosphere.
The portions are so generous for the price that it's great for a light solo meal, and also great for ordering several dishes to share with friends or acquaintances.
Been a while since your last pho? How about it for today's lunch pick?
Where it is
34 Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, 1st floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 서초구 방배천로8길 34 1층 방배동쌀국수
