Free banh xeo with two pho bowls: Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, Busan

I went to get pho in Cheongsapo, which is super hot right now~ These days if you go to Cheongsapo you hear more foreign languages than Korean, which is honestly wild and kind of fun.

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, a pho spot right in front of the Cheongsapo sea, was half foreigners, half Koreans too. It was full even on a weekday — I guess a good restaurant doesn't care about nationality, haha.

Where is Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, and is there parking?

• 📍 Location: 6 Cheongsapo-ro 128beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan
• ⏱️ Hours: 10:00–18:00, closed every Wednesday
• 🚗 Parking: No parking support, no dedicated lot

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles is about a 2-minute walk from the Cheongsapo stop on the Blue Line beach train, so it's really easy to get to.

After getting off the beach train, walk down toward the Cheongsapo sea and you'll see a flashy yellow building on your right. It's easy to spot, so it's convenient even if you're coming by public transit or the beach train.

Best of all, the shop is right in front of the Cheongsapo sea, so you can take in the ocean view before and after eating. I snapped photos in the sea breeze before the meal, and after eating it was nice to walk over to the Cheongsapo Daridol Observatory or nearby cafés.

Is there a wait at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles on a weekday lunch?

The day we visited was a weekday lunch, and it was busy enough to have a wait. If you're planning to visit Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, I'd time it for opening or try to avoid the peak meal hours.

Personally though, even with a wait, since the sea is right there it wasn't boring at all.

Inside Cheongsapo Rice Noodles: a Vietnamese dining room by the sea

The exterior isn't anything special, but once you step inside it's Vietnam through and through. Colorful lighting, Vietnamese-style tableware, and floral tablecloths all add up to a real local-restaurant feel.

The interior feels exotic, but with the sea visible outside the window, it honestly felt like a trip to Da Nang, haha. Ahh, makes me want to travel~ haha. An ocean-view pho place — that's rare, right? So it felt extra special.

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles menu and how to get the free banh xeo

The signature dish at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles seems to be the spicy beef tripe pho. The pairing of tripe and pho isn't common, so I was curious, but they'd run out of ingredients that day, so I missed it — a real letdown. Next time I'll come earlier and definitely try it~!

One of the big perks here is that ordering two bowls of pho gets you a free plate of banh xeo. Even if you normally like eating alone, I'd recommend bringing a friend when you visit here — because the banh xeo is seriously good.

What we ordered

• Spicy chicken rice-crust pho ₩15,000
• Mild beef pho ₩15,000
• Butter shrimp fried rice ₩6,500
• Banh xeo FREE

How does the pho at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles taste?

The overall spread looked like this. Two bowls of pho plus fried rice, with the banh xeo thrown in as a bonus — pretty generous, right?

When the pho first arrived I thought, huh, is the portion a bit small? But there's a neat trick — bean sprouts and noodles are refillable. So there's no need to worry about not having enough! If you love noodles or want a heartier meal, feel free to ask for a refill.

Also, the pho comes without cilantro by default. I guess that's because a lot of people dislike it, but if you order it through the table order system, it's added for free — so make sure to add it~

Spicy chicken rice-crust pho, 15,000 won, spice level 1

First, the spicy chicken rice-crust pho I ordered. You can choose the spice level from 1 to 3.

We ordered level 1, and it's less spicy than Shin Ramyun, so even those who can't handle spice can easily take it on. The broth has the clean, savory quality of chicken stock with a spicy seasoning added on top, giving it that refreshing kick.

The big chicken drumstick on top had no gamey taste, was tender, and had a hint of char, like it had been torched — really good.

Mixing the rice crust into the broth gave it a nutty, toasty flavor. The pairing with the pho noodles wasn't bad at all. It's heartier than a typical pho and has a spicy kick Koreans tend to like, so it'd work well as a hangover cure too.

Mild beef pho, 15,000 won

The mild beef pho we also ordered stands out for its clear, clean broth.

What really surprised me was that despite having so much beef in it, there wasn't a single drop of oil floating on the broth. So I could keep sipping it without any greasiness — really clean. Alternating with the spicy chicken rice-crust pho, the balance of spicy and mild was great~

This dish seems like a great fit for anyone who prefers a non-intense pho, or for families visiting with kids.

Butter shrimp fried rice, 6,500 won

The side dish we ordered, butter shrimp fried rice, was just ₩6,500!! For that price, the quality and portion were really satisfying.

The nutty flavor of butter was well soaked into the fluffy fried rice, and with shrimp mixed in there was a nice bouncy bite too. Great to pair alongside the pho when pho alone doesn't feel like enough.

The free banh xeo that comes with two bowls of pho

And now, the moment we'd been waiting for — banh xeo! I actually love banh xeo so much that when I'm in Vietnam I order it at literally every meal. So I couldn't believe they were giving it away for free.

The banh xeo (savory Vietnamese pancake), pan-fried crispy with a coconut batter, was filled with crunchy bean sprouts and shrimp.

Wrapping this in rice paper together with pickled onion and pineapple made it an absolute delicacy!

Is Cheongsapo Rice Noodles worth it? Final verdict

A pho recommendation for Haeundae! A pho recommendation for Cheongsapo! A lunch recommendation for Haeundae! I missed out on the beef tripe pho I originally wanted, but the spicy chicken rice-crust pho and beef pho were so good that it still ended up being a satisfying lunch.

Considering they give a free plate of banh xeo for every two bowls of pho, plus free bean sprout and noodle refills, the prices feel more than fair. Add in the wide-open ocean view and the friendly staff service, and overall satisfaction was high. Next time I'll come a bit earlier and make sure to try the spicy beef tripe pho~!