Mild beef pho at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, a Busan pho restaurant

I was looking for good places to eat in Cheongsapo and ended up going for pho :) Whenever I visit Cheongsapo, I end up looking at the sea, stopping by a café, and hunting for something delicious to eat. Maybe because it had been a while since my last visit, there were a lot of tourists around and the area felt lively even on a weekday afternoon. Trying to decide what to have for lunch, I found myself craving warm broth, so I went to Cheongsapo Rice Noodles.

Where is Cheongsapo Rice Noodles, and can you bring a pet?

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles Main Branch is right on the Cheongsapo coastline at 6 Cheongsapo-ro 128beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan. Pets are welcome too, though a cage is required 💕

Parking at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles: a free coastal lot nearby

Parking is available. You can park on the road in front of the restaurant from 11:30am to 2:30pm, and after 2pm there's a coastal street parking lot you can use. Free of charge 👍

Cheongsapo Rice Noodles Main Branch sits almost right on the coast, so the view is really great 👍 You can also park in front of the restaurant, but only from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Don't worry about the other hours though ~

There's a coastal street parking lot right nearby, so parking wasn't a worry at all. There's also a public Cheongsapo parking lot, but it costs money and is a bit farther away — the coastal street lot is actually closer to this Cheongsapo pho spot, and it's free too. Even though I arrived on a weekday afternoon, there were more cars parked than I expected, which really showed how popular the Cheongsapo street has become these days (though there were still plenty of open spots).

One wall was painted bright yellow, which really caught my eye. But what caught my eye even more was the sign about a free banh xeo with two bowls of pho! Is it really free...? I was a little skeptical, but it's true! What's more, the portion was generous enough that I was surprised — it was good enough that you'd happily pay for it separately.

Inside Cheongsapo Rice Noodles and the ocean-view seats

It has a bit of a Vietnamese vibe, doesn't it?

The interior also had a slight Vietnamese feel while giving an overall clean impression. There were tables for four, spaced generously apart, so even when the place got busy, you could eat quietly without being bothered.

Since it's right on the coast, I came for pho but ended up wondering what was going on with this view — you can see a lighthouse and an open, breezy vista, so I ended up admiring the scenery the whole time I ate.

There's also an apron station and a spot for extra refills.

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

One notable feature is the variety of options: beef tripe pho, charcoal-grilled beef pho, chicken rice-crust pho, and water spinach pho. The owner actually went to Vietnam to learn how to make pho and then reworked the recipe to suit Korean tastes. Maybe that's why, instead of the distinct Vietnamese flavor, the broth is rich and clean-tasting — really good for curing a hangover too. The broth is amazing!

Another feature here is that no matter which pho you order, if you order two bowls or more, you get a free banh xeo! Usually ordering extra at a pho place feels like a bit much, but here it comes as a free service, so it's a total win! 👍

If you order a single bowl, you can also get refills on the noodles and bean sprouts. My portion was already generous enough that I didn't need a refill.

Mild-flavor beef pho, with cilantro optional

This is the mild-flavor beef pho, probably the most basic option.

The broth is what matters most in pho, and taking a sip, it was richer and cleaner-tasting than I expected. It's not a strongly aromatic style, so it was easy to eat without any hesitation ~ As someone who can't eat cilantro, I appreciated being able to choose whether to include it or not. Even people who hesitate over pho because of the spices might find this one fairly comfortable to try.

What does the chicken rice-crust pho taste like?

Unlike the beef pho, this was a menu item I hadn't seen before, so I was curious and ordered the chicken rice-crust pho! The crispy rice crust comes alongside the chicken drumstick, and you're meant to mix it in — it adds a nutty, savory feel that gives a very different impression from the beef pho. Eating the noodles, the rice crust, and the drumstick all together felt almost like eating a restorative health dish haha. If you like warm broth, this is a menu I'd recommend!

The free banh xeo, wrapped in rice paper

That banh xeo I was half-doubting... haha, don't underestimate it just because it's free! The portion is really generous, and it comes with rice paper — wrapping it up to eat is seriously amazing haha!

Eating the banh xeo plain, it's crispy on the outside and moist inside, but wrapping it in rice paper with vegetables gives it a completely different flavor ~ I kept going back and forth between it and the pho, and my chopsticks just kept reaching for more.

Butter shrimp fried rice at Cheongsapo Rice Noodles

Since it felt like a shame to order pho alone, we also got the butter shrimp fried rice. When you keep eating pho and other broth dishes, you start craving rice, and that's when ordering fried rice alongside is just perfect 😆 The nutty flavor of butter combined with the shrimp gave it a really savory taste. It's a menu kids would enjoy too.

Coming to this Cheongsapo pho spot, I really felt like ordering a variety of dishes was the right call. With small plates to portion things out, tasting a bit of everything made the meal even more fun ~ If you're looking for good food in Cheongsapo and want something a little different, or you're craving a dish with clean, comforting broth, I'd recommend Cheongsapo Rice Noodles Main Branch :)