Rainy-day pho at Dongtan Station, refills with a meat slice: Mibundang

A rainy weekend in Dongtan and a pho craving

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch (미분당 동탄역점) is a pho restaurant on the 1st floor of Dongtan Station Richan Arcade, and I went with my husband on a rainy weekend. I had errands in Dongtan last weekend, and with the drizzle and the gray sky, it was exactly pho weather!!!! My husband and I yelled "jinx!" at the same time, hahaha.

Mibundang was a pho place I'd wanted to try for a long time, and it turned out there was a Dongtan Station branch :) I found a Dongtan pho spot I'm happy to recommend in one go.

How do you order at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch?

You pre-order and pay at the kiosk beside the entrance, wait, and go in when your number is called. The photo shows the exterior of the restaurant. There was also cold hovenia tea (heotgae-cha, a barley-like herbal tea) ready to drink while you wait.

This is the menu. We ordered two brisket, flank and tendon pho and a mixed fried platter (modeum jeonsik).

What are the inside and seating like?

The interior is all counter-style seating (dodge seats) with an open kitchen. You can see the whole kitchen, and it's kept very hygienic. It was really clean >_<

The shop isn't big, but orders are taken outside in advance, so the food starts getting made as soon as you sit down, and turnover is quick.

The basic setup and spoons in the drawer

On the counter they set out pickled onions, pickled radish (danmuji), sliced mountain chili peppers, a bowl and hovenia tea as the basic setup. If you need anything more, you just put it up on the counter.

• Mask hooks, a sauce shelf and hair ties are provided
• Spoons, sauce bowls and napkins are kept in each seat's drawer on your side of the counter

It felt like a clever layout that takes every customer's movements into account :-)

A restaurant that encourages quiet meals, good for dining solo

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch encourages eating in a quiet atmosphere, so the concept is great for solo dining too. If you're with someone, just whisper when you need to and focus on the delicious meal, hahaha.

How big is the brisket, flank and tendon pho, and what about refills?

The brisket, flank and tendon pho is really generous, so my husband had to help me with mine ^^; They also say extra noodles and bean sprouts are free with one meal order per person.

I peeked at the bowls of people getting refills, and they put a slice of meat on each one as a service, hahahaha. I asked for cilantro and they piled on a generous amount, which I loved ^_________^

I followed the how-to-eat guide and tried it different ways to suit my taste. The rich broth, the various cuts of meat and rice noodles with a texture I love made a wonderful combination!!!

Is the mixed fried platter good for sharing between two?

The mixed fried platter at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch was just right for two people to have one of each kind. Partway through, the hot platter came out and we had bites of it with the pho :) The cha gio (Vietnamese fried spring rolls) came in two kinds, so we split them in half, hahahaha.

After a very filling, satisfying meal, on the way out they thoughtfully had stamp coupons, candy and mouthwash ready too.

Parking and opening hours at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch

You can park comfortably in the arcade parking lot, and after the meal they applied 1 hour of free parking when I gave my plate number. If you waited, they say you can register parking for up to 1 hour 30 minutes.

• Address: Unit 109, 1st floor, Dongtan Station Richan Arcade, 495 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Wed–Mon 11AM–9PM, closed every Tuesday
• Break time: 3PM–5PM
• Last order: 2:30PM, 8:30PM

If you're looking for a generous, tasty pho restaurant near Dongtan Station, I highly recommend stopping by Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch for a bowl!!!