Seongsu Thai noodle soup with fried tripe topping: Thanon55

I was out in Seongsu today and stopped by Thanon55, known as one of the best pho spots in the area. I love Vietnamese and Thai-style pho, so I was excited to check it out!

Where is Thanon55 and when is it open?

Thanon55, the Seongsu pho spot, is at 16 Ttukseom-ro 9-gil, 1F 203, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's open weekdays 11:30-22:00 and Saturdays 12:00-22:00, with a break time from 15:00-17:00, closed Sundays, and no parking.

Thanon55's original branch is in Seongsu, and it's become so well-known for Thai food that there are now 5 locations. At the Seongsu branch, walk about 5 minutes from Seongsu Station Exit 3 and you'll spot the sign with the Thai flag.

Come into this building and head up to the 2nd floor.

There's also a display area full of Thai vibes worth checking out — sawadeekap 🙏

Both the owner and the cooks are all from Thailand, so you can get genuinely high-quality Thai food right here in Seongsu 👍

Inside Thanon55 Seongsu: the space and mood

Interior space

The inside of Thanon55 is fully Thai vibes 〰️ The antique pieces are cute, and the space is divided into sections so it felt quite spacious. Probably because it's in Seongsu, there were a lot of foreign customers too.

The colorful chairs give it a fun, bouncy feel. Here and there on the walls, Thai plates(?) or similar items were on display too — a cute touch!

There's a self-bar, so you grab any plates or side dishes you need yourself.

It says food pickup here, but the owner actually served it to us directly.

Thanon55 menu and the best two-dish combination

True to a great Thai food spot, the menu has pho, curries, and rad na (stir-fried noodles), among others. What's unique about Thanon55 is the variety of pho — gamjatang (pork bone stew) pho, curry pho, tom yum goong pho, and more, so there were plenty of options. I went with the best menu picks: curry tripe pho for ₩19,000 and mu thod curry S for ₩16,000.

On the table there are seasonings you can add to taste.

After about a 10-minute wait, the food arrived and the smell was seriously insane‼️

Mu thod curry S, 16,000 won: how it differs from pad pong curry

I wondered what the difference was between mu thod curry and puk pong curry — turns out mu thod curry is a soft, fluffy curry made with coconut and egg, served with fried pork called mu thod.

I first tried dipping the mu thod in chili sauce, and with the flakes crunching on top of the crispy fried pork, it was even crispier and nuttier.

The curry is really soft with a slight kick of spice, which made it even better. Piling the mu thod on top and eating it together is Thai curry in its truest form.

Signature curry tripe noodle soup, 19,000 won, with fried tripe on top

I heard the curry tripe pho is Thanon55's signature best-seller, so I ordered it — pho with tripe and curry in it? Genuinely such a novel idea.

It comes piled with crispy fried tripe, and the portion was substantial.

Underneath the fried tripe there was also tender pork, so it really justified the price.

Plump tripe.

I was worried fried tripe might have a strong smell or be chewy, but that worry was unfounded — the tripe was generous and got nuttier and more savory the more I chewed. The best.

The broth was rich and delicious too. There's a decent curry flavor, but the spicy broth is the real highlight, and since the spice aroma isn't too strong, I think it could actually work as a good starter dish for Thai food.

Eating the noodles together with bean sprouts and fried tripe is truly delicious. I think I'll come back for this whenever I'm in Seongsu!!

The pork was thick and tasty too, so I ended up slurping down the whole bowl of pho.

On the way out there's a dish return spot, but the owner said we could just leave the dishes on the table and didn't need to bring them there.

Is Thanon55 worth a second visit?

Today I visited Thanon55, a Thai restaurant known as one of the best pho spots in Seongsu, and the authentic feel really came through along with genuinely great flavors — I think I'll come back whenever I'm craving Thai food. Especially the curry tripe pho, which felt like a dish you can't get anywhere else, so I highly recommend it!