Seongdong Thai restaurant with curry tripe pho: Thanon55

I suddenly had a craving for Thai food and hot pho, so I went to Thanon55, a Thai restaurant in Seongsu run by Thai locals, for some noodles.

Getting to Thanon55 in Seongsu

For Thanon55, a great Thai-food spot in Seongsu, turn right from Seongsu Station Exit 3, pass through Seongsu-dong's café street, and walk about 10 minutes.

Once you see the sign for “Anana Photo Studio,” you've arrived at Thanon55.

If you spot the mannequin with eyes that seem to stare straight into your soul, you found the right place... My friend even took a photo with them.

Go up the stairs to the second floor and you'll see another Thai mannequin with captivating eyes. That means you've reached Thanon55's entrance. I kept getting startled by it every time I went to the bathroom. Hahaha.

Inside Thanon55, with Thai music playing

Thai music was playing, so Thanon55 really had that local atmosphere! I also liked that the interior felt exotic but clean.

There were two of us, but they told us to get comfortable at a four-person table, so that's where we sat! ^.^

There is space farther inside too, and the openings in the wall made it feel pleasantly open. There were little toy-like decorations on top of the hole-filled cement wall. Hahaha.

A self-service bar where you can help yourself to side dishes. The blue-painted shelves and plates with exotic patterns really stood out.

Take in the atmosphere at Thanon55 with Thai music playing... “Just feel it.”

A menu with free extra noodles for gamjatang pho

You can order food on the tablet. With the gamjatang pho, extra noodles and bean sprouts are free!! Is this Thai generosity?? Naturally, I ordered them.

I'd had several cocktails the night before, so I wanted hangover food, some protein, and something punchy all at once—hence the curry tripe pho. Apparently it's their signature menu!! I couldn't resist.

While we waited, I brought back a side dish that tasted like seasoned shredded radish and some danmuji (pickled yellow radish) from the self-service bar. This little shredded-radish-like side dish really refreshed the palate between bites, so please try it.

My friend was so happy to spot Chang beer on the menu. Apparently it's a beer sold in Thailand. Two elephants face each other on the cap and bottle label. So cute.

At last, the curry tripe pho and gamjatang pho arrived! We'd already polished off a Chang beer while waiting for this, haha.

Thanon55's signature curry tripe pho

The curry tripe pho I ordered. The tripe was cooked almost like it had been fried, cut into big pieces, and placed on top of the pho. They give you scissors and tongs, so cut up the tripe with the scissors. (Your teeth won't do the job very well!)

The toppings passed the test. I thought it would only have tripe, but there was also a generous amount of pork topping, enough that just picking out the meat fills you up a bit... Portion size: passed.

So how would tripe plus curry work together...? Let's dig in right away.

This is seriously something. It's not just that I'm a pig who enjoys everything—I think this was the best noodle dish I've had lately. The first bite genuinely shocked me... Honestly, tripe and curry? It sounded like someone had just mixed together two intense things, so I didn't expect much and ordered it only because it was the signature dish. But the rich, fatty tripe and salty curry go incredibly well together.

Do you know that taste of rich tripe fat chewing together with bean sprouts in your mouth? Do Thai people get to eat things like this every day? Lucky. The thin pho noodles soak up the curry's savory flavor and rich broth beautifully. The broth was so, so delicious that my friend, who had ordered something else, asked whether she could ladle out quite a lot of it.

The seasoning is a bit strong, but if the curry flavor starts to feel heavy, cleanse your palate with the shredded-radish side dish from the self-service bar and you're reset. I didn't even ask for extra noodles, but the portion kept going and going, so I thought the value was quietly pretty good!

Spicy, deep gamjatang pho

Next, let me review my friend's pick, the gamjatang pho... True to gamjatang (spicy pork-bone stew), Korea's number-one hangover dish, it was spicy... deep... and rich. As you can see in the photo, the meat was thick and tender, and came right off the bone!

The meat from the gamjatang pho tastes even better dipped in the soy sauce that comes with it. But it's delicious without dipping, too! Gamjatang pho isn't a best-selling menu item for no reason. There were maybe four pieces of meat, and just the meat alone fills you up somewhat. My friend got both extra noodles and extra bean sprouts and was seriously, seriously full, haha.

Even if you have a big appetite, try holding back on the extra noodles a little... Thanon55's portions are big to begin with!

And just like that, I finished every last noodle again today. The broth was seriously delicious, the food came out quickly, and the restaurant had a Thai local feel—I left 100% satisfied in every way. The restroom is outside, but only Thanon55 customers can use it, so keep that in mind~