Gwangju pho restaurant, 8pm dinner with extra cilantro: Wolmidang

I had no appetite all day, but then I got a craving for hot broth and pho, so I headed to Wolmidang, a pho spot near Chonnam National University's back gate. It's a place a lot of Chonnam students go for lunch or dinner, and it's great for solo dining too, so it's an easy meal without any pressure~

Where is Wolmidang near Chonnam National University's back gate, and when is it open?

Wolmidang Gwangju Chonnam National University Branch is on the first floor of the Megabox building at 62 Uchi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, near Chonnam National University's back gate. It's open daily from 11:00 to 20:45, with break time from 15:00 to 17:00, and last order is at 14:30 and 20:15.

• Daily 11:00–20:45 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Last order 14:30, 20:15
• Address: 62 Uchi-ro, 1F, Buk-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• 1 hour free parking at Megabox, alley parking also possible~

I visited around 8pm for a late dinner, and since it's in the same building as Megabox, it was easy to find, and I could get 1 hour of free parking at Megabox too — so nice.

Inside Wolmidang: bar seats built for solo diners

Wolmidang's Chonnam branch has an overall wood-tone, clean interior — every time I go, it's always spotless, which I love. You really can't talk about a Gwangju pho spot without mentioning Wolmidang near Chonnam University.

The inside feels warm and comfortable overall, with wood-grain tables and chairs and bright lighting giving it a clean, cheerful impression. The tables are spaced fairly generously, and it has the relaxed feel of a Korean restaurant, good for anywhere from solo dining to groups of 2 to 4.

If you're on your own, the bar seats are a great place to sit and eat.

What we ordered at Wolmidang and what it cost

From basic pho to rice bowls, bún chả, and side dishes, there's a wide enough variety that you can pick and choose.

Beef brisket pho ₩11,000 Bún chả ₩14,000 Soy-grilled bulgogi rice bowl ₩12,000

One thing I love about Wolmidang is how quickly the dishes come out after ordering. When dishes come out one by one, you end up waiting around for everything to arrive before eating together, but here everything comes out at once, which is so nice haha

I mix up sauces for the pho. There are two sauces, a chili sauce and a sweet-savory one, and you can use them however you like — I mixed the two together. The paper cup had such a cute illustration that I ended up pouring myself some water just for the fun of it lol

Beef brisket pho, 11,000 won, with cilantro added

The beef brisket pho has both chadol (thin brisket) and yangji (brisket) in it, so you get the clean, savory flavor from the meat along with the broth's signature pho taste. The meat is thinly sliced, so it's soft to eat along with the noodles, and the bean sprouts add a nice crunchy texture.

Cilantro doesn't come with the dish from the start — you have to ask for it separately and they'll bring it. I asked for it right away and piled it on. And here's the thing — noodles and bean sprouts come with unlimited refills~~~ We were already full without even needing a refill, the portion was that generous.

Soy-grilled bulgogi rice bowl, 12,000 won

I figured we should order one noodle dish and one rice dish, so I got the soy-grilled bulgogi rice bowl, and it was a totally great choice!! The sweetish soy-marinated bulgogi had a nice grilled aroma and went really well with the rice. If you're not used to Vietnamese food, this bulgogi rice bowl might be a good option for you.

Bun cha (grilled pork with cold noodles), 14,000 won

Unlike pho, bún chả is a dish where you eat noodles, meat, and vegetables together in a tangy-sweet sauce, so it's a light, refreshing option. The noodle portion was bigger than I expected, plenty for two of us to share lol. With lettuce and tomato mixed in, it felt like eating something healthy.

Slurping up noodles in the hot broth haha. Piling the seasoned bulgogi on top of the noodles and eating it together turned out to be a delicious specialty of its own too. Meat is delicious no matter how you eat it~~~

Hair ties, candy, Sangsaeng Card and Naver reservation perks at Wolmidang

At the entrance, they've thoughtfully set out hair ties for women along with candy to finish off the meal — be sure to grab some~~ The Sangsaeng Card is also accepted, so it's great to use this month while the 15% discount rate is on.

Wolmidang near Chonnam University, one of Gwangju's go-to pho spots, has such a varied menu that it's easy to stop by for a full meal. The food is approachable even for people trying Vietnamese food for the first time, making it a good place for a casual lunch or dinner get-together near the back gate of Chonnam University~

They're currently running an event where if you reserve through Naver and visit, you get 1 sweet potato cha gio per person.