Dongtan Station pho restaurant with a baby, Hwaseong Pay: Mibundang

I visited Mibundang, a pho restaurant near Dongtan Station that's crowded every day. I first discovered it in my early twenties at the Sinchon flagship branch — that's over ten years ago now — and no matter which branch I go to, the taste barely differs and it's still consistently delicious. This time I visited with my baby, so here's my honest review.

Where is Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch, and what about parking and the wait?

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is on the 1st floor of Dongtan Station Richian Shopping Center. It's in the same building as Hayanpungcha Bakery and Starbucks, right next to Olive Young. Lunchtime waits here are usually long, but at 11:30am on a weekday I got lucky and was seated right away.

By the time I finished eating and stepped out, it was past noon, and probably because it overlapped with lunch hour, there were at least five parties waiting. Worth keeping in mind if you're planning a visit.

If you're driving, the shopping center offers 1 hour of free parking — good to know.

Ordering at the kiosk: card, cash or Hwaseong Pay

You order at the kiosk in front of the restaurant at Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch. It takes credit cards, and there's a bill slot so cash works too. Even better, it's a store that accepts Hwaseong Pay, the Gyeonggi regional currency.

Ordered my usual — brisket, flank, tendon pho! I also got a side of sweet potato cha gio (fried spring rolls) to try.

This is a place where waiting is basically mandatory during lunch and dinner hours, and to be considerate of waiting customers, they set out cold hutgae tea and parasols. I think it's little touches like these — on top of the taste — that keep bringing me back to Mibundang.

Can you bring a baby to Mibundang? Bar tables and baby chairs

The inside of Mibundang is set up as bar-table seating, so it's also a comfortable spot for eating alone.

Honestly, as a regular I know very well how quiet the atmosphere at Mibundang usually is, so I wondered whether bringing a baby would even work.

But lo and behold — my baby is currently obsessed with drinking water these days, so once I handed over some water, she stayed perfectly quiet without a peep, and I got to enjoy my favorite pho spot near Dongtan Station in peace. (Not going to lie, I basically inhaled my food not knowing when she'd start fussing, haha ^_ㅠ)

Just note there's no baby chair here!

Brisket, flank and tendon pho: how much meat do you get?

Here comes Mibundang's popular brisket-flank-tendon pho.

Can you see this insane amount of meat? Tender brisket, flank, and chewy tendon are all piled in generously, without holding back.

How to eat Mibundang's pho at its best

★How to enjoy Mibundang's pho at its best★ It's delicious however you eat it, but mixing in hot sauce and hoisin sauce to your taste makes it even better.

The hot sauce in particular is quite ~~ pretty spicy, so if you like heat, swirling in about one full circle around the bowl for a spicy kick will definitely be your thing.

I had this for lunch and was already craving it again by dinner. The chewy tendon is really delicious too.

With one order per person, you can get free refills of noodles and bean sprouts mid-meal. That said, the base portion is really generous, so unless you have a huge appetite, you probably won't need extra.

Mibundang's broth is genuinely clean and delicious. It's light yet deep and rich at the same time — quite addictive.

A pho spot near Dongtan Station that suits this cooling autumn weather perfectly too. My baby behaved this time, but I still ended up eating in a rush out of worry, so next time I'm thinking of trying their half-cooked takeout option instead.

The side order: sweet potato cha gio

Oh, the sweet potato cha gio (fried spring rolls) is crispy and sweet and really tasty too, so if pho alone feels like it's missing something, try the side cha gio as well.

That was my visit to Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch with my baby. Next time, I'd love to come back in full free-woman mode and enjoy it at a leisurely pace. If you're looking for a great pho restaurant in Dongtan, I highly recommend Mibundang.