Thai restaurant in Sejong: weekday chicken curry and beer at Thanon55

Thanon55 in Sejong: a Thai restaurant that's busy even on weekday evenings

I wanted Thai food in Sejong, so I visited Thanon55 on a weekday evening. Customers kept coming in the whole time I was eating, which reminded me once again that Thanon55 is already a famous local favorite in Sejong.

What's the atmosphere like at Thanon55?

The interior at Thanon55 mixes yellow and blue for a local Thai feel. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the vibe, as if I had landed in Thailand.

The harmonious yellow and blue interior made me feel like I was on a trip abroad, and even the small props had a Thai feel, so my expectations were already high before the food arrived.

How to order at Thanon55 and what's on the menu

At Thanon55 you order at a kiosk at your table and pay up front. It was convenient, and I liked not having to keep calling over the staff.

The menu was really varied.

Besides rice noodles, there were stir-fried noodles, curries, leng saep (spicy pork rib soup), tom yum goong and other classic Thai dishes, so deciding what to eat was seriously hard.

What I ordered: chicken curry and gamjatang rice noodles

I picked my dishes on the kiosk, placed the order and paid.

Side dishes and table seasonings

After I ordered, the staff brought danmuji (pickled yellow radish), pickled cabbage, pickled chili and small plates for sharing.

On one side of the table there were also black pepper and Vietnamese chili powder, so you can adjust the seasoning to your taste. You can get more dishes and sides yourself if you need them.

Thanon55 chicken curry: a flavor that calls for beer

Thanon55's chicken curry is crispy chicken and smooth curry eaten with rice. The chicken curry came out first and looked delicious from the start, and the moment I bit into the chicken I loved the crunchy coating and the juicy meat inside.

It was so good that I ordered a beer right away 🍺

The curry is smooth and well balanced, so it's delicious whether you dip the chicken in it or eat it with rice.

The best way to eat the chicken curry

My personal favorite way: pile plenty of curry on the rice, lightly dip the chicken in the sauce, put it on top and eat it all in one bite. I highly recommend this combo!

What do Thanon55's gamjatang rice noodles taste like?

Thanon55's gamjatang rice noodles come with about three big pork bones, like the ones in gamjatang (Korean pork bone stew). It arrived a little later, and true to the name it looked hearty just from the look of it.

The broth was clearer than gamjatang, and with two halves of soft-boiled egg on top, it looked really delicious.

The meat on the bones came off easily and tenderly, and there was no gamey smell, which satisfied me.

The crunchy bean sprouts and soft rice noodles together gave nice texture variety. Personally, I wished there were a few more bean sprouts. (Could you please add a bean sprout extra option!!)

The broth was hot and salty, with that gut-soothing feeling of gamjatang broth. It was a bit salty for me, but strangely I kept going back for more. After eating hard, I drank several cups of water haha

Adding Vietnamese chili powder to the gamjatang noodles

Partway through, I tried adding the Vietnamese chili powder from the table, and the broth got slightly spicy and took on a different charm. I'd recommend eating a while first and then adding the chili powder.

Thanon55, a Sejong rice noodle favorite: worth going back?

Even on a weekday evening, customers kept coming in while I ate, and there were hardly any empty seats. New customers were still arriving as I left, so the reputation as a Sejong rice noodle favorite is well earned. If you want tasty Thai food with a local Thai atmosphere, this place will satisfy you.

The chicken curry in particular was great with beer, and the gamjatang rice noodles are a unique dish you can't easily find elsewhere, so I hope you'll try it at least once.

If you're looking for a rice noodle spot in Sejong, I recommend trying the chicken curry and gamjatang rice noodles combo at Thanon55. Next time I plan to go back for other dishes like leng saep or tom yum goong 😊

Café discount tip after your meal

Oh, and I heard that if you bring your Thanon55 receipt, you get 10% off coffee drinks at the Pascucci right next door. Good to know if you're heading to a café after your meal.