Bun cha lunch with a toddler in Sinchon, Seoul: Kkua Ewha

Went out to Sinchon after a long while! There are so many good restaurants in Sinchon, and among them I visited Kkua, known for its pho near Ewha.

Where is Kkua Ewha, and what are its hours?

Kkua Ewha is located on the 2nd floor of 42 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 11:00 to 20:30 (last order at 20:00), near Sinchon Station Exit 1, in front of Ewha Womans University.

Arrived at Kkua Ewha :) Even the exterior had this hip vibe, like you'd actually gone to Vietnam for pho! There can be a wait at peak times — I'd recommend booking ahead via Naver Reservation.

Visited during weekend lunch and it was already nearly full! Being known as the pho spot near Ewha, it was packed even in this hot weather! Felt like being at a hotspot again after a while, so I was excited to find out what it would taste like.

Is Kkua Ewha comfortable with a small child?

The inside of Kkua Ewha had a clean, modern interior. It felt good for a light lunch and also fine for eating solo. There were high chairs and baby chairs too, so some people were dining there with kids :)

Ordering at the table kiosk and what's on the menu

Kkua Ewha has a kiosk at every table, so ordering was simple. For pho, noodles and broth can be refilled once; for bun cha, noodles and sauce can be refilled once. Cilantro, pickled onion, Vietnamese chili, and lemon can also be added via the kiosk.

Here's the Kkua menu! There was a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes — banh xeo, pho, bun cha, shrimp fried rice, rice rolls, bun bo nam bo, and more.

For pho alone there were so many options it was fun to choose — charcoal-grilled green onion pho, brisket-and-bean-sprout pho, Hanoi original charcoal pho, spicy charcoal pho, king short rib pho, meat-packed pho, and more. We ordered bun cha and meat-packed pho :)

Sauces are set on every table, so you can help yourself to as much as you like.

Bun cha at Kkua Ewha: generous noodles and pork

The bun cha came out first. The portion was really generous!

There was a ton of meat, and the rice noodles came freshly boiled, not soggy at all — moist and soft. The fried items were crispy too, textbook crispy-outside-soft-inside.

Above all, this bun cha sauce was really delicious :) tangy and appetite-boosting, it made the food taste even better.

The bun cha pork a 4-year-old happily ate

The meat in bun cha can easily end up smelly or tough, but here it had just enough char flavor with zero off-smell and, above all, was really tender. So the 4-year-old we brought along ate really well too.

Our kid is normally sensitive to meat, but ate whatever cut came in Kkua's bun cha! Dipped in the bun cha sauce, it genuinely felt like being in Vietnam haha. Tastier than a lot of actual local Vietnamese restaurants.

Meat-packed pho with a rich broth

This is the meat-packed pho. Meat really is packed in, just as the name says. Maybe because of that, the broth was really rich and filling once eaten. It'd be great for a hangover, and I think I'll be back whenever I crave a hot, comforting broth.

Piling meat onto the flat rice noodles makes for a great meal covering both carbs and protein. Perfect for restoring energy in summer too.

Can't skip the drink! It tasted even better with a cold cola on the side. Captured the overall vibe on video too haha.

Is Kkua Ewha worth a family lunch? Final verdict

Today I reviewed Kkua, known for its pho near Ewha. As a Blue Ribbon-listed restaurant, the Vietnamese food had solid fundamentals, and everything we ordered was so good it made me want to come back and try other menu items too.

Portions were generous and every dish that came with it felt carefully made. The staff were all kind too, so I felt good throughout the meal. If you really want delicious Vietnamese food, I recommend Kkua near Ewha.