Pho restaurant near Bomun Station for an after-work dinner: Mibundang

Why Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch for a warm bowl after work?

Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch (미분당 성신여대점) is a pho place in Seongbuk that came up most often when I searched for pho, so I headed there on my way home from work. You know those days when you finish work and suddenly crave something hot and brothy?! This was exactly one of those days, and I was thinking pho. There's a Mibundang near my home too, but I'd heard a lot that the taste differs from branch to branch, so I went to this one because of its good reviews. It's great for a pho lunch near Sungshin Women's University, and it was also a satisfying spot to eat alone near Bomun Station 🤍

Location, hours and parking

Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch is in Dongseon-dong 2-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (Bomun-ro 32-gil), and it's open 11:00–20:30 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00. There's room for one car in front of the shop, but if you want to park there, you absolutely must call the shop before you visit! There was no space for me, so I used the Seongbuk-gu Office parking lot.

What does the pho broth taste like?

Mibundang is a brand that reinterprets traditional Vietnamese pho for Korean tastes. They say they combined Vietnamese food, Korean palates and Japanese-style interiors to create a space anyone can enjoy comfortably! The broth is said to be simmered for a long time with black garlic, ginseng and various herbal medicine ingredients, and I could actually taste how deep and clean it was. I get why so many people looking for good pho near Sungshin Women's University come here.

How do kiosk ordering and takeout work?

At Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch, you order at the kiosk at the entrance first and then go in, and you can pay by cash or card. Because you prepay, the ordering process felt tidy. Takeout is also available for an extra ₩500, and you can choose between fully cooked and half-cooked! I think half-cooked takeout would be really good for trips or camping.

The menu is made up of pho and side dishes, and the pho is divided by topping, such as tendon-cut beef (chadolbaegi), brisket (yangji) and beef tendon, so you can pick whatever suits you! I ordered the tendon-cut beef pho, my boyfriend ordered the brisket pho, and we chose the mixed fried platter as our side.

Is it a good place to eat alone?

Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch is a quiet bar-seating shop, so eating alone feels no pressure at all. There's a notice at the entrance asking for quiet dining, and thanks to that the whole place had a calm atmosphere. The bar-style seating meant that coming alone wasn't awkward in the slightest, and maybe that's why there were so many people looking for a solo meal near Bomun Station.

The seating is a counter (dodge-style) bar for about 15 people, and turnover is fast, so the wait wasn't long. I went at closing-time rush, right before last order, and customers kept coming in, so I could really feel how popular it is.

You can hang your coat on the hangers on the wall, and bags go in the basket behind the chair.

Spoons, chopsticks and sauce dishes are in a drawer under the seat, so just help yourself to what you need. The shelf has hot sauce, hoisin sauce and chili sauce, so I could use them comfortably right at my seat!

The side dishes at Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch are pickled radish and pickled onion! If you want more, put the dish up on the table and the owner will refill it for you.

Are the brisket and tendon-cut beef pho generous?

The brisket pho and tendon-cut beef pho at Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch came out about 5 minutes after ordering, and both were piled high with meat!

First, the brisket pho my boyfriend ordered had so much brisket on top that you couldn't even see the bean sprouts and noodles. If you like a mild, clean flavor, you'll be happy with it!

The tendon-cut beef pho I ordered was also loaded with beef, and the nutty, rich flavor was really good.

Chili peppers also come in the pho, so if you can't handle spicy food, I'd recommend asking them to leave them out before ordering! When I pushed aside the meat and green onions a bit, the bowl was full of bean sprouts and rice noodles, and the portion was quite generous. It's no wonder people call it a top pho spot near Sungshin Women's University.

How to enjoy Mibundang pho even more

The shop also has instructions posted on how to eat pho deliciously!

• Take out some noodles, bean sprouts and meat, then mix with pickled onion and hot sauce
• Add a little hot sauce to the broth for a spicy kick
• Add cilantro and mix with hoisin sauce
• Mix green onions with hot sauce for a different flavor

I'm not great with spicy food, so I mixed hoisin sauce and chili sauce 1:1, and they went really well together! It's good as is, and with the sauces it has a different charm, so I never got tired of it to the very end. The broth in particular made a real impression on me!

The broth was much deeper and cleaner than the Mibundang I'd eaten at another branch before, so I wanted to come back! That's why I'm happy to recommend it for a pho lunch near Sungshin Women's University too.

What comes in the mixed fried side platter?

The mixed fried side platter (modeum jeonsik) at Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch comes with 5 kinds of fried items on one plate!

• Sweet potato jjajo (fried spring roll) packed with sweet potato mousse
• Crispy scallop jjajo
• Potato-wrapped fried shrimp
• Golden-brown buffalo wings
• Fried dumplings shaped like little fortune bags

Personally, the potato-wrapped shrimp was the best. It was crispy outside with a plump shrimp inside, and the texture was really good 🍤👍🏻 Not just the main dish but the side was satisfying too, which made it an even more memorable meal!

Is Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch worth going back to?

Mibundang Sungshin Women's University Branch was satisfying across the board: the deep broth, the generous meat and the tidy atmosphere! The quiet vibe made it a really good place to eat alone near Bomun Station, and I'd also recommend it as a pho lunch near Sungshin Women's University when you need a filling meal. If you like pho, give it a visit! Next time I'm definitely going to try the tendon pho too.