Dongan-gu pho restaurant for a late lunch in Anyang: Pho Witch

What the Pho Witch dining room feels like as you walk in

Pho Witch, on Guin-ro 190beon-gil in Dongan-gu, Anyang, felt like a different kind of pho restaurant the moment I stepped in. You'd think most pho places have a similar vibe, but here the atmosphere was a bit different right from the entrance.

Walking in, there's a faint, distinctly Southeast Asian scent that makes it feel like you've actually landed in Vietnam — but it wasn't the strong, off-putting kind of smell you might expect. If anything, it blended naturally with the food smells and gave a subtle appetite-stirring effect.

So right when I walked in I thought, 'oh, this really feels like a genuine Vietnamese restaurant' haha. For a moment it felt like a little trip, and even before the food arrived I was already getting excited.

How does the spicy pho taste? A sharp but clean broth

We ordered my sibling's recommendation, the spicy pho, and the smoky pad thai. The spicy pho at Pho Witch lives up to its name with a sharp broth, but it's not just simply spicy.

It has that clean pho signature feel, plus a spicy kick layered on top, so I kept going back for more broth. If you like pho but sometimes find the broth too plain, this spicy version could be a great fit.

Eating the noodles together with the broth was really filling, and before I knew it I was reaching for the broth again and again haha. And then, the smoky pad thai!

Passionate Siblings smoky pad thai eaten alongside the pho

Pho Witch's smoky pad thai has a subtle smoky note added, giving it more depth than a typical pad thai. The smokiness wasn't so strong that it overpowered everything else — it just came through gently while eating, which I liked.

Ordering the pho and pad thai together was fun since the flavors were so different, and we kept switching back and forth between them. One was a spicy, clean broth dish, the other a smoky stir-fried noodle — the combination worked really well together.

Still busy at Pho Witch past 1pm

One of the things I liked most about Pho Witch was the friendliness. From the owner to the staff, everyone was so kind that I never felt uncomfortable during the meal.

No matter how good the food is at a restaurant, if the service falls short it can bring down the whole impression — but here, the food was great and the service was warm, so I left feeling good all the way to the end. We visited just past 1pm, and customers kept walking in even then haha.

And those giant shrimp! Seeing the pad thai again is making my mouth water haha. Even though the lunch peak seemed to have passed, people kept steadily coming in, which made me think this must be a popular spot.

The dining room wasn't too chaotic or overwhelming, so it was comfortable to eat in, and best of all, it was fun to feel that distinctly Vietnamese atmosphere while eating. In the end, we ate well, ate a lot, and left Pho Witch in a great mood that day.

When you crave pho or pad thai in Anyang

Personally, this wasn't just a place with good food — the whole experience, from the exotic atmosphere the moment you walk in, to the food, to the kindness of the owner and staff, was great. It's a good pick whenever you're craving pho or pad thai in Anyang, or want to eat Vietnamese food in a slightly different setting than usual.

Next time I'd like to try some other menu items too haha. I feel like I've found a great pho restaurant in Anyang. The spicy pho and smoky pad thai we had that day were super satisfying, and it's the kind of place that makes you curious about everything else on the menu :)