Chonnam Univ back gate pho spot, mixed cha gio for two: Wolmidang

Can't decide what to eat for lunch near Chonnam National University's back gate? How about a hot bowl of pho?

Picking a lunch spot has gotten weirdly hard lately. Korean food every day gets a bit boring, but some days a heavy meal feels like too much. This time I went to the back gate of Chonnam National University and stopped by Wolmidang, a pho spot known around Gwangju.

We ordered the beef brisket pho for ₩11,000, the soy-grilled bulgogi with cheese and grilled rice balls for ₩15,000, and a mixed cha gio (Vietnamese spring roll) plate on the side. Instead of just pho, adding the grilled bulgogi, rice balls, and cha gio meant nothing overlapped — perfect for splitting between two people.

Where Wolmidang is, opening hours and parking

Wolmidang Gwangju Chonnam National University Branch sits at 62 Uchi-ro, 1st floor, Buk-gu, Gwangju, near the back gate of Chonnam National University. Parking is available in the back alley or at Megabox for one hour.

• Daily 11:00 - 20:45
• Break time 15:00 - 17:00
• Last order 14:30, 20:15

1. The storefront: a pho restaurant at the Chonnam Univ back gate

This time I visited Wolmidang near the back gate of Chonnam National University in Buk-gu, Gwangju. That area has tons of students and just as many restaurants, so it's actually one of those places where deciding what to eat gets overwhelming.

I was debating my lunch that day when I suddenly craved something with hot broth, so I went with pho. Pho lets you get both broth and a filling bowl of noodles, so it's a menu I think of often for lunch.

Especially now that mornings and evenings are turning a bit cooler, one sip of warm broth makes everything feel settled. If you're looking for lunch around Buk-gu, Gwangju and want something other than Korean food or gukbap (soup with rice), pho seems like a good alternative.

2. Inside Wolmidang: easy seating for solo diners and dates

Walking inside, the atmosphere was easy and comfortable for a meal.

Given the location right by the back gate, it seems like a good spot for friends to grab a meal or for a casual date. When I pick a restaurant, taste matters, but I also prefer places that let you chat comfortably rather than somewhere too chaotic.

It felt like an easy, light lunch spot to enjoy a bowl of pho, no pressure at all. Great for eating solo, or like us, visiting as two and ordering different mains to share a bit of everything.

3. What two people should order at Wolmidang

Looking at the menu, it wasn't just pho — there were plenty of dishes worth pairing together, so I had a hard time deciding.

In the end we went with the beef brisket pho for ₩11,000, the soy-grilled bulgogi with cheese and grilled rice balls for ₩15,000, and the mixed cha gio. Two people could just order pho each, but I personally prefer ordering different dishes and sharing.

There are days when one person wants noodles and the other wants rice. Ordering a pho plus the grilled bulgogi and rice ball dish makes that decision easy. Adding cha gio on top made for a pretty generous spread.

4. Beef brisket pho, 11,000 won

The dish I was most looking forward to was the beef brisket pho at ₩11,000.

With pho, you've got to start with the broth first, haha. One sip of the warm broth, then slurping up the noodles — exactly the lunch I had in mind. Since it comes with both brisket and shank, you get meat along with the noodles, which made it filling.

I like eating pho with a bite of noodles and a piece of meat together, and eating it that way, one bowl left me pretty full.

On days when you want something with broth but gukbap feels too heavy, pho sits right in the middle. It seems like a good lunch option for anyone looking for a pho spot in Gwangju.

5. Soy-grilled bulgogi with cheese and grilled rice balls, 15,000 won

Then there was the soy-grilled bulgogi with cheese and grilled rice balls at ₩15,000, which had more presence than I expected! If we'd only ordered pho, the meal might have felt a little repetitive, but adding the grilled bulgogi definitely improved the combination.

Getting soy-grilled bulgogi with cheese and grilled rice balls together felt completely different from the pho. If you're a meat lover, ordering a dish like this alongside pho will fill you up even more.

Eating the rice balls with bulgogi, then taking a sip of pho broth in between — that combo worked surprisingly well. If two of you are visiting, I'd personally recommend ordering one pho and one grilled bulgogi dish to share.

6. The mixed cha gio plate

You can't skip cha gio at a pho restaurant, haha. So in the end, we ordered the mixed cha gio too.

With two mains already ordered, I briefly hesitated about adding a side, but being able to taste a little of several things made it worth it. Especially with pho, having something crunchy on the side changes up the texture and keeps you from getting tired of the meal.

If a single bowl of pho feels like not quite enough, or if you're visiting with someone and want to share a variety, add the mixed cha gio as a side.

7. Is Wolmidang worth a lunch stop in Buk-gu, Gwangju?

This visit to Wolmidang near the Chonnam National University back gate was the kind of place that comes to mind when you want a warm bowl of pho for lunch. We ordered the beef brisket pho for ₩11,000, the soy-grilled bulgogi with cheese and grilled rice balls for ₩15,000, and mixed cha gio, and picking different mains to share made the meal really satisfying.

It's especially great not having to argue over the menu when one person wants noodles and the other wants rice. A sip of pho broth, noodles with brisket and shank, and in between, the grilled bulgogi and rice balls — it made for a pretty filling lunch.

If you're near the Chonnam National University back gate and want something different from your usual lunch, or you're searching for a good pho spot or lunch place in Buk-gu, Gwangju, give Wolmidang a try. I'd love to come back and try another pho dish next time. :)