Thai restaurant in Sejong for nasi goreng and kids’ pho: Mekong Thai

Our family eats pho (Vietnamese rice noodle soup) fairly often. We have it out a lot, but we also make it at home, so when I think about it, we eat pho quite a few times a month. Our child especially loves beef pho, so if it is on the menu, there is usually not much debate.

This time, after stopping by the National Library of Korea Sejong, we went to Mekong Thai Sejong Lake Park Branch (메콩타이 세종 호수공원점). It is one of the places that comes to mind when we are around Sejong Lake Park or the library and need somewhere to eat.

Inside Mekong Thai Sejong Lake Park Branch and ordering

Mekong Thai’s signature yellow entrance~

Inside, tables run along the windows, and the spacing between them does not feel cramped.

Each table has a tablet for ordering, so you can take your time looking through the menu.

Starting the meal with a cup of tea

While waiting for the pho, we had a cup of tea and chatted about this and that. Eating out with a child is not just about eating; I think it is also about these little moments piling up.

I had nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) at Mekong Thai not long ago and remembered enjoying it more than I expected, so I ordered nasi goreng again without hesitation. Our child ordered their favorite beef pho.

Nasi goreng, ordered again

The nasi goreng I enjoyed recently, ordered again this time

I chose the nasi goreng. I had tried it at Mekong Thai recently and liked it, so I ordered it again.

When you come to a pho restaurant, you naturally end up ordering pho, but lately, when I come to Mekong Thai, I find myself leaning toward the nasi goreng instead. With fried rice and an egg together, it was a filling meal on its own. I had enjoyed it last time and ordered it again, and this time too, I felt I had made a good choice.

Our child takes on a large beef pho

For our child, naturally, beef pho.

Up to this point, it was the usual. But that day, our child suddenly said they wanted the large size. “I can eat a lot!” They said it so confidently that I thought, okay, let’s give it a try, and ordered the large. But when it arrived, a large really was large. The bowl itself was huge, and there was no small amount of broth or noodles either.

It came topped with beef, onion, and scallions, with bean sprouts and cilantro on the side to add as you like. Our child ate eagerly at first. But I suppose a whole large bowl was too much for an elementary schooler, haha. In the end, they could not finish it and left quite a bit. They had said they could eat a lot, but once they actually tried it, it really was a lot of food. Since I do not like leaving food behind, it felt wasteful, and I felt a little sorry too. Next time, no getting greedy—just order an appropriate size. Still, because our child loves beef pho so much, when we come to Mekong Thai together, there is one menu item we never need to think twice about.

An easy meal stop to pair with the National Library of Korea Sejong

One reason I think this place is good is its location. In particular, if you have gone to the National Library of Korea Sejong with a child and are looking for lunch or dinner, it is easy to combine the two.

For families using the library with a child like ours, a National Library of Korea Sejong → Sejong Lake Park → meal itinerary works nicely. Sejong has many places to go with children, but when you try to plan the meal into the route as well, it can be awkward sometimes. So if your family likes pho as much as ours does, this is a place worth keeping in mind.

Menu and prices

• Stir-fried morning glory ₩13,900 · bún chả ₩16,900 · tom yum goong ₩16,900
• Pho: brisket or beef ₩12,900; combo or shrimp wonton (mild) ₩13,900; beef brisket, Thai garlic, chive beef, spicy beef, or tom yum ₩14,900; seafood or chicken ₩14,500; shrimp wonton (spicy) ₩15,900
• Stir-fried noodles: pad Thai, chicken pad Thai, or mie goreng ₩14,900; spicy seafood pad Thai ₩15,900
• Fried rice and rice bowls: beef rice bowl, seafood fried rice, curry fried rice, pineapple fried rice, Thai red curry, or nasi goreng ₩14,900; pork rice bowl, tom yum fried rice, or spicy seafood fried rice ₩15,900
• Vietnamese wraps: for 2 ₩49,800; for 4 ₩63,800; set for 2 ₩59,800; set for 4 ₩76,800
• Sides: Mekong set (12 pieces) ₩16,500; Thai set (16 pieces) ₩19,900; special set (28 pieces) ₩28,500; meat chả giò, gỏi, or chả giò 4 cuts ₩6,900 / 6 cuts ₩8,900; shrimp croquettes 2 pieces ₩6,900 · 4 pieces ₩9,900; egg roll net or shrimp pencil spring rolls ₩7,900
• Extras: rice ₩1,000; extra bún chả noodles ₩2,000; extra pho noodles ₩3,000; bean sprouts, Cheongyang chili peppers, and cilantro free
• Drinks: canned drinks and lemon iced tea ₩2,500
• Alcohol: Chamisul ₩4,000; Saigon, Chang, or Tiger ₩6,000; draft beer 300 cc ₩3,000 · 500 cc ₩4,000 · 700 cc ₩12,000

Family meal in three lines

There is fun in seeking out new restaurants, but when families eat out, I think we end up returning to familiar places where everyone has one menu item they like.

After visiting the National Library of Korea Sejong, this is our regular spot for days when we feel like pho instead of rice.

If you stop by Sejong Lake Park or the National Library of Korea Sejong and find yourself craving pho or fried rice, it is worth considering as part of your meal plans.