Seongdong Thai restaurant for Piset Special pho: Thanon55

I went out for lunch with a close younger friend I was meeting in Seongsu-dong for the first time in a while. I wanted a warm bowl of pho rather than anything too heavy that day, and every time I passed through the Seongsu-dong alleys, this place caught my eye.

So I finally visited Thanon55 (타논55), somewhere I had wanted to try.

The space was pretty, and the menu had dishes that were a little different from the pho you usually eat, so I had been curious about it.

It felt like a little trip to Thailand~

A Thai atmosphere tucked into a Seongsu-dong alley

Thanon55 is tucked away in an alley in Seongsu-dong.

Even from the outside, it had that distinctive, exotic feel of a Thai restaurant, so it subtly caught my attention whenever I passed through the alley.

Once inside, the atmosphere was really quite pretty too.

The distinctive Seongsu-dong sensibility and a Thai local feel were nicely blended, so even while eating, it felt a bit like being on a trip.

More than anything, I noticed that Thai staff were preparing the food directly in the kitchen that day. Seeing them cooking among the Korean guests somehow made it feel even more like a local restaurant.

That is probably why it seemed like a good fit for anyone looking for something a little different in Thai food around Seongsu.

What was the Thai Pho Piset Special like?

We ordered two dishes.

They were the Thai Pho Piset Special for ₩16,000 and the gamjatang pho, one of the best-selling dishes, for ₩14,000.

First up was the signature Thai Pho Piset Special. The name alone made it seem like I would get to try a proper Thai-style pho, so I ordered it,

and it did feel a little different from typical pho. I liked being able to enjoy distinctly Thai aromas and flavors, and it seemed like a good choice when you want a lunch in Seongsu-dong that is a little more unusual than the standard options.

Gamjatang pho with pork bone and egg

But the dish that impressed me even more that day was the gamjatang pho.

I was intrigued by the name because it brings together gamjatang (pork-bone soup) and pho, and it was much more generous than I expected: there was plenty of meat attached to the large pork bone.

Gently pulling the meat from the bone and dipping it in the soy sauce served alongside was delicious. Adding the spicy chili on the side changed the flavor again, and it went well with the meat. Above all, this pho did not just come with meat—it was topped with an egg too.

The yolk was cooked beautifully—not too done and not underdone—so it looked great as well,

and eating the noodles, meat, and egg together made for a really satisfying combination in one bowl. With noodles for carbs plus meat and egg, it was more than enough for lunch.

The broth was the kind I kept spooning up, and I almost finished it all, but I was too full—sadly, I had to leave a little broth behind, haha.

An easy lunch spot in Seongsu-dong

I ate here while catching up over all sorts of things with my younger friend, whom I had not seen in a while, and the fun menu gave us plenty to talk about throughout the meal. I had always wondered about this place after passing it whenever I was in the area, and now that I had tried it, I understood why I had been so curious. Especially if you want to try something a little more unusual than everyday pho, it is worth stopping by as a good pho spot in Seongsu. A nice place to visit when you want a light lunch with a friend or partner in Seongsu-dong and want to try something new.