Seongdong Thai restaurant with gamjatang pho: Thanon55

I visited Thanon55, a great pho spot in Seongsu. Honestly, I went in with basically no expectations, but it was so much better than I thought that I’m still thinking about it. Thanon55 is the Seongsu pho place I highly recommend to anyone who puts flavor first!

Thanon55, a Thai-style pho restaurant on the edge of Seongsu-dong

It is set a little away from Seongsu-dong’s main streets, so it looked possible to visit without it being overwhelmingly busy even on weekends. Still, there may be a wait at peak times, so keep that in mind :) Even from the exterior, it had such a strong Thai local-vibe feel.

The people actually cooking were Thai, too. I would recommend this restaurant even more to anyone who loves Thai food or wants to taste something closer to the local flavor.

An interior that feels like Thailand, plus a self-service bar

The interior really felt like I had arrived in Thailand. Maybe because the owner is genuinely Thai, the restaurant was decorated to match that local atmosphere. Even though it was that awkward time after weekend lunch, it was still pretty full, and I thought, wow, a popular place really is popular. I picked out only the empty tables and snapped a few photos. There were all kinds of tables for two and four, so it seems good for groups of three or more, while also being perfectly fine for dining alone.

There is also a self-service bar on one side. It was clean enough that I had no worries about hygiene or cleanliness, and even the basic side dishes felt more special: there were lots of new things you would expect at a real Thai restaurant rather than at an ordinary restaurant.

The pho dishes we ordered

• Gamjatang (pork bone stew) pho — ₩13,000
• Thai curry beef intestine pho — ₩18,000

Thai curry beef intestine pho with crispy fried beef intestine

First up was the beef intestine pho. As a huge beef-intestine lover, I simply could not skip this menu item ㅠㅠ The amazing thing was that Thanon55 serves its beef intestine fried! That meant it was both crispier and chewier. There was a generous amount of it, too, so it was really filling. I have had beef intestine pho in lots of places, but Thanon55’s was curry beef intestine pho rather than regular beef intestine pho, making it more distinctive and special.

The beef intestine was so chewy and delicious too ㅠㅠ I think it was my first time having it fried, and surprisingly, it went so well with the curry broth and pho noodles!? Its chewy texture made it great to eat together with the noodles. If you love beef intestine, this is an absolute must-order, haha.

The signature gamjatang pho you have to try

We ordered Thanon55’s signature gamjatang pho. Wow... this... please, you have to try it. It was seriously, seriously insanely good ㅠㅠ If you love both gamjatang and pho, how could you not love this? I ordered it because gamjatang pho sounded so distinctive, but it was memorable enough to rank among the best pho I have ever had, so I am going back for it next time I’m in Seongsu ㅠㅠ

The gamjatang meat comes piled on top of the pho like this, and there was much more of it than I expected!? For this amount and flavor, the price was not as high as I expected, so it even felt like great value. The meat was so soft and tender, making it perfect as a topping with the pho. Honestly, it was delicious even on its own, so I think I finished all the meat even when I was already full, hahaha.

The quality was even better than regular gamjatang, so I was completely satisfied with this gamjatang pho. The beef intestine pho might be divisive because some people do not like beef intestine, but I think so many people would enjoy the gamjatang pho. It is my no-question, absolute recommendation, haha.

It was so much tastier than expected that I ended up recommending it separately, too. It is not really a pretty, atmospheric place, but judged on flavor alone, it was absolutely the best. I debated until the very end between coming here and going to a nice Western restaurant that day, and I am so glad I came here. It is the kind of great pho place I am still thinking about ㅜㅜ