Vietnamese banh xeo and beef pho lunch with mom in Jeonju: Phodam

My mom and I went on a date to Jeonju's Jungang Market and Gaeksa area after a while :) We were trying to figure out what to eat and suddenly craved Vietnamese food, so we found Phodam, a Jeonju lunch spot!

Ever since I went to Vietnam, I've been properly hooked on banh xeo haha. Even when I go to Vietnamese restaurants, it's not easy to find a banh xeo that really hits the spot for me ㅠ

This time my mom and I ate thoroughly — fresh spring rolls, beef pho, and banh xeo haha

Phodam's location — right next to Save Zone in Jungang Market

Phodam is right next to Save Zone in Jeonju's Jungang Market, so it wasn't hard to find at all. It's also pretty close to Gaeksa, so it's a good spot to drop into for a meal while dating nearby or wandering around the market.

We went for lunch, and seeing how packed it was inside, I thought — oh... this really must be a Jeonju lunch spot? That was my first impression hahaha

What's the vibe inside?

The interior had a comfortable, homey feel, so it was easy to eat without any pressure. It was also a relaxed enough atmosphere for my mom and me to sit and chat while eating slowly.

Most of all, the owner was so kind and bright that it put me in an even better mood for the whole meal :) Taste matters, but a place that treats you this warmly is one that comes to mind again for no particular reason.

What we ordered for two

That day we ordered fresh spring rolls, beef pho, and the banh xeo I'd been looking forward to! Since it was just the two of us and we wanted to try a bit of everything, we ordered all three, and we walked out really full.

If you're looking for a Jeonju lunch spot and want to enjoy a variety of Vietnamese dishes together, I'd recommend visiting Phodam in Jungang Market and ordering a few different things to share.

Such a cute play on the cilantro item on the menu!! I was surprised it came out with a photo of the actor Go Soo haha, since 'goh-su' is also how cilantro is pronounced in Korean. My mom and I laughed, joking about whether ordering cilantro would bring us the actor instead 😄 Great sense of humor from the owner!! haha

The crispy banh xeo — this is what stuck with me the most

The banh xeo I'd been looking forward to most! I still remember the texture even now haha. The outside was so crispy that it was great to bite into, and the inside was packed full too.

What I especially liked was that the banh xeo didn't just come on its own — they also gave us vegetables to wrap it with. We put lettuce and banh xeo on rice paper, added cucumber and other vegetables, and wrapped it up properly haha

Wrapping everything together like this made every bite feel packed and made eating more fun. Since going to Vietnam I've come to love banh xeo and have sought it out many times, but it turned out to be harder than expected to find a place I really liked.

So the crispy texture I had this time at Phodam, a Jeonju lunch spot, stuck with me even more. Ordering the beef pho and fresh spring rolls together too meant the two of us really filled up on a solid lunch.

Recommendation points

If you want Vietnamese food near Gaeksa or Jungang Market, I'd strongly recommend Phodam, where I'm planning to go again soon haha. Especially if you love banh xeo like I do, Phodam is worth a visit when you're looking for a Jeonju lunch spot!

Besides pho, there are dishes to share like fresh spring rolls and banh xeo, so it seems like a good place to visit with a group and order a variety of things.

Final thoughts and plans to return

This time I got to properly enjoy Vietnamese food while going on a date with my mom after a long while, and she seemed to enjoy it too, saying we should go again next time — so we're planning to revisit haha

I still find myself thinking about that crispy banh xeo texture and wanting more... Next time I visit Phodam, a Jeonju lunch spot, I'm planning to try the spring rolls and banh mi I didn't get to have this time haha

If you're craving Vietnamese food or looking for a good restaurant near Jungang Market or Gaeksa, give Phodam a try :) Next time, I'll upload a post about the spring rolls and banh mi from another visit to Phodam, a Jeonju lunch spot.