Pho and mozzarella cheese katsu 1-person set near Chungbuk Nat'l Univ

I had some errands near Chungbuk National University that day! My lunch break happened to overlap, so I needed to eat around campus, and it turned out Myeonsikdang — a place I'd visited at a different branch before — had a location right here too!

They seemed to be famous for pho as a Cheongju must-eat, and I had a good memory of enjoying their mazesoba last time, so this time I decided, no hesitation, I was going for the pho : )

Myeonsikdang Chungbuk National University Branch: location, hours, parking

• Location: 48 1-sunhwanno 674beon-gil, Seowon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, 1F Myeonsikdang
• Hours: 10:30 - 20:20 (daily), 16:00 - 17:00 break time
• Restroom: shared building restroom, separated by gender (code needed)
• Parking: open lot right in front of the store (spacious, so plenty of room on weekends!)

There was an open parking lot right in front of the store — the closest one to Chungbuk National University! Being right in front means you don't have to worry about parking at all. That said, on weekdays a lot of students park there, so keep in mind it can fill up — on the weekend I went, there was plenty of room, but I remember it being busy on weekdays!

The exterior made it obvious at a glance that this was Myeonsikdang, so it was easy to find ^^

Outside, I could see a simple rundown of what they sell, and there was also a notice about a receipt review event going on right now!

Interior vibe and seating

I headed straight inside! The interior was longer and narrower than it looked from outside, so there were actually a lot of seats — 2-tops, 4-tops, bar seating, easy to find a comfortable spot!

Both the tables and chairs were all wood, wood, wood, so the atmosphere felt cozy~

I've walked past this place during weekday lunch before, and since it's literally right in front of the university, it was a total hotspot at lunchtime! If I actually attended Chungbuk National University, I feel like I'd come here all the time with Myeonsikdang this close ㅠㅠ

On the wall there was also info about a self-run event this branch was doing — you could join after writing a review! A no-miss lucky draw event, sounds nice~

Self bar and restroom

Near the entrance there was a self bar you could use freely! When I went, it had side dishes on it~

Wow, but here's the interesting part — it's gotten a bit cooler lately, but the self bar is right at the entrance where a lot of sunlight comes in, and this was the first time I'd ever seen ice placed under the side dishes like this~ The owner's smart touch to keep the food from spoiling!! I really loved that ><

You could also fill up on water yourself here~ and there were aprons too!

There was no restroom inside the store itself, but it was accessible with a separate door code, so it stayed clean~

Menu, the 1-person set composition, and how to order

Something I noticed back when I used to come here before too — Myeonsikdang has really, really, really a lot of menu items. And here's the thing: most of these many dishes, ordered à la carte, don't even break ₩10,000-something. That's seriously ultra value for money. But does that mean the taste suffers? Nope — they cook everything to order the instant you order it

Pork cutlet? Western-restaurant quality. Ramen? Ramen-specialty-shop quality. Pho? Tried it today, genuinely so good. Since it'd been a while since my last visit, let's see what new items showed up!

You order through the mini kiosk at each table~ and you can pay right at your seat as soon as you order, super convenient! Myeonsikdang has à la carte items, but their 1-person set menus are really well put together! The set menus come with a mini-size portion of a popular dish plus a mini side, so you get two different dishes in one great combo~ And most of the 1-person sets are priced in the low ₩10,000s, so honestly... what am I even saving up for...

The day I went, I'd heard the Vietnamese pho at Myeonsikdang was that good, so I picked the pho~! And since everything is cooked fresh to order, it can take a little while, but it comes out ridiculously hot so it's worth the wait!!! haha

❤Here's what I ordered❤

• 🍜Shabu pho + fire-flavor mini buta-don: ₩12,700
• 🥩Mozzarella cheese katsu + mini cold soba: ₩14,900

Shabu pho + fire-flavor mini buta-don, ₩12,700

Shabu pho + fire-flavor mini buta-don, ₩12,700 (visual)

Living up to its reputation as a Cheongju pho spot, the visuals were on point.. The onions on top were nice and crunchy, and above all there was a ton of meat in there! I don't know how they made the broth, but it was so deep — there's a café I personally love for Vietnamese pho, and this was neck and neck with it..!!!! If it's going to be this good, this place is closer distance-wise too haha. It was that satisfying

The sauce next to the pho was good either dipped into the pho itself or used for dipping the meat~

Ah.... look at this, just cooked, so fresh and hot~

Sometimes when pho is disappointing, the noodles are usually way overcooked and mushy, but here!! They boiled the noodles just right, so the pho noodles were chewy and so satisfying!

And the fire-flavor buta-don that came alongside it! Honestly, two dishes for this price? You get pho and rice both, like really??? So full, so full~ The buta-don was coated in a strong smoky-fire flavor and well seasoned, which made it perfect to eat with rice!

Mozzarella cheese katsu + mini cold soba, ₩14,900

When I first saw how cheap the cheese katsu price was, I thought, 'ah, it's probably going to be a small piece.' It was huge. No, seriously, it was just huge.. I ate two pieces and got so full I gave the other two to my companion...

The cheese was packed in tight, and the frying itself was done really well too, so the cheese stretched out beautifully — the savoriness of the cheese with the crispy coating was so good, I really enjoyed it

Ahh.... how is this the price;; I have to show you the cheese pull! This, this, this, this!!! This is it right? As a genuine cheese katsu lover, I was so happy that day . . . .

As time passes the cheese naturally cools down, but even cooled, the cheese stayed chewy so I still enjoyed it haha

And here's the cold soba that came with it — see the icy slush? The broth was really cold, exactly the kind of cold soba I love, and it paired so well with the katsu, yum yum. Hehe I love cold soba so much~ Honestly this combo was an absolute win

There was also wasabi to dip the katsu in depending on your taste, plus salt, shichimi, and a separate spicy-sweet katsu sauce, so lots of options~! I'm a salt-and-wasabi person, so I piled on plenty of salt and wasabi and dug in ><

Honest final thoughts

Wow... I really ate a lot. I got so full at lunch that I skipped dinner that day. The portions are truly huge, but with such a varied menu you get plenty of choices, and beyond just being reasonably priced, it's ultra-ultra-ultra good value! If you're looking for a place to eat lunch near Chungbuk National University, or even dinner, there are plenty of good options — take a look at the 1-person sets, 2-person sets, à la carte dishes, and sides, and I think you'll enjoy your visit-★