Vietnamese restaurant in Sadang with huge portions: Bangbaedong Ssalguksu

The weather has warmed up, so I went with a friend to Bangbaedong Ssalguksu (방배동쌀국수), a great Vietnamese spot in Sadang. We ate sooo, sooo well that I want to recommend it with my whole chest.

First impressions and waiting at Bangbaedong Ssalguksu in Sadang

I remembered noticing the sign for Bangbaedong Ssalguksu whenever I passed by—it was so striking. When I finally visited, I thought its rough, simple look suited the place perfectly.

There are even waiting chairs outside. This is a genuinely popular Sadang restaurant with lines at lunch and dinner. Apparently, lots of Sadang office workers come here for lunch too. (According to my actual friend who lives in the neighborhood...)

But you will like it even more once you see inside!!!! Let’s go in.

An interior that feels like Vietnam transplanted here

Longtime readers know that I traveled to Vietnam a lot while flying, and they have basically transplanted Vietnam into this interior. In my opinion, the owner either truly lived in Vietnam or did an incredible amount of research.

When I do these review campaigns, if somewhere does not impress me like this, I do not have much to rave about. Even hitting the word count is work, you know. But they did this place so brilliantly that the words are just pouring out of me right now.

Anyway, if you are going out to try foreign food, it is so much better when the atmosphere feels like that country too, right? Somehow.

The single most impressive thing: those tablewares are seriously real Vietnamese local style. The colorful chopsticks and even those spoons—honestly, amazing..

The Vietnamese dishes two people ordered

Ah, that introduction got way too long. I am hungry, so let’s look at the menu first.

What an incredibly simple menu. I like that it is easier to read than one decorated all flashy. There were two of us, and we ordered:

• Beef brisket pho ₩10,000
• Bún chả ₩14,000
• Pineapple fried rice ₩12,000
• Chả giò ₩6,000
• Vietnamese spring rolls ₩6,000

That is what we got: three mains and two sides. Shocking, right?

A washbasin-sized bowl of beef brisket pho

The beef brisket pho came in a bowl about the size of a washbasin. The broth was delicious, the portion was huge—it was simply textbook pho. Just, just.

Fried rice with a whole pineapple inside

Have you ever seen pineapple fried rice with a whole pineapple in it? What even... It is really unbelievable..

Honestly, I do not usually like pineapple fried rice much, but I ate this so happily. The fried rice itself is simply delicious.

Bún chả dipped in sauce

And then bún chả, which I absolutely adore.. Dip it in the sauce, slurp slurp, nom nom... I had it yesterday and already want it again..

That is three whole main dishes on the table.

Chả giò and Vietnamese spring rolls I could not skip

Yep yep, unbelievably, the chả giò came too. I always order chả giò when I eat Vietnamese food. Seriously, how could I give this up? I cannot, for one.

The Vietnamese spring rolls came later too. There was truly no room left on the table, so we moved plates to the table beside us while eating.

Every single dish was so, so delicious, and I do not mean that just because this was a review campaign—it is genuinely true. I need to order delivery. We had ordered way too much and gotten greedy, so I thought we would have to take leftovers home, but...

(Please cue the BGM: High Kick’s “Can You Feel My Heart”~~~) I honestly cannot believe the two of us ate all of this.. Yes...

My friend has a baby in her belly, so it comforts me a little to count it as three people eating...

Ah, it has been so long since I wrote a review-campaign post with this much genuine enthusiasm. (I am still excited while writing this; haha.) The staff were so kind too. Anyway, there is simply no reason not to recommend it.

The friend I went with said she first came when this place opened, and now they even have a second branch. There is a reason the business is growing.. The real deal is the real deal..

Do not think about getting on a plane and going far away—enjoy a little bit of Vietnam at Bangbaedong Ssalguksu, a great Sadang restaurant.