Suwon pho restaurant with extra noodles and hoisin sauce: Madam Hao

Pho near Ajou University: Madam Hao

Why we picked Madam Hao for pho near Ajou University in Suwon

Madam Hao is a Vietnamese restaurant on Wolgyeong-ro193beon-gil near Ajou University in Suwon. When I got a craving for pho in Suwon, I decided to check out Madam Hao, known as a go-to pho spot near Ajou University.

There are all kinds of restaurants near Ajou University, from student hangouts to places serving cuisines from around the world. Among them, Madam Hao really captures the feel of a Vietnamese restaurant, which made it a great pick for a day when I wanted pho.

This time I ordered beef brisket pho and beef fried rice. Getting fried rice along with pho let me enjoy two signature Vietnamese dishes in one meal.

• Business name: Madam Hao
• Location: 49 Wolgyeong-ro193beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, Unit 101
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–3:00 (next day) / Sat 11:30–3:00 (next day) / Sun 11:30–3:00 (next day)
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Parking: available

There's room for about 4-6 cars beside the restaurant, but if it's full you'll need to head to a public parking lot.

What Madam Hao's Vietnam-style interior looks like

The first thing that caught my eye walking into Madam Hao was the atmosphere inside. It felt different from a typical pho specialty shop, more like an interior that reminds you of an actual restaurant in Vietnam.

The distinctive Vietnamese colors and props scattered around the space made me feel almost like I'd walked into a local restaurant while traveling. Pho is about the food itself, of course, but an atmosphere like this really adds to the fun of eating it.

If you love traveling to Vietnam or are looking for a place with that authentic local feel, you'll find the atmosphere here fun from the moment you walk in. Compared to the clean, standard restaurant vibe common around Ajou University, this place stands out for its exotic, Vietnam-inspired mood.

It's a good spot to visit with a friend, and also a nice choice when you want to eat pho in a different kind of setting.

Free shrimp chips and kiosk ordering at Madam Hao

Shrimp chips come out as a starter, so I had something to snack on while waiting for the food, which kept things from getting boring.

There's a kiosk at every table, so I placed my order that way~!

The menu is organized into main dishes, side dishes, drinking-food dishes, and drinks/alcohol, which made it easy to browse and choose.

Ordering pho gets you kimchi and pickled radish; ordering fried rice gets you lemon and chili.

I ordered beef brisket pho and beef fried rice.

Madam Hao's beef brisket pho, a noodle bowl near Ajou University

The dish I was most looking forward to at Madam Hao was of course the beef brisket pho. When you think of pho, beef brisket pho is one of the first things that comes to mind.

It arrived with rice noodles and brisket sitting in a warm broth, filling enough as a single bowl of a meal. I think the harmony between broth and noodles is the most important thing about pho, and here the savory flavor from the brisket paired well with the clean, light broth of the pho.

The broth was warm, so it was easy to dig into right from the first spoonful, and the noodles had that soft, silky pho texture when eaten together with the broth. Adding the brisket on top made it richer and more filling than the noodles alone.

How hoisin sauce, chili sauce and an extra portion of rice noodles taste

There was chili sauce and hoisin sauce on the table, so I tried using those too.

You can dip the noodles in the sauces, but the hoisin sauce was so good I just poured it right in.

I also ordered an extra portion of pho noodles, which came out as a whole separate bowl. Some people worry about the spice-aroma of pho at first, but if you're not used to Vietnamese food, starting with a classic like beef brisket pho is a good way in.

If you're like me and love a noodle soup, this dish makes for a satisfying meal on its own.

The beef fried rice we ordered with the pho

It felt like a waste to eat only pho, so I also ordered Madam Hao's beef fried rice. Ordering pho and fried rice together means you're not stuck with just one dish and can enjoy a variety of flavors. Beef fried rice, made by stir-frying rice with beef, has a charm all its own, quite different from the pho.

While pho is centered around warm broth and soft noodles, beef fried rice lets you enjoy fluffy, loose rice grains along with the savory flavor of the beef, and the two dishes complemented each other well. If you're visiting with a friend, ordering one beef brisket pho and one beef fried rice to share is a great combination.

It also makes ordering easy if one person prefers noodles and the other prefers rice dishes. If you're at a Vietnamese restaurant but want more than just pho, this combo is worth recommending.

The soup that came with the beef fried rice was nicely salty and really hit the spot.

Best combo for two: beef brisket pho and beef fried rice

To sum up what I tried this time: beef brisket pho is a dish where you enjoy warm, clean broth together with brisket and rice noodles, while beef fried rice lets you enjoy the hearty flavor of beef and stir-fried rice. Ordering both together means you can taste a noodle-soup dish and a fried rice dish at the same time, a great combo when you can't decide what to order.

I'd especially recommend ordering one of each and sharing if you're visiting with someone. The warm broth of the pho fills you up comfortably, and eating some beef fried rice in between gives you different textures and flavors, making the meal feel more complete.

Madam Hao is a Vietnamese restaurant I'd recommend to anyone looking for pho near Ajou University. What I liked most was that beyond the food, you also get to enjoy an atmosphere that genuinely feels like Vietnam.

This time I ordered beef brisket pho and beef fried rice, and getting to enjoy both a warm bowl of pho and a hearty plate of fried rice made choosing between the two dishes part of the fun. It's a great place to visit near Ajou University on a day when you want something a bit different from your usual meal, or when you're in the mood for Vietnamese food in an exotic setting. If you're looking for a good pho restaurant around Ajou University in Suwon, Madam Hao is worth checking out.