Gimpo pho restaurant for hangover-ready broth: Kkua

Pho near Janggi Station for days when you feel run-down

A few days ago, I had no appetite and felt a little run-down, so I thought I needed a meaty broth. That sent me looking for a pho place near Janggi Station where I could have a refreshing yet rich bowl.

This was Kkua Gimpo Janggi Branch, about a 4-minute walk from Janggi Station. If you drive, you can park in front of the restaurant or in the lot beside it; if those are full, there are public and private parking lots nearby.

The atmosphere and menu at Kkua Gimpo Janggi Branch

There is a menu posted out front so you can see what is available. I was tempted by the giant rib pho, but it sells out often, so you need to visit early to get it.

The interior has a little of the atmosphere of a local Vietnamese restaurant. There is also a faint scent of spices, which somehow makes it feel like you are traveling.

I came in excited to try some good pho. Ingredients and sauces were displayed on one side, which caught my eye.

Ordering beef brisket pho and spicy fire-grilled pho

We looked at the menu and immediately ordered one beef brisket and bean sprout pho (₩11,000). We also ordered spicy fire-grilled pho (₩13,000) and nem (₩3,000), Vietnamese fried spring rolls.

Shortly afterward, the beef brisket and bean sprout pho arrived. You can ask them to leave off the Cheongyang chili peppers. It was topped with finely sliced scallions and plenty of beef, so it looked wonderfully generous.

As soon as I tasted the broth, it was cool and clean, with just the faintest spicy kick that really woke up my appetite. I thought it would be great as hangover pho after a night of drinking, too.

Then all the other dishes arrived: fire-grilled pho, fried spring rolls, pickled onions, lemon, cilantro, and chopped chilies.

The warming fire-grilled aroma of level 0.5 pho

First up was the level 0.5 spicy fire-grilled pho. I had level 1 last time, and it felt quite hot, so I ordered level 0.5 this time. It was pleasantly warming and peppery, making it easy to enjoy without feeling overwhelming.

Since it is fire-grilled pho, it comes generously topped with meat carrying that lovely flame-grilled aroma. If you are a meat lover, the extra-meat pho would be a good choice.

Crispy nem and how to use the sides

The nem is great alongside pho near Janggi Station: plump and crispy, with a filling packed with meat and shrimp. It was especially delicious.

The chilies, onions, cilantro, and lemon all go nicely with the meal. The chopped chilies are minced Vietnamese chilies and are quite spicy, so only dissolve a tiny amount into the broth at a time.

Eating the meat with bean sprouts and then slurping down the broth made me feel so refreshed inside. It is clean and cooling, so I kept reaching for more.

The meat on the pho was tender and soft, making it easy to eat lightly. Unlike the fire-grilled pho, the beef brisket version has a cleaner flavor.

The broth itself was very clean, so it even had a bit of that nourishing-food feeling.

The spicy fire-grilled pho brought together smoky flame-grilled flavor, a peppery kick, and warming heat—it was the kind of combination that simply could not be bad.

As someone who loves spicy food, I found myself slurping away nonstop. My lips got red, but I just kept slurping.

Take a crispy bite of nem in between, and the pairing is perfect! The shrimp inside is big and plump, so the texture is great.

Add cilantro on top like this, and you get a flavor that rivals Vietnamese pho eaten in Vietnam.

I also like mixing things up, so I added a little hoisin sauce and chili sauce. Then, when you take a sip of that cool broth, an involuntary “ahhh” just comes out.

Overall, this was pho near Janggi Station that I enjoyed so much I would like to have it again. If you like pho, I recommend giving it a visit.