Mango shrimp salad at a Suwon Vietnamese restaurant: Madam Hao

Madam Hao near Ajou University and its late hours

Madam Hao is near a famous hotteok (sweet Korean pancake) shop that pretty much every Ajou University student would know.

Madam Hao is an Ajou University pho restaurant serving a range of Vietnamese dishes, including pho, bun cha, and fried rice, built around Hanoi's traditional flavors—and it stays open until 3 AM! I think this is the first Ajou University restaurant I've seen with such long hours when it isn't even a bar, haha.

Two dining rooms with wood tones and rattan accents

When I stepped inside, the wood-toned interior and rattan accessories immediately caught my eye.

The restaurant is divided into two rooms. The outer room is quite spacious, so it looked ideal for a private rental. The inner room had a cozier atmosphere for a relaxed meal and chat!

From pho to banh khot and mango salad

Along with the pho and bun cha you would usually associate with Vietnamese food, the menu also had cha ca la vong, a Vietnamese fish dish; banh khot, small Vietnamese mini pancakes; and mango salad.

There were honestly so many options that I had to think about what to try.

I ordered some dishes to go with the basic pho too! Pad thai, one of their steady sellers; mango shrimp salad that I had loved in Vietnam; and banh khot, which was new to me!

I wondered whether the food might take a while since we had ordered so many dishes, but thankfully everything came out quickly..! Behold, a whole table full of Vietnamese food~~

Refreshing beef pho and pad thai with a spicy kick

The beef brisket pho came with lots of tender brisket over a refreshing, clean broth.

The cilantro was not too noticeable, so even people who are wary of spices could enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed. It was packed with meat, noodles, and bean sprouts, and the broth was so refreshing that I kept wanting another sip even while eating the other dishes, haha.

The pad thai was exactly the straightforward pad thai flavor you would expect. It barely had any strong spice notes, so anyone could eat it comfortably, and they served a separate spicy seasoning so you could add heat to your taste. Personally, I preferred it with a little spice, haha.

Crispy banh khot and the mango shrimp salad I debated ordering

The banh khot, Vietnamese-style pancakes, felt like a smaller version of banh xeo? I wrapped them in rice paper like banh xeo, and the taste was very similar too, haha.

But perhaps because they were much crispier than banh xeo, they almost felt fried! Using the skills I learned in Hoi An, I made myself a proper rice-paper wrap..! I was a little sad there were not many vegetables to wrap with the banh khot, but they said they will give you more if you ask, hehe. I just didn't know and rationed them like a penny-pincher—that's me.

The mango shrimp salad was the final dish I ordered, and I debated forever over whether to get it with the pad thai, haha. (Because we'd ordered way too much already,,) But I could not stop thinking about the mango salad I had eaten in Vietnam, so I ordered it in the end, hehe.

Mango and carrots tossed in tangy-sweet nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) dressing, plus shrimp and nutty peanuts. It was not exactly the same as the salad I had in Vietnam, but it is a dish you do not usually find at a typical Vietnamese restaurant, so I enjoyed it, hehe. Though I was a tiny bit disappointed that there were more carrots and sauce than mango,, 😹

As someone who likes spices, I felt it was maybe just 2% short of what I wanted? Still, everything was clean-tasting overall, and even though I was already a little full, I ate very happily, hehe.

A Vietnamese restaurant near Ajou University for spice-shy diners

Madam Hao, a northern Vietnamese restaurant by Ajou University, was a great place to enjoy not only pho but a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes. The food was generally easy on Korean palates, so I think both Vietnamese-food lovers and anyone hesitant to try it because of spices could dine here without worry, haha.

Since it is open until 3 AM, it is also a great place for a late meal, a drink, or something to cure a hangover.

If you are looking for good pho around Ajou University, or somewhere for a late meal or hangover cure, I hope you will visit Madam Hao!