Pho Ong Nam Dangsan — Vietnamese Pho, Then a Walk Along the Han River

Why eat Vietnamese food in Seoul?

Fair question, so let's deal with it first.

Korea has a large Vietnamese community, and pho is genuinely part of everyday eating here — not a novelty. If you're in Seoul for two days, spend them on Korean food. But if you're here longer, or you've had three straight days of grilled pork and want a clear, light bowl, this is a good use of a meal.

This place is run by Vietnamese owners, so it isn't the Koreanised version.

The broth is the reason

The noodles and the broth both have real depth. The broth is clear but not thin — it tastes long-simmered.

Here's the interesting part: Korean diners describe it as tasting like "clear gomtang." They're right. Beef simmered for hours and drawn off clear is exactly what Naju gomtang and Hadongkwan do — so if you've had those, you'll recognise the family resemblance immediately.

One reviewer who had just come back from Vietnam said the interior and the pho both felt like the real thing.

How to eat it — this matters

Pho is not finished when it reaches you. You assemble it.

What comes alongside, and what to do with it:

• Coriander (cilantro) — strong. Pile it in if you like it; leave it out entirely if you don't
• Pickled onion and carrot — sharp and sour. Add a little when the broth starts feeling rich
• Pickled chilli — only if you want heat

Taste the broth plain first, before adding anything. That's what the kitchen made. Everything after that is your preference.

A note for anyone avoiding spice: pho itself is not spicy at all. The chilli is a separate jar you control.

Then walk it off by the river

This is the part that makes it worth the trip. Han River Park is directly in front.

Finish your bowl and walk straight out to the river. Pho sits lightly enough that walking afterwards feels good rather than punishing. Go near sunset and the walk becomes the better half of the outing.

Dangsan Station is on Lines 2 and 9 — an interchange, so it's easy to reach from anywhere in the city, and Line 9 connects toward Yeouido and Gimpo Airport.

Vietnamese iced coffee

Reviews keep mentioning condensed milk, which means they're doing cà phê sữa đá — dark coffee poured over condensed milk and ice. Very sweet, very strong. A good full stop after the noodles.

Who this suits

• ✅ You want pho closer to the Vietnamese version than the Korean one
• ✅ You like a long-simmered clear beef broth
• ✅ You'd pair the meal with a riverside walk
• ✅ You can't eat spicy food — pho itself has no heat
• ⚠️ Ask them to leave out the coriander if you dislike it
• ⚠️ On a very short Korea trip, prioritise Korean food first