Food & Cafés
Vietnamese Food in Seoul
Hoang Viet, Samseong Station: Vietnamese Setting, Korean-Style Taste
A look inside one of Seoul’s popular Vietnamese chains — a dining room and menu that could pass for Ho Chi Minh City, and a flavor profile built for a Korean palate.
Vietnamese food is no longer a novelty in Seoul. Pho shops sit on nearly every commercial block, and the area around Samseong Station is no exception. Not every Vietnamese restaurant in the city takes the same approach, though.
Broadly, they split into two camps: places that try to reproduce Vietnam’s flavors as closely as possible, and places that adapt the cuisine from the start for a Korean palate. Whichever camp a restaurant falls into, the atmosphere is almost always unmistakably Vietnamese.
01
A Dining Room Built to Feel Like Vietnam
Hoang Viet’s Samseong Station branch follows that pattern closely. From the moment you step inside, the interior, décor, and lighting all evoke a restaurant you might find in Vietnam itself. The food follows the same visual language — plating, bowls, and garnish all read as authentically Vietnamese at a glance.
02
At the Table, It’s Korean-Style
Having eaten pho in Vietnam itself, I can say the flavor here runs noticeably milder than what you’d find there. Both the broth and the herbs — cilantro in particular — carry less presence, and the overall profile is toned down to something easier for a first-timer to handle. For anyone new to pho or cilantro, that’s arguably a lower barrier to entry rather than a shortcoming.
03
The Menu
What Should You Order at Hoang Viet, Samseong Station?
$10.46
Mixed Pho
A combination bowl that layers in a bit of everything — a safe, well-rounded order for a first visit.
$10.84
Grilled Pork Rice Bowl
Best understood as Korean-style char-grilled pork served over rice rather than a distinctly Vietnamese dish. It didn’t leave much of an impression next to the pho.
$10.84
Bun Bo Hue
The better order, in Korean-style form. Think of it as a clearer, lighter broth than yukgaejang — recognizably in that family, but without the heat or richness.
$5.23
Shrimp Goi Cuon
Fresh spring rolls with shrimp — an easy, reliable side to round out the table.
The room says Vietnam. The bowl says Korea.
04
Location & Menu
Hoang Viet — Samseong Station Branch
20 Yeongdong-daero 85-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Daechi 3-cha I-Park Officetel, Room 101)
→ View on Google Maps
For a quick, unfussy taste of Vietnam adapted for a Korean palate near Samseong Station, Hoang Viet’s Samseong Station branch does the job. Anyone hoping for the more assertive flavors of pho in Vietnam itself may want to look elsewhere — but that was never really what this place was going for.
Sources & Notes
The Samseong Station branch address is drawn from Hoang Viet’s official store directory. Prices are converted from Korean won to US dollars at an approximate rate of 1 USD ≈ 1,338 KRW as of September 2026 and are meant as a rough guide, not an exact conversion. The menu board image is sourced from Hoang Viet Samseong Station’s official Naver page rather than photographed in person.
Paul Cho — Your Man in Korea