Studying abroad at Yonsei University meant one thing for certain: an endless supply of Korean food. Every street was lined with bustling restaurants packed with students, all digging into greasy pocha favorites like Korean fried chicken and tteokbokki, or slurping down hearty jjigaes and steaming bowls of seolleongtang. And don’t get me wrong, Korean food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines. But after months of indulging in arguably some of the best Korean food I’d ever had, I found myself craving something different.
That’s when I stumbled upon 옛날 쌀국수, which roughly translates to “Old-Time Pho”, a small and unassuming Vietnamese restaurant just a short walk from campus. It was a scorching Wednesday afternoon at 2 PM, and despite the random hour, the place was still buzzing with energy. Students filled the seats, chatting over steaming bowls of pho, while the occasional foreigner leaned over their tables, slurping noodles with impressive precision.
Since the weather was unbearably hot, I skipped the pho and ordered the seafood fried rice instead. The dish arrived golden and fragrant, topped with crispy fried onions, plump shrimp, and bits of seafood all nestled into a perfectly seasoned bed of rice. A light broth sprinkled with green onions came on the side, a small but thoughtful addition that balanced out the richness of the dish. One bite in, and I knew I had found something special.
Despite being ethnically Korean, I grew up in California (with a short stint in Hong Kong), and for most of my life, I’ve always identified more as Californian than Korean. My Korean language skills are questionable at best, and my conversations with my grandparents usually involve a lot of smiling and nodding. Moving to Korea was supposed to help me bridge that gap, to strengthen my connection to my heritage, but the reality was a little different. More often than not, I felt like a foreigner in what was technically my home country.
Learning Korean as an adult is brutal. The flipped sentence structures, the layers of honorifics, the sounds that just don’t exist in English. I knew that full immersion was the best way to learn, but that didn’t make it any easier. That’s why, sitting in this tiny Vietnamese restaurant, I couldn’t help but admire the waitresses I was chatting with. They also were foreigners, yet they spoke Korean fluently and confidently, effortlessly interacting with customers, running a business, and thriving in a country that wasn’t their own. They had mastered what I was still struggling to grasp.
It made me wonder: Who was behind this restaurant? Was the owner Vietnamese? Had they come to Korea and built this place from the ground up? How had they brought a piece of their heritage to the urban streets of Seoul?
Curious, I asked about the owner’s story, and his response was eye-opening. He had immigrated to Seoul seven years ago, leaving behind his family in Vietnam but visiting them twice a year. He had worked tirelessly to introduce authentic Vietnamese cuisine to the city, navigating language barriers, cultural differences, and the challenges of running a business in a foreign country. His journey was a humble reminder of what it really takes to build something from the ground up.
The Inside Scoop:
먹어볼까? – Let’s Eat:
While the beef pho and Hanoi bún chả are the undisputed best-sellers here, I went with the seafood fried rice, simply because I was in the mood for rice over noodles that day—and let me tell you, zero regrets were had.
The rice was perfectly seasoned, just the right level of saltiness to make every bite satisfying. Generous portions of shrimp and seafood were mixed in, topped with crispy fried onions and garlic, adding the best crunch to contrast the fluffy grains. The dish also came with a light, fragrant broth sprinkled with chopped green onions, a much-needed palate cleanser after inhaling five spoonfuls of rice in a row.
By this point in the day, I was deep in an afternoon slump, so I ordered a Vietnamese coffee, and that thing did its job. The sweet, rich coffee was the perfect pairing to the savory fried rice, a much-needed break from the endless stream of Korean food I’d been eating for months.
분위기 – The Vibe:
옛날 쌀국수 is a cozy, two-story restaurant, its walls decorated with blue and yellow wallpaper and framed images of Vietnamese culture: scenic landscapes, conical hats, and local markets. The warm orange lighting gave the space a distinct Southeast Asian feel, a little tropical escape from the crisp, quickly-dropping fall temperatures of Seoul.
Given its prime location near Yonsei and Ewha University, the restaurant was filled with college students, either fueling up before their next class or taking a much-needed study break to gossip over a steaming bowl of pho. The service was quick and efficient, a pattern I’ve noticed across a lot of Korean restaurants: limited menu = faster service.
단골 – The Regulars:
On weekdays, the crowd is mostly students, stopping in for a quick solo meal or a casual group dinner between classes. There’s also the occasional American tourist sprinkled in, likely relieved to find something other than Korean food for the night.
On weekends, however, the atmosphere shifts. A noticeable number of Vietnamese customers come through, possibly locals living in Seoul, grabbing a meal that tastes like home. After all, as much as I love Korean food, I imagine that after weeks of sweet and salty sauces dominating your meals, sometimes you just crave what you grew up with.
가족 vs 친구 – Family or Friends?
Unlike the tiny hole-in-the-wall spots you might associate with homey Asian restaurants, 옛날 쌀국수 has a bit more space, making it a great choice for both family and friends. It’s not fancy by any means, but it’s a budget-friendly, reliable spot where you can either grab your own entree or share a few dishes family-style.
And if you’re looking for a casual drink to go with your meal, they’ve got Vietnamese coffee, beer, and sodas, making it an easy spot to cool off on a hot day in Seoul.
찐 맛집? – A True Must-Visit?
I enjoyed the food here. The service was great, and it’s a solid choice if you need a break from Korean food.
That being said—would I call it a must-visit? Not necessarily. Seoul is full of incredible Korean food, so if you’re only here for a short trip, you might want to prioritize trying local specialties instead. But if you’re living in Korea, studying abroad, or just need variety in your meals, this is definitely a spot worth keeping on your list.
인스타 각? – Instagram-worthy?
It depends on what you’re looking for.
The food is great, but this isn’t a trendy, highly stylized restaurant. It’s affordable, unpretentious, and straightforward, which is honestly what makes it so good. If you’re more focused on flavor than aesthetics, then this place delivers.
And with that, let’s take a closer look at the owner’s story—how this small Vietnamese restaurant found its place in the middle of Seoul.
Interview:
Hailey (김미): Hi, thank you so much for being willing to interview with me today! My name is Hailey, I’m a study abroad student at Yonsei University, and I’m excited to learn more about your restaurant. Could you please introduce yourself?
Owner (사장님): Hi, yes I’m the owner of the restaurant 옛날 쌀국수, which translates to “Old-time Pho.” It’s nice to meet you!
Hailey (김미): Yes, it’s great meeting you. So, to start off, what made you start a Vietnamese restaurant? Do you have family in Vietnam?
사장님: Yes, I do have family in Vietnam! I really wanted to introduce Vietnamese food to East Asia, so I decided to start a restaurant in Seoul.
Hailey (김미): Ah, interesting! So I’m assuming you were born in Vietnam and then immigrated to Korea. When did you immigrate here?
Owner (사장님): I came about 7 years ago. Now that I think about it, it’s been quite some time since coming.
Hailey (김미): Wow, it must’ve been hard to adjust to the cultural differences. Was learning Korean difficult for you?
Owner (사장님): At first, of course it was pretty difficult. But I ultimately came to Korea because I love it here. After graduating from college, I opened this restaurant.
Hailey (김미): I see, that makes sense, I also love it here. So, would you say there are many similarities between Vietnamese and Korean food?
Owner (사장님): You know, at first, I thought there were a lot of similarities. But over time, I’ve realized that the two cuisines are drastically different. So in summary, Vietnamese and Korean food are two very distinct types of food, but they do share a bit of overlap.
Hailey (김미): Yeah, I guess that makes sense. In my opinion, it seems like Korean food uses more spicy flavors than Vietnamese food.
Owner (사장님): Actually, in my hometown in Vietnam, our traditional dishes are very spicy! So when I first tried Korean food, I actually didn’t think it was that spicy. It all just depends on what region of Vietnam you’re eating in.
Hailey (김미): Oh really? That’s actually very insightful, especially since I’m not too well versed in Vietnamese cuisine. To shift topics a bit, would you say that the dishes you serve here are connected to your personal or family history?
Owner (사장님): Yeah, there’s a lot of connection actually. I mean, I was born and raised in Vietnam so I know the cuisine through and through. I also return to Vietnam about twice a year to see my family and enjoy the food too.
Hailey (김미): Ah, yes that makes sense. Would you say there’s a particular dish on the menu that holds special meaning for you?
Owner (사장님): Yeah! I’d say that my personal favorites are the beef pho and the Hanoi bún chả, which are also our best sellers.
Hailey (김미): I’ve never heard of bún chả before? Could you describe the dish?
Owner (사장님): Bún chả is a traditional Hanoi dish, but I’m not too sure if it has an English name. However, if you look here on the menu *points to the photo,* this is bún chả. It comes out with minced pork shoulder, rice vermicelli noodles, and a dipping sauce made with fish sauce, sugar, and lime. It also comes out with some fresh herbs like basil and bean sprouts, which makes it taste super fresh!
Hailey (김미): Wow! That sounds delicious, I think I’m going to have to try that dish once we finish this interview. I was also wondering, since your restaurant is so close to Ewha and Yonsei University, do you normally attract solely Korean students? Or are there a decent amount of foreigners/tourists that come and visit?
Owner (사장님): You’re absolutely right. We are near Yonsei and Ewha, so we get a lot of students dropping in for a quick bite. But, we also get the occasional foreigners who come to try a new cuisine. There are also a lot of ethnically Vietnamese customers who usually stop by on Saturdays or Sundays.
Hailey (김미): Ah, got it. So you seem to attract the whole crowd! As a restaurant owner, what would you say is your favorite part?
Owner (사장님): To put it simply: making delicious food. It’s my passion and I love to be able to share my dishes with other people.
Hailey (김미): Wow, couldn’t have been said better! But, I’m sure there are hardships that come with running a restaurant in such a busy city. What have been your largest hurdles you’ve had to overcome here in Seoul?
Owner (사장님): Yes, you’re right. Honestly, the hardest part of running a business in Seoul are the expenses. Seoul is obviously an urban place, meaning that the cost of living and operating a business are extremely high. Particularly, sourcing the freshest ingredients has been pretty expensive for us.
Hailey (김미): Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. Nonetheless, it seems like your business is thriving. And I really hope that in the future your business will continue to succeed!
Owner (사장님): Thank you!
Hailey (김미): I wanted to thank you! I really enjoy learning about different local restaurant businesses, and I learned so much from this conversation! Wishing you all the best in the future.
Share
Leave a comment
