Get teleported to authentic Vietnamese food stand at Seoul’s Nampark

Hidden in a back alley of Namyeong-dong in Seoul's Yongsan-gu or near subway line No. 4 Sookmyung Women’s University station, Nampark truly stands out from other restaurants down the road – a street filled with trendy restaurants that open and also close down without fanfare.

Nampark, which takes its name from the family names of married head chefs Nam Joon-young and Park Ji-eun, sells Vietnamese pho and other Vietnamese food that locals enjoy during the day, something light and soothing. That’s why their restaurant is open from 8 a.m. but only runs until 3:30 p.m.

There are several reasons why Nampark stands out in the Namyeong-dong food alley, one of which has to do with its exterior and interior.

One might feel as though they’ve been teleported to a street food stand in Hanoi. Each part of the interior design, from random Vietnamese newspapers and drawings on the wall to faded silver utensils and super-thin napkins casually placed into a recycled condensed milk can, contributes to an authentically Vietnamese vibe.

However, it’s not just the restaurant's ambiance; the way the food is served distinguishes it from the typical pho place.

Aside from the copious toppings of steamed Korean beef slices, onion and mung bean sprouts in their pho using flat noodles, the true kick is in the generous amounts of Thai basil used. Thai basil, which is relatively lesser known here even to pho lovers, fills one's mouth with a delightfully refreshing aroma, a savory match with the deep beef bone broth of the pho.

“While many customers here are familiar with cilantro, which you can order on the menu as a side dish to put into the topping for a pho, we serve our pho with Thai basil, which a lot of locals do in Vietnam,” chef Nam Joon-young told The Korea Herald.

Highly recommended for early-risers is Nampark’s morning set: which comes with a full-sized pho, a bowl of golden yellow turmeric rice, a boiled egg sprinkled with crispy fried garlic slices and Vietnamese Nuoc cham fish sauce, a plate of Vietnamese-style carrot pickle and seasoned dried radish, and a mixed vegetable spring roll using Banhoi rice paper. For dessert, Nampark’s morning set also comes with homemade strawberry milk.

For a summer special, their signature Bun cha -- a Vietnamese noodle dish topped with grilled pork and herbs and dipped into a fish sauce -- can be enjoyed in a cooler way, by dipping it into Nampark’s refreshing sweet and sour sauce.

Nampark is located at 11-31 Hangang-daero 76-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. They open every day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find out more on their Instagram @nampark.seoul