Hieutu in Seoul
Good foreign cuisine is hard to find in Korea, but not impossible. Hieutu is a Vietnamese restaurant that proves just that, by serving appetising and authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Its exterior and decor even resemble street stalls in Vietnam to boot.
Authentic and tasty Vietnamese food
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
The most important thing about a good restaurant is its food quality, and Hieutu manages to live up to these expectations.
They serve all sorts of authentic Vietnamese dishes, such as pork rice bowl, shrimp and papaya salad, and pho (Vietnamese soup dish made of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat). These dishes range from KRW8,000 (~USD6.16) to KRW32,000 (~USD24.64).
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
Get their appetisers, such as nem ran (North Vietnamese spring rolls), which costs KRW4,000 (~USD3.08) a plate, to start your meal or as a small bite if you aren’t famished.
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
Hieutu also offers a range of alcoholic beverages, from a Hanoi Premium that costs KRW6,000 (~USD4.62) a cup to Vietnamese soju that costs KRW25,000 (~USD19.25) a bottle, to keep the drinking culture alive.
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
Non-alcoholic options such as Coke and Vietnamese iced coffee are also available at a cost range of KRW1,500 (~USD1.15) to KRW4,000 (~USD3.08).
Indoors & outdoors seating
Image credit: @naeun_baby._
The 2-storey Vietnamese restaurant has with both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seats are next to the road and on their balcony.
Image credit: @fat.chelin.jmt
In winter, the restaurant encloses the outdoor seats in a tent and with a portable heater to maximise customers’ comfort levels.
Vietnamese-influenced architecture and decor
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
What’s most conspicuous about the restaurant is the design inspiration from Vietnamese street restaurants.
Even from the outside, you can tell that the restaurant’s decor is greatly influenced by Vietnamese street food culture, from the the red plastic chairs used for the outdoor seating to the Coca Cola tarp.
Image credit: @kimhyeming
The old-school soft drink cans used as wall decoration, various yellow advertisement banners, and the red scooter placed at the entrance are also attention-grabbing.
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
Once you are seated, you’ll also notice that the cutlery used are also similar to those in Vietnamese restaurants – classic bright red plastic chopsticks, old school plates, and cleaned-out condensed milk metal cans repurposed as tissue holders.
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
While the interior of the eatery is more modern-looking, its Vietnamese inspiration still shines through.
Image credit: @hieutu_seoul
With stone walls and ceilings, ratty-looking chairs, and washed-out blue tables, the interior of Hieutu offers another take on an authentic Vietnamese restaurant.
In fact, the architecture of the restaurant was so realistic that it became a filming location for The Roundup, a 2022 Korean action movie featuring Ma Dong Seok. In a particular scene, the characters were seen to be sitting in a restaurant in Vietnam, but the filming was actually done in Hieutu.
Getting to Hieutu
If you want to experience Vietnam in the heart of Seoul or simply want to have some delicious authentic Vietnamese cuisine, Hieutu is the perfect place to hit up.
How to get there:
- Take the train to Sinyongsan Station and exit by Exit 4.
- Walk to the Sinyongsan Station bus stop and board bus number Yongsan 03.
- Alight in 1 stop at the KT Yongsan branch bus stop.
- Walk for 3 minutes and you will reach Hieutu.
Address: 1F & 2F, 6 Hangang-daero 40-ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11.30am-10pm | Sat-Sun 11.30am-9pm
Contact: 02-794-0526 | Hieutu Instagram
Also check out:
Cover image adapted from: @kimhyeming, @hieutu_seoul, @hieutu_seoul
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