Hongdae Chinese restaurant with Merlion decor: Ttasijia mala chicken

Ttasijia Yeonnam: a Singapore-style Chinese restaurant in Yeonnam-dong

Ttasijia Yeonnam is a Singapore-style Chinese and Asian restaurant at 13-1 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, near Gyeongui Line Forest Park. Good food is basically my only joy in life, so I end up wandering around Yeonnam-dong pretty often since it's nearby... One time I was just walking past and was so surprised by this place that I actually stopped to take a photo. It's the kind of spot where you could show your friends the picture and say you're in Singapore and they'd probably believe you! So pretty! (I've never actually been to Singapore, to be clear.) Anyway, I looked it up later and it turned out to be Ttasijia Yeonnam, a well-known spot in Yeonnam-dong. So I ran right over.

Even the entrance is no joke... I actually turned around mid-walk because I was so startled.

There's a Merlion statue and the whole place is so, so pretty. It's the kind of place where your mood lifts the moment you walk in.

You can tell every corner was thought through.

Outdoor tables and the orange-and-teal Merlion interior

Ttasijia Yeonnam has outdoor tables, and the inside is cozy too, so the atmosphere was great overall. It's mostly orange-toned with teal accents, and the color balance is just right — so pretty. Being near Gyeongui Line Forest Park, it also seems like a great date spot.

Isn't this basically Singapore... turns out you can travel abroad without leaving Korea.

What's on the menu and drink list at Ttasijia Yeonnam

Ttasijia Yeonnam has a pretty extensive menu. Shrimp broth fried noodles, shrimp gukbap (rice soup), and shrimp noodle soup seem to be the main meal items. Beyond that there's chili clams, black vinegar sweet and sour pork, Ttasijia mala chicken, cereal shrimp, fried shrimp rolls, shrimp fried rice, olive fried rice, stir-fried water spinach, cucumber salad, fried flower bread, steamed rice, and more.

The drink menu is also pretty varied, and interestingly they even have 100% pressed apple juice. That looked really good too.

The alcohol menu is pretty extensive too.

What we ordered at Ttasijia Yeonnam and what it cost

• Shrimp gukbap (tiger prawn) ₩16,500
• Black vinegar sweet and sour pork (small) ₩18,000
• Ttasijia mala chicken (small) ₩18,000
• Total ₩52,500

All the dishes came out almost at the same time.

Shrimp gukbap with tiger prawns, 16,500 won: salty, concentrated broth

Ttasijia Yeonnam's shrimp gukbap is ₩16,500 and comes with tiger prawn. First off, the gukbap (rice soup) — the visual alone was exactly my style. The broth is on the salty side, but the rich stock flavor was so good. It's refreshing yet savory, the kind of thing you keep spooning up — I almost ordered extra rice to mix in.

It's kind of like a salty, bold version of seolleongtang (ox bone soup), but way deeper and richer? It felt like the ocean's briny freshness combined with a savory stock. Total taste match for me — I'd order it again in a heartbeat!

There's one big, hearty tiger prawn in there too, with a deep yet subtle sweetness — really good. It's been a while since I had tiger prawn... and yeah, tiger prawn really is on another level compared to regular small shrimp...

Black vinegar guobaorou (small), 18,000 won: two hefty pieces

The black vinegar sweet and sour pork is ₩18,000 for the small size, and you get two big pieces. I love sour sweet and sour pork in general, so I ordered it.

That signature crispy-yet-chewy texture of sweet and sour pork was so good. It even held up its texture pretty well after cooling down.

The batter was just the right thickness and the meat was tender and tasty. The sauce is on the tangy side, but it felt subtly different from a typical sweet and sour sauce. Maybe because of the black vinegar, it wasn't that sharp vinegar bite — more of a deep, rich tanginess, which I liked.

Ttasijia mala chicken (small), 18,000 won: a must if you love mala

The Ttasijia mala chicken is ₩18,000 for the small, and the portion is quite generous. And if you love mala, I really, really recommend this. It comes with fried chili peppers and peanuts, topped with a generous dusting of mala powder. Just looking at it screams bold flavor, right! Taste-wise, the mala flavor really comes through strong, with Sichuan pepper in there too giving it that authentic mala feel. And those fried chili peppers are seriously delicious too — crunchy like a snack.

This isn't that mild, Koreanized version of mala — it's the real deal! That said, it's not so intense that your tongue goes numb; it's salty with a strong mala aroma rising up and great umami. Best of all, the chicken meat was great quality, super juicy and tender. The spice level isn't crazy high, but the flavor overall is bold, so this one was a total match for my taste too.

I finished every last bit — almost embarrassingly clean.

Is Ttasijia Yeonnam worth a visit? Final verdict

Ttasijia Yeonnam, a Yeonnam-dong favorite where you can enjoy Singapore's vibe and flavors! The salty, rich shrimp gukbap, the tangy crispy-chewy sweet and sour pork, and the mala chicken with unmistakable Sichuan pepper presence — every single dish was such a perfect match for my taste... I've never been to Singapore so I don't really know, but... if this is what the food is like... I feel like I need to go right now. I love bold, punchy flavors, so having all three dishes hit that mark was honestly shocking. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, I highly recommend it!