Gyeongju dessert shop with mango and fig mochi to go: Tareudang

Hwangnidang-gil is packed with cute little restaurants and cafés huddled together, and just being there gave me this warm, healing feeling for no reason. As the saying goes, good food comes first, so after a delicious meal we headed straight to a fruit mochi shop that's supposedly famous around Hwangnidang-gil. More than just a snack — a dessert spot in Gyeongju that bakes tarts fresh every day so a single sweet bite can hold a precious memory of your Gyeongju trip! Here's my honest review of Tareudang, haha.

Why Tareudang tops a Hwangnidang-gil cafe search

Search for a café in Hwangnidang-gil and Tareudang is the very first thing that comes up, so it seemed like it was already a well-known spot. Neither my parents nor I had ever tried fruit mochi before, so we were super excited even before arriving, haha. Tareudang is a small, cozy shop that feels completely packed with character.

Five reasons to stop at Tareudang in Gyeongju

Let me just lay out a few reasons why you should visit Tareudang.

• First, it's already a dessert spot everyone's talking about. The combination of a crisp tart crust, a soft filling packed inside, and fresh ingredients is a flavor that pretty much anyone, of any age, can't help but love.
• Second, it sits right on the perfect route for grabbing takeout on your way to Cheomseongdae, Gyeongju's pride and joy! Carrying a sweet tart to a picnic at Cheomseongdae on a sunny day like today — just thinking about it makes me happy 🤭
• Third, Tareudang has a steady stream of regulars, and to repay that loyalty, they say they only use the highest-grade ingredients.
• Fourth, it has a clean packaging system that's easy to hold and eat on the go! It's the best street snack option for travelers exploring Gyeongju on foot.
• Fifth, before heading to Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, one of Gyeongju's hottest spots for a night walk, meet a sweet tart as your companion!

The exterior is small but clean and hip, the kind of place that makes you want to stop by at least once. I found myself drawn in just looking at the photos of the sweet desserts, browsing without even realizing it.

Ordering one mango mochi and one fig mochi

At this shop where you can order giant fruit mochi, tarts, and more, I ordered two giant fruit mochi. I'd never tried them before so I hesitated, then bought one mango mochi and one fig mochi. Figs have been so, so delicious lately, and I figured that fresh flavor would pair really well with mochi.

If you're carrying yours a long way, writing a Naver photo review gets you a cooler bag too, so there's really no reason not to do it...! (I bought two so I couldn't get one, ugh.)

Buy four or more mochi, get 500 won off each

The cutely wrapped giant fruit mochi seem like they'd match Gyeongju's lush green atmosphere perfectly. Now that I think about it, dried persimmon would go great with mochi too, and gold kiwi sounds sweet and refreshing as well, ugh. Buying four or more giant fruit mochi gets you 500 won off each piece. Just buying four alone saves you 2,000 won, which is honestly such a good deal, hahaha.

Hanji wrapping: mochi you can eat while walking

The fruit mochi come cutely wrapped in hanji (traditional Korean paper), haha. It's a well-being snack that fits so well with Korea's tradition of making treats from all kinds of fruit.

Such a genuinely cute photo, ugh. I'm sure you can all take better ones than me!!! Unlike other travel destinations, Gyeongju's grass and sky blend together so well that photos come out looking distinctly Korean. If you love this quiet, peaceful atmosphere, head straight to Hwangnidang-gil! Head straight to Tareudang~~!!

There's plastic lining the inside of the hanji wrapping, which keeps things hygienic and easier to eat. I ate my mango mochi while walking around, so I don't have a clean photo of the inside.

But just looking at the fig mochi, you can really see how substantial and premium a snack it is, haha.

If you visit Hwangnidang-gil, how about stopping by Tareudang for a sweet bite of dessert? It'll make your Gyeongju trip even sweeter and more fun.