Sinyongsan tteokbokki shop on a hospital day, mild combo: Hyeonseonine

Why I stopped at Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch on a hospital day

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch (현선이네 용산본점) is a longtime Yongsan fixture and a famous snack bar among tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) fans. I'd been curious about it, and it happened to be the day of a hospital appointment nearby. So I picked the day properly and went for the signature Hyeonseonine Combo Set.

What does Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch look like from outside?

The exterior has a street-stall feel, with a yellow chimney and a red roof that stand out. As you turn into the alley, the yellow chimney with the friendly "Hyeonseonine" lettering greets you from far away. The retro red-roof look, like a long-running street stall, really impressed me.

Hyeonseonine started as a small street stall in 2004 and has grown to the point where you can visit several company-run branches, but the main branch really gives off its own classic mood from the alley onward.

Inside Hyeonseonine: high ceilings and photos dating back to 2004

Inside Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, the open high ceiling and warm, moody lighting add a cozy atmosphere.

Faded photos telling the story from the 2004 stall days to now hang in a row. Seeing the phrase "SINCE 2004 Delicious Experience" made me trust the place before I even ate.

How do you order at Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch?

You get shown to a seat first, then order at a kiosk. The place is lively and full of customers, so the ordering system is very well set up.

• Quick ordering: get shown to a seat first, then just order easily at the kiosk. That's it!
• Self bar: pickled radish, small plates, a ladle, plus salt and soy sauce for the sundae are all there to take as much as you like.

What comes in the Hyeonseonine Combo Set?

The Hyeonseonine Combo Set is a generous spread of tteokbokki, fried snacks, sundae (Korean blood sausage), gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and fish cake. When ordering, you can choose detailed options to suit your taste. I ordered the combo, the signature menu of Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, and left full and happy.

Is the mild tteokbokki really not spicy? A spice-shy eater's take

You can choose not spicy, regular or spicy for the tteokbokki. I can't handle spicy food well, so after some thought I went with "not spicy."

But whoa, even the "not spicy" had a subtle tingly heat for my mouth! It wasn't unpleasantly hot though, it blended nicely with the sweetness, and even a spice-wimp like me kept reaching for more, going "ssseup, hah!" It was pleasantly spicy. The soft, chewy rice cakes were great too.

Assorted fried snacks dunked in tteokbokki sauce

The assorted fried snacks in the combo set, like gimmari (glass noodle rolls), vegetable fritters and dumplings, come out golden and look crispy just by sight. They're tasty on their own, but dunking them into the tteokbokki sauce is the real truth!

Fish cake broth and mini gimbap

The hot, deeply savory fish cake broth wipes out the spiciness of the tteokbokki. Add the mini gimbap with its nutty sesame oil aroma, and you get a proper carb recharge.

Sundae choice: sundae only or mixed with liver and lung

For the sundae in the combo set, you choose when ordering whether you want "sundae only" or offal like liver and lung mixed in. I love nutty specialty cuts, so I picked the mix with both liver and lung. Moist steamed sundae, fresh nutty liver and chewy lung dipped in the salt I brought from the self bar were wonderfully good.

Review event perks at Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch

On the tables at Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, a review event sign stands with a cute character. After visiting on Naver Place, leave a nice photo review and tap "Save my place (★)" on Naver Map, and you get either a cool slush or a tteokbokki SIZE UP as a gift! If you visit, be sure to join in and grab the slush or size-up perk.

Takeout and delivery notifications kept coming the whole time I ate. A truly legit favorite.

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch location and opening hours

• Address: 2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 1st floor (in the alley near Sinyongsan Station and Yongsan Station)
• Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–24:00, Monday 11:00–24:00 (Mondays only have a break time of 14:30–16:00!)
• Last order: you can order until 22:40, and dining in is possible until 24:00.

At Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, enter your phone number and you get real-time waiting updates via KakaoTalk.

Final thoughts on Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch

Thanks to the high ceiling and homey lighting, Hyeonseonine felt like the nostalgia of the street-stall days reinterpreted in a stylish way. Tteokbokki, fried snacks, sundae, gimbap and fish cake, the classics of traditional Korean snack food, made for a tasty, filling and satisfying evening.