Gyeongju mochi shop, Shine Muscat and mango in a heatwave: Tareudang

My first time back in Gyeongju in two years, and even in this heat the crowds were massive. The last time I came was around October with the leaves turning, but somehow there were even more visitors and locals this time — peak season, I guess. Naturally, Hwangnidang-gil is the go-to area in Gyeongju, so picking where to eat was already a challenge. Today I visited Tareudang, a well-known café in Hwangnidang-gil.

Where is Tareudang? A 1-3 minute walk from the Olive Young on Hwangnidang-gil

Walk down the main alley of Hwangnidang-gil and you'll spot an Olive Young. Turn right there and walk for about 1-3 minutes, and you'll quickly find Tareudang. Fruit mochi seems to be trending again lately. I remember strawberry mochi having a small moment about ten years ago, but this time it's come back much stronger — even though this isn't quite the main street, people are clearly seeking it out.

Tareudang is takeout only, and strawberry and tangerine end their season by August

There's no seating — it's purchase-and-go only. The fruit lineup at Tareudang seems to shift with the season. When I visited in August, strawberry and tangerine were off the menu since their season had ended. But that's okay — there was still a solid lineup of other flavors waiting.

Tareudang fruit mochi prices and which flavors were still in stock

Sadly, the Dubai raw chocolate mochi was completely sold out, leaving melon, mango, Shine Muscat, pineapple, and gold kiwi. Prices varied by fruit.

• Dubai raw chocolate ₩5,000
• Melon ₩6,500
• Mango ₩7,500
• Shine Muscat ₩6,500
• Pineapple ₩5,500
• Gold kiwi ₩5,500

I was a little surprised the prices were on the higher side, but fruit is expensive these days and everything's going up anyway — and since I'm not making these myself, I guess that's just the market rate. Getting ₩500 off per piece for buying 4 or more was a nice touch though.

Tareudang also sells tarts, including tart sets

Tareudang's tarts, which seem to be the shop's actual signature, were also sold as sets — plain tart, fruit tart, and cheesecake tart, all lined up. I came for the fruit mochi since it's so hot right now, but I definitely want to try the tarts next time.

Apparently if you buy 3 or more and leave a photo review, you get a free cooler bag box packaging — worth grabbing if you're organized about it.

Carrying the mochi 30-40 minutes through the heat, then opening the box at the room

I picked gold kiwi, Shine Muscat, and mango, and headed to my accommodation with high hopes. It didn't quite come through in photos, but these were heavy for their size — you definitely got your money's worth.

Tareudang gold kiwi mochi, 5,500 won

No cooler bag, just 30-40 minutes wandering around under a heatwave warning, followed by 30 minutes in the fridge before opening. The mochi skin is so delicate that it split slightly, but it made no real difference to eating it or the taste. If anything, the bit of cream peeking through looked even more tempting. Gold kiwi was the first one I opened. The cute yellow wrapping was a nice touch. It had a light dusting of castella crumbs, and inside was cream, red bean, and a generous half of gold kiwi.

It's an expected flavor combination, honestly, but mochi plus red bean is such a winning combo it's hard to go wrong. And the perfectly ripened, sweet kiwi was the finishing touch.

Tareudang Shine Muscat mochi, 6,500 won

This one's Shine Muscat.

There were about 5 large grapes packed inside. Just like the kiwi one, cream and red bean were inside too. They clearly selected only the best fruit — the high-sweetness, refreshing Shine Muscat juice paired really well. The little pop of texture from the grapes was great too.

The highlight: Tareudang mango mochi, 7,500 won

And here's the highlight — mango. Mango can be tricky since it blackens quickly if not ripened properly, losing its appeal, and sometimes at cafés you'll get raw mango bingsu that's under-ripened, sour, and not tender.

Tareudang's mango mochi, though, was so well-ripened that it practically dissolved the moment it hit my mouth — soft enough you could chew it with your gums, almost. That said, mango leans toward being the sweetest rather than the most refreshing, so if you love a really sweet bite, this one's for you.

If you buy only one at Tareudang, make it the mango

It's genuinely hard to pick just one, but if I had to, I'd recommend the mango. If you're looking for a good dessert in Hwangnidang-gil — Korean-style dessert especially — give Tareudang a try :)