Yongsan Korean snack restaurant for a solo combo: Hyeonseonine

Whenever I saw Hyeonseonine in Yeouido, my husband and I would say we should go sometime. I happened to have plans in Yongsan, then found out its main branch was there, so I went by myself. It has long been known as a great tteokbokki spot in Yongsan, where you can enjoy Korean snacks all at once—from tteokbokki to sundae, fritters, and mini gimbap.

But when I arrived in front of the restaurant, the exterior somehow looked so familiar. Thinking about it, I realized I had already been here once before haha. I had come then because someone recommended it as a great tteokbokki place, but had completely forgotten the name Hyeonseonine. Since I had unexpectedly returned, even the exterior felt oddly welcoming.

Getting there from Yongsan Station and Sinyongsan Station

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is in a convenient spot to reach on foot from both Yongsan Station and Sinyongsan Station. Step slightly in from the main road and the red-and-yellow awning catches your eye first, along with the large Hyeonseonine sign above the building. Its exterior has a hint of old-school pojangmacha (street-stall) charm, giving it a different feel from newer Korean snack restaurants.

Old-school Korean snack restaurant charm and spacious tables

Once inside, the restaurant felt much larger than I had expected from the exterior. There were various tables for groups, and the spacing between them did not feel cramped. Perhaps because I visited after the lunch rush, I could choose a seat easily, and it did not feel at all awkward to eat alone.

There is a kiosk near the entrance, so you can look through the menu at your own pace and order right away. There were individual dishes such as tteokbokki, sundae, assorted fritters, and mini gimbap, as well as sets that bundle several items together; you can also order instant tteokbokki separately. I also liked that tteokbokki comes in mild, medium, and spicy options depending on your heat preference.

The size of the Hyeonseoni Combo I ordered alone

The last time I visited, I had instant tteokbokki, but since I was alone this time, I ordered the Hyeonseoni Combo instead. It looked like a lot for one person, but I thought my husband would be curious about it too, so I chose it thinking I could take home whatever was left.

The Hyeonseoni Combo comes with tteokbokki, sundae, assorted fritters, mini gimbap, and three skewers of Busan-style long fish cakes. The food arrived without much of a wait, and once it was all laid out, it was far more generous than I expected. When eating Korean snacks, adding items one by one always makes you want everything in the end, but this set gives you a bit of each from the start, so there was less menu indecision.

Mild tteokbokki and mini gimbap together

I chose the mild tteokbokki first. It was a soupy tteokbokki style with plenty of broth, and the rice cakes and fish cakes came fully submerged in red seasoning. Just looking at it gave me that proper Korean-snack craving.

Since it was mild, the heat did not hit hard; instead, the sweet and lightly spicy seasoning came through first. The sauce coated the chewy rice cakes well, while the wide fish cakes had soaked up the broth, making them nice to alternate with the rice cakes.

I especially liked lightly dipping the mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) into the tteokbokki broth. The gimbap contained familiar ingredients like pickled radish, imitation crab, ham, and egg, and the seaweed was brushed with sesame oil, adding a nutty aroma.

On their own, they were mild and nutty, but with the sweet-spicy tteokbokki broth, it was the kind of combination that reminds you why familiar flavors are the most irresistible.

The assorted fritters also came in a good variety, so it was fun choosing one at a time. The vegetable fritter was a large cluster of shredded vegetables, and the more I chewed, the more I could taste their subtle sweetness; its crisp exterior went well with the tteokbokki broth. The fried dumplings were just as expected from a Korean snack restaurant when I coated their crisp wrappers in the broth.

The sundae (Korean blood sausage) came with regular slices as well as a generous portion of offal, including liver.

The sundae was nicely filled and chewy, and being able to eat the offal alongside it made the set feel even more plentiful. It also went well dipped lightly in the tteokbokki broth, so I kept alternating between different dishes rather than sticking to just one.

The Busan-style long fish cakes came as three skewers with plenty of warm broth, which I liked. Sipping the broth now and then between bites of tteokbokki felt like a reset for my palate, and the soft fish cakes were easy to enjoy.

But when I looked into the broth, I saw it was not just fish cakes—there were rice cakes in there too. Scooping up those soft, chewy rice cakes made me feel like I had gotten an unexpected extra haha.

When you want a little bit of everything

I had been craving Korean snacks especially badly lately, and it was so satisfying to eat everything I wanted in one go: tteokbokki, fritters, sundae, gimbap, and fish cakes. I went there thinking it was my first visit, then realized it was somewhere I had enjoyed before, which made this visit even more memorable. I had instant tteokbokki last time and the Hyeonseoni Combo this time, so I could enjoy the same place in a different way.

Overall, Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch was especially satisfying because I could enjoy a good range of Korean snacks rather than only one plate of tteokbokki. The Hyeonseoni Combo is quite generous for one person, though, so it may be better shared or ordered with takeout leftovers in mind. If you are looking for a Yongsan tteokbokki spot where you can enjoy a plentiful table of tteokbokki, sundae, fritters, and gimbap, it is well worth trying.