Solo late dinner at a Yongsan tteokbokki restaurant: Hyeonseonine

It was the end of the month and I was working late, so I was trying to think of somewhere I could eat alone quickly before heading back. I ended up going to Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, a Yongsan favorite I hadn't visited in a while. Yongsan really does have a ton of good restaurants, but not that many places that feel right for eating solo. So let me introduce Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, a spot I go to often when I'm eating alone.

What kind of place is Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch?

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is a great spot to head to when you're craving tteokbokki in Yongsan. The vibe is the comfortable, casual feel typical of a bunsik place, so it works well whether you're eating alone, on a date, or with friends.

The interior isn't flashy or overly decorated — overall it feels clean and simple. There are a good number of tables, so it's a good fit not just for solo diners but for friends or family groups too. There are actually quite a few tables inside, so the seating felt more spacious than I expected.

Why Hyeonseonine on Yongridan-gil is easy for solo diners

Being a bunsik place, turnover is pretty quick, and there's a natural flow of customers who've come in for a simple solo meal, so it doesn't feel awkward to eat alone here like it did for me. The tables and seating also weren't packed too tightly together, so I could eat comfortably.

What comes in the Hyeonseoni Combo Set

I wanted to try a variety of things, so I ordered the Hyeonseoni Combo Set. Just tteokbokki alone felt like it would leave me wanting more, and all of Hyeonseonine's side dishes are good anyway! The set comes with tteokbokki, sundae (blood sausage), odeng (fish cake), fried snacks, and mini gimbap.

The tteokbokki and sundae

The first thing that arrives is the tteokbokki and sundae! It's the familiar style of tteokbokki you'd expect from a bunsik place — the rice cakes are well coated in sauce, so you really get that sweet-and-spicy flavor. The sundae also pairs nicely dipped in the tteokbokki sauce. It's not too dry either, more on the soft side.

The odeng (fish cake)

A bunsik place just isn't complete without odeng. Eating warm odeng between bites of tteokbokki really settles your mouth! If you visit on a chilly day, I'd definitely recommend ordering the odeng broth too.

The fritters

The combo set also came with fried snacks, so I dipped them into the tteokbokki sauce. Dipping them lightly into the sauce while they're still crispy is definitely the tastiest way to eat them, haha.

The mini gimbap

One thing in the combo set that satisfied me more than I expected was the mini gimbap (seaweed rice roll). Being small, it was easy to eat in one bite and also easy to dip into the tteokbokki sauce. A full-size roll of regular gimbap can feel like a bit much, but having mini gimbap in the set made it easy to enjoy alongside all the other dishes.

Packing the leftovers to go

I packed up the leftovers to take home. Ordering just tteokbokki felt a bit lacking, so I tried the Hyeonseoni Combo Set instead, and it was great being able to taste a little of everything.

If you're looking for somewhere to eat alone in Yongsan, give Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch a try. You can enjoy classic bunsik dishes there and eat well :)