Yeouido IFC Mall tteokbokki by the GS25 entrance: Hyeonseonine

Tteokbokki after a long while: why we chose Hyeonseonine

Today I'm writing about a visit to Hyeonseonine because I suddenly wanted tteokbokki so badly. Tteokbokki is honestly one of those foods I crave on a cycle — it's basically my all-time favorite food!! I love it enough to want it every single day, but I hadn't had it in a while, so this time I went to Hyeonseonine~~

How to find Hyeonseonine's IFC Mall branch from Yeouido Station

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is right next to the GS25 convenience store in the underground passage from Yeouido Station. I went to the IFC Mall location, but I've barely been to Yeouido except for the Han River... I've lived in Seoul for over 20 years and this was my first time at IFC, can you believe it?? haha It was my first visit and it really was huge, with so much to see. Even trying to follow a map, my boyfriend and I — both terrible with directions — wandered around for ages.

If you're coming from Yeouido Station, don't exit the subway station — just follow the underground passage and you'll find a GS25 convenience store. Hyeonseonine is right next to it, so please don't go into IFC MALL itself!! We didn't know that and kept searching inside the mall... ㅜㅠ

Inside Hyeonseonine: seating and kiosk ordering

After struggling to find it, we finally got inside, and the Hyeonseonine IFC Mall branch interior was spacious and clean!! Some people were even eating at the shared tables with the convenience store next door. You really don't have to worry about finding a seat!! Ordering is done through a kiosk, which was convenient~

What comes in the Hyeonseoni Set, and what it costs

I went back and forth between the instant set for two and the Hyeonseoni Set, and ended up ordering the Hyeonseoni Set. It comes with tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, fish cake broth, and gimbap, and I added a cola on top.

Isn't that such a solid spread... My boyfriend isn't really a tteokbokki fan, but he said this was the best he's had so far lol. And honestly, no exaggeration, it really was delicious. Plus the price is in the low ₩20,000s, so it's easy on the wallet even for students.

How spicy is the medium-spice tteokbokki?

Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki comes in mild, medium, and spicy, and since I wasn't sure how hot each level would be, I ordered medium — it turned out not very spicy at all. I love spicy food, so next time I'll probably order the spicy one. It came with thin fish cakes and was truly delicious ㅠㅠ I thought the portion might be too much at first, but it disappeared fast 😂

The fried snacks are the highlight

You can't have tteokbokki without fried snacks. Crispy fried snacks dipped lightly in the tteokbokki sauce is just the best, right?!!! Sweet potato, dumplings, vegetable fritters, kimmari (fried seaweed rolls), and squid — every kind was there!! The batter was so crispy and delicious ㅠㅠ

What's on Hyeonseonine's self-serve bar

At Hyeonseonine's self-serve bar there's pickled radish, soy sauce, salt for dipping sundae, water, and other things you can just grab as needed. My boyfriend grabbed way too much soy sauce and salt lol... he ended up putting most of it back later.

Is one set enough for two adults?

We cleaned the bowl!! Even with two adults eating, the portion was surprisingly generous. We left just a little bit of tteokbokki rice cake and finished the rest. Honestly, three women could probably share this lol.

Final verdict on Hyeonseonine at IFC Mall

Maybe because it had been a while since I'd had tteokbokki, it tasted even better than usual. It's great for a simple meal or as a snack when you're feeling peckish, and good for ordering a few dishes to share too. If you love tteokbokki, this is a place worth visiting at least once. You really won't be disappointed.

Back when I was a student, I used to buy tteokbokki from snack shops all the time, and this brought back those memories. It was such a satisfying meal. I'll definitely be back~~