Yongsan tteokbokki spot, fried mandu plated separately: Hyeonseonine

This post is about Hyeonseonine (현선이네), a tteokbokki spot in Yongsan I keep coming back to — this time at its main branch.

Why a Hyeonseonine regular ordered instant tteokbokki this time

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is my regular haunt whenever I get a craving for tteokbokki in Yongsan. It was a genuinely gorgeous autumn day out there, and after wandering around Yongsan in the sunshine, tteokbokki popped into my head, so off I went to my usual spot again.

This is the main branch I stop by fairly often when I want tteokbokki in Yongsan — it's been so many visits I've lost count, so I figured it was time to write it up again. I've had the solo portion here a few times before. You can either keep it simple with a single serving, or order the instant tteokbokki version, which is great for sharing with a group — so you can pick depending on the day.

This time I decided to try instant tteokbokki for the first time. Curious how the same tteokbokki feels different in instant form~

How long is the wait at Hyeonseonine after the lunch rush?

Even though it was a bit past lunchtime, Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch still had quite a few people in for their Yongsan tteokbokki fix. Living up to its reputation as a famous tteokbokki spot on Yongridan-gil, haha.

We put our name on the waitlist too, but got called in faster than expected, so we were seated pretty quickly. Considering how many people were around, the wait wasn't too long, and the table turnover seemed pretty fast.

Kiosk ordering and the self-serve bar: fried flakes and fish cake broth refills

As soon as we sat down, we ordered through the kiosk. Instant tteokbokki for two + ramen noodles + fried rice + a zero-sugar cider to ease the guilt...!

Once seated, we first grabbed pickled radish, small plates, a ladle, and an apron from the self-serve bar. And of course, the fried flakes that are a must at Hyeonseonine — grabbed a generous helping of those too :) They're great sprinkled over the tteokbokki, and just as good stirred into the fish cake broth that comes alongside.

The fish cake broth was especially good that day, so I refilled it twice while eating. Being able to grab as much pickled radish or fish cake broth as you need from the self-serve bar was a nice touch.

What comes with instant tteokbokki for two at Hyeonseonine?

The instant tteokbokki for two arrived at Hyeonseonine, my go-to Yongsan tteokbokki spot. Two eggs and four fried mandu come included as standard! I've only ever had the solo portion before, so seeing the instant version on the table for the first time, it looked pretty hefty right off the bat.

It's definitely more food than the solo portion, so ordering the instant tteokbokki seems like a solid choice when you're visiting with a group. And the jjolmyeon, which I love, came in a pretty generous amount as standard too. Honestly there was so much jjolmyeon that we didn't even need to add the ramen noodles separately.

The instant tteokbokki bubbling away, and fried mandu served separately and crispy! Sometimes when fried mandu comes mixed into the pot, you have to fish it out the moment it arrives before it goes soggy, but serving it on its own plate like this was great. For someone like me who loves a crispy fritter, it was actually perfect — haha.

With the ramen noodles thrown in, it's now in the final stretch of boiling~~~ Watching the rice cakes plump up as everything bubbles away, it looked about ready to eat. Even looking back at the photos now, it's seriously mouthwatering — the moment you just want to dig in already, haha.

How the rice cakes and jjolmyeon tasted

The plump rice cakes in Hyeonseonine's instant tteokbokki were soft and chewy and had soaked up plenty of sauce — really good. The jjolmyeon was stirred regularly so it wouldn't clump together, which meant it wasn't overcooked and had just the right bite. Tteokbokki and jjolmyeon really are an unbeatable combo.

Fried mandu served on a separate plate, crisp to the end

I drizzled a little sauce over the crispy fried mandu and tried it right away. Since it was served separately, the mandu stayed crispy, and it paired really well with the spicy-sweet tteokbokki sauce.

Fried rice to finish: the verdict on Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch

Time for the fried rice that came with it~~~^^ Fried rice really is the K-dessert equivalent for tteokbokki. It's made with popping corn kernels, savory sesame oil, seaweed flakes, and finely chopped kimchi. Frying all the ingredients in the leftover tteokbokki sauce meant the flavor soaked evenly into the rice — so good.

Hyeonseonine Main Branch is a spot I can always drop into casually whenever I want tteokbokki in Yongsan, and trying the instant version this time showed me a whole different charm. With everything from solo portions to instant tteokbokki available to choose from, this is a must-visit for anyone hunting for the best tteokbokki in Yongsan.