Cheongju rice cake shop with mosi songpyeon: Tteokmama Gaesin-dong

Apparently pizza seolgi (steamed rice cake) is super hot right now. Pizza and rice cake — what kind of combination is that even? This time I visited Tteokmama Gaesin Branch, a rice cake shop in Gaesin-dong, Cheongju, and tried the pizza seolgi, songpyeon (rice cake dumplings), and chocolate injeolmi. They happen to be taking Chuseok songpyeon reservations right now too, so this should be useful for anyone shopping for holiday rice cakes. The pizza seolgi was great, but I also really need to talk about the chocolate injeolmi. Let's get into it.

What is the shop like inside Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch?

Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch is a café-style rice cake shop on the 1st floor of 13 Bokdae-ro, Seowon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do. The first thing I noticed walking in was how clean it looked. With wood-toned display shelves and round lighting, it feels more like a café than a rice cake shop. The space is spacious too, so it never felt cramped.

The rice cakes are packaged by type, with product names and prices labeled in front. With seolgi, songpyeon, and injeolmi all available, it's easy to pick according to your snack preference.

There are also various packaged snacks like yakgwa (honey cookie). From small packs to boxed sets, it's a good spot to browse for gifts too. I tried the salted yakgwa before and it had a crispy, firm pastry texture that was really good.

The display case also has fruit chapssaltteok (glutinous rice cakes) and gift sets combining several kinds. Return-gift rice cake orders are also available, so if you're looking for Cheongju rice cake shop recommendations for return gifts, you can inquire with your needed date and quantity.

How much do rice cakes cost at Tteokmama in Gaesin-dong, Cheongju?

At Tteokmama Gaesin Branch, the five-color sesame songpyeon was ₩8,000 per tray pack, mosi songpyeon was ₩5,000, and pizza seolgi was ₩2,500 per piece. The colorful five-color sesame songpyeon — white, yellow, purple, red — would look pretty on a Chuseok table too. Prices are based on the signage posted in store that day.

Mosi songpyeon comes with a sesame filling for ₩5,000. It's deep green and plump-shaped, so anyone who likes fragrant rice cakes should check this one out too. I went back and forth between the black-eyed pea and sesame fillings and picked sesame — next time I'll try the black-eyed pea.

This is the menu item anyone searching for Cheongju pizza seolgi will want to know about. It was ₩2,500 per piece. Cheese, pepperoni, and olives are piled on top of the seolgi, so it really looks like pizza. Apparently it's so popular right now that it can sell out if you show up late.

Poseul white injeolmi, poseul yellow injeolmi, and poseul black injeolmi are ₩5,900 each. Even injeolmi alone comes in enough varieties to make choosing fun.

Mini chocolate injeolmi is ₩4,000 per cup. The packaging looks exactly like a cup dessert, which makes calling it a rice cake feel almost novel.

From filled seolgi to seolgi topped with streusel — since they're sold by the piece, you don't need to buy a big block just to try several kinds.

The yakgwa also come packaged one pack at a time. So salted yakgwa isn't the only kind. Pairing rice cakes with yakgwa would make for a pretty generous snack spread at home.

I also checked out the Chuseok gift sets separately. They combine fruit chapssaltteok with other rice cakes, so it's easy to pick one with the recipient's taste in mind.

Packaged products are also displayed in the fridge further inside. There's plenty to browse beyond just the room-temperature shelves. Being able to buy exactly what you want as a single piece is the charm of Tteokmama Cheongju.

Does Tteokmama Gaesin Branch have seats and drinks?

Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch has tables and chairs by the window, and also offers drinks like coffee, tea, sikhye (sweet rice punch), and ade separately. If you're looking for a café-like spot among Cheongju Gaesin-dong rice cake shops, this space is worth checking out. There's plenty of room around the seats too, so it's a nice atmosphere to rest for a bit after picking out rice cakes. Full of very Korean drinks.

What I picked that day: two kinds of songpyeon, chocolate injeolmi, and pizza seolgi. A lineup that doesn't give up chewy rice cake, chocolate, or pizza flavor haha.

The menu board has coffee as well as tea, sikhye, and ade. Definitely a rice cake café. An Americano would pair well with sweet rice cakes, and a cup of tea would go nicely with songpyeon.

There's also a sign for table-setting sets, so if you need rice cakes for an event, take a look at the composition and pricing.

Right at the entrance, a sign for the new Cheongju pizza seolgi greets you too. Seolgi with pizza sauce mixed in — whoever thought of this combination is truly a genius.

With Chuseok coming up, songpyeon reservations are being taken too. Anyone preparing for the holiday should inquire ahead with the type and date they want. Return-gift rice cake reservations for sharing with multiple people are also available, for reference.

How did the five-color sesame songpyeon and mosi songpyeon taste?

With Tteokmama Gaesin Branch's five-color sesame songpyeon, the rice cake was incredibly chewy from the first bite. Laying out everything I brought home from this Cheongju Gaesin-dong rice cake shop: five-color sesame songpyeon, mosi songpyeon, chocolate injeolmi, pizza seolgi. Time to try them one by one.

First, the five-color sesame songpyeon. The texture that got chewier the more I chewed was really good. The sesame filling inside is generously packed. I liked that it didn't just feel like thick rice cake all the way through. Pretty colors and great texture both. So chewy. Anyone who likes songpyeon has to try this.

Mini chocolate injeolmi that is not too sweet

When you open the lid on the chocolate injeolmi, chocolate castella powder is piled thick on top. It looks quite rich and sweet, but it actually wasn't very sweet when I tried it. That was the part I really liked.

The soft chocolate castella clings to the tender rice cake, and biting in reveals chocolate sauce in the center too. Eating the outer castella and inner sauce together with the rice cake in one bite is a pretty great combination.

The rice cake itself is especially tender. Calling it just "chewy" feels a bit insufficient. With the softly-textured rice cake plus the moist sauce, this is a menu item I'd recommend to anyone who likes chocolate desserts. I'm definitely bringing home another cup of this next time haha.

Why mosi songpyeon smells different

The mosi songpyeon comes individually wrapped, so it was easy to take out just what I wanted to eat. Placed next to the five-color songpyeon, its deep green color stands out even more.

One bite in, the distinctive mosi fragrance is wonderful. A strange scent that's almost like mugwort. Tasting that fragrance while chewing the chewy rice cake made it an entirely different experience from the five-color songpyeon. The sesame filling was generously packed inside too. Rice cake shop quality these days is really something.

Can you eat Cheongju pizza seolgi without reheating it?

Tteokmama Gaesin Branch's pizza seolgi was made that day, so it tasted great even without reheating. Toppings sit on top of the thick seolgi, and with pepperoni placed on the square rice cake you hold in one hand, it looks pretty cute.

Being able to eat it right away without any reheating step is really convenient when you're just grabbing a snack. I guess that's why it's so popular right now.

The mild cheese flavor pairs well with the seolgi. It tastes like pizza but the seasoning isn't overwhelming, which I liked. Biting in, there's tomato sauce inside. The sauce isn't salty, so it goes really well with the plain seolgi.

Is Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch worth a visit?

Tteokmama in Gaesin-dong, Cheongju had a spacious, clean store, but what stood out most was the texture of the rice cakes I actually tried. Anyone curious about Cheongju pizza seolgi should give it a try, and I'd also recommend it to anyone who likes chewy songpyeon or not-too-sweet chocolate desserts. Next time I'll pick up the pizza seolgi and chocolate injeolmi again first. That's all for now!