Yongsan tteokbokki spot, 10-minute Saturday wait: Hyeonseonine

I visited Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, a tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) restaurant in Yongsan that's already famous enough that you've probably heard of it.

How long is the Saturday 2pm wait at Hyeonseonine?

It was past 2pm on a Saturday and there was a wait, but I got through quickly — the actual wait was under 10 minutes!

If you put your name down on CatchTable, you just wait a bit up front and they'll seat you.

The interior is clean and tidy. It's not big, but the tables aren't crammed together, so it was a comfortable layout for eating.

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch menu and prices

There were various set menus like the Hyeonseoni Combo Set (26,000 won), the Hyeonseoni Beer Set (32,000 won), and the Hyeonseoni Set (23,000 won), plus a la carte items like tteokbokki (6,000 won per serving), handmade sundae (6,500 won), and mini gimbap (5,000 won). There was also a wide range of fried items and even ramyeon — a truly complete bunsik (Korean snack food) restaurant..!

There was also a wide variety of drinks and alcohol, so it seemed like a place kids and adults alike could enjoy, along with the instant tteokbokki for two (22,000 won), butter garlic fried potatoes (7,500 won), fried rice (3,500 won), and various other add-ons for the instant tteokbokki.

Honestly, I didn't know this, but apparently Bong Joon-ho and Robert Pattinson had visited, and Choiza had featured it too. There's clearly a reason it's known as a famous Yongsan restaurant.

The 26,000 won Hyeonseoni Combo Set arrived as soon as we sat down

Since I ordered the Hyeonseoni Combo Set, I figured it would take longer than the instant tteokbokki. But right after I took a photo of my seat and sat down, the food I'd ordered came out immediately.

This is truly a hunger-inducing, mouth-watering photo..

What's on the self-serve bar: pickled radish and fried-batter powder

At the self-serve bar you can grab pickled radish and fried-batter powder, and soy sauce and salt are also available.

I took a photo with the pickled radish and fried-batter powder I'd brought over, and the table looked so full there was barely any room left!

How spicy is Hyeonseonine's medium spice level?

Last time I ordered the mild spice, so this time I went with medium. I'm definitely not someone who can't handle spicy food, but I'm not exactly great at it either, and even the medium level was pretty spicy for me. Next time I really need to try the hot spice level!

It wasn't just rice cakes — there was fish cake too, which made it even more satisfying, and sprinkling on the fried-batter powder made it taste even better than when I'd eaten it plain before. So I'd recommend eating in rather than getting takeout!

Mini gimbap in the combo set

The gimbap (seaweed rice roll) is in mini form, but it's packed full of everything it should have inside! I thought not skimping on ingredients might be the secret to the flavor.

The fritters

Fritters can get tough or burnt if fried too long, but there wasn't a single spot like that here — they were crispy, warm, and delicious. There was a nice variety too — kimmari (seaweed noodle rolls), vegetable, mandu (dumplings), sweet potato, squid — and I dipped each one in the tteokbokki sauce one by one.

Sundae and squiggly fish cake

Places that give you plenty of sundae (Korean blood sausage) AND plenty of organs are surprisingly hard to find. But here the organs had no gamy smell and came in a generous portion, which was perfect for an organ lover (=me). Chewy sundae, liver, and osori gamtu (offal wrap)... it's just love.

The squiggly fish cake came with fried tofu and mul-tteok (soft rice cake) in the broth, in addition to the skewered fish cake. The broth itself didn't taste heavily of MSG — it tasted like real fish cake broth, which I liked, and it was packed with hearty ingredients too, which made it even more satisfying!

Verdict: fried-batter powder is a must, and the combo set suits two

I don't think many people scoop out this much fried-batter powder, so I felt a little embarrassed, but in the end I finished every last bit..! It's delicious whether you sprinkle it on the tteokbokki ahead of time or dip a little at a time as you go. If you're eating here, fried-batter powder is a must.

The set is well composed and the portions are generous — being able to eat like this in Yongsan at this price felt like great value. It's just right for two people, so if you're going with a friend or a partner, I'd recommend the same Hyeonseoni Combo Set I got!

If you're looking for a great restaurant in Yongridan-gil or near Sinyongsan Station, I recommend Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch.