Yongsan tteokbokki, two weekend waitlines after a movie: Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch (현선이네 용산본점), a great-value tteokbokki spot in Yongridan-gil

After a movie in Yongsan, I was hungry and popped in for some simple Korean snack food (bunsik)! Hyeonseonine has long been an established tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) spot in Yongsan, and even in the evening the people just kept coming. It's one of Yongridan-gil's best-known places, so let me introduce it :)

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch: location and opening hours

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is open daily 11:00 - 24:00, with last order at 22:40 and a break time of 14:30 - 16:30. It's about a 15-minute walk from Yongsan Station, though walking from Sinyongsan Station is a bit closer.

Walking down the alley, I spotted the yellow chimney and Hyeonseonine's signature red roof. Visiting in the evening, it felt a bit like a street-food tent (pojangmacha), with a really atmospheric vibe!

How long is the weekend dinner wait? Separate lines for instant and original tteokbokki

I visited on a weekend evening and the tables inside were all full, so I waited a little before getting in. It was interesting that the waiting lines for instant tteokbokki (cooked at the table) and original tteokbokki were separate.

The place was packed and noisy, but in a lively, fun way. The space is fairly big, with standard four-person tables running on into group-style seating, and I saw lots of big groups too.

It's also famous for takeout and delivery, so I could see the tteokbokki kitchen running super fast. With an open kitchen it feels even more trustworthy, and turnover is quick, so the food came out fast.

Ordering at the kiosk and choosing the Hyeonseonine Combo Set

You order before sitting down. It's done at the kiosk in front of the shop, and the tteokbokki set menu had a really wide range. There's a beer set that includes beer, or you can go with the basic tteok-sun-twi combo (rice cakes, sundae, fritters).

The tteokbokki comes in 3 spice levels, and we decided to go with medium!

Instant tteokbokki is famous too, so I hesitated, but ended up with the Hyeonseonine Combo Set, where you can try nearly the whole menu, from rice cakes, sundae and fritters to gimbap and fish cakes.

What to grab from the self-serve bar

After sitting down, I used the self-bar. You can freely take things like the must-eat fry crumbs, pickled radish, sundae salt and soy sauce, which I loved.

I carried it all back to the table, proud of myself. And make sure you bring back the fry crumbs and pickled radish, because they go amazingly with tteokbokki :)

What's in the Hyeonseonine Combo Set and how big is it?

The Hyeonseonine Combo Set includes tteokbokki, sundae (Korean blood sausage), assorted fritters, mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and fish cakes. It's a good set if you want to try a bit of everything. It's a little too much for 2 people, so I think it's just right for 3.

The food was brought to our table, and the sweet tteokbokki sauce smell mixed with the fragrant smell of fried food, so just looking at it made me want to dig in right away.

Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) at medium spice

Honestly, Hyeonseonine's signature is the spicy flavor, but I can't handle heat, so I ordered medium, which anyone of any age can enjoy, and it was just right. The rice cakes were really soft, and it's a soupy tteokbokki style, so eating it with the broth was really delicious.

Assorted fritters

They came freshly fried and crispy, and eating them hot was delicious. With sweet potato, vegetable fritter, fried dumplings, gimmari (glass noodle rolls) and squid, it's a popular mix that I think anyone would like.

Sundae (Korean blood sausage)

It's handmade sundae and really chewy and tasty. I ordered it mixed with innards, and I was happy to get my favorites, liver and lung. The sundae was clearly sticky rather than dry, which suited my taste perfectly.

Kkobuli odeng (curly fish cakes)

The fish cake broth was really refreshing and tasty. There's a rice cake inside too, so it felt a bit like mul-tteok (rice cake in broth). The fish cakes were cooked just right, and they were good dipped in the tteokbokki sauce too, haha

Mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls)

It's mini gimbap but packed with filling. It's one-bite size, and the mild flavor goes well with the tteokbokki sauce, so I recommend dipping it in together!

The fried batter crumb dip to try at Hyeonseonine

A must-eat, insanely good combo! Dip your tteokbokki in the fry crumbs. The rice cakes are soft and tasty on their own, but coating them in fry crumbs adds a crispy, sweet texture that I love :)

The leftover fry crumbs, soaked right through in the tteokbokki sauce, are great even on their own, with a crispy-soggy texture that blends really well with the sweetness of the sauce. At Hyeonseonine, this Yongsan tteokbokki favorite, you really need one portion of fry crumbs per person...

A combo where everything tastes better together, with tteokbokki in the middle. The moment I ate it, I understood why Hyeonseonine has been loved for so long and why it's famous as a Yongridan-gil tteokbokki spot, haha

Verdict on Hyeonseonine, a Yongridan-gil tteokbokki spot

A truly special tasty experience thanks to the tteokbokki. Hyeonseonine is a Yongsan favorite, confirmed!

The tteokbokki in the set was delicious, and the sundae, fritters, fish cakes and mini gimbap were all good and went well with the tteokbokki. Especially dipping things in the fry crumbs added a crispy texture and made everything even more savory. The inside is spacious and comfortable, so I'd love to come with a group and enjoy it with cold beer. 100% going back. If you're looking for a tasty Yongridan-gil spot or are curious about Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, give it a visit 🤍