Yongridan-gil tteokbokki restaurant, level-2 spice: Hyeonseonine

Where is Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Visited Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, a well-known spot in Yongridan-gil. It's just 2 minutes from Sinyongsan Station, which was so convenient.

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch

• 2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Mon-Sun 11:00-24:00 / last order 22:40
• Group seating, takeout, delivery, separate restrooms, high chairs
• Wi-Fi available
• Paid parking in the alley on the way in (Bareum Gihoek Parking)

Since it was an after-work visit I thought there might be a line, but luckily I got there just before it started forming.

How to order at Hyeonseonine and what the self-bar holds

At Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch you grab a seat first, then order. I only found out about this place recently, but apparently it's already famous as a Yongsan tteokbokki spot — my friend had been many times before. I'd tried it once before and the broth was so good that this time I ordered the jeuk-tteokbokki (instant tteokbokki, cooked fresh at the table).

The self-bar is right on the right side. True to a Yongridan-gil hotspot, it was busy.

If there are no seats, you can use the CatchTable device at the entrance.

This was my first time trying jeuk-tteokbokki at Hyeonseonine, so I was so excited! There was a review event notice on the table — a slushie or a size-up on the tteokbokki, haha.

The self-bar had pickled radish, but also fritters — so surprising. Seems like these are meant to be eaten with the tteokbokki broth. At the self-bar you grab your own side plate, apron, etc.

What comes in one pan of instant tteokbokki

They set the table almost right after we ordered — before my friend even arrived, which surprised me with how fast it was.

And it was so generous! There was a ton of jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles) piled on top. They lit the burner for us too, so first step: boil it up.

This is for the fried rice you make after finishing the tteokbokki, prepared ahead of time. My friend almost mistook it for a rice ball and grabbed it with bare hands, haha.

And they thoughtfully served the fried dumplings separately — you boil them in a bit later. They also gave us fish cake broth.

Pickled radish I'd grabbed earlier. Eating it alongside the tteokbokki keeps your mouth from feeling heavy — good idea.

How level-2 spice tastes once the tteokbokki simmers

It boiled faster than expected. Bubbling away, the rice cakes underneath gradually mixed in with the fish cakes and cabbage. The rice cakes looked so plump and inviting — chewy just from looking at them.

So much jjolmyeon too! Jeuk-tteokbokki really needs noodles as a base, haha. And the fish cakes — honestly I like fish cakes even more than rice cakes, and these were so well seasoned they looked amazing.

There were also 2 eggs in there, so my friend and I split one each. When eating something spicy, eggs first is a must! And you can pick your spice level — 3 levels total, we ordered level 2.

We kept chatting and let it boil a bit longer, which meant the seasoning soaked into everything twice as much, making it even tastier.

At this point you either lower the heat or turn it off. We turned it off right away and dug in. Once it boils, it starts splattering — so the apron is a must!

When to add the self-bar fritters and fried dumplings

Halfway through I thought of the fritters and scooped some up. Might have grabbed a little too much, haha.

I added all of it in, but I'd recommend adding a little at a time — once I dumped it all in, all that delicious broth was gone, haha.

Anyway, added the dumplings a bit later and fished them out to eat. Tasty whether eaten still crispy or boiled until they nearly fall apart.

Finishing with fried rice pressed onto the pan

Before we got too stuffed, we scooped out some tteokbokki and got the fried rice going right away. Just dump everything in and mix it up — turn the heat back on low and stir.

Spread it out thin and let it sit for a bit for even better flavor. I couldn't wait, so I ate while waiting, but a bit of crispy pressed bottom definitely makes it taste better.

The more I ate, the more it surprised me with how good it was. Totally recommend Hyeonseonine as a Yongridan-gil favorite! True to its name, it's deliciously spicy. I'm picky about soupy instant tteokbokki, but this place was so, so good. The fried rice at the end was amazing too — there's a reason everyone keeps saying 'Hyeonseonine, Hyeonseonine'!