IFC Mall tteokbokki takeout when mini gimbap sells out: Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine tteokbokki at Yeouido IFC Mall: the 23,000 won combo set, to go

Here's my honest takeout review of Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) at Yeouido IFC Mall — the ₩23,000 Hyeonseonine Combo Set.

Hi everyone 🧡 Today I was really craving spicy Korean snack food, so I got takeout from Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki. Hyeonseonine is well known as one of Seoul's top three tteokbokki spots, so I'd wanted to try it at least once.

There's a branch in the basement of Yeouido IFC Mall too, so it seemed like a great stop while shopping or on a date. This time, instead of eating in, I decided to take it home and enjoy it comfortably.

For takeout, I picked the Hyeonseonine Combo Set! It's ₩23,000 and packs in tteokbokki, sundae (Korean blood sausage), fried snacks, and mini gimbap (seaweed rice roll) all at once. It's a great option when two people want spicy Korean snacks without ordering a bunch of separate items.

Mini gimbap sold out, so the set came with a rice ball

On the day I visited, though, the mini gimbap was sold out ㅠㅠ Thankfully they swapped it for a rice ball instead. I was curious about the mini gimbap, but the rice ball combo with spicy tteokbokki was actually really satisfying too.

The moment I opened the box, the first thing I saw was the deep red, richly sauced tteokbokki. There was plenty of rice cake and fish cake in there too, so even as a basic dish it felt like a hearty spread.

How spicy is Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki?

Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki leans more toward a fiery, sharp spiciness rather than the sweet style you'd get near a school gate. It's fine on the first bite, but the heat builds up the more you eat, so anyone who loves spicy food will really enjoy it.

Instead of being just spicy, the sauce itself has savory depth, and I especially loved how well it soaked into the rice cakes and fish cakes. Dipping the chewy rice cakes in extra sauce and sipping a bit of the broth — I don't know why it's so hard to stop reaching for more. It was an addictive tteokbokki that had me taking bite after spicy bite.

Sundae dipped in the tteokbokki sauce

Next to the tteokbokki was a generous portion of sundae. It was mild and soft, pairing well with the spicy tteokbokki sauce. It's good on its own, but I found dipping the sundae lightly in the sauce was the tastiest combo. Adding that spicy kick seemed to bring out the sundae's mild flavor even more!

Fried snacks with the rice ball

There were several types of fried snacks too, so it was fun picking through them. Dunking the crispy fried pieces deep into the tteokbokki broth gives you crunch and spice all at once — that combo really brings the joy of eating Korean snack food. Fried snacks alongside tteokbokki just feel like the finishing touch, don't they haha.

The rice ball, which I got in place of the sold-out mini gimbap, actually played a bigger role than I expected. Taking a bite of it between spicy bites of tteokbokki calmed my mouth down just enough to dive right back into the tteokbokki — a perfect rhythm.

A good amount for two: why this set works as takeout

If you're worried about the spice level, pairing it with the rice ball or a drink makes it much easier to enjoy. One set packs in tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, and rice ball, so the portion was pretty solid for two people to eat until full.

It'd be great for a quick meal at IFC Mall, and it was also perfect for a cozy at-home Korean snack party while watching a movie, just like I did.

On days you're craving spicy tteokbokki in Yeouido, I'd recommend Hyeonseonine's Hyeonseonine Combo Set 🧡 The mini gimbap was sold out, but the rice ball I got instead paired so well with the tteokbokki that I left this Yeouido IFC Mall snack food review very satisfied!

Next time I visit Yeouido, I'll stop by again before shopping! It's always crowded, but seats turn over quickly, so it seemed like a good place to visit anytime.