Yeouido IFC Mall tteokbokki: 23,000-won Hyeonseoni Set takeout

Did you know Hyeonseonine tteokbokki has a branch in Yeouido?

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is a tteokbokki, sundae, and fried snacks restaurant on basement level 2 of IFC Mall in Yeouido. I used to trek all the way to Yongsan for this... maybe some of you share that memory too? 🫢 These days I use the IFC Mall branch instead, and I went back again this time. It's my go-to repeat spot.

It's close to The Hyundai too, so it's perfect to slot in as a bread-hangover-cure course after dessert and bread there.

Hyeonseonine Premium hours and what the IFC Mall shop looks like

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is open 11:00–21:00, opening at 12:00 on weekends.

A red sign and a cute mascot~ There's outdoor seating too. Inside there are 4-top and 2-top tables, so solo dining works fine. They also have rice bowls and ramyeon, so some people were there for a full meal. I haven't tried the rice bowls yet, but next time I want to order one alongside tteokbokki. Feels like it'd be a great combo haha.

The 23,000-won Hyeonseoni Set: kiosk ordering and the self-serve bar

The set menus are so good that I mostly order from those. My usual go-tos are the Hyeonseoni Combo Set and the Hyeonseoni Set. This time I ordered the Hyeonseoni Set for 23,000 won.

You order at the kiosk. At the in-store self-serve bar, everything's laid out — pickled radish, sundae salt, soy sauce, utensils, wet wipes. Not pictured, but they also have aprons, essential if you're wearing white.

How did the takeout hold up? Not one leak

They got it ready fast and I headed home with it. Even the takeout shopping bag had a big cute Hyeonseonine character on it.

The packaging was so neat that nothing spilled or leaked at all. The fried snacks came in a paper bag, which also helps keep them crispy haha. They packed empty containers along with everything, as pictured, which makes it great for eating by the Han River or outdoors.

I set the table to eat with friends: tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, gimbap. Opening the tteokbokki, a spicy smell wafted out, and opening the gimbap, the toasty sesame oil smell made me want to dig in right away. (The fried snack smell in the car on the way home was insane..)

Five fried snacks: kimmari and sweet potato were better undipped

The Hyeonseoni Set's fried snacks are kimmari, vegetable, sweet potato, squid, and dumpling — five kinds. The kimmari and sweet potato ones were especially crispy, so I preferred them without dipping, while the vegetable and dumpling ones went crispy-then-soft when dipped in the tteokbokki broth. There's a reason people say 'tteok-twi-sun' (tteokbokki-fried snacks-sundae) — because it's delicious~

The sundae and gimbap in the Hyeonseoni Set

If you've had Hyeonseonine before, you already know — this place is famous for sundae. Just the right chewiness, nothing to dislike about it!

The gimbap has ham, egg, pickled radish, spinach, and imitation crab. No burdock root or cucumber, the ingredients people tend to be picky about, so you can order it worry-free.

How spicy is medium spice at Hyeonseonine Premium?

You can choose your spice level, and I always order medium. It's just a bit spicier and sharper than Shin Ramyun. It's a spicy-savory broth tteokbokki more than a sweet one, exactly my taste — there's a reason I've been eating it for over 10 years 🥹 The extra-spicy option is good too, but medium is Hyeonseonine tteokbokki's real charm!

It's not thick and starchy but loose enough to spoon up, so eat it with the broth using a spoon~~

The rice cakes are soft and chewy too, so if you're a tteokbokki lover, you have to try these.

Why Hyeonseonine Premium is worth going back to

My go-to repeat spot, Hyeonseonine!!! I recommend it as a must-eat near Yeouido IFC Mall and The Hyundai. Their instant tteokbokki (jeuk-tteok) is also great, so whichever you pick — tteokbokki or jeuk-tteok — depending on your mood that day, you can't go wrong. They pack it so neatly for takeout that it's also great to bring along to the Han River. Next time I want to try draft beer with jeuk-tteok in the store haha.