Gyeongju mochi shop, 11:30am line for kiwi and fig: Tareudang

Open daily from 11am, closing at 7pm.

Closes early once ingredients sell out.

Tareudang, where the wait practically becomes part of the flavor.

When should you line up at Tareudang?

Tareudang on Gyeongju's Hwangnidang-gil is the kind of place where a line forms in an instant if you show up around opening time. I got in line at 11:30am to buy mochi.

I usually travel with my kids, so I tend to avoid places with lines?! But this trip to Gyeongju was just my husband and me, so I figured it was fine to wait if I really wanted something. Haha. So I lined up.

There are a few must-try spots on Hwangnidang-gil where you have to queue, and Tareudang is one of them! Show up around opening time and a line forms instantly. Getting there before opening and waiting is also an option.

Tareudang's menu is not just mochi

Tareudang's lineup: giant mochi, fresh-fruit mochi, persimmon sando, tarts.

Tareudang doesn't just sell tarts — it also has giant mochi and persimmon sando. I like tarts too, but I thought of my kids waiting for mom and dad, so I came to buy mochi filled with fruits they'd love.

The first batch sells out in 1 hour 30 minutes

Tareudang prepares a set quantity of mochi and tarts in advance. Once they're gone, you have to wait for the second batch — and when they open in the morning, it seems to sell out within about 1.5 hours.

When I lined up and bought mine at 11:30am and passed by again before 2pm, the shop looked like it was prepping for the second sale.

A buying tip for Tareudang: since quantities are limited, try to arrive as close to opening time as possible. If you miss the first opening, lining up for the second batch is recommended.

September fresh-fruit mochi flavors at Tareudang

Tareudang's fresh-fruit mochi is mostly made with seasonal fruit, so the flavors on offer can change depending on when you visit. One thing's certain — strawberry is a winter flavor, haha.

When I visited, they were selling persimmon yogurt mochi, fig yogurt mochi, pineapple mochi, mango mochi, peach mochi and more.

The tarts, baked and lined up continuously, are so lovely and cute. Maybe more so once you know how they taste, haha.

The price of the giant mochi on Hwangnidang-gil seems in line with typical fresh-fruit mochi. FYI, buying 4 or more mochi gets you a 500 won discount per piece.

How to get the Tareudang cooler bag through the review event

If you need a cooler bag, join the Naver review event :)

Mornings and evenings are chilly now, but daytime is still hot with strong sun. Glutinous rice mochi doesn't hold up well to heat and can change flavor, so unless you're eating it right after buying, I'd recommend a cooler bag.

You can get one by buying 3 or more items and joining the review event. If you fall short on the item count and can't participate, you can also just buy one separately — worth keeping in mind.

Now that a line has been added to the experience of eating at Tareudang on Hwangnidang-gil, I'm even more excited.

Curious, I took everything out — the giant mochi came together with an ice pack and a cooler bag.

What does the fresh kiwi mochi taste like?

What I picked at Tareudang were raw kiwi mochi and raw fig mochi — two options. I only bought mochi with fruits my kids like. Adults will eat pretty much anything, right :)

From the moment you take it out, you can feel the soft, pillowy hand-made skill of this Hwangnidang-gil mochi shop.

The fresh kiwi slices cleanly even with a bread knife. It's layered with yogurt cream and sweet red bean filling.

The real star is hidden under the thin glutinous rice skin. Take one bite and everything blends together so well you can't tell which part is the star. Thin, yet the chewy rice cake texture holds up, and the tart fruit flavor stands out even more. Haha.

Fresh fig mochi: for fig lovers

With some anticipation, I cut into the next one — the fresh fig.

I wanted strawberry mochi, but since strawberries aren't in season right now, you can't get it — that's a winter flavor.

I really love figs and eat a lot of them, and even at this Hwangnidang-gil dessert shop, they used sweet, firm-fleshed, fragrant figs to make it.

As a fig lover, I was extremely satisfied.

Is Tareudang worth waiting in line for?

You might think, do I really need to wait in line just for this? But hey, it's a trip — why not give it a shot?! If you're traveling with kids or parents, waiting in line might be tough, so it could work well to have one person in the group handle the line while everyone else waits elsewhere :)

I know a few mochi shops on Hwangnidang-gil, but the mochi at Tareudang is good enough that it's worth lining up for at least once. I'll have to come back on a day they're making mochi with seasonal strawberries.