Yeouido snack restaurant, instant vs regular tteokbokki: Hyeonseonine

A taste test of Hyeonseonine's instant vs regular tteokbokki (spicy rice cake stew), enjoyed for lunch at this spicy-and-addictive Yeouido IFC restaurant (both were delicious!)

Where is Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch, and what are its hours?

📍 Address Basement 2, IFC Mall, 10 Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul Connected underground to Yeouido Station (Lines 5 & 9)

⏰ Hours Open daily Monday–Friday 11:00–21:00 Saturday–Sunday 12:00–21:00 Last order: 20:40

🚗 Parking Not an IFC or The Hyundai Seoul store, so no parking support Public transit or IFC Mall paid parking recommended *Takeout and delivery available *Spice level adjustable

Hi, it's Ritto. 🍙🍙 The afternoon felt like summer had come back — even short sleeves couldn't handle the heat. On days like this you need a solid meal to get through the day, so I decided to have a carb party.

Today's star is tteokbokki, which I have to eat at least once a month. Something about the chewy rice cakes just puts me in a good mood the moment I bite into them. And add spiciness on top of that — need I say more? Today I visited Hyeonseonine, a chain with several branches.

The IFC branch is connected to Yeouido Station underground, which makes pickup easy. Since I came by public transit, this felt especially convenient, and ordering through the kiosk was quick too, saving me time.

Instant vs regular tteokbokki at Hyeonseonine: what's the difference?

On the kiosk at Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch, you first choose dine-in or takeout, then pick your menu. If there are so many options you don't know where to start, just decide between instant tteokbokki and regular tteokbokki first.

With the instant version, if uncooked or eaten in-store, you can boil it yourself at the table. You can also choose the spice level, and looking around at the other tables, more people seemed to be ordering the instant version than the regular one.

Since I was taking it home, I wanted something simple, so I picked the regular tteokbokki — and of course you can still adjust the spice level. If you're the type who can handle Buldak-level spicy, go for the medium option. The truly spicy level is really spicy, so the owner double-checked with me before making it.

How much do the Hyeonseonine combo sets cost?

There are also combo sets you can enjoy together, depending on how hungry you are. Prices range from the ten-thousands up to ₩30,000, and it's a lineup that even people who love tteokbokki-and-beer combos would enjoy.

• Hyeonseoni Beer Set ₩32,000 — tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap + 2 draft beers
• Hyeonseoni Combo Set ₩25,000 — tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap + eomuk
• Hyeonseoni Set ₩23,000 — tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap
• Sunny Set ₩18,000 — tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae
• Baby Set ₩13,000 — half plate tteokbokki + 3 fried snacks + half plate sundae + gimbap

The instant set lets you add toppings so you can customize it to your taste, which was a nice touch. The base already includes rice cake, eomuk (fish cake), vegetables, jjolmyeon (chewy noodles), yakimandu (fried dumplings), and egg, so you probably don't need to add anything extra.

There's currently a review event running too — participate and you can get a fried rice cake or a savory mayo rice ball on the side, which would've been great dipped in the broth. I skipped it since my basic set already came with gimbap.

Ten-minute cooking, the self-serve bar and how the takeout was packed

They start cooking as soon as you order, and it takes about 10 minutes.

The self-serve bar had pickled radish and salt to go with your meal if eating in-store, and there were even aprons available — I'd recommend grabbing one to avoid splatters. Thanks to how neatly everything was packed, nothing leaked the whole way home.

For the fried snacks, they add an extra stacked container underneath so the grease doesn't seep through — I was genuinely impressed by that thoughtful touch.

Which tteokbokki to order at Hyeonseonine: the verdict

The gimbap (seaweed rice roll) was packed with just the right ingredients, so eating it alongside the tteokbokki felt less guilt-inducing. The seasoning was spot-on too — a flavor kids would love.

🌶️🌶️ Having tried both personally, if you're not a huge fan of rice cakes, I'd recommend the regular version since it lets you enjoy a variety of items together. The flavors were nearly identical, so honestly, everything was delicious :)

With such friendly staff, how about making Hyeonseonine — this Yeouido IFC lunch spot — your dinner tonight?