Nodeul Island picnic takeout from Yongsan tteokbokki spot Hyeonseonine

I went to Hyeonseonine, a well-known tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) spot in Yongsan~ Hyeonseonine is a famous bunsik (Korean street snack) restaurant on Yongridan-gil that's always packed with people! It's also near Nodeul Island, which has reopened recently, so it's perfect for getting takeout and having a picnic.

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

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is located at 2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 11:30 to 24:00. There are separate men's/women's restrooms, group seating is available, and takeout is possible too.

What the restaurant looks like from the street

Hyeonseonine, the Yongsan tteokbokki spot, has a red roof that makes it obviously a bunsik restaurant from the outside, so it's easy to find! There's a red bench out front where you can sit and wait if there's a line.

Inside Hyeonseonine: seating and the self-serve bar

The interior is bigger than I expected, with plenty of seats. Even so, when I visited for weekend lunch it was completely full. But since it's a bunsik place, tables turn over quickly, so even if there's a wait, a seat should open up soon~

The self-serve bar has aprons, ladles, small plates, salt for the sundae, soy sauce, pickled radish, and fried batter flakes, all ready to grab yourself. What's unusual here is the fried batter flakes — sprinkling them into the tteokbokki is honestly a real delicacy.

Hyeonseonine menu and set prices

[Set menu]

• Hyeonseoni Beer Set ₩32,000 – tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, kimbap rolls, 2 draft beers
• Hyeonseoni Combo Set ₩26,000 – tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, kimbap rolls, fish cake
• Hyeonseoni Set ₩23,000 – tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, kimbap rolls
• Sunny Set ₩18,000 – tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks
• Baby Set ₩13,000 – half tteokbokki, half sundae, fried snacks, 2 kimbap pieces

[Instant menu] ₩11,000 per person (minimum 2 people)

As you'd expect from a great bunsik spot, they have pretty much every dish a bunsik restaurant should sell.

How to order the 26,000 won Hyeonseoni Combo Set

You order at the kiosk right by the entrance.

Apparently there's a review event where you can get a free slush drink or a tteokbokki size-up, so it's worth joining in~

What comes in the Combo Set, and is it enough for three?

Ta-da! The Hyeonseoni Combo Set I ordered came out fast. It comes with tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, kimbap rolls, and even fish cake — pretty packed, right? The portion was plenty even for two people, so I think it could easily feed three.

How spicy is medium, and how chewy are the wheat tteok?

I picked the medium spice level for the tteokbokki. They say it's a bit spicier than Shin Ramyun, and that felt about right — spicy enough to be exciting but still enjoyable for most people, minus true spice wimps.

The rice cakes are wheat-based, with that classic soft, chewy texture that's the standard for tteokbokki — delicious!! It pairs so well with the sweet-spicy sauce haha.

Sprinkling on the fried batter flakes from the self-serve bar added a crispy texture too, which made eating it even more fun.

Sundae (blood sausage) served with organs as standard

I chose the basic sundae (Korean blood sausage) with organs, and it didn't have much of a strong smell, which I liked.

I prefer dipping it in the tteokbokki broth rather than salt — since the tteokbokki sauce is so good, they're a perfect match!

Mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls)

I didn't expect much from the small kimbap (seaweed rice roll) pieces, but they were surprisingly well-packed with fillings, and the nutty sesame oil and sesame seeds made them satisfying.

The five kinds of fried snacks

The fried snacks come as the classic five-piece set: fried glass noodle roll, sweet potato, vegetable, squid, and mandu (dumpling). They're fried just crisp enough to be great for dipping in the tteokbokki broth, especially if you soak them a bit.

Personally, the vegetable fritter was my favorite!

Fish cake skewers

The fish cake skewers sitting in warm broth are just right as a palate cleanser between bites of spicy tteokbokki.

Is Hyeonseonine worth it? Final verdict

I'd recommend Hyeonseonine, a great tteokbokki spot in Yongsan. It's perfect for getting takeout before heading to Nodeul Island, or just eating simply in the restaurant!