Mild tteokbokki set revisited after 20 years: Hyeonseonine Premium IFC

20 years ago, when I worked in Yeouido, there was a tteokbokki place I used to eat at often. I'm a lightweight with spice but I love it anyway, so I'd suffer through it and eat it anyway 😆

Back then, Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki was the kind of food that made spice lightweights feel challenged.

Since I love tteokbokki so much, I once heard there was a famous spicy tteokbokki place in front of Yongsan Station and went out of my way to try it.

I had no idea how spicy it would be, and it genuinely snapped me awake — I drank so much water… That's the soul food, full of nostalgic memories, that's today's star 💕

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall: hours and location

Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00 / last order 20:40 Sat–Sun 12:00–21:00 10 Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, IFC Mall B2, Hyeonseonine Premium

I chose Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki as my lunch pick at IFC in Yeouido. Even at an off-peak time, it was popular enough to have a line. I used to order both spicy and mild and mix them, but this time I only ordered mild.

Tteokbokki that's truly "deliciously spicy"

Food that's just spicy for spice's sake really isn't my thing, but the Hyeonseonine tteokbokki I chose as my Yeouido IFC lunch spot is genuinely deliciously spicy.

Even I, who can't handle spice well, found it addictive enough to keep reaching for more — this mesmerizing tteokbokki. They say it's one of Seoul's top three tteokbokki, and once you taste it, you understand why.

Seating and the hot-pot tteokbokki tables

It's indoor seating, but the tables outside the shop have an outdoor feel. There are quite a lot of tables, but the place was packed — a little later and I might have had to wait. There was a hot-pot tteokbokki option on the menu that wasn't there before, and I was curious, but since it had been so long since I'd eaten here, I ordered what I used to get!

Anyone wanting the hot-pot tteokbokki needs to sit at a table with an induction burner.

The Hyeonseonine set: too much for two

I decided on the Hyeonseonine set, thinking it would be just right for two people, but the portion was way bigger than expected — if it were three women, it'd still probably be filling. But for two hearty-eating men, it'd probably be just right~ Plus one drink added!

They also sell rice bowls and ramyeon, so it could be a good lunch option for office workers too.

Pickled radish, utensils, small plates, salt, soy sauce, and water are all self-serve. No need to call staff — you just grab what you need freely, and I really like that system.

Hyeonseonine set (tteokbokki, sundae, mini gimbap, assorted fried snacks, fish cake broth)

The Hyeonseonine set arrived generously loaded on the table — my mouth was watering at the thought of eating it after so long 😅

Sundae, plus lungs and liver

The sundae (Korean blood sausage) was hiding under the lungs and liver, so it's barely visible haha. The sundae is super chewy and tasty. I didn't expect much from it, but it was surprisingly delicious, and my chopsticks kept going back for more.

Mini gimbap

The mini gimbap (seaweed rice roll) has just ham, pickled radish, spinach, and egg — exactly what it needs, nothing more, so it's a basics-done-right flavor that pretty much everyone would like!! It's such a great pairing when the tteokbokki gets spicy.

Assorted fried snacks

The fried snacks — need I say more, they're delicious lol. So crispy, fried so well~ The squid inside the squid tempura is genuinely big and hearty. But I was sad my beloved fried kimmari (seaweed noodle roll) wasn't included ㅠ It comes with sweet potato tempura, vegetable tempura, squid tempura, and yaki-mandu (fried dumplings).

Fried snacks pair so well with tteokbokki~ Can't skip them 😆

Broth-heavy tteokbokki, eaten with a spoon

Tteokbokki as a Yeouido IFC lunch spot will probably always be popular~ Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki has a broth-heavy style, so eating it with a spoon along with the broth really lets you taste the full savory flavor.

Taking a hundred photos before eating lol

We ate it between the two of us and still ended up leaving a bit behind — I really thought I'd burst… The lungs and liver that came with the sundae were also super tasty. Honestly, is there anything in this place that's not delicious to me haha.

Considering today's prices, it's also very reasonably priced, and it holds up whether as a snack or a full meal — highly recommend it as a Yeouido IFC lunch spot.