Saturday lunch takeout at a Sinnonhyeon tteokbokki spot: Deokjane

With the weekend calling for something spicy, sweet and chewy, I couldn't resist making a trip to the real-deal restaurant famous for hand-pulling its rice cakes every single morning — Deokjane Bangatgan (덕자네방앗간)!

I went on a Saturday around lunchtime, and true to its hot-spot reputation, the place was packed with customers. I got mine to go so I could eat comfortably at home — and I picked up a very important tip along the way that anyone ordering takeout absolutely needs to know, so stick with me to the end.

Where is Deokjane Bangatgan and when is it open?

Deokjane Bangatgan is a 3-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 7 (Line 9, Sinbundang Line). It's open daily from 11:00 to 20:30, with a break time from 14:30 to 16:00 and last order at 20:00.

There were several chairs set up outside for waiting customers — definitely a sign of a popular spot!

I arrived right at Saturday lunchtime, and the inside was already buzzing with people eating!

There was a big sign near the kitchen reading, 'Rice cakes are made fresh in the back kitchen every morning' — seeing that instantly boosted my confidence in how good the tteokbokki would taste. Rice cakes made in-house? There's no way that isn't delicious.

Must read: Deokjane Bangatgan won't pack the potato salad for takeout

If you order takeout from Deokjane Bangatgan, you can't get the signature potato salad. What I packed up was three things: tteokbokki, sundae, and fried snacks.

📝 My takeout order

• Tteokbokki
• Sundae
• Fried snacks

I was placing my order with excitement... and that's when I found out something disappointing but important. The soft 'potato salad' that's usually piled on top of the spicy tteokbokki — arguably the restaurant's signature touch — isn't provided with takeout orders.

When I asked why, I was told it's because the salad can spoil during transit, so they don't include it for takeout. It was a real bummer, but I decided to see it as the owner's careful attention to hygiene and quality, and settled for the basic tteok-sundae-fried snack set! (If you want the potato salad, make sure to eat it in the restaurant!)

How Deokjane Bangatgan packs a takeout order

I couldn't eat right away and ended up opening the food a few hours later. But the packaging was so careful that there was almost no leaking or soggy sogginess!

• Tteokbokki & sundae: Wrapped tightly so not a drop of sauce leaked, with a small plastic knife for easy cutting and a packet of salt for the sundae thoughtfully included.
• Fried snacks: Packed in a paper box lined with oil-absorbing paper on the bottom, so the fried snacks stayed grease-free and clean. Top-notch packaging sense!

Tteokbokki, sundae and fried snacks: how the garaetteok tastes hours later

One serving comes with 4 thick whole garaetteok and 2 large fish cakes.

Even after sitting for a few hours, the rice cakes hadn't gone mushy at all — they were still incredibly chewy and springy. I was genuinely impressed!

The fish cakes, soaked deep in the sauce, were also super delicious!

No offal bits or gamey smell at all — totally clean!

It's tasty dipped in the salty salt, but dunked deep in the thick tteokbokki sauce, it's absolutely amazing!

The fried snack set included 2 fried mandu (dumplings), 2 gimmari, 1 fried fish cake, and 1 fried squid.

The tteokbokki sauce is so good that dipping the crispy fried snacks into it made them disappear endlessly.

Is takeout from Deokjane Bangatgan worth it?

I sadly couldn't taste the potato salad, but the overwhelming chewiness of the whole garaetteok hand-pulled fresh every morning alone made 'Deokjane Bangatgan' worth waiting for. If you want to try real tteokbokki that stays chewy even hours later, I definitely recommend it.

If you're planning to visit, remember this key tip: potato salad isn't available for takeout, so enjoy the hearty and delicious tteok-sundae-fried snack set!