Yongridan-gil tteokbokki spot with mandu and fried rice: Hyeonseonine

Everyone searches for Yongridan-gil restaurant recommendations, but by now people just say "let's go to Hyeonseonine" without even searching. Especially when it comes to instant tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cake), Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is unmissable.

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch hours and the walk from Sinyongsan Station

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is located at 2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 11am to midnight, with last order at 10:40pm. It's 180m via stairs from Exit 6 of Sinyongsan Station (Line 4), or you can use Exit 5, which has an escalator.

• Hours: Daily 11am–midnight / Last order 10:40pm
• Address: 2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
• 180m (stairs) from Exit 6, Sinyongsan Station, Line 4
• Escalator available if using Exit 5
• From Exit 5, go straight 5m, then take the alley between the hof (pub) and the real estate office at the intersection — you'll see the yellow chimney of Hyeonseonine tteokbokki shop
• Parking: Not available
• Featured on TV shows like Live This Morning Ep. 4158, VJ Special Forces, and Find Delicious TV; visited by director Bong Joon-ho, Dynamic Duo, and many other celebrities

Pro tip! The vividly colored exterior looks like a scene from an animation and photographs really well — it's a great photo spot too.

Weekend afternoon at Hyeonseonine: was there a wait?

I visited Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch on a weekend, well past lunchtime, and even though it wasn't mealtime, the place was still packed with customers. If you avoid peak meal times, there will still be a lot of people, but you can eat without waiting — just so you know.

Known as one of Yongsan's three big tteokbokki spots, Hyeonseonine started as a street food cart and became famous by word of mouth after many celebrities visited. Just hearing that story alone makes it a Yongridan-gil restaurant worth trusting and trying.

Hyeonseonine's menu and its three spice levels

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch's menu is divided into sets, instant dishes, à la carte items, and drinks, and the instant tteokbokki comes in three spice levels: mild, medium, and spicy. Since this was my second visit, I'd already been thinking about the instant tteokbokki before I even arrived. Last time I had a Hyeonseonine set, so this time I decided on the instant tteokbokki.

• Set menus: Beer Set / Combo Set / Sunny Set / Baby Set
• Instant menu: Instant tteokbokki (mild/medium/spicy), ramen noodles / dinosaur egg fried egg / corn cheese fried rice / fried rice / jjolmyeon noodles / fish cake / rice cake / vegetables
• À la carte: Tteokbokki / sundae (blood sausage) / assorted fritters / mini gimbap (seaweed rice roll) / jumbo curly fish cake / spicy ramen, cheese ramen, plain ramen / tuna mayo rice ball / butter garlic fries
• Drinks: Cola / Sprite / Tray drink / Soju / Bottled beer / Draft beer
• Spice info: Mild — kid-friendly / Medium — slightly spicier than Shin Ramyun / Signature Spicy — popular with spice enthusiasts

The self-serve bar with fried batter flakes

The self-serve bar at Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch has more than just pickled radish, plates, and soy sauce — there's also fried batter flakes. A Yongridan-gil restaurant really does things differently. I grabbed a plate right away and waited for the tteokbokki. There are lots of drink options, but Coolpis soda is a must with tteokbokki~

How much instant tteokbokki for two really is, plus table tips

The instant tteokbokki for two I'd been waiting for arrived. It's quite a generous portion — but even so, you have to save room for the mandu (dumplings) and fried rice.

On the wall by the table there are detailed tips on how to eat instant tteokbokki. Read it before the food arrives and just follow along. And while it's not required, it feels like a missed opportunity not to — you can get a gift for writing a review, just so you know.

Jjolmyeon noodles at the bottom of the pan and a strong flame

Now you just stir diligently and boil it according to the tteokbokki tips. The heat seemed stronger than at other places, so it didn't take long to boil. There are jjolmyeon noodles laid at the bottom, so if you stir well to keep them from burning, you get to enjoy delicious jjolmyeon noodles like these.

Mandu dunked in the broth: how medium spice felt for a spice wimp

Once it's reduced just right, turn the heat down low and add the mandu. The mandu is crispy and light on its own, but dunking it in the broth makes it even more enjoyable.

I'm a total spice wimp and usually can't handle spicy food well, but here I really enjoyed it. I picked the medium spice level, and it was just right. Eaten with Coolpis, it doesn't feel spicy so much as just really delicious.

If you're eating with kids, I'd recommend going with the mild spice level. I noticed families with kids at the restaurant too — in that case, don't forget to go mild~

Once it's cooked just right and served onto individual plates, the flavor is so well soaked in that it keeps you coming back for more — that addictive taste! It feels like a flavor you won't forget. Even just eating this much fills you up, but there's still fried rice waiting.

Finishing with self-fried rice in the leftover sauce

At Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, the fried rice ingredients are pre-set for you, so after finishing the tteokbokki, you stir-fry it yourself. It comes with dried seaweed flakes, kimchi, and corn. A quick stir-fry and you've got delicious fried rice. Even full, you've got to eat the fried rice~ I ate diligently right to the end.

Quick verdict on Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch

• A spot spice enthusiasts will love for its addictive spicy flavor
• Spice levels are selectable, so even spice wimps can enjoy it
• The crispy fried batter flakes make it stand out from other places — very appealing
• Old songs playing loudly bring back nostalgia, which is a nice touch
• The restaurant is clean with a good atmosphere
• The staff are exceptionally kind
• Close to the subway and easy to find
• Open late every day with no closed days, so you can visit whenever you want