Yongsan tteokbokki restaurant with retro red exterior and yakki-mandu

I was craving tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cake) around Yongridan-gil, so I looked around and ended up at Hyeonseonine. It's the kind of place that comes to mind when you want instant tteokbokki in a retro setting. This time I'll share my review after trying the tteokbokki, fried items, and fried rice myself, haha.

A good spot for friends or a date

The red exterior caught my eye even before I walked in. A tall yellow chimney rising up top plus warm bulb lighting gave it an old street-cart feel. It's a different, more nostalgic vibe from the clean, modern shops you see these days, and it really set the mood for eating tteokbokki.

Inside was decorated in wood tones, and the wall had instructions for the induction burner along with tips for eating tteokbokki the best way. It was easy enough to follow even for a first-timer, so I read through it while waiting for the food.

À la carte vs. set menu?!

Looking at the menu board, there were quite a lot of options from sets to à la carte items. There were combos like the Hyeonseoni Beer Set, Hyeonseoni Combo Set, and Hyeonseoni Set that let you enjoy several menu items at once. Besides tteokbokki, there was also handmade sundae (Korean blood sausage), assorted fried items, mini gimbap (seaweed rice roll), curly fish cake skewers, ramyun, and butter garlic fries. You could also add extra noodles or toppings like jjolmyeon noodles, fish cake, or snow cheese, so it seemed easy to mix and match to your taste. We went with medium-spice instant tteokbokki along with several add-ins that day.

The instant tteokbokki came out in a pot and was boiled on the induction burner right at the table. Along with the rice cakes, there was cabbage, green onion, boiled egg, and jjolmyeon noodles, and the broth reduced down and thickened the longer it boiled.

How spicy is the medium level, exactly?

The rice cakes had a nice chewy texture and the sauce had soaked in quite well. I ordered medium, and at first it tasted sweet and spicy, but the sharper heat crept up the more I ate.

Personally, I'd compare it to Shin Ramyun level? Not super spicy, just the right amount of kick! There was also sweetness and umami, so it kept me reaching for more. The jjolmyeon noodles in particular soaked up the broth and the sauce really seeped in, giving a different kind of fun from the rice cakes.

We also had the fried items alongside — dipping the crispy yakki-mandu (fried dumplings) deep into the tteokbokki broth was delicious in its own way haha. When the spice level crept up, switching between the boiled egg and other ingredients made it even better.

And of course, finishing with fried rice!

After finishing the instant tteokbokki, the leftover broth was too good to waste, so we tried the fried rice too. We stirred in seaweed flakes, corn kernels, kimchi, and rice into the remaining red sauce. I personally like it saltier with more broth mixed in, so that's how I made it, but if you want it crispier, I'd recommend scooping out some broth into the provided bowl first!

The corn kernels popped between bites and the kimchi added a crunchy texture. Spicy-sweet sauce plus savory rice — that's how you finish the meal properly... hahaha. I think fried rice made from the leftover sauce after fully enjoying the rice cakes and noodles tastes way better than eating it from the start.

Who would enjoy this most

Basically, anyone who loves instant tteokbokki will love this without question. Especially if you prefer pot-boiled instant tteokbokki over the regular street-stall kind, you'll enjoy this even more, haha. And if tteokbokki alone feels like it's not enough, it felt convenient that you can add fried items, gimbap, or extra noodles to build the combo you want.

Above all, the retro exterior and lighting really matched the tteokbokki vibe of the place. Worth keeping in mind for days when you're craving Korean snacks in Yongsan, or looking for a casual place to eat with a friend.