Yeonnam-dong Peranakan restaurant: calamansi shrimp rolls at Ttasijia

What is Ttasijia Yeonnam?

Ttasijia Yeonnam (따시지아 연남) is a Singaporean restaurant tucked deep in Yeonnam-dong, a shrimp specialist whose signature dishes are shrimp noodles, shrimp gukbap (rice soup) and shrimp fried noodles. I heard the original in Singapore won a Michelin Bib Gourmand four years in a row, and now it's in Korea!!

My hubby and I had ramen for an early dinner, then wandered around, browsed, chatted on a walk, and this place caught my curiosity so we stopped in! Plus they cook with shrimp, which I love, so I couldn't resist and just walked in haha

The result:

• Shrimp that were genuinely palm-sized!
• Every single dish was insanely good!! (and the portions were more generous than I expected, bonus!)

So let me introduce you to "Ttasijia Yeonnam."

How to get to Ttasijia Yeonnam from Hongik Univ. Station

Ttasijia Yeonnam is deep inside Yeonnam-dong, so it takes about 10 minutes on foot from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. From near the Donggyo-dong intersection, it's about a 7-minute walk.

Singaporean food in a Chinese garden? Peranakan Chinese cuisine explained

I heard Ttasijia is the Singaporean way of reading the Korean word for "big eater." Ttasijia Yeonnam has a Chinese-style garden. You might wonder, "Singapore? Why Chinese?" Put simply, it's a place cooking the food of the Chinese diaspora who settled in three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore!

More precisely, it's Straits Chinese / Peranakan food (Southeast Asian Chinese cuisine), a food culture formed over a long time as Chinese migrants blended with Malay and Indonesian local culture. Laksa, bak kwa, Hokkien mee and pan mee are typical examples. If you visit those countries, you'll find plenty of these localized Chinese restaurants in lots of places.

Anyway, shrimp noodles, shrimp gukbap and shrimp fried noodles are the signature dishes...!! So curious, can't wait!

Is Ttasijia Yeonnam good for a date or a group meal?

The interior of Ttasijia Yeonnam mixes Chinese and Southeast Asian vibes~

Maybe that's why the drinks displayed at the counter seem to be a mix of Southeast Asian and Chinese liquors!

The interior is full of good vibes, so it seems great for a date! The hall is also quite big, so lots of people seemed to come for get-togethers, meetings, groups and company dinners too.

Every table has a kiosk, so ordering is easy! The table setup also includes spoons, chopsticks, small plates, water cups, napkins, pepper, chili oil and sambal sauce.

Ttasijia Yeonnam menu, prices and kiosk ordering

We decided to keep it simple and try the signature dishes plus a side~ Here's what the two of us ordered.

• Shrimp broth fried noodles ₩16,500
• Shrimp gukbap ₩16,500
• Shrimp roll fries ₩10,000
• Zero cola x2, ₩3,000 each

Noodles are a matter of taste, but you really, truly have to order the shrimp roll fries ㅠㅠ I'm emphasizing this seriously from now on... You can also see detailed descriptions of the signature dishes on the kiosk!

There's a clean restroom on the other side of the building, handy if you like clean restrooms or are coming with little kids~

Our zero colas, ready in no time!

What do Ttasijia's chili oil and sambal sauce taste like?

The chili oil on the table at Ttasijia Yeonnam has a spiciness that kicks in at the end, and the sambal sauce is tasty, spicy and tangy. I looked over the sauce containers while we waited, and if you order fried rice, I think the sambal would go great with it!!

How big are the shrimp noodle and shrimp gukbap portions?

The shrimp broth fried noodles and shrimp gukbap at Ttasijia Yeonnam were surprisingly big;; The noodles and rice finally arrived! If you come on a date, I think one noodle or rice dish plus one main dish would be good!

Shrimp broth fried noodles: palm-sized shrimp with dipping sauce

Broth fried noodles with truly palm-sized shrimp...! With the dipping sauce (a fish sauce type), it was insanely good ㅠㅠ Ugh, I'm drooling just writing this... I liked this one more than the gukbap!!

Shrimp gukbap: rich shrimp flavor in a pork broth

The shrimp gukbap had a loooong, strong shrimp aroma and an overwhelming pork-based broth!! It also had big shrimp, so very satisfying!! The pork and cabbage were generous too!!

Are Ttasijia's calamansi mayo shrimp roll fries worth ordering?

Please order the shrimp roll fries (₩10,000) at Ttasijia Yeonnam. Another crazy-delicious one, the shrimp roll fries ㅠㅠ

You really bite into plump, bouncy shrimp... and that calamansi mayo sauce is so sweet and good... Seriously, order this one (I'm emphasizing x100000!!) I ate so well and left feeling healed, what a great find!

Who should you bring to Ttasijia Yeonnam?

I recommend Ttasijia Yeonnam for a Yeonnam-dong date or for treating guests. It was generous, and the big shrimp were so satisfying. Once you taste it, you totally understand why it earned a Michelin mention!

It's great for a date, and since the spices aren't strong, it seems like a good place to take older folks or guests too!!