Mild tteokbokki set at a Yeongdeungpo snack restaurant: Hyeonseonine

Korean snacks found along the IFC Mall passageway in Yeouido

I got hungry while I was in Yeouido and went looking for Korean snacks, but maybe because it was the weekend, there really weren’t many places open? Luckily, I spotted Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch, a tteokbokki favorite, in the passageway to Yeouido IFC Mall, so I went straight in.

There were more seats inside than I expected, from tables for two to tables for four, and there was outdoor seating too, so there were plenty of places to sit. Just keep in mind that the outdoor seats may not be available close to closing time.

The Hyeonseonine Set, great for sharing between two or three

There was more variety on the menu than I expected, too! I wanted to try a little bit of everything, so I chose the Hyeonseonine Set. The Hyeonseonine Set (₩23,000) comes with tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fried items, sundae (Korean blood sausage), and gimbap (seaweed rice roll). It is quite a large portion, so it is nice to share between two or three people.

You can order at the kiosk by the entrance. You pay first and then eat, and takeaway is available too, so I thought it would be nice to bring along for a visit to Hangang Park or Yeouido Park.

When you order individual items at a Korean snack restaurant, it can be hard to judge how much food you are getting. Since this came as a set, though, I did not have to spend much time deciding on the menu, which was convenient. The thing that surprised me most when it arrived was the portion!!! I knew it would be a lot, but it was even more generous than I expected, and my first thought was whether we could finish it all.

Mild tteokbokki that even spice wimps can enjoy

Hyeonseonine is famous for spicy tteokbokki, so as a total spice wimp, I was worried it would be too hot—but you can choose the spice level. Oh yes!! I ordered mild that day, and it was just right: a level that people who do not handle spicy tteokbokki well can eat relatively comfortably. The savory depth was so good that I could see why it is popular even though it is spicy.

I loved that it was a saucier style than I had expected. Personally, I like tteokbokki with plenty of sauce, and not only were the rice cakes well coated, but it was also perfect for dipping the fried items.

Fried items and sundae dipped in the sauce

I first had a bite of the fried items on their own, then gave them a good dunk in the tteokbokki sauce—and of course, this combination never fails. Since there was plenty of sauce, the fried items got nicely coated when I dipped them. The crisp fried coating with the tteokbokki seasoning added a savory-sweet flavor, and it was even tastier because it felt different from eating only tteokbokki.

And sundae would have been such a shame to leave out, right? Eaten with the tteokbokki seasoning, its mild, clean flavor pairs even better with the sauce’s savory depth.

They gave us plenty of offal too, and the sundae was so moist and delicious that I packed some up to eat more at home.

Rice balls that were fun to make

And the item that felt most filling that day was the gimbap. It came in rice-ball form, which was fun to make yourself, and the sweet-salty flavor was so good.

When you give it a good dunk in that plentiful tteokbokki sauce, it is honestly pure bliss. Looking at the photos makes me want to eat it again.

I really enjoyed the mild version that day, so next time I should order it a little spicier for a different experience. When you are wondering what to eat at IFC Mall and craving a familiar, comforting Korean snack spread, you might enjoy a hearty Hyeonseonine Set at Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch.