Euljiro snack bar for tteokbokki and soju: Hyeonseoni-ne

Hyeonseoni-ne Cheonggye Instant Branch after a Cheonggyecheon walk

No... I was definitely going to eat neatly at the first stop and go home... but once alcohol gets involved, the carb cravings are a problem. So of course, we came to set off a carb bomb for round two. Hyeonseoni-ne (현선이네)!

But the Cheonggye branch has an absolutely insane location. It is right by Cheonggyecheon Stream, so after round one, strolling slowly along the stream for some air and digestion before heading in is pure romance. Sob, how am I only visiting now?

But coming for round two was the right call. I feel like there is always a wait if you come around quitting time, but we walked straight in! So lucky, right?! Moving on to round two with a soft breeze blowing—it was honestly unreal. Even the weather was on our side; how could we not drink, how could we not eat?

I think I had seen the Yongsan branch while passing by, and it had a typical clean interior. But the Cheonggye branch has more of an old-school restaurant vibe? Naturally, I am much fonder of this atmosphere. It does not feel loud or chaotic, though—it is the kind of place where you can comfortably chat away in peace! And although it is indoors, the pojangmacha-style decor gives it that outdoor-stall feel too, haha. It is like combining the perks of indoors and outdoor seating? In other words, the best.

What comes in the ₩25,000 Hyeonseoni Combo

Even after eating all that at the first stop, we were still hungry. We asked the staff for a recommendation, and they ordered us the Hyeonseoni Combo (₩25,000), which comes with a little bit of everything. The Hyeonseoni Combo includes tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), sundae (Korean blood sausage), fried snacks, mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), and fish cake. Basically, think of it as every menu item in the place all at once, hehe.

Glowing, pretty, beautiful~~ The plating was so lovely. They say food that looks good tastes good too. I have no idea what I am saying; maybe I was still drunk. Anyway, it was a whole spread that made humble snack food feel like a treat.

A spread where every single thing was delicious

But seriously, how was every item this good? Truly, not a single thing missed. Nothing was too salty or bland; every seasoning level was just right. The fish cake was cooked perfectly without getting soggy, and the broth was refreshingly delicious too.

The fried snacks included vegetable fritters, sweet potato fritters, squid fritters, fried dumplings, and gim-mari seaweed rolls! I loved that there was such a good variety. And everything was fried so cleanly and well... Ah, I really want it again.

I want to eat the mini gimbap for breakfast every day. It was not too heavy, but it was not skimpy on filling either—just a satisfying gimbap packed with delicious ingredients. And why was the sundae so good too? It was wonderfully springy; every bite bounced so much I thought it was a rubber ball. So good...

Why it is great snack food for round two in Euljiro

Hyeonseoni-ne is perfect when you want both a meal and drinks. The gimbap makes it filling enough for a meal, the hot broth keeps it from feeling dry, and the sundae and fried snacks give you plenty of texture... but then there is tteokbokki too, bringing all that savory depth.

Hyeonseoni-ne's signature item has to be the tteokbokki. Need I say more... Look at that color. How could it not be delicious? The sauce was seriously rich, spicy, and sweet—like an upgraded version of the tteokbokki you ate outside school back in the day.

Because it uses wheat rice cakes, they were chewy and soaked right through with sauce. Dip a fried snack or mini gimbap in that sauce and the angels start singing. Alternate with the fish-cake broth and you can eat forever. I gave my stomach a proper carb coating that day. This must be why people keep talking about Hyeonseoni-ne. No wonder a snack restaurant like this was full of grown-ups.

And of course. They sell alcohol. It is a grown-ups' playground, is what I am saying. Tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, mini gimbap, fish cake, and alcohol? We are all grown up now, all grown up. Maybe this is what the taste of adulthood is. Dopamine explosion.

The wild pairing of soju and carbs

I think carbs are the ultimate soju snack, and if those carbs are Korean snack food? It becomes a soju thief. I meant to eat moderately, but the pairing was so crazy good that we kept ordering sojuㅠ

In the end, I ate a total of 3,000 calories that day, lol. I have lost it. When am I going to burn all this offㅠㅠ Sigh, I need to absolutely crush CrossFit today... I am definitely going back. Revisit intention: 200%.