Saha, Busan rice cake shop: 5-minute pickup, pumpkin injeolmi, Hohobak

Whenever I'm craving good tteok (Korean rice cake), I end up searching for pumpkin injeolmi (rice cake coated in roasted grain powder) shops in Busan. This time I picked up a bunch of injeolmi from Hohobak (호호박), known as a designated hot place in Saha-gu, and it was better than I expected. The ingredients and texture were great as well as the taste, so I'd recommend it to anyone hunting for a dessert rice cake shop in Busan.

Where is Hohobak, what are the hours, and what about parking?

Hohobak is at 6 Nakdongnam-ro 1389beon-gil, 1st floor, Saha-gu, Busan. It's open Mon–Sat 08:00–16:00 and closed every Sunday. Pets are allowed, and delivery/takeout and reservations are available. Parking is also listed as available.

📍 It's on the ground floor of the building next to Samseong Dwaeji Gukbap (pork soup restaurant), in the alley right beside Daiso Hadan 2 branch. The yellow sign stands out, so I found it right away!

🅿️ You can stop in front of the shop for 5 minutes. If you reserve, they have everything ready in advance, so it takes less than 5 minutes!

What kind of rice cakes does Hohobak make?

They say Hohobak doesn't skimp on good ingredients and makes everything by hand in the shop from carefully chosen ingredients. I liked that it isn't just sweet for the sake of sweet; they carefully bring out the natural taste of each ingredient.

Maybe that's why the first bite gave me the flavor of the ingredients rather than an artificial sweetness, and it felt like a healthy dessert. If you're looking for a dessert rice cake shop in Busan, I think it's worth a visit at least once.

There's a fun pumpkin story out front too.

Designated Saha-gu hot place, and a kind shop

Hohobak was designated a Saha-gu hot place by the head of Saha-gu office!

It's also a kind shop that sponsors children as a Vision Store.

They run a visitor review event too: write a Naver receipt review and you get a cute Hohobak pen or Hohobak hand fan, so keep that in mind! Of course I wrote one!

Hohobak menu and prices

• Rice castella pumpkin injeolmi: (S) ₩3,500 / (M) ₩6,500 / (L) ₩25,000
• Mugwort castella mugwort injeolmi: (S) ₩4,000 / (M) ₩7,500 / (L) ₩29,000
• Black sesame castella injeolmi: (S) ₩3,500 / (M) ₩6,500 / (L) ₩25,000
• Hohobak Milk (pumpkin milk): 250ml ₩3,500 / 750ml ₩9,500

They also have coffee and a non-coffee iced tea. There was even a honey americano.

For reference, the large size must be reserved a day ahead, and for thank-you rice cakes, regular reservations, or checking the shop's rice cake stock, call the shop.

What I took home

• Rice castella pumpkin injeolmi (M)
• Mugwort castella mugwort injeolmi (M)
• Black sesame castella injeolmi (M)
• Hohobak Milk 250ml

Now it's time to go home and eat!

The packaging was neat, great for eating at home, and it looked like it would go over well as a gift or thank-you present too. So I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a thank-you rice cake shop in Busan.

What does Hohobak's black sesame castella injeolmi taste like?

Hohobak's black sesame castella injeolmi had a deep flavor with the rich nuttiness of black sesame, and it was truly soft like castella. I tried it first, and it was really appealing.

A cute mini fork was thoughtfully tucked inside too.

Why rice castella pumpkin injeolmi is my top pick

Hohobak's rice castella pumpkin injeolmi was soft and squishy, with a gentle pumpkin sweetness spreading naturally through it. It was the one I was most looking forward to, and it was really good.

It's generously coated in castella crumbs, so you get a nutty flavor too, and I especially liked how the pumpkin flavor comes alive the more you chew. Above all, the rice cake was so soft it practically melted in my mouth, so I kept reaching for more. I tried several, but this pumpkin injeolmi was personally my favorite! Approved as a pumpkin injeolmi shop in Busan 👍

Is the mugwort castella injeolmi's mugwort flavor strong?

Hohobak's mugwort castella injeolmi has a fragrant mugwort aroma that comes through gently, so it was easy to eat. The distinctive mugwort scent isn't too strong, so I think even people who don't usually like mugwort could enjoy it.

The nutty castella and mugwort blend well, and the clean, mild taste left an impression. All three were so soft and squishy that the texture was great, and none of them were chewy at all, so I just kept eating.

How to store the rice cakes

❗️Store any leftover rice cake in the freezer after the day you buy it, then thaw it at room temperature before eating.

Hohobak Milk with pumpkin injeolmi

The 250ml Hohobak Milk I bought along with it was sooo good too! It's nutty yet has a strong pumpkin flavor, with a charm that's definitely different from regular milk.

It went especially well with the pumpkin injeolmi. Nutty milk meets sweet pumpkin injeolmi, and the combo was so good I downed it in one go.. haha. Having it with injeolmi was more filling and tastier, so I'll definitely buy them together next time.

Is Hohobak injeolmi good as a thank-you rice cake in Busan?

Beyond the taste, the packaging is neat too, so I thought it would make a nice gift. For family gatherings, events or thank-you presents, I think the recipients would be happy.

So I'm confident recommending it to anyone looking for a thank-you rice cake shop in Busan. Since it's handmade rice cake you can feel the care in, it seemed fitting for special days too.

Overall verdict

Hohobak's handmade rice cakes, made carefully with good ingredients, left me even more satisfied.

• Soft, squishy texture
• Natural taste of the ingredients
• Neat packaging

I liked all of it, and the pumpkin injeolmi in particular was so good I'll keep thinking about it. If you're looking for a tasty pumpkin injeolmi shop in Busan, a thank-you rice cake shop good for gifts, or a stylish dessert rice cake shop, I recommend Hohobak!