Yeonnam-dong tteokbokki with a free drink for reviews: Eungkeum

I met up with a middle school friend after a long time and we headed to Yeonnam-dong ~ when girls meet up, tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes) is priority number one!! I'd heard there was a 24-hour tteokbokki spot in Yeonnam-dong, so we went to 'Eungkeum Tteokbokki Yeonnam Branch.'

They sell all kinds of food and drinks, not just tteokbokki, so it seemed like a great spot for late-night eats or a simple drinking snack too. Since it's a place with a lot of delivery orders, just a heads up that they have fewer tables ~

Okay, let's get into the review haha

Location and parking at Eungkeum Tteokbokki Yeonnam Branch

Since parking isn't available, I'd recommend taking public transit. From Hongdae Station Exit 3, chat your way down Yeolli-dan-gil (?) and the Gyeongui Line Forest path (?), turn, and you're there! It's close by, so public transit is definitely the way to go ~

Or it seems like a good spot to grab a meal in Yeonnam-dong after hanging out in Hongdae.

Weekend lunch waiting and hall tables

As I mentioned earlier, this place gets a ton of delivery orders, so there are fewer hall tables. So just a heads up that you may end up waiting if you want to eat in the hall!! I went around weekend lunchtime, and there was exactly one table left when I arrived — I just barely got a seat haha

(These photos were snapped whenever a table opened up hahaha)

Write a review, get a free drink

Unlike other Yeonnam bunsik (Korean snack food) spots, 'Eungkeum Tteokbokki Yeonnam Branch' also sells alcohol. And if you write a review, you get one free Asahi bottled beer, soju, cola, or Sprite!! A snack bar that gives you a free drink as a service — you have to try it!!!

A tteokbokki place that treats you to a drink for free — the top Yeonnam tteokbokki spots really are on another level 👍

Why we chose the Eungkeum rosé over the original

What we ordered was the mini gimbap (seaweed rice roll) and the Eungkeum rosé tteokbokki! We'd originally planned to get the original tteokbokki but...

the menu said the base flavor was spicier than Shin Ramyun. My friend and I, both spice wimps, immediately switched course to the Eungkeum rosé tteokbokki, ranked #1 by the 'Gangnam unnies' (trusting their judgment on this one) lol.

'Eungkeum Tteokbokki Yeonnam Branch' is a place where you can add a ton of toppings, like the instant tteokbokki places ~ so it seems like it'd be fun to mix and match based on your taste.

Uryangah natural vegetable mini gimbap, 3 pieces

First up, the Uryangah natural vegetable mini gimbap.

True to its name, this gimbap is a big, hearty one lol. And it comes with a whopping 3 pieces, each already cut in half, so eating it was totally hassle-free ~ (the owner clearly has great ideas and sense!)

The fillings were packed in generously too, so every bite was full — this is what gimbap should be like, I thought.

But the rosé sauce and gimbap didn't go together as well as I expected 🥲

Eungkeum rosé tteokbokki: taste and spice level?

Next up, the Gangnam unnies' #1 pick, the Eungkeum rosé tteokbokki.

The rich, thick texture of rosé sauce came through really well in this tteokbokki!! Not spicy at all and creamy — this felt like the textbook definition of rosé! It comes standard with pepperoni on top, which set it apart from other tteokbokki places.

The rice cakes were nice and chewy, and with mushrooms and cabbage mixed in, there was plenty to enjoy while eating. I've heard some rosé tteokbokki places make it spicy, but 'Eungkeum Tteokbokki Yeonnam Branch' was totally not that!!! It's softer and more creamy than other places, which makes it the perfect menu for spice wimps like me!!

A Yeonnam-dong snack bar open 24 hours, with delivery too

Since the place is open 24 hours, being able to eat whenever the craving hits seems like a huge plus ~ and a snack bar where you can drink too!! Isn't that great? haha

I didn't post photos of it, but besides bunsik, they have tons of other menu items too, like fried chicken and fried rice, so there's fun in picking and choosing ~ And since delivery is available too, you can order anytime you want, whenever you're craving it — a huge plus for this snack bar! If you're visiting Hongdae and love bunsik or tteokbokki, I'd definitely recommend giving this place a try ~

• Location: 1F, 257-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (229-55 Yeonnam-dong)
• Parking: Not available
• Hours: Open daily 24 hours, no closed days