Bubu Duri Set at a Geumcheon Plaza tteokbokki restaurant in Cheongju

Bubu Duri Tteokbokki Cheongju Geumcheon Branch

From a Bongmyeong-dong food truck to Geumcheon Plaza

If you're listing must-try tteokbokki spots in Cheongju, there's one that never gets left out, right? Duri Tteokbokki, with a long history starting from a food truck in Bongmyeong-dong. About ten years ago when I was taking Chinese classes in Bongmyeong-dong, I ate there solo so many times right after class. A place I really love (I've even posted about it twice before ✌️).

A place I love this much just opened a new branch at Geumcheon Plaza, so of course I had to go. It's a tteokbokki specialty restaurant, but I'd also recommend it to anyone trying to figure out what to order at a bar in Geumcheon-dong, Cheongju. It's open until late and they serve alcohol too 👍 The menu is easy on the wallet, so it's also great for a second or third round of drinks in Geumcheon-dong.

I was working on a Saturday... and suddenly got a break? My partner happened to be resting at home so I called him over right away. He's a total tteokbokki killer >_<

There were all kinds of fried snacks, and above all everything was managed so hygienically and neatly that it put my mind at ease :)

There are two kinds of fish cake skewers — plain and spicy — and they're kept from getting too soggy, so they were nicely soft and chewy. I'll go into the menu in more detail below.

Bubu Duri Tteokbokki menu and takeout in Geumcheon-dong

< Bubu Duri Tteokbokki menu in Geumcheon-dong > They have Duri tteokbokki, sundae, fish cake, and fried snacks, plus set menus too.

Every menu item at Bubu Duri Tteokbokki in Geumcheon-dong is available for takeout.

If you want takeout, just order at the kiosk right next to the entrance.

What is the dining hall and self-serve bar like?

I ate in the restaurant, and the dining hall was spacious and comfortable. There are tables for two and four, and the vibe is casual enough to come alone for lunch.

I wanted to try a bit of everything, so I ordered the Bubu Duri Set. It comes with a single serving of every menu item.

The tables were clean, with spoons and napkins already set out, while water and tableware are self-serve.

< Self-serve bar at Bubu Duri Tteokbokki, a bar in Geumcheon-dong > The self-serve bar has water, fish cake broth, pickled radish and more, all kept clean and hygienic.

Pickled radish, green onion, forks, scissors, tongs, tableware, aprons — it's all there.

And... the soju and beer fridge was fully stocked and ice cold. There's even draft beer 🍺 Since I was just stepping out during my shift, it's a shame I couldn't have a drink..🥹

While I was at it, I made a little clip of the sideways-then-upside-down sign because it was fun >_<

Duri tteokbokki with plain and spicy fish cake skewers

Duri tteokbokki for the first time in a while. It's that spicy-sweet sauce that reminds you of tteokbokki in front of an elementary school. Kids who can handle some spice would probably eat it up happily going "sseup-hasseup-ha," and it's mild enough for adults who can't handle spice to enjoy too. The portion is generous for the price.

Of course, the fish cake skewers can be ordered individually too. The broth isn't too intense and tastes clean. You can also help yourself freely to it at the self-serve bar, so I kept adding more.

The. Spicy. Fish. Cake. If you can't handle spicy food, be careful. I'm someone confident in my spice tolerance who eats Yeoppeuk Original, and wow — this is spicy. True to its name, this is spicy fish cake!!!

Chewy sundae and Bubu fried snacks

One serving of sundae (blood sausage) is genuinely generous. They slice it fresh so it comes out piping hot, and there's nothing dry about it — moist and chewy and delicious.

The Bubu fried snack set is squid x3 + kimmari x2 + sweet potato x2 + mandu x1. Since fried snacks are inseparable from tteokbokki, I always add them no matter what. Besides these, they also have chili pepper, vegetable, fish cake mandu, and french fries.

I was curious how Bubu Duri Tteokbokki would taste after so long, and oh — I think it's gotten even better. The seasoning soaks in so well that every bite is delicious (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) It's not too intense, just the right balance of spicy-sweet, so I kept eating without stopping. They also give plenty of sauce, which was great for dipping the fried snacks and sundae.

Dipped in salt, it's clean and delicious,

and dipped in the tteokbokki sauce, it's moist and spicy-sweet and delicious

You could tell at a glance they fry with clean oil — no stale oil smell, not too thick a batter, and that crackly-crunchy texture was the best.

And of course, fried snacks taste best drenched in the tteokbokki sauce.

I grabbed some green onion from the self-serve bar and added it. Somehow it made everything look even more appetizing '◡'

My partner took one bite of the spicy fish cake and handed it straight to me. Confident in my spice tolerance, I did not refuse ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

How many people does the Bubu Duri Set feed?

It was stuffed-full for two people and still not lacking for three. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a bar in Geumcheon-dong.

The store is currently running a nostalgic dratch (retro claw-machine style) event too. Stop by and give it a try.

Geumcheon Plaza is packed with bars, but there are also a lot of hagwons (private academies) nearby, so during the day there are tons of kids around. That's why this place also gets a lot of young visitors. It works just as well as a snack in the day or at night when you're hungry, and just as well as a full meal. Above all, the owner was so bright and friendly that it made for a really pleasant visit.