Fish-shaped rice cakes packed by the piece in Cheongju: Tteokmama

Today I want to introduce Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch, my pick for a Cheongju rice cake shop recommendation haha! I love rice cakes, so while I was in Cheongju I searched for a good rice cake shop and this is where I ended up! Once I got there, the store was way bigger than I expected and the variety of rice cakes was really impressive 😳 There were so many pretty ones that I browsed around and picked a bit of everything to take home, and every single one I tried tasted great — so satisfying haha.

Where is Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch, and where do you park?

Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch is at 13 Bokdae-ro, 1st floor, Unit 101, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, right on the main road in Gaesin-dong. It's open 09:00–21:00, and you can use the building's basement parking lot. (Double-check the hours before you visit.)

• Address: 13 Bokdae-ro, 1st floor, Unit 101, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea
• Hours: 09:00–21:00
• Parking: Basement parking lot in the building

Since it's on the main road in Gaesin-dong, it wasn't hard to find. The sign on the first floor is pretty large too, so even on my first visit I found it easily. Driving there was convenient since I could use the building's basement parking lot haha.

What the Tteokmama storefront looks like

When I first arrived, the vibe was a little different from what I pictured for a rice cake shop 😳 It's floor-to-ceiling glass and the store itself is pretty large, so from outside it almost felt like a café haha. I came here because I love rice cakes, but seeing how big the place looked from outside made me curious about what was inside haha.

What kinds of rice cakes are in the display case?

Once inside, the store was genuinely bigger than I expected 😳 The variety of rice cakes was huge too — individually packaged pieces, plus sets combining several kinds, so it was fun just to look around haha. I was especially drawn to the ones with pretty colors and shapes.

On one side there were products that looked great for return gifts or presents, and I also saw sets suited for special occasions like hundred-day or first-birthday celebrations!! If you're in Cheongju looking into hundred-day or first-birthday rice cake sets, it seems worth stopping by in person to check out the options.

There were also rice cake cakes and sets that looked great as holiday gifts — the packaging was neat and pretty, so they seemed perfect for gift-giving. There was also a good variety of items like yakgwa (honey cookies) and hangwa (traditional sweets) that would pair nicely with rice cakes as a gift!

A rice cake shop in Cheongju that also sells coffee and sikhye

I thought they only sold rice cakes, but it turns out they have quite a few coffee and drink options too.

From Americano to latte, tea, sikhye (sweet rice punch), smoothies, ades, and juices — the lineup was more varied than I expected. There's seating inside too, so you could pick a rice cake and enjoy it with a drink. We had somewhere else to be that day, so unfortunately we packed everything to go 🥲 Next time I'd love to visit when I have more time and enjoy rice cakes with coffee there.

The rice cakes I picked at Tteokmama and how they tasted

There were so many kinds that I spent a long time deciding what to buy lol. I don't remember the exact names, but instead of picking one kind, I chose a variety of different shapes and colors to take home haha.

Some had a thick coating of white powder, others were brightly colored — it made me realize rice cakes these days can look this pretty 😳

The fish-shaped rice cakes especially caught my eye, coming in yellow, pink, white, green, and more. The cute shape and pretty colors would make them great for kids' snacks or special occasions 😳

And of course, taste matters most haha. I brought them home and tried them one by one, and every single rice cake I picked was delicious. I'd actually assumed the prettier-looking ones might prioritize looks over taste, but here they weren't just pretty — they tasted great too, which made me even happier 🤔 Each one had a different shape, color, and slightly different texture, so it was fun trying a bit of everything. Buying a lot of one kind is fine too, but if it's your first visit, I'd recommend picking a little of several kinds like I did haha.

Looking around the store, I also noticed plenty of options good for anyone researching Cheongju return-gift rice cakes!! From hundred-day and first-birthday rice cakes to rice cake cakes and holiday gift sets, there's a wide range of choices, so it seems worth coming back whenever you need a gift. Plus, the packaging is neat and the rice cakes themselves look so pretty that the recipient would surely be happy 🤭

Is Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch worth a visit?

Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch — a place I visited after searching because I love rice cakes! The store was much bigger than I expected and the variety was so wide that it was genuinely fun to browse haha. Since I had somewhere else to be, I packed several kinds to go, and I was so satisfied because everything I picked tasted great. Above all, there were lots of products with pretty shapes and colors, and being pretty as well as tasty made it even better 😳

It's a great place to just stop by for everyday rice cakes, but also worth visiting if you're looking into return gifts, rice cake cakes, or hundred-day/first-birthday rice cakes for a special occasion. They sell drinks too and have seating inside, so next time I want to visit on a day with no plans and enjoy rice cakes with coffee there haha.