Extra-spicy tteokbokki with curly fish cake at IFC Mall: Hyeonseonine

Today I decided to have some Korean snack food for lunch before heading to The Hyundai. I usually try to avoid it for health reasons, but there are days when tteokbokki, sundae, and fried snacks just call to you, haha! This time I wanted something simple but varied, so I headed to a well-known Yeouido tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) spot — Hyeonseonine Tteokbokki!

Hyeonseonine in Yeouido, right on the way to The Hyundai

I've been to other branches of this Yeouido tteokbokki spot before, but this was my first time trying the Seoul location!

It's located along the underground passage connecting IFC Mall and The Hyundai Seoul, so accessibility was great. It's a convenient spot to eat before or after visiting The Hyundai, and the big red sign is eye-catching enough that first-timers should have no trouble finding it.

Just a heads-up on the operating hours!

From single dishes to hot-pot-style tteokbokki

Before going in, I checked the menu, and there was so much good stuff that deciding in advance seemed like a smart idea. Looking through it, the menu was surprisingly varied — single dishes, sets, and even hot-pot-style tteokbokki — so I spent a while deciding. In the end, we went with the Hyeonseonine set!

This Yeouido tteokbokki spot really has an overflowing menu! Ordering is done via prepayment — you order and pay at the kiosk before being seated, and you can even adjust the spice level, which makes it really easy to order to your own taste.

Single dishes

• Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake)
• Sundae (Korean blood sausage)
• Small gimbap
• Assorted fried snacks
• Busan long fish cake
• Tuna mayo rice bowl
• Chicken mayo rice bowl
• Ramyeon
• Spicy ramyeon
• Cheese ramyeon

Hot-pot-style menu

• Hot-pot for two
• Ramyeon noodle add-on
• Fish cake add-on
• Rice cake add-on
• Vegetable add-on
• Snow cheese
• American cheese
• Boiled egg

Set menus

• Hyeonseoni Beer Set: tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap + 2 draft beers
• Hyeonseoni Combo Set: tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap + eomuk
• Hyeonseoni Set: tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap
• Sunny Set: tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae
• Baby Set: half tteokbokki + 3 fried snacks + half sundae + 2 gimbap pieces

Hot-pot sets / drinks and alcohol

• Hot-pot Baby Set
• Hot-pot Combo Set
• Cola-pis (yogurt cola)
• Soda
• Draft beer

Self-service bar, vibe, and solo dining

There's a separate self-service bar where you can grab as much as you need of your own plate, chopsticks, pickled radish, salt, soy sauce, napkins, wet wipes, and water — really convenient. Snack restaurants especially need all kinds of extras for fried food and sundae, so having a self-bar meant we could take what we needed without hesitation. Nice.

We visited around 1:30 pm, a bit late for lunch I thought, but the place was still surprisingly full. Hyeonseonine Tteokbokki really is a soul food that all Koreans love!

There were about 10 tables, and plenty of solo diners too — so if you're craving Hyeonseonine, solo dining works just fine!

The logo is so cute, haha.

While looking at the menu, I spotted draft beer too... honestly I really wanted it but held back! Tteokbokki with draft beer is a dangerously good combo on its own — a bite of spicy tteokbokki followed by a cold sip of beer sounded amazing, but I had dinner plans that evening so I resisted, haha. There's also a review event you can join, so it might be worth doing to get a free menu item you want!

Order: Hyeonseonine set — tteokbokki + fried snacks + sundae + gimbap / 2 extra eggs / zero-sugar cola

The Hyeonseonine set, extra-spicy

After much deliberation, we picked the Hyeonseonine set! Since it's made up of tteokbokki, fried snacks, sundae, and gimbap, I liked that we could try several things at once — instant pick!

You could choose the spice level for the tteokbokki, and this time I went extra-spicy! Unfortunately the tteokbokki didn't come with fish cake included, so I added curly eomuk, and for extra protein, added two eggs, haha. Ended up being even better this way!

Tteokbokki with a saucy broth

The first thing we tried was the tteokbokki, and it lived up to expectations — properly spicy! Rather than just plain heat, the sweet-and-spicy sauce flavor was well balanced. Best of all, the broth was nicely saucy rather than dry. The rice cakes were well seasoned while still leaving enough broth to spoon up, and dipping the egg into the broth was absolutely delicious!

Sundae loaded with innards

The sundae didn't come alone — it arrived generously topped with innards too, which I loved. I'm someone who enjoys the innards when eating sundae, so having plenty of it bumped up my satisfaction. The sundae itself wasn't too dry, chewy in just the right way and mild in flavor, and the different innards had slightly different textures each, making it fun to pick through. If you like innards, you'll definitely be satisfied here.

Also, the portion of sundae at Hyeonseonine Tteokbokki was really generous. I expected it to just be a small side in the set, but the amount was more than enough to enjoy alongside the tteokbokki!

Simple, solid gimbap

Next up, the gimbap (seaweed rice roll)! Rather than anything fancy, it was a classic, dependable flavor. The pieces weren't too big, just right for one bite, making it easy to eat alongside the tteokbokki, sundae, and fried snacks. Dipping the gimbap lightly into the tteokbokki broth was delicious too, haha.

Crispy assorted fried snacks

And finally, the fried snacks! We got a variety — squid, sweet potato, kim-mari (seaweed noodle roll), vegetable fritter, and yaki mandu. Having several kinds all at once made it fun to pick through, and best of all, each one was crispy and satisfying. The batter wasn't soggy at all — the crunch really held up. Kim-mari with tteokbokki is essential, and these fried snacks paired perfectly with it!

The added curly eomuk

The curly eomuk (fish cake) we added on! The flavor was exactly the familiar, nostalgic fish cake taste we all expect. It's a familiar flavor, but as they say, the familiar flavors hit the hardest, haha. The broth was clean and refreshing, and it paired really well with the spiciness of the tteokbokki.

Final thoughts

Maybe because it had been a while, this snack meal tasted especially good that day. From spicy tteokbokki to a generous serving of sundae, crispy fried snacks, and solid gimbap — if you want to enjoy a variety of Korean snack food all at once, the Hyeonseonine set is a really solid choice. Stop by when you want to fill up before exploring The Hyundai or IFC Mall!