Rice tteokbokki set with tuna rice and cheese chicken: Yum Bbokki

I'd been craving good rice tteokbokki for days, but finding a place that really nails it isn't easy~ While I kept searching, I found Yum Bbokki, a tteokbokki spot in Gojan-dong known for its rice cakes~ Everyone said it was a generous, affordable meal, so my husband and I headed straight over~ It was such good value and so delicious that I had to write this up~

Yum Bbokki's location, hours, and parking

Location: 1F 112, 61 Gwangdeok-dong-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea / Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00, closed every Monday / Parking: Free parking in the building's underground lot (call ahead and they'll give you the passcode; enter it on the keypad left of the barrier).

Freshly made, chewy rice cakes~ I could tell right away I'd found the right place!!! I loved the affordable set menus and the variety of tteokbokki, and even before walking in, the side menu already had me sold~

Small but lively interior

The interior was compact but cozy, and the orange accents gave it a cheerful feel~

Yum Bbokki claims to be the only tteokbokki specialist of its kind nationwide~ The proud poster, plus the fries and sweet cheese boneless fried chicken poster, got my heart racing~

Menu lineup and spice level choices

Yum Bbokki has a solid base menu of single-serve and 3-serving tteokbokki, fried items, rice/sides, extra noodles, and drinks, plus great-value set menus~ I loved that there were 4 kinds of tteokbokki~ And the spice level had 4 stages, so there was plenty of choice~

Just a heads-up — hot broth, pickled radish, utensils, and side plates are all self-serve~

The cute Yum Bbokki T-shirts hanging on the wall~ All the staff were wearing them, and honestly they're cute enough to sell as merch, right? I think even the owner thought they were too cute not to display haha~

Pujumiyang Set No. 2 with added sundae and chicken, ₩34,500

We ordered the Pujumiyang Set No. 2 with added sundae (blood sausage) and small sweet cheese boneless fried chicken~ We chose mid-spicy rose sauce with rice cake~ A whole table full of food for ₩34,500 — is that even real? It really was an insanely good-value spread~

A bowl piled high with tteokbokki~ It's a 3-serving portion, so they added three eggs — so cute!!!

We picked the sundae with mixed innards, and the ratio of sundae to innards was just right~ The small sweet cheese boneless fried chicken was quite generous for the price too~ The self-serve tuna rice ball was seriously huge!!!

How's the mid-spicy rose rice tteokbokki?

Before diving into the tteokbokki, I ate the boiled egg first mixed with the broth to try to keep my blood sugar in check~ It had a curry-like flavor with a spicy kick, and the tteokbokki broth was so tasty~ Even at mid-spice level, it was plenty spicy for us spice-wimps~

The fish cake had a springy, sticky chew, and the ham popped in your mouth with a flavor like a hot dog steamed in a rice cooker, which was surprising~ The tteokbokki rice cakes were really wonderfully chewy~ Eating the curry-scented spicy sauce together with the chewy rice cake, fish cake, and sausage in one bite made me smile without even trying~

Sundae with mixed innards

The heart was chewy with a strong meaty flavor, savory and clean~ The offal piece had a slightly crunchy yet chewy texture, similar to gopchang (grilled intestines), and had a good depth of flavor that came through the more you chewed~ The lung had no off smell and was pleasantly chewy too~

The sundae itself was the glutinous rice type, sticky with a rich savory flavor, so it's the kind everyone can enjoy without any complaints~

Sweet cheese boneless fried chicken and gimmari

The sweet cheese boneless fried chicken had a salty cheese seasoning that practically calls for beer~ The coating was thin and crispy while keeping the juices in, making it moist and tender inside — truly crispy outside, juicy inside!!!

The gimmari (seaweed-wrapped glass noodle rolls) had a clean, light flavor with no seaweed or oil smell~ Dipped deep in the tteokbokki sauce, it was a perfect match!!!

The self-serve tuna rice ball and cheese chicken combo

The self-serve tuna rice ball was packed with tuna~ The salty, savory combination of seaweed flakes, tuna, and soft mayo was great, and the crunchy bite of pickled radish added good texture too~

The tuna rice ball was delicious on its own, but paired with the spicy broth it was incredible~ Topped with cheese chicken, the salty, nutty richness filled your mouth in the best way~ If you love a tuna-and-chicken rice combo, you have to try this!!!

Fried fish cake and fried squid

The fried fish cake had a unique, somewhat chewy texture~ Chewing it slowly brought out a nutty flavor, so we dipped it in the tteokbokki broth~

The fried squid had a crispy coating with tender, chewy squid inside and a rich, savory flavor~ It was also good dipped in the soy sauce, clean and delicious~

Why we're going back

We got greedy with our order and were about to burst, but the tteokbokki was so addictive I kept scooping more with my spoon~ Leaving a little bit behind nearly made me tear up, but my husband said he wants to try the regular tteokbokki next time, so we promised to come back soon and I left without crying haha~ If you're craving good tteokbokki, or looking for an affordable date spot or a place to eat out with kids, I recommend Yum Bbokki!!!