Scissor-cut rice cakes at a Sinnonhyeon tteokbokki spot: Deokjane

Tteokbokki fans are pretty firmly split into wheat-tteok people and rice-tteok people, aren't they? I'm on the rice tteokbokki side — I love that chewy, pillowy texture — so I finally went to Deokjane Bangatgan, a place I'd been curious about every time I passed through Sinnonhyeon.

Weirdly(?) it feels like more people are into wheat tteok these days, but to me wheat tteok always tastes kind of artificial while rice tteok tastes like actual rice cake — so I'm firmly, unconditionally team rice tteok!!

What especially got me excited before even visiting was that Deokjane Bangatgan makes its tteokbokki with garaetteok (long rice cake) pulled fresh every single morning — a real tteokbokki spot worth knowing in Sinnonhyeon. ♥

Where is Deokjane Bangatgan in Seocho?

• Address: 62 Seocho-daero 77-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 1st floor
• Transit: Near Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 9
• Signature menu: Rice tteokbokki & bibim mandu

Deokjane Bangatgan menu and how the kiosk works

There's a kiosk set up at the front of the store, so I could take my time browsing the menu before ordering. Besides tteokbokki, there were plenty of good side options like gimbap, sundae (blood sausage), and fried snacks, so I actually had a hard time deciding. It was also convenient not having to flag down staff since I was eating alone.

There were several set menus too, so if you're coming with a group, going for one of the sets might be a good idea!

Inside Deokjane Bangatgan: seating and atmosphere

Inside, Deokjane Bangatgan felt less like a fancy interior and more like a clean, practical neighborhood snack restaurant.

There's a central table plus seating along the wall, and turnover was fairly quick, making it a good spot to knock out a simple lunch or dinner.

The busy open kitchen at Deokjane Bangatgan

The kitchen at Deokjane Bangatgan is open, so I could watch the snack dishes being prepared. That warm, familiar bangatgan (rice mill) atmosphere fit the name of the place perfectly.

What's at the self-service corner

Pickled radish and sauces and other essentials were available at the self-service corner. It was convenient being able to take just as much as I needed, and the space was kept neat and clean.

Rice tteokbokki made with garaetteok pulled fresh daily, plus tuna gimbap

The biggest thing that sets Deokjane Bangatgan apart from other snack restaurants in Sinnonhyeon is, of course, the rice cake itself. True to the 'bangatgan' (rice mill) in its name, they use rice garaetteok pulled fresh every morning. If you like a texture that's thicker and chewier than wheat tteok, this is a Sinnonhyeon tteokbokki spot worth keeping an eye on.

My order came out all on one tray, which made it easy to eat neatly even solo. On top of the tteokbokki sat a white potato salad, which turned out to be a delicious extra that cuts through the spice! The potato salad was mild, soft, and so nutty and delicious I wanted to buy it separately, haha! I kept it on a side plate and dipped into it little by little alongside the tteokbokki.

Grab the scissors before you sit down

Another distinctive thing about Deokjane Bangatgan is that the rice cake comes out in whole garaetteok form! Since these thick, sizeable rice cake logs arrive uncut, you need to grab the scissors from the self-service corner and cut them yourself~!

As you can see in the photo, both the rice cake and the fish cake pieces were generously sized, so I cut them into bite-size pieces with the scissors. Being able to adjust the size to my liking made it even more convenient.

Tuna gimbap dipped in the tteokbokki sauce

You can't talk about Korean snack food without gimbap~ I ordered the tuna gimbap, and it came sliced into neat bite-size pieces with a generous amount of filling packed in.

The gimbap was mild and satisfying on its own, but dipping it lightly in the tteokbokki sauce added even more savory depth. Judging by how crisp the seaweed was, it seemed like they rolled it fresh right when I ordered rather than having it made ahead of time! That's probably why the seaweed stayed crisp instead of going soggy — it made it taste even better~❣️

Is Deokjane Bangatgan worth it if you love rice tteok?

Deokjane Bangatgan is a Sinnonhyeon tteokbokki spot with a clear identity: garaetteok pulled fresh every day. The thick, chewy rice tteok paired with a rich sauce and soft potato salad gave it a different kind of charm from your average instant tteokbokki.

Kiosk ordering is available and it's not at all awkward to sit and eat alone, so it also works well as a solo dining spot in Sinnonhyeon. If you're looking for a simple meal near Sinnonhyeon Station, or a snack restaurant in Sinnonhyeon that uses rice tteok, it's worth a visit. It's especially worth remembering if you like rice tteok that's thicker and chewier than wheat tteok. Next time I'd like to come back and add the bibim mandu or sundae for an even heartier meal! ♥