Where to find the best Tteokbokki places in Seoul?
In our previous post, we introduced you to the various types of Tteokbokki to enjoy in Korea. Today, we brought some recommended places you can check out!
Mapo Original Tteokbokki (마포 원조 떡볶이)
🚇 Near Mapo Station (line 5)
📍 3, Dohwa 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Google map) (Naver map)
You can experience the authentic Korean *Bunsik experience here. The Tteokbokki here is served with thick, red sauce — and just as its red color, it is very spicy. However, the sweetness of the Tteokbokki makes it stimulating and addicting. You can alleviate the spiciness by eating with Gimbap and complementary soup.
This is a very local place, so if you are unable to speak English, preparing a translator in advance is helpful. Also, this place is a cash-only place which you may need to take into account.
What is Bunsik? Bunsik (분식; 粉食) is a generic term used to refer to inexpensive Korean dishes available at bunsikjeom (분식점) or bunsikjip (분식집) snack restaurants. Typically they serve Tteokbokki, Sundae, Ramyeon, Gimbap and more.
Young Dabang (청년다방)
🚇 Google “청년다방” to find the closest one. Recommended ⬇️
📍 25, Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Google Map) (Naver Map)
There are many places to recommend when it comes to “Instant Tteokbokki”. We might do a series of this later, but for now we chose Young Dabang (청년다방), because it represents well & is very accessible.
Young Dabang (청년다방) is a franchise with over 400 stores all around Korea. So if you’re on a short trip, but would like to enjoy instant Tteokbokki, this is the place to go! You can find the nearest one by googling “청년다방" (You can copy and paste that). The one we brought is the one in Hongdae — which is a touristy spot so that you can take care of both food & shopping.
While you’re there, we recommend ordering Cheese Garlic Fries along with the main dish, as it is one of their representative menus! The smell is veeery addicting.
Baedduck (배떡)
🚇 Google “배떡” to find the closest one. Recommended ⬇️
📍 76–5, Myeongmul-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Google Map) (Naver Map)
Most of the famous Rose Tteokbokki places are more of a delivery brand than a dine-in, so we had to choose among them. Baedduck is one of the original Tteokbokki brands which started the whole “Rose Tteokbokki” trend.
Baedduk is also a franchise, so you can google this (Copy and paste “배떡”) to find the nearest one as well. However, a lot of the stores may not have a dining area — so make sure to check beforehand. It’s the best if you get a chance to picnic in Hanriver area and get Baedduck delivered — but this might be difficult without a local friend.
If you are unsure, check out the one that we recommended. It’s located near Sinchon station (line 2), which is right next to Hongdae station. This place knows how to speak English so it may be easier for you to communicate :) When ordering a Rose Tteokbokki, make sure to try dipping corndogs with the Tteokbokki as well!
Villa de Spicy (빌라드스파이시)
🚇 Near Gwanghwamoon st. (line 5) or Jongak st. (line 1)
📍 17, Jong-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (D Tower 3rd fl. 308) (Google Map) (Naver Map)
Royal Tteokbokki is not the most mainstream type of Tteokbokki, but if you’re down to explore, it is a good option. This restaurant is a bit more upscale than the rest of the places we recommended — it is located in D Tower which is by the Gwanghwamoon station.
As this restaurant has a modern dining atmosphere, they are focused on fusion-style menus. You can explore other interesting types of Tteokbokki such as Carbonara Tteokbokki, Red Shrimp Tteokbokki and more.
If one dish is not enough, we recommend trying with some Twigim (fried food) such as squid, shrimp, sweet potato or getting the assorted for a whole variety of Twigim.
Grandma Jeong’s Original Oil Tteokbokki (원조정할머니 기름떡볶이)
🚇 Near Gyeongbokgung Station (line 3)
📍 18, Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Google Map) (Naver Map)
This place is located in Tongin Market (통인시장), which is the place where Oil Tteokbokki got popular. It is near Gyeongbokgung station, which makes it perfect for you to visit Gyeongbokgung palace and stop by. As this is in the market, it is recommended that you bring cash.
There are two flavors — one is soy sauce and the other is Gochujang (red pepper paste) sauce. Choose the one based on your preference! But if you dislike blandness, we recommend Gochujang flavor.
Also, it is a good chance to try Nokdu Bindaetteok as it is not very common to find them in restaurants. Nokdu Bindaetteok is pan-fried grinded mung beans, and has a rather neutral but addicting taste.
JinMee Tteokbokki (진미떡볶이)
🚇 Near Sindang st. (line 2 & 6) or Cheongu st. (line 6 & 5)
📍 60, Dasan-ro 38-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Google Map) (Naver Map)
JinMee Tteokbokki is located in Sindangdong — which is known as Tteokbokki town. Sindangdong is full Tteokbokki places, and most of them serve Instant Tteokbokki.
Unlike other Tteokbokki places that sells Black Bean Sauce Tteokbokki as a secondary menu — Jimi Tteokbokki is known for Black Bean Sauce Tteokbokki. In our previous post we did recommend this Tteokbokki as the non-spicy type, but here it has a mild spiciness to it. The subtle spiciness balances the flavor when eating with side dishes such as Gimbap or Twigim.
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