Tag: Korean Street Food

  • Hyunsuni Yongsan: Tteokbokki Combo Near Sinyongsan Station (Kid-Friendly)

    Hyunsuni Yongsan: Tteokbokki Combo Near Sinyongsan Station (Kid-Friendly)

    In short

    Hyunsuni (현선이네) Yongsan is a popular tteokbokki and bunsik (Korean snack food) shop about 180 m from Sinyongsan Station, close to Yongsan I’Park Mall. Single tteokbokki costs ₩6,000 (about $4) with your choice of spice level, and combo sets bundle tteokbokki, sundae, mini gimbap and fritters. It is open 11:00–24:00 daily and has high chairs for kids.

    Tteokbokki, chewy rice cakes in a red, spicy-sweet sauce, is the most Korean snack you can eat, and Hyunsuni Yongsan is one of my regular places for it. This visit was special, though: it was my 7-year-old’s first time at a tteokbokki shop. When kids are small, spicy food keeps you away from places like this, so sitting across the table from my child here felt surprisingly new.

    Quick facts

    • Korean name현선이네 용산본점 (Hyunsuni, Yongsan main branch)
    • Address2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
      서울 용산구 한강대로39길 2-13
    • SubwaySinyongsan Station (Line 4), Exit 5 or 6, about 180 m (3-minute walk)
    • HoursDaily 11:00–24:00, last order 22:40. Monday break 14:30–16:00
    • PriceTteokbokki ₩6,000 (about $4), sets ₩13,000–26,000
    • Good forFamilies with kids, a cheap and filling lunch, first-time tteokbokki eaters
    • ExtrasHigh chairs, group seating, takeout. No parking (use paid lots nearby)
    • Phone+82 507-1361-8901
    • MapOpen in Naver Map

    Finding it

    Take Exit 5 of Sinyongsan Station (Line 4), walk a few steps to the crossroads, then head into the side street between a pub and a real estate office. The shop has a red roof and a yellow chimney, so it is hard to miss. Yongsan I’Park Mall and Yongsan Station are also within walking distance.

    📍 Hyunsuni Yongsan (현선이네 용산본점), 2-13 Hangang-daero 39-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul · Naver Map · Google Maps

    Red-roofed storefront of Hyunsuni tteokbokki near Sinyongsan Station, Seoul

    We went at lunchtime on a weekend, and the room still felt relaxed, so my child had no trouble sitting comfortably through the meal.

    Order counter and menu screens inside Hyunsuni Yongsan

    What is tteokbokki?

    Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is cylinder-shaped rice cakes simmered in a gochujang-based sauce. It is usually served with other bunsik favorites: sundae (Korean sausage made with glass noodles), gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and twigim (fritters), which you dip into the tteokbokki sauce. Hyunsuni serves a broth-style tteokbokki, with more soupy sauce than the thick, sticky kind.

    What we ordered: the combo set

    We ordered the Hyunsuni combo set without thinking twice. It lets you try tteokbokki, sundae, mini gimbap and fritters in one go, and ours came with curly fish cake skewers in hot broth as well. It is a perfect order for a first visit or when you are eating with kids.

    Combo set at Hyunsuni Yongsan: mild broth tteokbokki, sundae, mini gimbap, fritters and curly fish cake skewers

    1. Mild broth tteokbokki (순한맛 국물떡볶이)

    Because of my child, I ordered the mild version. Mild still has a little kick, so I was a bit worried, but my 7-year-old kept drinking water and kept eating, a lot. Watching them reach for more of their very first tteokbokki made me oddly proud.

    The broth is savory enough to eat with a spoon, and the best part is dunking the fritters in it. Even for adults the mild level was not bland; I ended up finishing most of the bowl with my child. If you like heat, order the regular or a spicier level.

    Mild broth tteokbokki (rice cakes in a red, soupy sauce)

    2. Sundae (순대)

    We ordered the sundae without the offal that is often served on the side, just the sausage itself. It is great dipped in the tteokbokki broth, and my child ate it without any hesitation. If organ meat is not your thing, ask for “sundae only” too.

    Sliced sundae (Korean blood sausage) served without offal

    3. Mini gimbap (꼬마김밥)

    The little gimbap rolls are seasoned on the salty side, which makes them a good match for tteokbokki. Dip one lightly in the broth and the salty and spicy flavors come together. Having tteokbokki, sundae and gimbap on one table also made it fun for my child to pick and choose.

    Mini gimbap rolls with pickled radish and ham

    4. Fritters (튀김)

    The fritters were crisp and not greasy, so we could keep eating to the end. My pick of the day was the vegetable fritter: crunchy on its own and even better soaked in the broth. It was the first thing to disappear. The seaweed rolls and sweet potato fritters were good too. My child quickly learned to dip the fritters in the broth just like me.

    Crispy Korean fritters (twigim) from the combo set
    Vegetable fritter dipped in tteokbokki broth
    The vegetable fritter dipped in tteokbokki broth was my favorite bite.
    Curly fish cake skewers in hot fish cake broth
    The set we had also came with curly fish cakes in broth.

    One combo set was plenty for my child and me, so it also felt like good value. Next time I plan to add extra vegetable fritters.

    Menu and prices

    Prices from the shop’s current Naver menu:

    DishPrice
    Tteokbokki (mild, medium or very spicy)
    떡볶이 (순한맛/중간맛/매운맛)
    ₩6,000
    ~$4
    Hyunsuni set (tteokbokki, fritters, mini gimbap, sundae)
    현선이세트
    ₩23,000
    ~$16
    Hyunsuni combo set for 3 (adds 3 curly fish cakes)
    현선이콤보세트
    ₩26,000
    ~$19
    Baby set (half tteokbokki, 4 fritters, half sundae, 2 gimbap)
    베이비세트
    ₩13,000
    ~$9
    DIY tteokbokki hot pot for 2
    즉석떡볶이
    ₩22,000
    ~$16
    Homemade sundae
    수제순대
    ₩6,500
    ~$5
    Assorted fritters (5 pieces)
    모듬튀김
    ₩6,000
    ~$4
    Vegetable fritter (1 piece)
    야채튀김
    ₩1,200
    ~$1

    *USD figures are rough estimates at about ₩1,400 to $1. Prices can change.

    Is it kid-friendly?

    Yes, and it is one of the easiest ways to introduce kids to Korean street food. There are high chairs, the mild tteokbokki is manageable for older kids (keep water nearby), and sundae, gimbap and fritters are not spicy at all. The baby set on the menu is a smaller portion designed for exactly this.

    We made it part of a Yongsan day out: my child played at a slime café in Yongsan I’Park Mall first, and then we walked over for lunch. Afterwards we promised each other to come back for another parent-and-kid date.

    Tips for visitors

    • Choose your spice level. “Sunhanmat” means mild; the shop says its very spicy level is four times hotter than Buldak noodles.
    • Dip everything. Fritters, sundae and gimbap all taste better soaked in the tteokbokki broth.
    • Take the subway. There is no parking; Sinyongsan Station is a 3-minute walk.
    • Monday break. The kitchen closes 14:30–16:00 on Mondays only.
    • Ordering phrase: “Sunhanmat-euro juseyo” means “Mild, please.”

    My verdict

    Hyunsuni Yongsan is a cheerful, affordable place to try tteokbokki the way Koreans actually eat it, with sundae, gimbap and crispy fritters to dip in the broth. It has long been a favorite of mine, and now it is also the place where my child ate tteokbokki for the first time. If you are exploring Yongsan, especially with kids, it is an easy and tasty stop.

    Hyunsuni Yongsan FAQ

    Where is Hyunsuni Yongsan?

    In an alley about 180 m from Sinyongsan Station (Line 4). From Exit 5, walk a few meters to the crossroads and take the side street; look for the yellow chimney and red roof.

    What are Hyunsuni Yongsan’s opening hours?

    11:00 to 24:00 every day, with last order at 22:40. On Mondays there is a break from 14:30 to 16:00.

    Is the tteokbokki at Hyunsuni Yongsan very spicy?

    You can choose the spice level. The mild version still has a little kick but my 7-year-old managed it with water. The “very spicy” option is described by the shop as four times hotter than Buldak.

    What should I order at Hyunsuni Yongsan?

    The combo set is the easiest choice: tteokbokki, sundae, mini gimbap, assorted fritters and curly fish cakes. Single-serving tteokbokki is ₩6,000.

    Is Hyunsuni Yongsan good for kids?

    Yes. It has high chairs, the mild tteokbokki is manageable for older children, and Yongsan I’Park Mall is a short walk away. There is no parking, so take the subway.

    More family-friendly meals: see all kid-friendly restaurant guides, or try Baekri Gomtang in Hongdae for a non-spicy beef soup.

    Hours and menu last checked: October 16, 2026, on Naver. Please check Naver Map before you go.

    This post is based on my own visit and photos. I used AI tools to help with the English wording.