Our list of Tteokbokki restaurants in Seoul will be very useful for Tteokbokki lovers.
Let’s review the features and flavor differences of each restaurant.
The Two Major Pillars: “Maboklim” vs “I Love Tteokbokki”
“Maboklim Tteokbokki” is the historical starting point of Sindang-dong Tteokbokki and sticks to the traditional flavors.
The tteokbokki here is characterized by a savory flavor with spring onions and is well suited for adult tastes.
The “yaki-dumplings” are crispy and savory, and make a fantastic combination with the tteokbokki. The sauce is simmered until it thickens, and the “fried rice” is made by hand, which is part of the fun of this restaurant.
Mabokrim also serves “Mac Banseok Eggs,” which you have to crack yourself.
“I Love Tteokbokki” offers a more modern and diverse menu compared to Mabokrim.
The “Seafood Tteokbokki” is filled with fresh seafood, giving you a taste of the sea, and the flavor of the seafood goes well with the spicy sauce on the tteokbokki.
The “Tear Tteokbokki” is another popular menu item at I Love Tteokbokki, and it’s intensely spicy, making it a big hit with spice lovers.
Other favorites include jjolmyeon and ramen sari, which come with a variety of textures, and their “yaki-dumplings” are best eaten quickly while they still retain their crispness.
The interior of the store is spacious and pleasant, and desserts such as “soft serve ice cream” are also available, making it a great way to end your meal.
“Mokojie” at Songpa Station
“Mokkojie” near Songpa Station is popular for its tteokbokki made with ‘mixed sauce’.
The sauce is a mixture of gochujang and chunjang, giving it a spicy yet moderately sweet flavor, and the sauce soaks into the rice cakes and ingredients for a deeper flavor.
The signature dish is “Sunjol + Tteokbokki,” which comes with a choice of mixed sauce, gochujang, or jajang.
“Sunjol” tastes like a mixture of regular tofu jjigae and ramen noodles, and it’s spicier and more addictive than you might think. Personally, I preferred the soonjol to the tteokbokki broth.
It is common here to eat the tteokbokki with the rice cakes, and the point is to cook the rice cakes so that they absorb the sauce.
“Mokojie’s “Sundae Stir-fry” is characterized by its spicy and savory flavors, which makes it a more satisfying meal when paired with tteokbokki.
Strawberry shaved ice for dessert is also a must-try here.
Even in winter, the shaved ice made with fresh strawberries rather than frozen ones is a must-try.
“Apple House” at Bangbae-dong
“Apple House” is a famous tteokbokki restaurant located in Bangbae-dong, and along with the sweet tteokbokki, the ‘moochimgun dumplings’ are popular.
These “dumplings” have a crispy yet moist texture and are even more delicious when dipped in the tteokbokki sauce.
Apple House’s Tteokbokki features a sweet sauce made from a blend of gochujang and chunjang, and is popular among those with a sweet tooth.
“Fried rice” is made by tossing rice in the leftover sauce after finishing the Tteokbokki, which can be tossed with seaweed for added flavor.
“Eunhye Instant Tteokbokki” at Children’s University Park Station
“Eunha Instant Tteokbokki” near Children’s University Park Station is famous for its jajang tteokbokki, and its tteokbokki has a unique flavor with its thick jajang sauce and slight spiciness.
If you prefer a spicier flavor, you can also adjust the spiciness if you let them know in advance.
The “oden” here, unlike the usual tteokbokki oden, is very flavorful and goes well with the jjajang sauce. Many people also like to make fried rice after finishing the tteokbokki, as it brings out the flavor of the jjajang sauce.
“Mokdong Bunsik” at Ujangsan Station
Located in Mokdong, “Mokdong Bunsik” is a DIY-style tteokbokki restaurant where you can add various ingredients to customize your own tteokbokki.
The tteokbokki here is characterized by its deep flavor of “anchovy broth” and spicy seasoning, and is not too sweet and has a refreshing taste.
The “thinly sliced pickled radish” served with the tteokbokki is a signature dish of the restaurant, and is even more delicious when eaten with the tteokbokki.
Another fun thing to do here is to crack an egg into the tteokbokki broth, or mix it into fried rice and eat it softly.
Each tteokbokki restaurant has its own unique characteristics and flavors, so you can make a variety of choices depending on your taste. Find a restaurant that suits your taste and enjoy a variety of tteokbokki.