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Hidden Gem in Seoul: 'The Bbalbong' Tteokbokki Near Yonsei

Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) is a kind of Korean soul food. It can evoke memories of one's school days or some other sentimental thing, and it's a cozy snack to grab from a street cart when the days get cold. It's an easy and affordable meal that is so common, yet sometimes it can be hard to find a place that makes it really really well. As in, better than the average everyday tteokbokki you can get from just about any cheap local joint.


The Bbalbong (빨봉분식) is a tiny little tteokbokki place that's really hidden away, but located quite close to Yonsei University. They have a bunch of things on the menu but my boyfriend and I always go for Set #4, which is the tteokbokki (we get the cheese option), an assortment of deep fried goodies, and a fruit-flavored drink that goes well with spicy foods.


They have a self-service corner where you can fetch your own utensils, water, and side dishes.




The deep fried platter includes sweet potato, squid, stuffed pepper, mixed veggies, and gimmari (seaweed spring rolls). Dip these in the sauce to level up the yumminess!



The tteokbokki is a perfect combination of ddeok (rice cakes), ramen noodles, fish cakes, CHEESE, and sauce. The additional garnish is definitely an aesthetic plus. From the sauce I can also taste a hint of curry, which gives it really nice flavor that makes it stand out from most other tteokbokki.

The hours for this particular branch (it's a franchise, and this one is the Yonsei branch) are supposedly 11:00 to 20:30, but they're closed on Sundays and most holidays and sometimes on random days for no apparent reason. One time they were closed on a goddamn SATURDAY when I was craving it like mad, and I was disappointed and angry but I still went again the next week because it tastes so yummy. I guess for me, taste comes before pride.

Anyway, if you are up for venturing out to hidden locations for cheap street food, and if you happen to study/live around Yonsei University, this place is definitely recommended.

*They do delivery as well if you use the Baedal Minjok (배민) app.

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