Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki (South Korea, Seoul)

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Tteokbokki Set For Two 11,000 KRW (S$13.75)

Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki 마복림할머니떡볶이 is a well known eatery popular for its Tteokbokki  떡볶이. Tteokbokki is a popular street snack in Korea consisting of soft and chewy rice cakes in a combination of sweet and spicy fermented sauce (Gochujang).
Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki is located next to the arched sign that states“Sindangdong Tteokbokki Town".
It is the restaurant on the left with the photo of the elderly Mabongnim. Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki was opened in 1953 by Mabongnim. It was so popular that other food establishments joined in and opened along the same stretch selling Tteokbokki. Eventually, the street became known as “Teokbokki Street”.
With its popularity, the elderly Mabongnim had been interviewed by the media.
The interior is simple. No fanciful chairs or tables. Its just wooden tables and stools. Aprons are hung along the sides for customers to wear as the sauce could splatter onto customers clothes.

Set Menu

This is the menu for ordering the Tteokbokki Set. The prices range according to the number of persons in the group. Since there was only two of us, we ordered the 2 person Tteokbokki Set which cost 11,000 KRW (S$13.75)

Menu for additional add ons

For additional add ons, there was a separate menu (for them) displayed on the wall:
Tteokbokki (Rice Cakes) 떡볶이 - 2,500 KRW
Fishcake 오뎅사리 - 2,500 KRW
Jjolmyeon (Korean Noodles) 쫄면사리 - 1,000 KRW
Ramyeon (Ramen / Instant Noodle) 라면사리 1,500 KRW
Mandu (Dumpling) 만두사리 1,000 KRW
Egg 계란사리  - 500 KRW
Beverage 음 료 수 - 1,500 KRW
Ice Cream 아이스크림 - 1,000 KRW

Tteokbokki Set For Two 11,000 KRW (S$13.75) with additional Ramen 1,500 KRW (S$1.90)

This was the Tteokbokki Set For Two 11,000 KRW (S$13.75). Did you noticed the difference between this photo and the first?

Yes, we added an additional Ramen for 1,500 KRW (S$1.90)!

The Tteokbokki Set came in a shallow pan with rice cakes, boiled eggs, instant noodles, dumplings, jjolmyeon, fish cakes, vegetables, seasoning and gochujang sauce.

Give it a good boil, let it simmer and Voilà, its ready! Do keep stirring the pan every now and then to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

The sweet and spicy sauce was unique and does not taste like other Tteokbokki sauce in the streets. Towards the end of the meal, the sauce became more and more spicy. Despite that, the ingredients paired off so well with the sauce that we kept going for more!

We particularly like the noodles. Once the noodles were soft, they absorbed the sweet and spicy sauce and was just so addictive. The dumplings were unique as the sauce penetrated into the potatoes in it and it was like their own korean version of our local curry puffs.

Pickles

Complimentary Pickles were given. Before the meal, I saw no need for this. But during the meal, when the spiciness kicked in, this countered the spiciness and was so refreshing!

This is the Tteokbokki Style Budae jjigae! We both loved this.