Hongdae Jopok Tteokbokki: The Famous Hongdae Street-Food Shop Is Back (Same Taste, Spotless Room)

This visit was sponsored by Hongdae Jopok Tteokbokki. As always, all opinions are my own.

If you have ever wandered around Hongdae, you might remember the tteokbokki shop with the big red sign in front of Sangsang Madang. It closed two years ago, and I honestly missed it. When I heard it was back, I went right away. Good news: it tastes exactly the same.

Name	Hongdae Jopok Tteokbokki, original store (홍대조폭떡볶이 본점)
Address	1F, 26 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 서울 마포구 와우산로29길 26 1층
Getting there	In Hongdae, right in front of Sangsang Madang
Hours	Daily 11:00–22:00 · Last order 21:40 · Last takeout order 21:50
Price	Tteokbokki ₩6,000 · 5 fried pieces ₩5,000 · Sundae ₩6,000 · 3 fish cakes ₩3,000
Good to know	Order at the kiosk (English, Chinese and Japanese available) · No outside food or drinks
Disclosure	Sponsored visit

Back after two years

*Tteokbokki* (chewy rice cakes in a sweet and spicy red sauce) is the ultimate Korean street snack, and this shop has been a Hongdae name for a long time. The red sign is the same as before, with the word 名物 (“famous local specialty”) on it. Red background, white letters — you can spot it from far away, even at night.

The front is all glass, so you can see straight inside. The opening hours are posted on the door. If you are coming late, just remember last order is 21:40.

Clean, bright and new

The owners told me: “Same taste as before, and we will take even better care of cleanliness.” They meant it. Because it just reopened, everything looks brand new — the floor, the walls, the green tables. The tables are nicely spaced, so it never felt cramped.

There is also a bar table along the wall, so coming alone is totally fine. A few house rules: everything is cooked to order, and you return your dishes after eating. On the wall there is a framed old newspaper article about the shop — a nice reminder of how long it has been around.

Ordering: kiosk with English

You order at one of two kiosks. Besides Korean, they support English, Chinese and Japanese, so you don’t need any Korean here. No wonder so many travelers come by.

Menu and prices

– Tteokbokki ₩6,000 — about 20–22 rice cakes with a little scallion and fish cake – Twigim (fried snacks), 5 pieces ₩5,000 — glass-noodle rolls, squid, sweet potato and fried dumplings – Sundae (Korean sausage) ₩6,000 · Gimbap ₩5,000 – Fish cakes, 3 skewers ₩3,000 · Eggs, 3 for ₩2,500 – Ramen ₩6,000 · cheese ramen also available – Drinks ₩2,000 each, including a big 355 ml can of Pepsi Zero

We ordered tteokbokki, twigim, sundae and fish cake for two. We left full, and the bill was only in the ₩20,000 range. Very fair for Hongdae these days.

Tteokbokki — the taste I missed

The rice cakes are long and chewy, and the sauce soaks all the way through. The sauce is not thick and gloopy — it is a lighter, saucy style that clings to every piece. It is not super spicy: sweet first, then a gentle kick at the end. Bits of fish cake and scallion in between make it taste just like the old days. I ended up lifting the bowl to spoon up the sauce.

Twigim — dip it in the sauce

You get four kinds. The gimmari (seaweed rolls) are packed with glass noodles, and the fried dumplings have a crispy coat. The real move is dipping them into the tteokbokki sauce — so good.

Sundae and fish cake soup

The sundae portion is generous for ₩6,000 and comes with liver and lung slices too. It is made with sticky rice, so it is chewy — dip it in salt. It was the perfect amount to share between two.

The fish cake broth is clean and refreshing, great for switching back and forth with the spicy tteokbokki. They told us you can refill the broth.

Tips before you go

– Ask for a broth refill when your fish cake soup runs low. – Return your tray and dishes when you are done. – No outside food or drinks. – Coming late? Last order is 21:40, takeout until 21:50. – Prices can change, so check the kiosk for the latest.

Zoapik’s verdict

– The classic Hongdae tteokbokki taste, unchanged after two years – Over 20 chewy rice cakes for ₩6,000 – Twigim is crispy and even better dipped in the sauce – Generous sticky-rice sundae, plus refillable fish cake broth – Bright, spotless room with a bar table for solo eaters – Kiosk in English, Chinese and Japanese — no Korean needed – Heads-up: last order is 21:40, and outside food and drinks are not allowed

Same taste, much cleaner room — I am just happy they came back. If you want one classic street-food stop in Hongdae, make it this one.