Memories Dripping Like Drops
When I think back to my school days, the memories of chatting and playing with friends come to mind before the memories of studying. At the center of all those memories is always Tteokbokki. As an elementary school student, I enjoyed 500-won cup Tteokbokki on the way home from school; as a middle school student, I loved ‘Tteokban’; and as a high school student, I looked forward to buying ‘Mae-tteok’ during dinner time.
Wait, if you don’t know what Tteokban is, click here!
Today, I’d like to introduce you to some nostalgic snack bars in front of schools. Let’s experience the taste of school-front Tteokbokki that brings back bittersweet memories with just one bite.
Myeondong Tteokbokki
Myeondong Tteokbokki, located in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu, is a Jjajang (black bean sauce) Tteokbokki specialty store boasting an unchanging taste since 1993. It is situated across from Myeondong Elementary School, in a building with a stationery store and academies, attracting many young customers.
Here, you can enjoy Tteokbokki with chewy noodles and ramen added. The main menu is Jjajang Tteokbokki, but they also sell red (spicy) Tteokbokki. Experts who have tried Tteokbokki here often order half Jjajang Tteokbokki and half red Tteokbokki. When you order at the counter, cooking starts immediately. While waiting, you can take a nostalgic trip by looking at the idol posters from back in the day stuck on the wall, and then your food will be served.
I ordered the signature Jjajang Tteokbokki. Both the appearance and taste of this Jjajang Tteokbokki are unique. First, it has a lot of broth. The broth is not thick but very watery. When you scoop up the well-seasoned wheat rice cakes and thin fish cakes with the broth and slurp it, huh? Unlike other Jjajang Tteokbokki, it is quite spicy. It tastes like a subtle Jjajang flavor combined with the spiciness of red Tteokbokki. It’s spicy enough to make your nose run, so I recommend adding boiled eggs, dumplings, or kimbap. After one or two spoonfuls, you’ll envy the children of Myeondong Elementary School who can buy this Tteokbokki anytime on their way home from school if they want.
Seondarae Snack Bar
Seondarae Snack Bar, located in Daehangno, is also a Tteokbokki hotspot that would be hard to beat. If you enter the alley near Seoul National University’s College of Education Elementary School, you’ll easily find its familiar signboard. Like Myeondong Tteokbokki introduced earlier, this snack bar boasts a tradition of over 30 years.
When you enter, you’ll notice graffiti on the walls that show the passage of time. Since it’s Daehangno, there are also several theater posters displayed. The popular menu items here include Tteokbokki assortments with dumplings, kimbap, and eggs, basic Tteokbokki, and Sundae (Korean blood sausage) Tteokbokki.
I ordered basic Tteokbokki and Sundae Tteokbokki. They are filled with large fish cakes and chewy, thick rice cakes. Sundae Tteokbokki has the same ingredients as the basic one but with added Sundae. The rice cakes are on the thicker side, but the seasoning is well absorbed inside without just coating the surface. The sauce looks spicy but isn’t very hot, and the sweetness is strong. It’s the kind of spicy-sweet and slightly thick broth that immediately comes to mind when you think of ‘snack bar Tteokbokki.’ It’s the classic snack bar Tteokbokki. For those who want to mix rice with it, there is also a menu where rice, sesame oil, and seaweed flakes are mixed into the Tteokbokki broth, so keep that in mind when ordering.
Yeongdong Tteokbokki
If you graduated from Jinseon Girls’ Middle and High School, you’ve probably tried the Tteokbokki and Tteokkochi here at least once. The last snack bar I’ll introduce is Yeongdong Tteokbokki, boasting a 40-year tradition. The signboard simply reads ‘Tteokbokki House’ without a business name.
This is a rare place in the expensive area of Yeoksam-dong where you can get one serving of Tteokbokki for 3,000 won and four Tteokkochi (rice cake skewers) for 2,000 won. They sell only the essential snack bar menu items: Tteokbokki, Tteokkochi, fish cakes, ramen, Sundae, and fried snacks. The Tteokbokki is served on a plate covered with plastic wrap, and the Tteokkochi is fried right after ordering.
The Tteokbokki contains only rice cakes without fish cakes. It has a rich gochujang (red chili paste) flavor, and even the spicy and thick taste feels endearing. It’s the salty and thick old-fashioned Tteokbokki flavor. The sauce is quite strong, so it pairs very well with the mild fish cake broth. The Tteokkochi tastes similar to spicy chicken with lots of gochujang. It’s spicy but sweet and sour, making you want to keep eating it. Since it’s fried right after ordering, you can enjoy the rice cakes warm and soft, which is another attractive point.
One bite of Tteokbokki, and memories become soft and sweet♥
Photo by Kim Bomi
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