If I had to list everything I love about Korean culture, Korean food would come pretty much top of the list (unless I'm hangry, then food trumps everything!) Tteokbokki - a spicy rice cake dish, is my absolute go-to Korean comfort food and I order it everywhere I go. There is something so comforting about a big plate of chewy, delicious rice cakes covered in spicy sauce and cheese. It's actually impossible to be sad while eating it.
I use tteokbokki as a level test to compare my experience at every restaurant/café I visit. As such, I have tasted a whole lot of tteokbokki and I'd like to share with you some of both mine and Shaymae's favourite places to eat tteokbokki in London.
*This is by no means an exhaustive list and there are many more places we are dying to try, however, we hope these will be some of the best London has to offer!
Bab & Sul - Chinatown:
(Chicken and beef Halal)
This is, without a doubt, my most-visited Korean restaurant in London. It is just on the edge of Chinatown and perfect for anyone looking to try a range of different Korean dishes. It is a little expensive (as most food is in London) so I would recommend visiting in a group. This way you can try lots of their delicious dishes - their Seoul Bulgogi is to die for - without breaking the bank. Bab & Sul is also a BBQ restaurant.
Let's talk Tteokbokki:
Bab & Sul's tteokbokki is to die for. Large portion sizes and a fantastic bright red sauce that has just the right amount of kick. Their rice cakes are quite chunky which means you get that delicious chewy texture and they hold a great amount of sauce per rice cake. You have the option to have this dish with or without cheese, and the cheese on offer is mozzarella, a perfect cheese for this dish as it melts into wonderfully gooey strings that make picking the tteok with chopsticks even more fun.
Variety of food: 9/10
Quality of food: 10/10
Price: £££
Woo Jung - Tottenham Court Road:
(Chicken Halal)
Woo Jung is one of those must-visit places for any Korean food fan. Walking in, you find yourself in a small Korean grocery store that I literally cannot walk into without buying something. Walking to the back of the store you will find a staircase leading down into the restaurant with the stairs and walls lined with pictures of BTS. They also play Mnet all day so it's a great place to stop by if you're a K-pop fan!
The staff here are super friendly and chatty and the food is all traditional Korean cuisine. What's even better is that if you find a new dish you love and want to make it for yourself, you have to walk right through a grocery shop on your way out... Brilliant!
Let's talk Tteokbokki:
The tteokbokki at Woo-Jung is delicious and you can tell it is made with love. This tteokbokki has much more soul than any other I have eaten. You can see into the kitchen at Woo-Jung and enjoy watching the chefs create their favourite foods. This is reflected in the food you receive. The tteok here is slightly slimmer which means you get more per serving and the sauce is also a little spicier as the Ajummas say it's better for you that way. It's also easier to eat with chopsticks!
Variety of food: 7/10
Quality of food: 10/10
Price: ££
The Alley - Holborn:
The Alley is an interesting place as it is mainly a boba tea shop that happens to also serve tteokbokki (and croffles!) Tteokbokki is the only savoury item on the menu here, but it is still super yummy and great if you need a quick tteokbokki fix.
Let's talk Tteokbokki:
As this is more of a fast-food operation rather than a restaurant, the serving sizes are smaller than any of the others on this list, however, the meal is just as filling as they put ramen noodles into their tteokbokki! I haven't come across this anywhere else. This tteokbokki is perfect for a cold winter's day as you can have it as a takeaway and warm your hands as well as your stomach, though this tteokbokki is much milder than most I have had, as I guess it needs to cater to a wider variety of palettes.
Variety of food: 2/10
Quality of food: 8/10
Price: £
YORI - Panton Street:
(Chicken Halal)
YORI is another of my favourite places to go for Korean food and is comparable to Bab & Sul in terms of cuisine, environment and the ability to BBQ. The staff are all super friendly here and you have placemats with fun phrases in Korean printed on them so you can learn and try speaking some Korean with the staff. There is a wide variety of Korean food available here including my favourite kimchi fried rice.
Let's talk Tteokbokki:
Yori is big on quality so you can be assured that you're getting the best of everything here, right down to the free-range eggs that decorate your tteokbokki. This tteokbokki is slightly more on the spicy side, just how I like it, and again comes with the option to have cheese melted into it. The dish uses quite chunky rice cakes which I love because they just get so chewy and they hold so much sauce making every mouthful that much more delicious!
Variety of food: 9/10
Quality of food: 9/10
Price: £££
Korean BBQ and Vegan - Whitecross Street Market:
(Halal)
Korean BBQ & Vegan is an unexpected hidden gem in the Whitecross Street market that caters to both meat lovers and vegans alike, offering delicious fully halal Korean BBQ and plant-based dishes.
With a vast array of options to satisfy diverse palates, the menu truly shines.
The restaurant offers a wide variety of freshly made banchan, their kimchi has a milder and less intense flavour compared to traditional kimchi. This makes it ideal for individuals who are new to kimchi and want to experience its taste without being overwhelmed by spiciness or strong flavours.
They have recently updated their restaurant to offer a full Korean BBQ experience with grills built into the table so you can cook your own meats.
Let's talk Tteokbokki:
The Tteokbokki here is super delicious, and like the Kimchi is slightly milder than other Tteokbokki I have eaten. This makes it a great place to try Tteokbokki for the first time, especially if you are new to Korean foods and their usual spice levels. The Tteok is really squishy and pairs well with the cheese topping (vegan if needed!) I would totally recommend this Tteokbokki for all, but especially for large mixed groups where there are lots of different dietary requirements and Korean BBQ and Vegan caters to them all!
Variety of food: 9/10
Quality of food: 10/10
Price: ££
So there you have our top 5 places to eat Tteokbokki in London. This is an ever-evolving list, and I'm sure we will have found at least 3 more places by the time I publish this post, but I guess this leaves us in good stead for the next one.
Now nothing is stopping you from going out and enjoying some fantastic Korean food - let us know which venue you like best!