Tteokbokki: South Koreans' longtime soul food

Searching for soul food in Seoul? Head over to Ssangdungne in Apgujeong for tteokbokki

Clockwise from top right: Tteokbokki, sundae, deep-fried seaweed rolls and fish cake soup are served at Ssangdungne in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. (Park Jun-hee/The Korea Herald)

There is one thing we can all agree on. Everybody has a particular soul food they reach for when they feel out of sorts and need a taste of comfort.

A magical go-to food enjoyed by South Koreans is "tteokbokki," a popular snack of chewy rice cakes slathered in a spicy sauce made from red pepper paste with additions of fish cakes and boiled eggs, as the case may be.

If you are looking for a place to get your first taste of tteokbokki, head to Apgujeong-dong. Here, a small building in front of Apgujeong Hyundai Apartments houses Ssangdungne, about 10 minutes from Apgujeong Station exit No. 1 on Subway Line No. 3.

The eatery may look a little grubby from the outside. But step inside and you will be greeted by the autographs of scores of Korean celebrities on the wall who stopped by for their own fill of the soul food. You could make a fun game of identifying the celebs on the walls, which include actor Joon Sang-wook and singer Chuu.

Ssangdungne's signature menu is, of course, tteokbokki. The dish of rice cakes cut into small pieces slathered in sweet and spicy sauce is chewy, soft and decently spicy. Even those who do not like strong flavors will find it palatable.

Ssangdungne in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul (Park Jun-hee/The Korea Herald)

A bowl of "eomukguk," or fish cake soup with anchovy stock, is served alongside the dish. While tteokbokki is rich in flavor, the soup helps cool the sauce's heat. Sipping the soup between bites of tteokbokki balances the spice and texture of the food, making the meal more enjoyable. The tteokbokki set is priced at 5,000 won ($3.40).

Another option is "sundae," steamed Korean blood sausage stuffed with rice and vegetables. Try adding coarse salt or dipping it into the tteokbokki sauce. Korean fried seaweed rolls filled with sweet potato noodles, called "gimmari," are also served. Gimmari, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, is often eaten either dipped in tteokbokki sauce or absolutely slathered in it. The two dishes are priced at 5,000 won.

A bowl of fish cakes and fried mandu, or Korean dumplings filled with seasoned minced meat and vegetables, are each offered at 2,000 won.

Ssangdungne in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul (Park Jun-hee/The Korea Herald)

"Janchi guksu," a simple warm noodle dish made with thin wheat noodles in a light broth, is priced at 4,000 won, while a bowl of ramyeon is offered at 5,000 won.

Ssangdungne opens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.