Rose Tteokbokki, Mapo-gu — A Little Piece of Seoul

Late November in Seoul. The evenings were cold, but Mapo-gu was alive. Warm lights spilled from small restaurants, and laughter drifted from neighbors sharing barbecue and soju. Our last three nights were in a third-floor Airbnb. After walking all day, its heated floor felt like luxury.

Less than a block away was a mom-and-pop convenience store where we bought water, ramen, and whatever snacks caught our eye. Nearby, we discovered a tteokbokki café.

“Rose tteokbokki, juseyo,” I told the Korean auntie, feeling confident after two weeks of practice. Then she answered. There went my Korean! I switched nervously to English.

She looked at us with a curious smile. Perhaps seeing an Asian man and his Western wife together made her wonder where we were from. I'd have loved to share our story, but between my limited Korean and her limited English, we exchanged a few words and smiles. Still, her kindness needed no translation.

While our food cooked, I noticed the few seats, neighborhood flyers on the wall, and children chatting behind the kitchen. My wife waited for her new comfort food, now rivaling mac and cheese.

The auntie handed us our order, along with coupons and a punch card. A small kindness that made us feel like regulars.

Walking home past a barbecue restaurant, I said, “That’s our next place.” My wife grew quiet, soaking in the neighborhood. We were already missing Seoul.

I tucked the punch card away. We could return someday. I just wished someday were closer.

Rose Tteokbokki, Mapo-gu — A Little Piece of Seoul

The recipe

Rosé Tteokbokki

Korean comfort food made with chewy rice cakes simmered in a creamy, mildly spicy gochujang sauce. Rich, slightly sweet, and comforting, it’s a delicious twist on traditional tteokbokki.

Prep10 min Cook20 min Serves 2

Ingredients

1 lb cylindrical Korean rice cakes tteok (450g)
4 strips bacon cut into bite-sized pieces
8 mini sausages or Vienna sausages scored with a few light cuts
0.25 white onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup whole milk
0.5 cup heavy cream
1 cup water or dashi stock
2 tbsp gochujang Korean chili paste
1 tbsp gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes, adjust to taste
2 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 green onions (scallions) chopped

Steps

Soak the rice cakes: If your rice cakes are firm, frozen, or dry, soak them in cold or warm water for about 10–15 minutes to detangle and soften, then drain.
Crisp the bacon: In a large pan or skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove or drain most of the excess grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Sauté aromatics and proteins: Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, and scored mini sausages to the pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until the onions start to soften.
Build the sauce and simmer: Add the water (or stock), whole milk, heavy cream, gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir well and bring the liquid to a light simmer.
Cook the rice cakes: Add the drained rice cakes (and fish cakes or noodles, if using) into the simmering sauce. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice cakes are tender and the sauce begins to thicken into a creamy, pinkish-orange "rose" color.
Melt the cheese and garnish: Stir in the mozzarella cheese until melted and bubbly. Top with chopped green onions and hard-boiled eggs before serving hot.

Notes

2 hard-boiled eggs, fish cakes, or udon noodles

Save to my recipes