Snack Bar Style Tteokbokki (Bunsikjip Tteokbokki)
In Korea, the best tteokbokki memories often start at a bunsikjip (a casual snack shop): steamy pans, sweet-spicy sauce, and chewy rice cakes that somehow taste even better on a plastic tray. This snack bar style tteokbokki captures that classic vibe with simple ingredients and a fast, weeknight-friendly method.
The key is a balanced sauce spicy from gochujang, sweet from sugar and syrup, and savory from an umami seasoning (like Yondu or soy sauce). Whether you like it thick and glossy or a little more brothy, this tteokbokki recipe is easy to tune to your preferences.
If you’re making Korean street food at home for the first time, this is a great place to start: one pan, minimal prep, big comfort-food payoff.
What is Snack Bar Style Tteokbokki (Bunsikjip Tteokbokki)?
Bunsikjip tteokbokki is the nostalgic, “classic” style of Korean tteokbokki you’d find at snack shops—chewy rice cakes (tteok) and sliced Korean fish cake simmered in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce.
Flavor-wise, it’s bold but balanced: a gentle heat, deep chile-pepper savoriness, and a glossy sweetness that clings to every piece. The texture is the whole point—soft-chewy rice cakes with tender fish cake, finished with fresh green onion for lift.
What You’ll Need to Make Snack Bar-Style Tteokbokki
Tools & equipment
- Wide skillet or sauté pan (a larger surface helps reduce sauce to that snack-shop gloss)
- Small pot or kettle (to blanch/rinse rice cakes)
- Knife + cutting board
- Measuring spoons/cups
- Tongs or chopsticks for stirring
Pantry staples
- Neutral oil (grapeseed oil is great)
- Gochujang (Korean red chile paste)
- Sugar
- Corn syrup (or a similar thick sweetener)
- Umami seasoning (Yondu) or soy sauce
- Water
If you’re new to gochujang: see this primer on what it is and how to use it.
Why You’ll Love Bunsikjip Tteokbokki
- True bunsikjip flavor at home: that sweet-spicy, slightly caramelized gochujang taste.
- Flexible texture: make it thick and clingy or more like soupy tteokbokki.
- Fast and pantry-friendly: minimal chopping, one pan, big reward.
- Easy to customize: add cabbage, ramen, boiled eggs, dumplings, or sausage—whatever you love in Korean street food.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Main
- Korean rice cakes (tteok), 200 g (about 2 cups)
- Korean fish cake (eomuk), 100 g (about 1 sheet), sliced into 1 cm strips
- Garlic, 10 g (about 2 cloves), crushed or minced
- Neutral oil (grapeseed oil), 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
Sauce
- Gochujang, 2 Tbsp (about 40 g)
- Yondu (Korean vegetable umami seasoning), 2 Tbsp (about 20 ml)
- Substitute: 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- Sugar, 1 Tbsp (about 10 g)
- Corn syrup (mulyeot), 1 Tbsp (about 20 g)
- Substitute: honey or golden syrup
- Water, 1 cup (200 ml)
Finish
- Scallion (green onion), 10 g (about 1 small stalk), thinly sliced
Method / Instructions
-
Prep the rice cakes.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Briefly blanch the rice cakes for 20–30 seconds, then drain and rinse. (This helps remove any lingering package smell and gives you a better chew.) -
Prep the add-ins.
Slice fish cake into 1 cm strips. Crush/mince the garlic. Slice the scallion and set aside for finishing. -
Bloom the gochujang with garlic.
Heat a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add oil, then garlic and gochujang. Stir-fry gently for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and smells rounder (not sharp). Don’t let it scorch. -
Simmer until glossy.
Add rice cakes, fish cake, sugar, corn syrup, Yondu (or soy sauce), and water. Bring to a lively simmer over medium high heat, stirring often so the sauce thickens evenly and the rice cakes don’t stick. -
Finish and serve.
When the sauce is thick and clings to the rice cakes, turn off the heat and top with scallion. Serve immediately.
Prefer it thicker (“sticky” style)? Keep the rice cakes at 200 g and water at 200 ml as written and simmer until reduced.
Prefer soupy tteokbokki? Increase the sauce and water and simmer a little longer so the rice cakes absorb flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- Texture tweak: Equal rice cakes and water (200g:200ml) yields sticky classic tteokbokki; double liquids for soupy Korean street food.
- Sauce ratio hack: 2 parts gochujang + 2 parts sweeteners (sugar + corn syrup) + 2 parts umami (soy/yeondoo) = foolproof every time.
- Make it yours: Add cheese for creaminess, ramen noodles for hybrid tteokramyeon, or veggies for bulk. Simmer longer on low for infused flavors.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat with a splash of water. Freeze sauce separately for quick meals.
- Serve hot with kimchi fried rice or as a side to bulgogi.
Frequently Asked Questions
This snack bar style tteokbokki (bunsikjip tteokbokki) is the kind of cozy, craveable Korean comfort food that feels special but cooks fast perfect for busy nights and even better with your favorite toppings. If you try it, round out your snack-shop plate with kimbap or mandu and make it a full-on bunsikjip moment at home.
