YUP DDUK IRVINE

My partner and I absolutely love Korean food and were really excited to find this bunsik style restaurant as we’ve been to places like this in the Buena Park area. We drove a bit to get here, immediately when I enter I’m told that I’m not allowed to have my iced coffee (which you guys don’t even offer on the menu) …I’m happy to even pay for that, let me Venmo you $6 if you’re being that stingy, but yeah big turn off before having to exit and come back for this pointless rule. The fried chicken was delicious, moist and flavorful, actually my favorite part of the meal. The staff was really nice and attentive, they did forget about our beer though, but we eventually got it when we asked about it again. The Dduk was incredibly spicy. I got the “mild”. Mind you, I’m a white guy who can eat whole Jalapeños, haha, and I do love spicy food. So I’d recommend getting the extra mild if you wanna really appreciate the flavors. Overall, flavors were good, we might be back.

Yupdduk has always been my ultimate soul food since my days in Korea. I’m so happy they have locations in the LA area (I visited the Irvine one)! It tastes just as amazing here — spicy, rich, and so comforting. The U.S. version comes with lots of cabbage and extra-delicious sausage, which I actually love. I really hope they open a branch in the SF Bay Area someday — I’d be their regular for sure!

Went to Irvine location since I live in OC. I love Korean food. We ordered Fried Garlic Soy Chicken thigh so flavorful. Also a set of Yup O, it had rice cake, sausages, fish cake, cabbage and cheese. And the set came with seaweed rice and veggies fried tempura. My favorite place to go for this type of Korean food. Staffs were very nice. It’s a hole in the wall restaurant but good food and clean place.

This is hands down my favorite tteokbokki spot—I come here all the time, and it’s always on point! The flavors are incredible. The food is comforting, portions are generous (perfect for sharing!), and it’s super affordable. The staff are always so friendly, which makes the experience even better. Plus, you can get 50% off when you order through their app. Highly recommend this place!

Stopped by Yup Dduk in Irvine and it was definitely a solid spot. We got the Yup Dduk Tteokbokki, Yup Dduk Chicken Stew, Tuna Mayo Rice, and a Potato Cheese Corndog. The tteokbokki and chicken stew were the real standouts — full of flavor, good heat, and just the right kick to keep things interesting. The tuna mayo rice and corndog were solid sides that paired well without stealing the show. The spot itself is casual and unassuming, and the food definitely delivers. If you’re into Korean street-style dishes with bold spice and flavors that actually hit, this place is worth carving out time for.

Everything was delicious service was top-notch we loved it. We’ve never had this before in a restaurant sit down style and it was awesome and their server was wonderful and super helpful and informative for first timers.!!!

Our server Min was the best!!! Thank you min :) the food was good as always, the mala rose was super yummy and the perfect amount of spice.

Looking to spice things up? This is your place, first time here and it was more than expected, we did our dishes going extra mild and it was just the right amount of heat, the Bulgogi came regular and it took the spice level up about three notches. Greet taste, seaweed rice balls were fantastic, soft, touch of saltiness with a great seaweed hint. @yupddukirvine

Located in Albertsons Plaza, near UCI Irvine. Love this place. The thing to know, is this is the spiciest chain for all Tteokbokki places. - Very mild - is like 7/10 spicy, think buldak carbonara - Mild is like 8/10, building to 9 spicy, running nose, almost tears or some may get tears, think buldak black - Original is 10/10 spicy, on fire, ears ringing, tears, head on fire, tongue and throat on fire, like Buldak 2X - Extra Spicy - I can't even imagine, someone take this torture and report back please, because I don't want to go to the hospital or be out of commission for 2 days I got the original Yup Dduk tteokbokki bowl. It is 4 portions, or 4 meals for me. It depends on how much you eat. This comes with mozarella cheese on top, fishcake, 2 sausages and plenty of ricecake and some kimchi. Love love love! They make it super fresh, so don't get this when you're in a rush, it may take 15-20 minutes. A plus they sell soju! See my togo order.

Food - got the classic flavor yup duk, extra mild (still has a kick but doesn't linger as long) over all pretty sweet tasting (so would prefer more savory flavor), added the boiled eggs and ramen which made it slightly better but still too sweet Service normal Ambiance - casual small area with about 5-6 tables. Yelp challenge 2025

Annyeong throaties! You should know that there's a LOT of different korean food. We wanted to focus on this particular street food today: teokkbokki! No better place than Yupdduk, we'd say! They're KNOWN for these delicious spicy rice cakes! And when we say spicy, we mean it! They have a few spice levels, and honestly, we get the extra mild. They're NOT messing around! That's right, this is some major spicy goodness, so you scoville Steves out there should be plenty happy. We ordered all around the menu! They even invited us into the back to see how it all goes down! First, the yupdduk itself. Look at all those ingredients, just begging to be drowned in that extra mild...but still PRETTY spicy sauce. Mmmmmm~ Up next was this crazy thing. Yeah, we got some grilled pork bulgogi. Guys, something about a hot sizzling pot combined with this direct flame grilling? Wok hei? Yeah wok hi there! After lookin' at all of that cookin', the food arrived to our table. We had the pleasure of witnessing that almighty cheese pour, and what a cheese pour it was! So, naturally, the first thing we gotta do is hit a cheese pull. Yesss YESSSSS! Bam. Tell me that doesn't look appetizing. Tell me! There's rice cakes, there's fish cakes, there's cabbage, sausages, fried seaweed rolls, onions, and more! This is the perfect street food, and it's also designed for sharing, so bring some friends! And just keep eating! We also had to get some DIY rice balls to abate that spice, and look how cute this is! You get your glove and just mix it around. Usually we'd form it into cute little balls, but we were hungry and just wanted to have a big pile of it! Either way works! Can't forget about that crazy sizzling pork! All those flavors really combine and are worth way more than the sum of their parts. The sugar, the char, and the fattiness of pork meld together and make a dish you'll never forget! Y'all, if your hunger has run amok, you can solve your problems and go to Yupdduk!

I was looking for a place to warm up from the rain while killing time in Irvine and this was the place. It is a small place that delivers big flavors! There are signs everywhere that foreshadow big spice here and you should believe them. But you can personalize the spice level and there are many things to do to help with the spice. I went for the core set that comes with the Yup Dduk. I was going to order original but the waitress said even that is really spicy so I went with mild. It came with veggie fries (like a slightly more sturdy and seasoned tempura batter) and a bowl of rice to form into rice balls (I that they give you a plastic glove to keep your fingers clean). I love that the veggie fries were served right in the bowl so they got some of the amazing sauce too. The bowl is huge and could serve between 2-4 people since I went with the Yup Dduk (more rice cake than fish cake) option. The flavors were so delicious and the heat was enough to make my nose run and I could feel it lingering on my tongue but not aggressively. Here's what helped cool my tongue: cheese swirled on top, yellow sweet pickled radishes served on the side, rice and seaweed because I ate them separately, banana milk, and the cold water. Next time though I want to try to make rice balls and stick them in the sauce too. I will absolutely be back and want to try other things on the menu - and will bring a friend to help me finish the bowl. But I have loved these left overs and learned to steam while reheating in the microwave so the rice cakes stay soft and chewy (but yeah, nothing beats when they are first served). I was surprised how quickly I got full and the little fizzy yogurt drink that they give you helped create space in my stomach so I just felt full, not stuffed.

Came here for dinner last week. It's definitely a small restaurant but good food. Great flavor! We ordered the extra mild yup duk and rice balls. You roll the rice balls yourself which was fun. The extra mild yup duk still had a kick. Definitely would not have been able to handle anything spicier but has great flavor. Service was good and I enjoyed the food. Would definitely come back.

One of my fav spots to get tteokbokki. Be careful of the spice levels but if you're willing to endure the heat, you're in a for delicious Korean favorite! Decided to visit after craving something spicy. We ended up ordering a mild yup dduk which is their standard tteokbokki bowl with fish cakes, sausage cabbage, and topped with cheese. We also added some dumplings into the bowl. Warning that mild is SPICY. I'd compare it to the Korean fire buldak noodles so if you can't handle that, start off at extra mild or getting the rosé version. What ever you choose, the sauce is very flavorful with a good sweet and spicy taste! Feel free to add extra toppings for variety! Service was fast and if you need anything you can walk up and ask for them to help you. The shop is small inside but you can dine outside if you want. Great spot for my fav Korean street food!

Food was good and the service was ok on the surface. I understand that working in food service is difficult and we all talk negatively about our customers, but next time do it when the customers are no longer in the establishment. My friends and I felt extremely unwelcome by the young workers in the front. It's hard to miss the disrespect when the establishment is tiny and customers can hear every single word and see every facial expression when the cash register is literally 1 foot away. Food was yummy though.

Food: Yup Dduk (Extra Mild) Core Set Price: $42 Overall: Came around 3pm and we were able to get seated immediately (restaurant has limited seating). Been here a few times and although I have good spice tolerance, the worker reminded us that extra mild is preferable and mild is pretty spicy. Extra mild was delicious, with minimal spice and it paired well with the DIY rice balls. We shared the meal amongst 4 people and it was perfect!

This restaurant is small and has few indoor seats, but it is clean and comfortable. Staff are friendly and accommodating. We ordered a beef bulgogi rice and the signature yup dduk. The beef bulgogi rice was delicious and filling. The rice was seasoned, which I enjoyed, though the meat leaned on the sweeter side. For the yup dduk, we ordered extra mild spiciness but it was still fairly spicy, though not unbearable for our tolerances. The sauce is more sweet and spicy if you enjoy that. I particularly liked the fish cakes in the yup dduk, but found the sausages to have a strong meat smell. Overall it was very flavorful food. I couldn't tell just based off the menu, but these dishes were definitely meant to be shared with multiple people. It's a lot of food, so if you split the meal with at least 2-3 people then the price turns out to be fairly reasonable. Definitely take heed of the spice warning though!

This was my first time trying rose yuk o and also my first time at the irvine location. Their rice cakes are as good as I remember from korea town location. I like that rose sauce is creamy and very very mild. It is good for those who cannot take spicy food. Both their rose sauce and regular sauces are very good. Yuk Duuk is definitely one of my favorite places for tteokbokki hands down. Their toppings are added bonus. The restaurant itself was pretty small with only 5tables but there are more outdoor community tables. Great for a casual hangout spot. It took about 15-20 mins to get food, so it may be a good idea to order ahead through their app for to go orders.

Loveee Yupdduk. I used to frequent the K-town LA location when I went to school there and loved eating there, so I'm glad that I'm able to drive to Irvine to get my fix. The restaurant is pretty small with 5-6 tables so expect a long wait during peak hours. Service is pretty friendly and the workers check in on you maybe once or twice. If you need to take your food to-go, they'll pack your food for you and bring it back to your table. I usually order the yup dduk with cellophane noodles at the mild spice level, which includes a generous amount of rice cake, fish cake, some sausages, and cabbage, while topped off with a thick swirl of cheese. The rice cakes are cooked to perfection and are nicely soft and chewy. The cellophane noodles have a nice bounce and soak up the sauce, so eating the noodles can get pretty spicy. My spice tolerance is decently high so mild is the perfect spice level for me. Don't get me wrong though--mild still gets my nose runny. The radish on the side does help with reducing the spice. The portion is huge and can serve 2-3 people, but I did notice that the portion size has gone down recently, which is a bummer. I still always leave stuffed nonetheless.

Yupdduk is a SoCal staple for tteokbokki, I love going to this spot to share the large combo sets with a group of friends. It is right by UCI, and has a couple tables inside available for dining in, but most people do takeout. I'd recommend splitting one of the combo sets with a group of 3-4, you get the main tteokbokki and some rice balls and tempura to complement the meal. I'd recommend getting extra mild if you're not a spice person as their mild is decently spicy already. The mozzarella cheese and rice balls do help a lot to offset the spiciness so I highly recommend adding those on. I love how the sauce isn't too sweet like some places and portion sizes were plentiful for my group.

连锁地址多 能吃，极不推荐 吃播产物 一大盆甜辣酱拌年糕炸物 够辣 够刺激 够creamy 够kpop 充分展示现代节奏对于食物的要求： *没骨头（看剧吃随便吃不需要专心吃 *大口吞咽快感耐嚼 *比辣比爽比口感比拉丝 相对于食物吃的是社会流行性 UCI校区内位置极好，人流不断 店面很小，墙上海报在推广他们的同名外卖app 确实非常适合外卖到家，随便加点任何你想吃的料进去找个剧就能开吃，嗯吃这个，必须要看手机否则香味少一半。 共没几个桌子有两桌reservation，还有三人打包在店门口吃。 火的程度可见一斑，不怀疑有人开30分钟专门来吃。 基底就是一大份年糕鱼饼，辣度和creamy程度可选，同时选择多年糕或者多鱼饼四六分。再addon一些你想吃的额外炸物配料。Extra Mild挺辣的已经，总体偏甜，甜辣酱。年糕有口感，整盆质感特浓稠，加泡面很像火鸡面。 非常腻口，口味重，加点炸物可能会好点。不过我们的角度加什么都不好吃，没必要细吃。 还有人气饭团，自己手捏增加体验感。 不得不说韩国餐饮在美的商业化模型已经非常成熟。此店风格鲜明，目标受众明确，开店的目的就是赚钱，不需要有食物的追求，流量为王。唉，只能说我们不是这家店的目标受众。服务啥的都没问题，还送香精乳酸菌小饮品作礼甜上加甜。

Great place, especially on a cold day. It's very spicy!! Even an extra mild still has some kick to it. The chewy rice cakes, creamy rosé sauce, and ample toppings such as ramen noodles, mozzarella cheese, fish cakes, and cabbage made for a heavenly combination. Staff were very friendly and made sure we had water refills, we received complimentary Yakult after our meal too! I recommend if you want a comforting meal with friends.

We always order the Yup Dduk B set, which includes fried onions, pumpkin, potatoes, and rice balls. They provide a bowl of rice with seaweed and gloves, allowing us to shape the rice into balls ourselves. We also add extra cheese and ramen. The serving size is quite large, so unless you have a big appetite, expect to take leftovers home. We opt for the original spice level because we enjoy spicy food and can handle the heat, but I personally find the mild level to have a good balance of spice. The restaurant is relatively small, and the staff consists mostly of college students. In the past, service was inconsistent, and we often had to get their attention when we needed something. However, on our most recent visit, we noticed a significant improvement, as we were checked on multiple times. We prefer this location over others because it is convenient and the flavor is consistently good. I previously tried the Diamond Bar location, but the taste was bland and didn't compare. The LA location is great, but it's a long drive for me, so I always visit the Irvine location instead.

Stopped by Yup Dduk in Irvine and it was definitely a solid spot. We got the Yup Dduk Tteokbokki, Yup Dduk Chicken Stew, Tuna Mayo Rice, and a Potato Cheese Corndog. The tteokbokki and chicken stew were the real standouts -- full of flavor, good heat, and just the right kick to keep things interesting. The tuna mayo rice and corndog were solid sides that paired well without stealing the show. The spot itself is casual and unassuming, and the food definitely delivers. If you're into Korean street-style dishes with bold spice and flavors that actually hit, this place is worth carving out time for.

This is one of the best tteokbokis we have had around! The portion is really big and it could honestly serve four people. The fried veggies are a must get!! The server also gave us complementary yakult drinks at the end! There are a few tables inside so it can get crowded. There are a good number of outdoor tables outside of the restaurant.

We just got this for takeout on a Friday night and unfortunately the cooks/staff that night may have been inexperienced. The rice and fish cakes were a al dente (undercooked) and they had also forgotten our mozzarella :( I would still come back, but hopefully they can bring the quality back to normal!

This place is a very cozy establishment. Small in size but staff is very accommodating and kind. Also, if you have a large party think 2x before coming in because it seems like a lot of people do take out here. The young ladies were very nice to me the night I came. I was craving something warm since the weather is getting cooler. Though, the menu does not necessarily have many vegetarian options the porridge is yummy! I was pleasantly surprised at the large size for only $8-9! Great taste though I wish it had more broth and egg. The wait was around 15 minutes but in between they provide this pickled radish. Sweet and tangy, I wanted to dip it in a sauce but unfortunately they don't have sauces or spicy chilli oil. Other than this great place! At the end you get a free yakult . Thank you

Got the yup dduk extra mild with diy rice balls! I was surprised to see that I could handle the extra mild this time, so it seems they tweaked the recipe a bit. When I went awhile back, extra mild was still really painful even though they used honey in the yup dduk to make it less spicy. Couldn't taste any honey this time. I love how big the portion is, it's meant to be shared among a group of maybe three. It took awhile for our order to come out and seating is very limited so I suggest takeout. Best eaten right away because the rice cakes become hard over a long period of time. Loved everything I got. :)

What I ordered: - Yup DDUK with boiled eggs, mini sausages, and ramen noodles My go-to spot for tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), a popular Korean street food. Although you're able to adjust the spice level of your tteokbokki. I HIGHLY SUGGEST ordering extra mild (ranges from extra mild to challenge), anything beyond that is not really enjoyable to eat. Typical order is the Yup DDUK which comes with more rice cakes than fish cakes, also comes with boiled cabbage simmered in a sweet and savory gochujang sauce with a swirl of gooey mozzarella on top. The side of yellow pickled radish provides freshness and relief from the heat. Recommended add-ons include boiled eggs, mini sausages, and ramen noodles (soak up the gochujang nicely). Portion size is really big so I suggest bringing 3-4 people or you'll have leftovers!

I should have took pictures. I got regular spice level which was perfect for me since they actually have spice to it. The portion sizes are huge for 1 person so make sure you share. They were super helpful when ordering since I had a ton of questions. Also the location is small but perfect to grab and eat outside in the pavilion area. Would recommend if you are visiting the area.

Amazing service the food is diabolically good especially the rose flavor Tteok-bokki actually life changing.

Went back again after a few years. they're running an anniversary deal, so pop in for a $19 coupon card! Same spiciness, portion size etc. as before, but they seem to fallen in service quality. The seating is tight enough to be next to other people's convo if you are a two person party. We found that the perfect level of spice to taste everything was extra mild lol. We got yupdukk with rice balls, extra fish cake and cheese. For extra fish cake, they just add the thicker kind of fish cake in. I swore that the menu states there was 3 mini sausages included, but I did not see/get any which is my favorite part... It was suupper air conned, which is great for summer (also this was at night where it was a cool 65-70) but for our seat the air con blasts directly on the food so it was cold within 20 minutes and they can't reheat it in store. So the cheese and dukk turned hard.. Another thing was that they used to make the rice balls and now its just rice bowls ( messy as you have to mix yourself). Which is okay and part of the exprience, but I saw a customer next to me have trouble mixing it into balls and there's little direction for people who never had this food. I guess they didn't know how it works since everyone else's was already formed. The servers didn't step in/help and the customer just gave up and ate it broken apart which made me so sad. The seaweed also gets soggy when mixed. So overall, still popping, expect a 20-30 minutes wait. Same portion appearance wise and taste, but needless to say just a bit disappointed in the service this time and my lack of sausages :(. Its a pretty solid take out food, I think they have the system down and casual ambiance.

Ordered the rose yapdduk and tuna mayo rice bowl. Service amazing, super nice servers and amazing food! Would def come back soon!

Yup Dduk is always my go to to challenge my spice tolerance, provide an amazing portion, and have great customer service. The food is always consistently delicious and spicy. I appreciate the staff warning about the spice and making sure if we have ate at the place before. For any spice lover, original spice is spicy but they have an even spicier level for the braves. The place is small so I recommend calling to check wait time if youre driving from far but they do online orders too if you want to eat at home. One order is good for 2-4 people in my opinion, so it really is a bang for your buck!

If you're looking for spicy rice cakes that will leave you humbled, crying tears of satisfaction, and desperately reaching for something cold to drink without sacrificing taste, then look no further than Yup Dduk! When I first came here, I ordered the Mild Yup Dduk because of the warnings plastered all over the menu and I was worried it wouldn't be spicy enough or they were over-exaggerating. Thank god I obeyed. The mild is PLENTY spicy. Because of this, next time I came, I ordered the Extra Mild level. I regretted it. I was at least expecting a small kick, but there was no spice at all. So if you ever start off with extra mild and think mild will be easy... think again because the difference in spice between the two is substantial. After this, I decided to be bold and try the Challenge level. Holy f, this was painful. When I first took a few bites, I was like "ok this isn't bad, it's pretty satisfying." But then I waited a bit and definitely started to feel the burn. It was a slow build-up and it just kept getting worse. It's still not the spiciest thing I've eaten, but I still cried and needed to take breaks before eating more. If you're looking to maintain a facade of spice superiority, then definitely do not order this because mine got irrevocably shattered beyond repair. I also definitely recommend eating the pickled radish that accompanies the meal to help with the heat. Some other things I've tried here included the Rose Yup Dduk, which was delicious. If you don't like spice but still want good rice cakes, order this one. I also tried the Army Stew, Chicken Feet, and Grilled Pork Bulgogi. The stew and bulgogi were pretty good, but I thought the chicken feet was ok, I've had better. The space inside is pretty small and there is not much seating. You can always order to go and eat outside. It's located in this plaza so there are plenty of tables outdoor. Overall, Yup Dduk is a solid place. The portions are huge and given the serving size, I think it's a little ridiculous that the yup dduk only comes with 3 mini sausages, but you can pay for additional toppings. I like how they maintain taste and good flavor in their spicy foods, which is what makes it stand out from other places. I've already been here multiple times, I will continue returning.

TL;DR - super yummy, awesome korean spot! i came here with my mom and her friend! the staff was super attentive while we were eating, always checking in on us! - the tteokboki was super spicy (even at mild), but so tasty!! i had to get a strawberry nesquik to cool down LOL the inside was nice with booth seating & nice AC! i would definitely recommend if you're in the irvine area and in the mood for spicy!

Food is amazing as always! The mild is HOT so be careful. It is equivalent to buldak fire noodle spicy level. It's good but makes your nose runny haha. The location is very small and quiet. It's tucked into the corner of the plaza. Because it's small, there are only 2 employees so service is a little slow, so you'll have to be patient. Instagram: @jessgoeat

My favorite tteokbokki location. I only come here for this one item. This satisfied my cravings for tteokbokki. The sauce at yupdduk is the best since it's not too sweet. I would definitely recommend getting extra mild, which is still spicy, so you can actually enjoy the meal.

This satisfied my tteokbokki craving, we got the yup dduk extra mild. We also got extra cheese on top and jt was delicious. I love that it's large enough to share with 2 other people, and had some leftovers.

Haven't come here in a while so I was pleased to see the new extensive menu they had. We ordered the Rose tteokboki combo and were very pleased. Flavor was great and expected for the rose version. Portions were fair, and for a group of 4, we had some extra to go which was nice. It can get busy, we did have a 20 min wait since seating is very limited Parking is ample and free

Food: 10/10 Service: 8/10 Ambiance: 7/10 Such Korean soul food. I go each time I crave it even though I'm not from the area. It hurts my wallet a little bit because I know the price in Korea, but whateverrrrr my cravings are satisfied. Just know that one entre of yupdduk is more like 2-4 people so please don't get one each! Love. Yup. DDUK.

Great food and great place. Small restaurant but definitely worth a try. Make sure to call ahead for seating and dine in.

First time getting tteokbokki and it's great! Got the mild which is super spicy. The portion is big enough for 2.

We got sat immediately. The music was amazing (R&B/Rap). Service was excellent, everyone was friendly and attentive. Got the yupp duk with no fish cake, add fried dumplings and ramen noodle. EXTRA MILD. The heat was perfect, im a fan of spicy and this was just the right amount. It definitely builds up the more you rate it. Rice cakes were perfectly chewy, only 3 sausages come with this but you can add more. Def recommend trying this spot out!!

Great food and service! A big shout out to David who was incredibly helpful explaining the menu and answering our many questions!

I just dont like the food, i asked for ramen noodles they were cold af, another $4-$5 for cold ass noodles?? I came here cause my gf found this place on tiktok, when i came in the lady was kind and chill but when i returned to grab my order the next lady had attitude and i could barely hear what she was saying, it seemed like she expected me to understand her with her soft voice, its a tiny ass room with a lot of noise and people running around everywhere, i appreciate the cheeseness of the food though

I order a mild bowl, and my spice level tolerance is slightly above jalapeños, and I think it was still a little too spicy for me to eat. However, the flavor is delicious. I like how they give you pickled radish on the side as it can be a good palette cleanser for all the heavy food. I shared this with one person and we had a ton of leftovers. The workers are extremely nice and they packed up my left overs for me. I would go back with a bigger group as this is a shareable meal. The place is on the smaller side, but I saw a lot of people order it to go and ate it outside of the restaurants in the patio area. Great option if you don't want to wait for a seat.

Walking into the restaurant, it kind of felt like a fast food store, only a few small tables and that's about it. I know the one in Ktown is also only a few tables and a lot of people do take-out so it wasn't hard to get seated. We got the "Yup O" which is the one style with less ricecakes and more fishcakes at their "mild." The flavor was good, exactly how I expect tteokbokki to taste (the sauce was savory, rich, thick, and a little sweet). The portion size was also HUGE (definitely easily shareable with 2 people, one order). This part is subjective, but I think I can eat a decent spiciness for most foods. I was warned by friends that "original" would be too spicy (even for my friends who love spicy food) and that I should order with caution. And it was true. At their mild, it was still REALLY spicy. About half way in, it was to a point where the spiciness overpowered my palate and the food was no longer enjoyable after a while. I actually thought their service was a bit lacking. I don't expect much from servers, but I feel like checking in on your customers once is kind of the bare minimum. There were like 4 workers hanging out around the counter area and none of them ended up checking in on us. As the food was really spicy, we were drinking the water heavily and also wiping the sweat off. We needed to ask for more napkins and water. I don't expect them to be mind-readers, but it would be nice if they would check up on the customers next time. Ending thoughts: If I want to go outside for tteokbokki, I would come back here. However, I would definitely get their "extra mild." Enjoy with caution!

A bit late to the game but finally tried out Yup dduk! This location is hidden in the shopping plaza on culver, with the Albertsons, del taco and habit burger. The dining area seats about 12 total across 4-5 small tables/booths. There is a single stall restroom inside as well. The staff was super friendly, and our server did such a great job of helping us decide what spice level to get. My friend and I shared the a-set which is a combo of the rice cakes, veggie tempura, and hard boiled eggs. Topped with light mozzarella cheese. We both handle spice fairly well so we thought we'd be good with the spicy level however the waitress did explain that they are known for their spice, and most people opt for mild so that the meal is enjoyable. She said "if you can handle the buldak noodles I'd go mild". Thank goodness she warned us because we opted for the mild, it was delicious but, slowly but surely the spice started to build and by the end of our meal we were in slight pain lol In true Korean street food fashion, we accompanied our meal with a bottle of jinro soju and terra beer. Overall, very enjoyable meal, a bit on the pricey side for ddukboki in my opinion but, it was delicious and I would definitely come back from time to time! If you're a fan of spice, definitely give them a try and opt for the spicy or if you dare.... the hot level ddukboki!

My wife and I came here for dinner and had an amazing meal! We ordered the signature Yupdduk, a Korean street food with rice cakes, fish cakes, sausages, cabbage, with a side of fried dumplings in a spicy red sauce. We got extra mild which would extra spicy virtually anywhere else. If you really into spicy food you can get up to "challenge" level which is 10,500 Scoville heat units. That's hot! The food was delicious, spicy and a very large portion. We ordered one dish and took leftovers home. Our waitress was super friendly and helpful with suggestions. The restaurant has a great buzzy ambiance and is filled with UCI students. (The pickles served with the meal are great too: crunchy and flavorful.)

Fun place to challenge yourself how hot you can go! It's definitely a shared experience so my husband and I had Yup Dduk, extra mild. Even with extra mild we were glad we had enough water to keep the spice tone down. The dish was pretty good but full of carbs. The sauce was red hot and sweet. Service was amiable. Will definitely come back for their bulgogi!

tl,dr: Fascinating tteokbokki shop right by UCI campus. Expensive. Way too much carbs and too little meat. Likes: + Delicious tteokbokki meal spot. I was delighted to learn about the diy rice ball concept. + I was enthralled when they brought out the huge bowl of spicy tteokbokki after I finished preparing my rice balls. So much food! I had enough leftovers for dinner that night and even breakfast the next day. + Their menu wasn't kidding when it said their mild spicy is already very spicy. I'm a strong spicy eater, and the Original level was quite enough for me. + Very nice and helpful staff. The waitress was kind enough to explain to me how to consume the rice ball (diy). And when I asked for a to-go box, she even offered to package it all up for me. Thank you! Non-likes: - CARBS! The carb:protein ratio for their main menu set meals is way too high. Rice, rice cakes, noodles... it's just carbs on carbs on carbs! Please, more more meat and seafood! - Very expensive. At +$40, I felt ripped off for the lack of meat. - Only one restroom. Every restaurant should have at least two. - There is limited interior seating. The parking lot is large but almost always so crowded. I had the $41 C set (Yup Dduk + veggie fries + boiled eggs + rice ball diy + cellophane noodles) + tax = $44.18

The portions here are huge. One yupdduk order could probably feed 3-4 people, in my opinion. Dining space inside is limited, but you can take your order to go and eat in the outside patios, and it comes with some pickled daikon. Also, the spice level is really intense- we were told a mild was about the same spice level as buldak ramen, for reference. The flavor is good but I think my spice tolerance is so low that all I can remember is it was really spicy so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have, but that's my own problem lol

Really good! We got the lowest spice level and it was still kinda spicy for me but the food was really good and filling. Just one order was enough to make the three of us full. We ate outside and the area is clean.

Something new, something different, and something seriously spicy! The "extra mild" option was already pretty spicy, but it was delicious. I considered going for the mild level, but after reading reviews and chatting with the staff, I decided to play it safe--and I'm glad I did. Angela recommended their signature rice cakes in the Yup Dduk. I went with Set B, which includes Yup Dduk Fries, a Boiled Egg, and a Rice Ball. The cost was $30, and for the price, you get a huge bowl, typically shared between 2-4 people. The restaurant also offers Yup O, similar to Yup Dduk but with more fish than rice cakes. Each order is boiled with rice cakes, fish cakes, three mini-sausages, cabbage, green onion, and topped with a light layer of mozzarella cheese. (Yes, cheese!) I have to admit, this was a first for me. Cheese isn't common in many Asian dishes, much like Hawaiian cuisine, where it's not a typical ingredient either. (And no, Hawaiian pizza doesn't count!) It was a unique twist. I enjoyed it, even though it was on the "halang" (spicy) side. Next time, I might try the Yup O with more fish cakes than rice and maybe even dare to go for the mild spice level. Keep in mind, this was the "extra mild" version, and it still packed a fair amount of heat. The Korean mini-sausages and onion rings paired nicely with the spicy bowl, but I wish there had been more of them--just three sausages and two onion rings in this huge bowl of broth and rice cakes. It was like seeing three overboard victims floating in an ocean of soup with only two onion rings as life preservers. For a $30 bowl, more than three mini-sausages and two onion rings would have been nice. I tried to order more onion rings because two felt like a sample rather than a serving. If this bowl is meant to be shared between 2 or 3 people, how do they decide who gets the onion ring? And what about the mini-sausages? "One for you, one for you, and one for me!" It's a bit silly. They need to balance out the bowl with more of the other ingredients, not just vegetables, rice cakes, and broth. After all, most of what you're paying for is water, with red pepper powder used to make the broth. Do they flip a coin for the single boiled egg in the order? Overall, the food was very good, and the customer service was excellent. Angela was instrumental in making my first visit to Yup Dduk a good one. She was helpful, friendly, and patient with my usual barrage of "first time here" questions. Mahalo Angela & Eunice! Great first visit; very good! Food: 4 Ambiance: 3 Service: 5 Value: 3

My mom wanted some theokbokki but I didn't feel like making it myself because it's never as spicy as when I had it in Korea. So we did a take out order. There were 3 levels of spiciness and I figured my mom couldn't handle the extra spicy. I did not take the warning to order mild if it was my first time. We ordered the original spicy. Boy was it spicy. The color was a deep red and it made me sweat. It definitely reminded me of eating it in Korea. I do wish the rice cakes were a little bit softer I doubt the drive home hardened then that much. My mom says we can add a little bit of water to the leftovers and cook them a little longer. It was too spicy for her but she agreed the flavor was good.

I've had Yup Dduk in ktown years ago and i vividly remember the spiciest even from ordering mild lol. And as a spice fanatic i ended up going with my buds again years later to the one in irvine. Again we ordered the mild and i was again shocked by how spicy mild was. Please actually be careful because it's no joke lol. Really good however, we added cheese and ramen I believe and it does cut it down. Also the rice balls we ordered helps as well, they were surprisingly flavorful.