YUP DDUK IRVINE

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!

I’m 33 weeks pregnant, and I was really craving Yupdduck, which I used to eat in Korea. I ordered it even though it was quite far—about an hour away—but I have no regrets! I truly enjoyed it. Thank you so much!

Food is good. Very spicy even at the "mild' level. Indoor seating capacity 24.

I liked the flavor of their food even though I was wasted by the spiciness but I just the meal should have more ingredients

When they say mild is very spicy... believe them. Everything tasted great! It's very cozy inside, so be prepared to rub elbows with your neighbor. Down to try it again, but a milder version lol

Super quick service, and the flavor hits home every single time!! Huuuge portion, like you could have 2-3 people share the tteokbokki alone and be super full I think. I’ve always gotten sides with the tteokbokki but have never managed to finish even with a group of 4 to be honest… speaking of, the tuna mayo rice is our favorite! We tried their soondae this time too which was pretty yummy. But honestly, beware.. it might be spicier than you think haha we always get the medium but I would compare it to an almost buldak/fire noodles spicy personally. Also?! We ordered to-go and ate it like an hour and a half later but the food was still hot?! Magic

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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. :)

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!

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!

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.

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!

Located in the Albertsons plaza by cornell housing and UCI. Oh my! Oh my! There are four spicy levels, the extra mild (which I haven't tried yet) but I'm guessing extra mild is 7/10 spicy Asian levels. The mild (I ordered this) and it's 8/10 spicy level easily building up to a 9, you will sweat, and feel your heart beat faster. The Original spicy level (I didn't get) but can imagine it's easily a 10/10 spicy. The challenge level, do you want to feel pain? Want it to hurt so good? I can't imagine how spicy it is 15/10? After this, I will definitely get extra mild next time knowing it will be spicy like level 7. People who can't eat spicy, don't come. You will most definitely die. Anyone I orders the yup dduk bowl of ttteobokki is $27, which says it serves 2-3 but I can easily make 4 portions out of it. The chewiness of the rice cakes are impressive. The mozzarella cheese was nice too although I normally don't like it on tteobokki. The fish cake cooled my tongue and the cabbage was nice. I wish there are more than 3 sausages. They sell Korean beer too! Taking home and keeling it in the fridge. Because it was spicy, I split it into 6 meals. It's impressive that the rice cakes didn't harden but kept its chewy consistency for a week or more. Comparing this to Jaws ttekbokki in Rancho Cucamonga, I may like jaws a little more. But if I'm in Irvine or OC, I will come again to yup dduk!

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!

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

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

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.

Very flavorful, it's been years since I've been here. Got the extra mild and honestly, I was expecting a little bit of spice since I was told that it was going to still have a kick. If you're looking for a little kick, go with mild. The tuna mayo ball is amazing good bang for your buck.

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.

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!

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.

One of my favorite comfort Korean foods! Service was excellent, they refilled my water and pickled radish when asked and the place was clean. We got the yuppduk in extra mild. Their spice levels are VERY spicy so be mindful when you order. Extra mild was still a great spiciness level to it, but I can never see myself going higher than that. We also got Rice balls (DIY), you get a glove and mix in the seasoning to form a ball, very fun activity and delicious to eat! We come here whenever we're looking for great comfort food or a quick bite. One bowl can feed about 3-4 people. Definitely part of my restaurant rotations.

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!!

Food is good. The staff are friendly. Always hit the spot for my cravings. Would go again :D

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.

10/10 - b set yupp-o Yup dduk is a classic comfort food spot for when you need something spicy! Definitely beware that the spice levels here do not play (as someone who can usually handle spice, anything above mild here is pushing it). Also note that one portion is probably good for about 3-4 people, so bring your friends! Definitely prefer going to the one in Irvine over the one in Koreatown since there is usually less of a wait and service is much quicker. Very casual and chill place to hangout with your friends for a spicy bite!

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!

Love ddukboki here! Food amount is a lot so I always have to make a group of more than 4-5. In Irvine area, there are only 3-4 tables so, we always go there as soon as they open.

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

Yup o level 1 or 2 depending on how much you hate yourself. The rice balls in seaweed, deep fried vermicelli wrapped in seaweed, or the spam mayo rice ball are all good sides. I like adding ramen or udon noodles and extra mozzarella cheese. You can split this between 4 people and everyone will be full. Good take out for game night / movie night. Ambiance is basically fast casual but honestly I've never eaten in at the store I only do takeout.

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

I've ordered delivery from here 5-6 times total and let me tell you their spicy level is ALWAYS inconsistent. Last time I ordered medium and it was spicy like a challenge level. One time I ordered mild and it was not mild so today I ordered extra mild because of my previous experiences and it was indeed mild lol. Their rice cakes always arrive super overcooked. I'm not new to yup dduk.. I used to always eat at the LA location and also used to order delivery from Rowland Heights location prior to moving to Irvine. This location needs to step it up. The only reason why I keep ordering is because it's the only yupdduk in Irvine lol.

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.

Service is great. Had a bit of a wait. The normal is very very very spicy like buldak ramen. Luckily our server warned us. Texture of the dduk is great and the flavor is good. Loved adding various things to it. Will come here for ddukboki cravings. I can make it at home but it is so yummy here

Food: So tasty and very spicy (even mild was spicy but delicious:)) Service: fast and kind. I ordered pickup by application and it was so quick. Ambiance: cozy so I'd like to dine in someday. I hope YupDDuk store open in San Diego someday!! I drive 90min to eat yupdduk to Irvine.

amazing food and price, server was top notch overall a great experience would come back again also got a $19 coupon for their 4th year anniversary

Yup Dduk definitely hits the spot when it comes to craving. Most definitely for this who love spicy Korean food - if you know and are accustomed to tteok you'll love it so delicious and chewy. I got a few other sides and those were good as well - I wouldn't come here often just because the portions are quite large but it's a good option for a night out. The service is quick as well and they are nice but it does get busy . As for the interior there is limited seating but it's clean and presentable.

This place is incredibly small inside but has lots of tables outside. My boyfriend and I dined in and we were seated right away. The service was very good as they checked up on us and refilled our water right away (which was great because the food here is pretty spicy even at the lower levels). We ordered the yupdduk at mild spice with fried dumplings, veggie fries, and ramen added in, and I loved how nicely they arranged the toppings as it made for a great photo. Even though we got it at mild, it was pretty spicy but pairing it with the tuna mayo rice helped balance it out. I enjoyed that the base was savory and the tteobokki was nice and chewy. I also liked that the ramen noodles still had a bite to them and weren't too soft. The portion they give you is huge and there was so much food to take away. If you have leftovers, they actually take the bowl to the back and put it in to go containers for you! Overall the experience food, and service are really good and could definitely feed 3-4 people at a really affordable price.

Definitely prepare yourself when you try this! This is probably my favorite deokbokki place in town. The restaurant is a bit small so make sure you come early for dinner! My friends and I ordered the C set that included the yupdduk, veggie tempura, 2 boiled eggs, glass noodles and rice balls. We also ordered the fish cake soup and 4 banana milk as we weren't sure of the spice level. We got very mild just in case and honestly it was the best choice cuz it had a good amount of kick with the mozzarella cheese. Dipping the rice ball into the sauce was very good. The fish cake soup was good when it was piping hot but once it cooled down, you can taste the saltiness so it was a bit too much for us. Overall, it was a pleasant experience that I would come here again :)

I ordered the extra mild rice cakes and this time it wasn't as spicy as last time. But it didn't have the same kick that it did last time. They only gave us 3 sausages this time which I thought last time they gave us more. The fried veggies and seaweed rolls were good. Still really good, I'd come back

So so good. Got the Rose Yup Dduk with ramen..aka Rabokki. Fun texture, but till quite spicy!! You can see the chili flakes in the gochujang sauce. Loved the melted mozzarella cheese on top and mixing it in with the ramen and TBK was so satisfying. Would love to try with the Chinese Flat Noodles next time (are those the same as glass noodles? Curious.). Service great too, was ready in 15 minutes or so!

This place really is as good as the other reviews said. Definitely try it if you like spicy food! Here are some personal tips from me: - I had wanted to try mild, but hubs opted for extra mild at the last minute. At first I thought the spice level was fine, not too bad (but sufficient - not really trying to challenge ourselves but just wanted to enjoy spicy food) but the yup duk did get spicier as you eat because the food (particularly cabbage) got soaked within the duration of the meal. - instead of the sets we ordered toppings and sides a la carte because there's actually no discounts if you went with the sets, and we didn't care for veggie fries or boiled eggs. Instead we got the ramen (topping) and tuna mayo rice as a side for neutralizing the spice. Loved the ramen (a must!) and the taste is the tuna mayo rice (the mayo helped save our tongues!) though we were so full at the end. Portions were definitely great. - we didn't order banana milk but got Persian ice cream in the same plaza afterward which was great; will review separately. - service was excellent. The server who took our order talked us down to extra mild and we were so glad he did, and they came around often enough to fill our water. - over all this was a great, different experience we had in this area and will definitely come back. That said, it reminded us of the spicy rice cake and ramen Costco used to sell so hubs felt like the taste was similar, but I think the fact they had also the other stuff prepared still made this worth it!

I usually don't eat spicy rice cakes but this spot has been on my list for a while.. Oh man the portions are HUGE, we had so much left over, as if we didn't even make a dent in it. We got the mild but it was still so spicy omg my mouth was on fire, my eyes were watery, and my nose was all runny T^T i was super satisfied with the taste though it was really good if I'll admit. We added in the wide glass noodles which were perfect to the dish because of it's chewy texture. I would come here every once in a blue moon if i was ever craving to burn my insides alive again

Thought it was an interesting spot to try in Irvine and tteokbokki sounded yummy. It's small and so it was full even before 6pm for dinner. The service is friendly. You can order takeout and eat at the patio tables outside but not a lot of lighting so it's pretty dark out there. I didn't realize they use the Yelp waitlist so I would recommend adding your name in advance if that's an option. A good sharing portion for 2-3 people. We got the yupdduk and added egg & ramen. Like everyone says the extra mild is still pretty spicy. That's just the nature of tteokbokki so beware if you can't eat spicy. Probably why they have things like yogurt and milk drinks in their fridge. I didn't think we would get two boiled eggs so that was a plus. The ramen also came separate instead of in the bowl. While it would have fit fine and saved extra packaging, it actually helps break up the spiciness to have it cold and plain. We also got the spam mayo rice. The rice to spam ratio was off, skimping on the rice and the spam was definitely over salted. Spam is already salty so it doesn't need to be seasoned that much more in my opinion. If there was more rice, it would have helped. I kind of wanted soondae too but it was pricey and I didn't think we could finish everything. If you love tteokbokki, definitely suggest trying. If you can't eat very spicy foods then you should share with a bigger group and get other items like the fried dumpling too.

Good, quick service and food. Portions are big and very shareable! Would recommend going with friends who are able to handle spice.

I haven't been here for years, but I just came today since I was close by. Everything was just as amazing as I remembered. The service was super friendly and food was outstanding. Keep in mind the extra mild is still VERY spicy! I always get a yogurt drink or milk drink to lessen the spice lol I came on a Sunday evening and it was pretty full. The tables are tight and close together but it's still a great vibe here.

I still think about these rice cakes to this day. We ordered the B set which comes with your choice of rice cakes or fish cakes, veggie fries, boiled egg and rice balls. We dined in and shared the delicious spicy rice cakes between two people and you'll definitely have leftovers. My sister isn't a huge fan of spicy so we got extra mild to be safe but we recommend getting mild next time. They give you a bowl with seaweed and gloves and you roll it up to make your rice balls. It's a super fun dining spot for tteokbokki and I highly recommend. We also appreciated how the workers packed up our orders for to go. You can also order online as well. They also have army stew and chicken face. Can't wait to come back again.