Yujung Choi and Yujin Na We’re Yujin and Yujung, a married couple running Superstar Tteokbokki here on Hangang-daero. We opened the first Superstar Tteokbokki in Cheongdam-dong in 2013, moved to Dongbu Ichon-dong in 2017, and finally landed at our current spot on Hangang-daero in 2019. We’d always worked in quieter side streets, so we thought it was time to try our hand at a major road location. And then, three months later, HYBE moved in. We were shocked. Strangely enough, when we first opened in Cheongdam-dong, JYP moved in two months after that.

Yujung Choi We’ve actually wondered the same thing ourselves. It’s uncanny, really. The name ‘Superstar’ came straight from my husband, Yujin’s, love of Marvel.

Yujin Na When we first opened the restaurant in 2013, I was completely obsessed with superhero films. If you look around our place, you’ll spot the occasional hero tucked in among all the BTS photos. Back then, Marvel heroes had my whole heart — now, my heroes are BTS. (laughs) I named it ‘Superstar’ because heroes are our superstars, and then, funnily enough, actual superstars started showing up in the neighborhood.

Yujung Choi There was even a rumor going around that trainees worked part-time here, but that’s completely off-base. This is just a place run by people who love superstars. (laughs)

Yujung Choi I’ve always loved tteokbokki. My husband used to run a café in an alley in Cheongdam-dong, a beautifully upscale space that was honestly a little out of place in a street market setting. It didn’t quite fit the neighborhood, so we eventually had to close it. That’s when I came up with the idea: ‘Let’s take the tteokbokki I love and turn it into something beautiful and elevated.’

Yujin Na That idea hooked me instantly. Tteokbokki is such a familiar dish, but finding a place that actually does it well is surprisingly hard. I was convinced that if we used quality ingredients and put real care into it, we’d have a genuine shot.

Yujin Na Every business has its ups and downs, and many restaurants are constantly adding and dropping menu items. Especially in summer and winter, there’s always the temptation to roll out seasonal specials. But we felt that if we got caught up chasing trends, we’d lose sight of what really matters. We wanted our guests to feel that when it comes to tabletop tteokbokki, Superstar is the place, and we hold ourselves to the standard of being the best at what we do.

Yujung Choi Tabletop tteokbokki is the star of the show, but there’s plenty of room to make it your own: you can add a thick loin pork cutlet, tofu pockets, tempura, dumplings, sausages, and more, or swap out the sauce for black bean. It’s one dish, but there’s enough variety that you won’t get bored no matter how often you come in.

Yujung Choi That genuinely means a lot to hear. I’ve always loved beautiful things, and our guests probably feel the same way. Nobody dislikes something pretty. We use ceramic dishware for all our individual servings. It’s heavier than plastic and not the easiest to maintain, but we’ve stuck with it. When you’re serving food to someone you care about, you don’t put it out on plastic.

Yujin Na My wife has always insisted that even though tteokbokki is a casual dish, it should be presented as a proper, well-prepared meal. I completely agree. Good tableware makes the food look more appealing and makes the whole experience more enjoyable. That’s why we chose dishes, forks, and spoons with a bit of weight.

Yujin Na As I mentioned, the tableware and plating matter, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to taste. My brother-in-law is a chef working in Australia, and he came back to Korea around the time we were opening and helped us develop the recipes. We needed someone with the expertise to bring our vision to life, and he was more than happy to help.

Yujung Choi I was pregnant at the time and dealing with really bad morning sickness. So I thought, we need to make a sauce that even a pregnant woman with morning sickness can eat. From the very beginning, our goal was to create something that even the pickiest eater could enjoy — food I’d feel perfectly comfortable giving to my own child. We only use the finest base ingredients. A lot of people tell us our tteokbokki is easy on the stomach, and every time someone says that, we’re genuinely grateful and proud.

Yujin Na Even if no one else noticed, we could never deceive ourselves. What matters most is that we know, even if no one else does. We’re extremely strict when it comes to selecting ingredients. Because in the end, great ingredients make great flavor.

Yujung Choi There’s a good mix: plenty of ARMY, but also a lot of locals from the neighborhood. We even have guests who’ve been coming since our Cheongdam-dong days, ten years and counting.

Yujin Na Just a few days ago, a regular came in with their child, who has grown up so much. They said they thought the kid was finally ready to handle something spicy. I hadn’t seen them since they were little, and the change was remarkable. There’s something really heartwarming about watching kids who couldn’t handle spice grow up and come back asking for tteokbokki.

Yujung Choi My husband’s family home is in Dongbuichon-dong, which is a quieter neighborhood. As our kids got older, we thought it might be nice to move somewhere better suited to raising a family, so we opened there first, and two years later, we moved to Hangang-daero.

Yujin Na I’d always wanted to try a spot on a main road, but most of the options felt too cold and impersonal. Hangang-daero felt different. With long-established anchors like Amorepacific and a neighborhood with a real commercial history, it had a warmth that made the idea of a busy main road feel a lot less intimidating.

Yujung Choi We’d finally achieved our dream of opening on a major road, and then COVID hit. That was a bit of a shock. But then again, it was hard for everyone at that point. Things gradually improved as employees from Amorepacific and then HYBE started coming in regularly, and the ARMY community really helped us find our footing.

Yujin Na Honestly, it’s always a challenge. The rise of Yongri-dan-gil has created some strong synergies, but we still have to keep building our own name and keep earning our guests’ trust. We’re genuinely grateful to be featured on AMOREPACIFIC STORIES. The world changes so fast that keeping pace isn’t easy. You just have to keep trying.

Yujin Na It started when we hosted a birthday café for TXT member Beomgyu. Watching that event unfold made us think: we’d love to throw one ourselves for BTS, who we’re fans of too.

Yujung Choi We’re ARMY ourselves, after all. (laughs) That’s actually when we first learned about the whole birthday café concept that fans organize. So we started putting together events for members’ birthdays, debut anniversaries, and other milestones, making goods like posters and photo cards to give out. Word slowly spread through the ARMY community.

Yujin Na We opened just before COVID hit, so it took about 3 years of gradual word of mouth to build. We joke among ourselves that we’ve had visitors from nearly every corner of the world, and honestly, we do get an incredible range of visitors. People come in thinking, “The Superstar Tteokbokki right next to HYBE — these guys must be real ARMY.”

Yujung Choi This was a joint effort with our guests. We were really careful at first, worried that people might think we were trying to capitalize on BTS. But our customers told us not to worry and started bringing in their own posters and photos to put up themselves. ARMY fans would hold parties here and leave behind some truly precious photos before heading out.

Yujin Na It’s become a space that feels like our own little hideaway. When fans can’t make it to a concert, they gather here to watch the footage together and take the edge off the disappointment. We play official concert footage, and everyone watches it together. When BTS-related broadcasts or live streams are on, fans gather here to watch together.

Yujung Choi That’s right. Whenever there are great photos — from photo shoots, profile sessions, whatever — we turn them into posters and high-quality lenticular photo cards (the kind that shift as you tilt them), one for each member. Every time something special happens, we produce new ones and give them to our guests at no charge. People are always so thrilled, and these are the kinds of things you’d normally have to pay for elsewhere. Guests from all over the world thank us in so many different languages. (laughs)

Yujin Na Making merchandise has become a regular part of our routine. But our guests love it so much, and seeing their reaction makes us just as happy. That’s what keeps us going. Giving really makes us happy. Please, take as much as you’d like.

Yujung Choi My husband speaks some English, and our kiosk displays the menu in English, Japanese, and Chinese, so language hasn’t been a major barrier.

Yujin Na My wife holds her own in English too, and we’ve both memorized enough basic greetings to get by. We’re not fluent by any means; it’s purely survival mode. (laughs) Just enough to take care of our guests.

Yujung Choi One thing that’s changed a lot over the past few years is how many international visitors now speak Korean, and speak it well enough to have a real conversation. So language really isn’t an issue. And tteokbokki seems to be something everyone loves, no matter where they’re from. We feel the growing power of K-food every single day.

Yujung Choi About two years ago, Namjoon posted a photo of our restaurant on his Instagram Story. It happened to be my husband’s birthday that day. And on top of that, Namjoon is my husband’s all-time favorite member. He said it felt like the best gift he could have received.

Yujin Na It hit us. They actually know we’re here. We’d already heard from people at HYBE that they order our tteokbokki regularly and eat it together. HYBE staff are regulars too, and they’ve told us they love that we take such good care of the fans.

Yujin Na It shifts a little from year to year. One year, it’s Russia; another, it’s China; another, it’s Japan. It often shifts depending on the global climate and travel trends. (laughs)

Yujung Choi There are definitely peaks where guests from a particular country come in waves, but just as often, it’s people who’ve been here before coming back. Some guests make a point of stopping by every time they visit Korea, usually around BTS’s debut anniversary, and they always bring something with them. A guest from Russia brought us vodka, one from Hawaii brought chocolate, and one from Australia brought a stuffed animal. We can’t let them outdo us, so we stock up on Korean snacks to share and put together new merchandise for them to take home. Some guests write us handwritten letters. Others send DMs saying they’ll definitely come and see us the next time they’re in Korea. It feels like more than just a business relationship. There’s a real connection there.

Yujung Choi Neither of us came from a food-and-beverage background. When we first opened in 2013, we didn’t know the first thing about running a restaurant or cooking for guests. We started with nothing but sincerity and passion. Two people from completely different fields, we had just one thing in common when we began: ‘Do it with heart. Never deceive your guests.’ That’s the belief we’ve carried with us every step of the way. Every single day, we try not to get comfortable; we push ourselves to be kinder and more welcoming to every new guest who walks through the door. Our dream is for all 100 million ARMY members to taste our tabletop tteokbokki someday. (laughs)

Yujin Na Getting to witness, every day, the pure, unconditional love ARMY show in supporting someone is one of the greatest joys in our lives. This space was built from that spirit and those hearts. We hope it continues to be a warm refuge and a joyful home away from home for every fan who walks through our door.