Yup Dduk Irvine

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

What I ordered:- Yup DDUK with boiled eggs, mini sausages, and ramen noodlesMy 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!

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: 4Ambiance: 3Service: 5Value: 3