Yeosu Bomnalen & Yeosudang | Viral Rice Cakes, Chocolate Soboro & One Last Sweet Stop 🍡🍫
Our Yeosu trip was almost over.
We had already eaten gukbap, bread, crab, and far too many snacks.
So naturally…
we decided we still needed dessert.
ㅎㅎ
Before heading to the station, we went back to Yi Sun-sin Square for one last food mission.
The plan was simple:
buy something delicious to take back to Seoul.
And our first stop was Yeosu Bomnalen.
Yeosu Bomnalen — The Rice Cakes Nyang Kept Seeing on Instagram 🍡
Nyang had seen these rice cakes again and again on Korean Instagram Reels.
They are the kind of dessert that looks made for social media.
Soft rice cake.
Bright fillings.
Chocolate coating.
Cute packaging.
Basically…
very difficult to scroll past. ㅎㅎ
Nyang had wanted to try them for a while.
Meong had even offered to order them for delivery before.
But every time Nyang saw the rice cake price plus shipping fee, she thought:
“Hmm… maybe next time.”
This time, however, we were already in Yeosu.
So the logic changed.
🐱 : “Meong, this is different. We are buying souvenirs.”
A very powerful travel excuse.
So What Is a “Pong”? 🍫
The rice cakes here come in several styles, and the ones Nyang bought had a chocolate coating around the outside.
That is where the name becomes fun.
When the rice cake is covered in chocolate, it becomes one of the “Pong” varieties.
So the two we chose were:
Choco Pong
and
Yogurt Pong
Very dangerous names for someone who likes chocolate as much as Nyang does.
ㅎㅎ
We bought:
- Choco Pong — 18,000 KRW (about $13.40 USD)
- Yogurt Pong — 18,000 KRW (about $13.40 USD)
- Cooler bag — 1,500 KRW (about $1.10 USD)
Total:
37,500 KRW (about $27.90 USD)
Each box had six pieces.
Nyang normally chooses chocolate without hesitation, so Choco Pong felt like the obvious favorite before we even tried them.
But then something unexpected happened.
When we finally ate them the next day…
Nyang actually preferred the Yogurt Pong.
A minor identity crisis.
🐱 : “Meong… Nyang thinks yogurt won.”
🐶 : “Then next time we can buy more of that one ㅎㅎ”
The only thing Nyang would change?
The Yogurt Pong had honey inside, and Nyang personally thought she might like it even more without the honey.
So next time, she wants to try Gureum Pong, which is a version without that honey filling.
Why These Kinds of Rice Cakes Are So Popular in Korea
This is also a fun example of how Korean rice cakes have changed.
Traditional tteok is still everywhere in Korea, especially for holidays, celebrations, and family occasions.
But these days, there are also lots of modern dessert-style rice cakes made with chocolate, cream, yogurt, fruit, and other sweet fillings.
They are especially popular on social media because they are colorful, cute, and very photogenic.
So for Nyang, Yeosu Bomnalen was not just:
“Let’s buy rice cake.”
It was more like:
“I have seen this on Instagram forever. I finally get to try it.”
ㅎㅎ
Quick Info — Yeosu Bomnalen
📍 Address: 72-25 Jungang-ro, 1F, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
🕐 Opening hours: 10:30 AM–7:30 PM
🍡 What we bought: Choco Pong / Yogurt Pong / Cooler Bag
💰 Price: Choco Pong 18,000 KRW (about $13.40 USD) / Yogurt Pong 18,000 KRW (about $13.40 USD)
✨ Best for: Trendy Korean rice-cake desserts and gifts to take home
Our tip: If you have a long trip back, the cooler bag is useful. And if you are choosing between flavors, do not assume the chocolate one will automatically win — even Nyang was surprised. ㅎㅎ
One More Stop: Yeosudang 🍫
We were already carrying rice cakes.
We were full.
We were almost ready to leave.
So of course…
Nyang found another dessert.
At Yeosudang, she spotted a chocolate soboro.
And that was enough.
Nyang loves the chocolate soboro from Seongsimdang, so there was almost no chance she was walking past this one.
🐱 : “Meong… this is not optional.”
🐶 : “Then we should take it with us ㅎㅎ”
Correct answer.
Yeosudang vs. Seongsimdang Chocolate Soboro
We ate the Yeosudang chocolate soboro later on the train.
And it was very different from the Seongsimdang version Nyang already loves.
Yeosudang: chocolate cream inside
Seongsimdang: red bean filling inside
So even though both are called chocolate soboro, the experience is not really the same.
Yeosudang tasted richer and more chocolate-forward.
Which obviously worked very well for Nyang.
🐱 : “They are both delicious.”
Problem solved.
No need to choose.
ㅎㅎ
Quick Info — Yeosudang
📍 Address: 72 Jungang-ro, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
🕐 Opening hours: 07:30 AM–11:00 PM
🍫 What we bought: Chocolate soboro
✨ Best for: A quick sweet stop around Yi Sun-sin Square before heading to the station
Our tip: If you already know and like Korean soboro bread, this is a fun one to compare with other regional bakery versions.
One Last Sweet Taste of Yeosu 🚆
By the time we finally boarded the train, we had:
rice cakes,
chocolate soboro,
and absolutely no room left in our stomachs.
A successful ending.
ㅎㅎ
The train slowly pulled away from Yeosu, and Nyang felt a little sad.
It had only been one night and two days, but somehow we had packed in so many little memories.
And ending the trip with a bag full of desserts felt very us.
🐱 : “Meong, we are really going home now.”
🐶 : “We can come back again with our Nyang someday ㅎㅎ”
That made the ending feel a little less sad.
And with one last bite of chocolate soboro…
our Yeosu food journey was officially over.
