Seoul-born rice cake maker CHUNG DDUK has landed in New York, quietly opening its first U.S. shop in Manhattan this week with a compact grab-and-go counter inside Koreatown's Food Gallery 32. The tiny outpost is built for speed and portability, turning out cream-filled rice cakes and warm street-style hodduk snacks for commuters and shoppers hustling through Midtown. Here, traditional tteok is reimagined as a frozen-to-go treat designed to slide neatly into packed New York routines.
The Manhattan setup leans into a tight, dessert-focused menu. The headliners are "cream dduk" - chilled rice-cake bites in flavors like green tea, black sesame and tiramisu - along with a hot "hodduk" tray finished with Greek yogurt, roasted soybean powder, peanuts and honey, according to a press release via Nosh. There is also a ready-to-eat "cream dduk overnight oats" breakfast that tucks rice cake pieces into jars for easy takeaway. "We're building an everyday snack format that fits naturally into a New York routine," cofounder Eilyn said in the release.
CHUNG DDUK's U.S. storefront and online shop both list the Manhattan counter at 11 W 32nd St. inside Food Gallery 32 and feature boxed Cream Dduk sets and multiple hodduk varieties, according to CHUNG DDUK's website. The brand bills its signature snacks as "not-too-sweet" and advises customers to keep cream dduk frozen until it is time to eat.
Where to find it
The counter sits in a stall on the first floor of Food Gallery 32, the multi-level Koreatown food hall at 11 W 32nd St., as listed on Food Gallery 32's site. The vendor page slots CHUNG DDUK into its dessert lineup, making the stall an easy add-on stop for Midtown shoppers and nearby office workers wandering through the food hall.
How it fits the wave
The debut drops into a broader wave of new restaurants and counters opening across Manhattan this winter, a trend tracked by Eater New York. For diners, CHUNG DDUK's frozen-and-ready setup speaks to a growing appetite for quick, portable desserts that can survive a subway ride or double as low-effort gifts.
For now, the shop is keeping its focus on takeaway and gift-ready boxes, and customers can also order the brand's cream dduk sets online for delivery and corporate gifting, per CHUNG DDUK's website. The company signals that the menu and hours may evolve as it gauges demand, so anyone hunting for specific flavors or restocks should check the site for the latest updates.
