Gyeongju walnut pastry shop I returned to after a sell-out: Buja Hodu

I love walnut pastries so much that every time I go to Cheonan, the place famous for originating them, I buy a whole box and keep it in the freezer to eat little by little ❤

Recently while walking around Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju, I spotted a dessert spot with a totally different look — Buja Hodu (부자호두) — and had to check it out.

Buja Hodu 📍 38 Poseok-ro 1095beon-gil, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk ⏰ Daily 9:30–20:00

What flavors does Buja Hodu have? Pea cream cheese and matcha too

Buja Hodu's walnut pastries come in four flavors: low-sugar red bean, pea cream cheese, matcha, and almond praline. A shop on Hwangnidan-gil selling pea cream cheese and matcha bean paste walnut pastries — I'd never seen a menu like this before ❤

Red bean is the original walnut pastry flavor, right? No matter where I go, I judge a shop by its red bean version.

But walnut pastries made with pea cream cheese and matcha bean paste...? I'd never encountered such a sensational filling in my life, so I ran right over haha

Four flavors, take your pick

• Low-sugar red bean — natural sweetness paired with rice dough flavor
• Pea cream cheese — New Zealand cream cheese meets sweet pea bean paste
• Matcha — the deep flavor of the green tea you already know, as matcha
• Almond praline — a dreamy match with almonds, limited to 50 a day

Honestly I ran over just for the cream cheese, but finding low-sugar red bean and matcha too made me even more excited ❤ Buja Hodu uses 100% Korean rice and a whole walnut in every pastry, which also makes it perfect as a family gift or Gyeongju souvenir ✌🏻

Buja Hodu packaging: takeout packs and bojagi-wrapped gift boxes

Buja Hodu offers both gift-box packaging and instant wrapping. The friendly owner greets you at this Hwangnidan-gil dessert spot, and besides gift sets, they'll wrap pastries on the spot so you can eat while strolling Hwangnidan-gil,

With Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving) coming up soon, the bojagi-wrapped box packaging looked especially nice for a more special holiday gift 👍🏻

Of course, it was also great to just sit at a table and relax while enjoying dessert. The owner seemed to keep the tables well maintained, and if it weren't for my schedule that day I'd have sat down with a coffee and pea cream cheese pastry haha

Artisan-blend americano at Buja Hodu on Hwangnidan-gil

Buja Hodu's americano is made with beans blended and roasted by a Gyeongju artisan. The drink menu was surprisingly extensive too, with affogato and real red ginseng tea.

Usually dessert shops treat drinks as a side item, but here there was a surprisingly wide range, from affogato to real red ginseng tea.

But what really caught my eye was the beans blended and roasted by a Gyeongju artisan — and yeah, I couldn't not try it (if it's made by an artisan, I have to try it).

No exaggeration, this was the best iced americano I've had on Hwangnidan-gil 👍🏻 (way, way better than that famous chain). The first sip has a weighty body that makes you sit up, then a clean, appropriate acidity refreshes your mouth. The owner said their americano is only sold at two places in Gyeongju, and I was genuinely shocked at how good it was hahaha

They're also running a receipt review event — if you leave a review, you get a free americano, so definitely try it ❤

Headed home with a gift set for my parents in hand!

The owner's warmth, waving us off and telling us to get home safe, made my whole day feel warmer ❤

What's in the 24-piece mix gift set, and how the family reacted

The set I chose was the 24-piece mix box: 12 red bean, 6 pea cream cheese, and 6 matcha. Looking back, I regret not buying a second set.

24-piece mix box: 12 red bean + 6 pea cream cheese + 6 matcha. I figured I'd eat the 12 pea cream cheese and matcha pieces myself while my family ate the 12 red bean, but I really should've bought another set lol — my family loved it way more than I expected.

Low-sugar red bean: the flavor my parents liked best

Buja Hodu's low-sugar red bean has just the right sweetness that older folks tend to enjoy, so my parents' response was the best. The original of originals really is red bean, isn't it?

These days there's a lot of shockingly sweet red bean paste out there, but Buja Hodu's is moderately sweet in the way older generations like, so my parents loved it 👍🏻 Most places use wheat dough, but here it's 100% Korean rice dough, giving it just the right chewiness and a clean, savory taste — pure art ❤ And it sits light on the stomach too, which is satisfying.

The walnut situation is no joke. Usually because the raw ingredient is expensive, shops only add a quarter or half a walnut and pack the rest with filling and wheat dough. Here, a whole walnut goes in, intact. It's not even the least bit astringent, and the nut's mellow oiliness is rich and nutty — honestly I didn't miss Cheonan at all hahaha

Pea cream cheese: ten times better frozen

Buja Hodu's pea cream cheese is best eaten frozen. New Zealand cream cheese with sweet pea bean paste — whoever came up with this was a genius, it's so good ❤

I'd never seen a walnut pastry like this in my life. The tangy cream cheese and moderately sweet pea filling tasted exactly like something people today would love, and I ended up devouring three in one sitting lol. Freeze the pea cream cheese ones — they're about ten times better frozen. Next time I'm buying 24 of just this flavor haha

Matcha: best with a glass of milk

Buja Hodu's matcha walnut pastry turns rich like matcha latte when eaten with milk. The bittersweet matcha flavor is captured perfectly in the filling — surprisingly good.

Rather than eating it plain, having it with milk brings out a rich flavor, almost like drinking matcha milk. Green tea and matcha lovers, don't skip this one on Hwangnidan-gil!

Sold out at 7pm: why I went back to Buja Hodu the next day

When I went the evening before at 7pm, Buja Hodu was already sold out of pastries. They're open until 20:00, but note that things can sell out earlier if you go late.

Disappointed, I was about to turn back when the owner apologized for the wasted trip, refused to take payment, and cut a walnut pastry into bite-sized pieces to hand to me!

That warm gesture and thoughtfulness helped end an eventful Gyeongju trip on a good note ❤

Some people might think, you went all the way to Gyeongju and it's just walnut pastries? Even so, I can confidently say Buja Hodu is a must-try in Gyeongju. Made with 100% domestic rice flour dough, not a trace of astringency, and a whole nutty, oily walnut packed into each one — plus pea cream cheese and matcha, flavors I'd never seen before in my life.

No need to say more about the taste — they're in my freezer right now, and it's a little sad watching them disappear one by one. If I travel to Gyeongju again, this is a must-visit stop I've already saved on Naver Maps ❤ My whole family loved this Hwangnidan-gil souvenir, Buja Hodu — you have to visit. And the delicious americano is a must too haha