Jongno 5-ga dessert shop: mugwort vs strawberry choco pie, Ssuk's

When you think of Gwangjang Market, you probably picture bindaetteok (mung bean pancake), yukhoe (beef tartare), or mayak gimbap (seaweed rice roll) first! But this time I found a slightly different kind of dessert spot✨ It's called Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul💚

When you hear "choco pie," a certain familiar product probably comes to mind, right? But this place is a bit different from what we usually think of!

It felt more like a cake or a cream sandwich dessert than a typical choco pie🍫🍰

What does Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul look like inside?

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I arrived was this green exterior🌿 As a brand built around mugwort, the whole store is decorated in green, and it really stands out👀

That signature green atmosphere made it feel like stepping into a small dessert concept shop haha

Once you step inside, green boxes are lined up densely along the wall.

With all the green packaging lined up, it really gave off a gift-set feel just by looking at it🎁 There were cute little props scattered around too, so browsing the store was fun on its own🐻

There were quite a few good photo spots, so it was more fun to actually look around the store than just grab a box and leave📸

Menu and choco pie flavors at Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul

Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is built around Ssuk's choco pie, Ssuk's cookies, and Ssuk's scones, with a variety of desserts. The choco pies come in flavors like injeolmi (rice cake), Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort, Nonsan strawberry, Gwangju real chocolate, Udo peanut, and sea-breeze mugwort whole red bean👍

Besides that, there are desserts and drinks like mugwort milk tea, mugwort cheesecake, and mugwort choco cheesecake🍹

It's nice that you can bundle a 3-piece or 6-piece set together, picking whichever flavors you want!

What's in the 24,800-won 6-piece Ssuk's set?

The 6-piece Ssuk's set is ₩24,800, and you can mix in Ssuk's choco pie along with Ssuk's cookies and scones in whatever flavors you like, so I went with six different choco pie flavors😆

When I got the box, I liked how clean the packaging looked💚

The green box has the Saoks logo right on it, and each piece is individually wrapped, which made it easy to eat them one at a time.

Above all, having all six lined up neatly in one box makes it pretty as a gift too👀

It also seemed like a good option to bring to the office as a snack or share one by one when visiting a friend's place😊

Two flavors tasted on the day of purchase

I quickly tried two flavors first on the day I bought them haha

1. The signature Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort pie

Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul's signature menu item is the Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort. It's packed with white fresh cream between chocolate sheets, but it's not the marshmallow type you'd get in a typical choco pie.

Take a bite and a gentle mugwort scent rises up, blending with the soft cream and chocolate sheet🌿🍫 Since it's mugwort, you might expect a strong bitterness or scent to hit right away, but it's mild, so it wasn't overwhelming at all.

The highlight is how the mugwort scent peeks through between the sweetness of the chocolate and the softness of the cream! So if you like mugwort desserts, I think this is the flavor to try first😊

2. The most tempting one: Nonsan strawberry 🍓

As the name suggests, the Nonsan strawberry choco pie has strawberry flavor in it. Apparently it's made with a puree cooked from actual Nonsan strawberries🤤

Chocolate and strawberry is a familiar combo, but the sweet-tart strawberry flavor between the chocolate sheet and soft cream fit especially well!

With the strawberry flavor added to the sweet choco pie, the sweetness felt a bit fresher. In particular, the strawberry flavor wasn't artificially strong — it came through as a bright accent between the soft cream and chocolate.

If mugwort feels a bit much for you, starting with the Nonsan strawberry might be a good idea haha

➕️ Every choco pie was consistently good😋

Is Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul worth it? Final verdict

It was interesting that Ssuk's Choco Pie is a chilled dessert combining mugwort, a locally distinctive ingredient, with fresh cream.

From the flavor that really brings out the mugwort, to the bright freshness of Nonsan strawberry, to the rich chocolate of Gwangju real chocolate, each one has a different mood, so it was fun trying several at once with the 6-piece set😆

And the store itself is so green and the packaging so clean that it works well as a simple snack purchase, but it also seemed like a good option for a Gwangjang Market gift or thank-you present🎁

If you've come to Gwangjang Market and don't want to leave having only eaten the traditional market food, it might be nice to take one of these desserts home! If you're looking for something a bit different, stop by Ssuk's Choco Pie, a Gwangjang Market favorite🙏

Hours and how to find Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul

• Mon-Fri 11:00-18:30
• Sat-Sun 11:00-19:00
• 115m from Exit 7, Jongno 5-ga Station