Seodaemun bakery tasting picks: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam

Meeting Mandong Jegwa in Yeonnam-dong

I finally visited Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch (만동제과 연남점). As someone who loves bread, it was somewhere I had really wanted to introduce: the Yeonnam branch of Mandong Jegwa, famous as the holy ground for Gangneung garlic baguettes.

It was immediately clear why it is famous for garlic baguettes. There were lots of breads I had never seen before, but once I tasted them, I understood why people seek it out. If you are looking for a Yeonnam-dong bakery or a Hongdae bread-hopping stop, it is worth dropping by.

A holy ground for people who love bread: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch

Location and how to visit

• 32 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Daily 11:00–21:00
• Takeout-focused shop; parking unavailable
• No coffee sold and no dine-in space

Mandong Jegwa began in Gangneung and is said to operate without franchises. I was happy that I could try the breads that became famous in Gangneung right here in Seoul. It is about a 5–7 minute walk from Hongik University Station, so it is easily walkable.

Parking is unavailable, but I recommend using the public parking lot across the street. I heard it is right in front of the shop. You can check Instagram for bread updates.

The exterior and takeout-focused shop

From the moment I arrived, it felt like a place that really knows its bread.

The large Mandong Jegwa lettering and bread sign on the brick building catch your eye. Inside, the flow is neat and every bread is packaged, which felt hygienic. You choose your breads, pay, and take them straight out; it is an efficient shop that can accommodate up to three groups at once.

Mandong Jegwa is a bakery rather than a coffee café, so there are no tables or separate space to sit and eat. If you plan to eat your bread straight away, keep in mind that you can eat at the nearby Ediya Coffee.

How do the tastings work?

A hygienic tasting invitation from the kind staff

The staff wore sanitary gloves, introduced breads cut into easy-to-eat pieces, and offered them to us first. They kindly encouraged us to try each one and kept rotating the breads.

There were so many kinds of bread that I was struggling to decide, but thanks to the tastings I could try all sorts of breads I had never seen before. Kaya coconut, squid ink, and corn mayo especially stayed with me, and those three were my picks. They were so good that I got excited. If you are torn because there are so many choices, I recommend tasting first instead of choosing blindly.

What I chose and the prices

• Garlic baguette ₩7,000
• Cappuccino ₩5,600
• Salt soboro ₩3,600
• Squid-ink bread ₩4,100

I had originally planned to buy only a few, but I enjoyed the tastings so much that it turned into a proper bread-hopping trip.

Garlic baguette

The garlic baguette is ₩7,000, and it is the bread that comes to mind first when you think of Mandong Jegwa.

Since this is the place that became famous as a Gangneung garlic baguette destination, I chose this one without tasting it first. The moment I took a bite at home, I was impressed. Rather than a sharply pungent garlic flavor, it was wonderfully soft, soaked through with sweet, moist garlic sauce.

The baguette itself was delicious, and there was plenty of garlic inside. The baguette's distinctive texture remained, while the inside was moist and sweet, making it impossible to stop reaching for it.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino is ₩5,600. I almost mistook it for a drink because of the name, but it is bread with cream spread over fluffy bread and moist coffee-flavored crumbs coating the outside.

It is not dry like ordinary bread; it has a soft texture that goes down easily.

It had a subtle coffee flavor and went well with milk. Once I tried it, I understood why it is one of Mandong Jegwa's signature items.

Because it is a cream-filled bread, they carefully packed it with an ice pack and insulated bag. There was no extra charge.

Salt soboro

The salt soboro is ₩3,600. A salt coating on the soboro crumb topping made the sweet-and-salty combination just right. The topping was crisp, and the salty butter inside made it hard to resist.

It also had a buttery flavor like salt bread, so it was not bland at all. I think it would be a great choice alongside sweeter breads when you start to feel a little tired of them.

My unexpected top pick: squid-ink bread

The squid-ink bread is ₩4,100, and it was my unexpected number-one pick.

As soon as I tasted it, I put it straight onto my tray. The chewy squid-ink bread was generously filled with sweetened condensed milk cream, and the chewy bread paired beautifully with the sweet, soft cream in both texture and flavor. It was also the top pick of the friend who came with me.

If my wallet had been a little fuller, I think I would have taken two. If you like sweet bread, be sure to taste it.

Is the garlic baguette all it is famous for?

It was a great stop to add to a Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong bread-hopping itinerary. I had thought only the garlic baguette would be famous, but after visiting, everything was delicious. The signature garlic baguette, cappuccino, salt soboro, and squid-ink bread were all satisfying—and the squid-ink bread was actually my first choice.

As someone who especially loves cream-filled breads, I want to eat the squid-ink bread and cappuccino again. If you are looking for a Yeonnam-dong bakery or a good Hongdae food stop, I would definitely tell you to visit Mandong Jegwa. Its biggest advantage is being able to buy breads from a famous Gangneung garlic baguette shop in Seoul.

I am very certain I would buy from here again. If I travel to Gangneung, I would also like to visit the original shop myself. If you like meal-replacement breads, substantial breads, or sweet breads, stop by Mandong Jegwa at least once.

I think I will go back to buy bread again.