Gyeongju walnut pastry shop with 50-a-day almond praline: Buja Hodu

I visited Buja Hodu, a well-loved spot on Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju. It's a walnut pastry made with rice dough with a whole walnut inside, and it comes in four distinctive fillings. It's nutty and has great texture, so I don't think anyone could dislike it. The gift set is also really well put together, making it a perfect souvenir for a Gyeongju trip or a holiday gift. Let me introduce how each flavor tasted haha 😉

What kind of shop is Buja Hodu?

Buja Hodu is a unique dessert snack shop on Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju.

• 📌Location. 38 Poseok-ro 1095beon-gil, B-dong 105-ho, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk
• ⏰Hours. 09:30–20:00
• 🚗Parking. Nearby free public lot
• ✅ Four distinctive fillings and rice dough
• ✅ A go-to dessert spot on Hwangnidan-gil
• ✅ Recommended for anniversaries and holiday gift sets

Where Buja Hodu is and where to park

It's about a 2-minute walk from Hwangnidan-gil. I started from the Hwangnidan-gil public parking lot, walked past the Hwangnam-dong community center, and just up a short slope, I found it.

For parking, I'd recommend the free Hwangnidan-gil Public Parking Lot, about a 7-minute walk from the shop — it's the biggest free lot near Hwangnidan-gil! Address: 175-2 Sajeong-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk.

Finding Buja Hodu on Hwangnidan-gil

A standing sign explaining the four distinctive fillings — low-sugar red bean, pea cream cheese, matcha filling, and almond praline

When I arrived, there was a banner for a walnut pastry affogato — a combo I'd never heard of, so it caught my eye haha!! Coffee, ice cream, and pastry together — it can't be bad. I'll have to try that next time.

Buja Hodu's signature walnut pastries and prices

Buja Hodu's signature walnut pastries come in low-sugar red bean, pea cream cheese, matcha, and almond praline (limited to 50 a day, extra charge applies).

• Original 10 pieces ₩9,500
• Original 15 pieces ₩14,500
• Original 24 pieces ₩23,000
• Mix 10 pieces ₩11,000 (5+5)
• Mix 15 pieces ₩17,000 (5+5+5)
• Mix 24 pieces ₩27,000 (6+6+6+6)

Tasting the rice-dough walnut pastries and their unusual fillings

I bought the 24-piece mix gift box, which had an even mix of low-sugar red bean, pea cream cheese, and matcha. They were arranged neatly compartment by compartment inside the box, each one individually wrapped in thin parchment paper, so it really felt like receiving a gift.

These are walnut pastries made with 100% domestic rice, and instead of regular red bean paste, they use low-sugar red bean paste. Beyond that, they also use distinctive fillings like pea cream, matcha, and almond praline.

They're really the size of an actual walnut — I could fit three across my palm. Not a single one was misshapen; they were all made really neatly, don't you think?

Low-sugar red bean filling

First I tried the classic low-sugar red bean, and there was a whole walnut inside!!! Packed full of filling. Cheaper pastries usually have that stingy crushed-walnut bite, but this had a whole walnut with real crunch and a stronger nutty flavor! And in line with current trends, they use low-sugar red bean paste, so I liked that I could eat it with a little less guilt about sugar!

Matcha filling

Matcha walnut pastry! I couldn't even imagine how they thought to put matcha in, and I had no idea what it would taste like. There's a pleasantly bitter finish of matcha, and they struck a good balance — not too sweet, not too bitter. It seemed mixed with white bean paste, so the matcha flavor wasn't overpowering, which actually worked in its favor.

Pea cream cheese filling

Honestly, the pea cream cheese was the one I was most excited about. Anyone here a fan of green pea bread? Sweet pea paste combined with cream cheese — as expected, it was soft and easy to eat. These days when I go to bakeries, a lot of breads have cream cheese filling, probably because people love it that much, right? I ate this very happily haha. Personally I liked all of them, but out of the three flavors, pea cream cheese is the one I'd recommend most!

How should you store the walnut pastries?

Since these aren't hot, freshly cooked pastries, you can eat them straight away. If you have a lot, you can freeze them and either thaw naturally or run them through the air fryer, so it's great to buy a big batch and pull them out as snacks.

Final verdict on Buja Hodu

I got to try rice-based walnut pastries with a whole walnut inside on Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju, made with healthy ingredients and packed with a variety of distinctive fillings — a truly unique dessert. The gift set was also arranged beautifully compartment by compartment, which made me think it'd be great as a Gyeongju travel souvenir or holiday gift. Since it's a healthy dessert snack that suits everyone's taste, young or old, it seems perfect as a gift too. If you're heading to Hwangnidan-gil, I'd recommend stopping by 😘