Gyeongju café for fresh pea cream cheese walnut pastries: Buja Hodu

The souvenir snacks I bought every time I traveled to Gyeongju were, honestly, starting to get a little old. I was looking for something different from the same old breads and cookies—but genuinely delicious too—and that’s how I found Buja Hodu 🥮 It isn’t a chain, either, and you can only taste it in Gyeongju..‼️

A home-café snack from the entrance to Hwangridan-gil

I absolutely love enjoying a home café at home, so while I was in Gyeongju, I decided to stock up on a healthy, tasty snack to have with coffee. It is close to Gyeongju Terminal and right in front of Korea Semiconductor Meister High School, at the entrance to Hwangridan-gil, so it is super easy to get to. It is the perfect stop at the beginning of a trip or just before heading home.

⏰ Hours: 09:30–20:00

As you would expect from a Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil favorite that has spread by word of mouth, there sadly was not much left when I visited right before closing.

The two flavors left just before closing

🥮 Buja Hodu has four flavors in total: low-sugar red bean paste, pea cream cheese, matcha, and almond praline. But when I went, only the low-sugar red bean paste and pea cream cheese were left. I had to scoop up even these,,🤎

☕️ The shop also sells coffee and drinks that go beautifully with the walnut pastries, so it is perfect to buy them and enjoy them right away. I made a cup of slightly bitter Americano and had it with a pea cream cheese walnut pastry—perfect dessert time, complete.

Freshly baked walnut pastries and a packing tip

They happened to be warm walnut pastries that had just come out, and my mouth was watering the moment I saw them. Just as you would expect from a Hwangridan-gil dessert spot, the nutty aroma was incredible from the start. Without a second thought, I bought two mixed sets of low-sugar red bean paste + pea cream cheese.

They asked whether I wanted separate gift packaging, but I said I would eat them right away on the way home. They recommended immediate packing, explaining that warm pastries fresh from the oven stay crisp and delicious when you let the steam escape as you eat them. Thanks to the owner’s thoughtful tip, I was able to bring them home deliciously without them going soggy until the very end.

Phew, I rushed straight home in one go.

Rice walnut pastries with whole walnuts and Korean rice dough

Once I got home, I read Buja Hodu’s brand introduction, and its philosophy was quite impressive.

“We make ‘real walnut pastries.’ For the walnut flavor that fills your mouth with every bite, we generously put in one whole walnut. Made with easy-to-digest Korean rice dough and honest ingredients, these are snacks that bring a moment of joy and help you become ‘rich in health.’”

Even the individual pieces are big. I had walnut pastries elsewhere recently, and they were not this plump..

Take a look at these beautiful walnut pastries in all their vivid glory 🤎 I really need to take out only as many as I will eat.. or I might eat them all.......

A filling packed right to the edges to match that plump size 💚🤍 These rice walnut pastries are made with Korean rice dough rather than wheat flour, so they felt genuinely easy on my stomach even after eating them. Plus, the large whole walnuts give them a really satisfying bite.

Pea cream cheese versus low-sugar red bean paste

I usually think red bean paste is obviously the top-tier walnut pastry filling, but tasting the pea cream cheese flavor I bought this time completely changed my mind. The low-sugar red bean paste is a classic flavor that is not overly sweet, nutty, and never tiresome. The pea cream cheese, meanwhile, is sweet and salty, with the nuttiness of peas and the softness of cream cheese coming together in such a distinctive, delicious way. 😋

I froze them and have been happily, healthily getting my sweet fix whenever a dessert craving hits ,, 🤎

Why I would bring them home as Gyeongju souvenirs

I would also highly recommend them to anyone looking for a thoughtful Gyeongju souvenir gift set. If you are tired of ordinary snacks, these refined rice walnut pastries are the answer—something everyone can enjoy 🙆🏻♀️ The packaging is clean and neat too, making them ideal for gifts for parents or thank-you gifts for friends and acquaintances.

🎀 I also heard that Chuseok gift sets are opening this time, and the holiday sets will come styled in elegant bojagi (Korean wrapping cloth) gift wrapping. If you are wondering what to give parents or elders for the upcoming holiday, I do not think there is anything better.

I was so pleased with this purchase: I got to explore an accessible Hwangridan-gil food spot in Gyeongju and take home a healthy, delicious snack too. I recommend bookmarking Buja Hodu as a special Gyeongju souvenir gift set to carry home after your trip! Buja Hodu is a Hwangridan-gil dessert spot that has both flavor and health covered; next time, I have to go earlier and try the matcha and almond praline too 🥹

This is a Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil favorite I will absolutely revisit next time I am in Gyeongju—and a Hwangridan-gil dessert spot I almost want to keep to myself 📌 If you are passing nearby, I really hope you stop by and try this thoughtfully made Gyeongju souvenir gift set at least once..!!! It was the best snack.