Free tasting at a takeout-only Gwangju bakery: Ssukseu Choco Pie

A Songjeong Station food spot in Gwangju, a dessert find inside 1913 Songjeong Station Market — this is the story of Ssukseu Choco Pie (쑥스초코파이).

On a trip to Gwangju last week, I went back to 1913 Songjeong Station Market, a place I've always loved. After browsing the market and having a solid lunch, dessert was obviously not optional.

This time I finally stopped by Ssukseu Choco Pie, a place I'd had my eye on for a while and heard was one of the go-to Songjeong Station spots. It's inside 1913 Songjeong Station Market, close to Gwangju Songjeong Station, so it fit easily into my travel route and also seemed like a good pick for a Gwangju travel souvenir.

Where is Ssukseu Choco Pie, and how do parking and train pickup work?

Ssukseu Choco Pie is located at 27 Songjeong-ro 8beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, 1st floor, inside 1913 Songjeong Station Market. It's open Mon–Fri 10:00–18:30, Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00, and closed on September 25 for the Chuseok holiday.

• Address: 27 Songjeong-ro 8beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–18:30, Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00
• Closed: September 25 (Chuseok holiday)
• Note: Take-out and reservation

After reserving, you can do a quick pickup by briefly stopping in front of the store. If you're planning to browse Songjeong Market too, park at the 1913 Songjeong Station Market parking tower, and after your purchase, register your car for free parking.

If you're traveling by train, calling ahead for a fast pickup request means they'll have your order packed and ready to go.

Finding the Ssukseu Choco Pie counter inside 1913 Songjeong Station Market

1913 Songjeong Station Market blends the vibe of an old-school market with newer, trendier food finds, so it's a place I end up walking through every time I visit Gwangju.

This time too, after lunch at a restaurant, I wandered slowly through the market alleys and found Ssukseu Choco Pie with its green storefront. The shop has such a cute, cozy look that it catches your eye even just walking past.

What caught my attention most was the wide variety of choco pies.

This was my first visit to Ssukseu Choco Pie, a well-known Songjeong Station food spot, so I was checking out the interior when

a staff member offered a tasting sample, so I got to try the flavors before buying.

When buying a take-out package, they also throw in gift-friendly stickers,

and the choco pies in the display case looked sweet just from the visuals alone — after the tasting, I wanted to buy one of every kind.

Set prices and the six flavors I chose

Ssukseu Choco Pie sells pieces individually too, but they also offer a 3-piece set for ₩13,400 or a 6-piece set for ₩24,800, with your choice of flavors. There were too many kinds to pick just one, so this time I went with the 6-piece set.

For my 6-piece set I chose Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort, sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi (rice cake), sea-breeze mugwort sweet red bean, Nonsan strawberry, Udo peanut, and Gwangju real chocolate.

The packaging was neat too, making it easy to buy while traveling and carry back home. They also offer cooler bag packaging and gift wrapping depending on your needs.

It's a cafe, but there's no space to eat in — it's take-out only.

What each of the six mugwort choco pies tastes like

After buying the take-out set at Ssukseu Choco Pie in Gwangju, I ran a few errands on the way home, so it took about 4 hours total. Even without any separate cooler bag packaging, when I opened it up nothing had melted or crumbled — it was all fine.

I tried the Nonsan strawberry first. Just from the look of it, it was bigger and had more heft than the choco pies from Jeonju Pungnyeon Bakery.

Cut in half, a whole Nonsan strawberry peeked right out from the middle! The combination of soft cream and chocolate in the center made it a really appealing dessert.

My husband's pick was the Udo peanut. He loved the nutty peanut flavor, saying it had a different kind of savoriness compared to the chocolate ones.

That nutty peanut taste was distinctly different from the other choco pies, which made it fun to pick and choose as we went.

No matter which flavor you pick, the fillings are generously packed in, and eating them really felt like properly enjoying a sweet dessert.

There was also the Gwangju real chocolate, with its clear, strong chocolate flavor,

and the Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort, sea-breeze mugwort sweet red bean, and sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi. Sooks Cafe has been a mugwort dessert specialty shop since 2016, and its mugwort lineup is what makes it such an appealing Songjeong Station food spot in Gwangju.

The 6-piece set comes with all six flavors lined up neatly in one box, so it's great for sharing with family or friends, and fun to each pick your own favorite.

They're good with coffee or milk too,

and the package includes a leaflet with storage instructions and tips for the best way to eat them. They keep well too — refrigerated up to 8 days, frozen up to 30 days.

The green packaging is cute, so it makes a nice travel souvenir, and online ordering is also available.

Is Ssukseu Choco Pie worth taking home from Gwangju?

If you're looking for a light dessert stop after a meal at a Songjeong Station food spot in Gwangju, check out Ssukseu Choco Pie inside 1913 Songjeong Station Market. Especially if you're after a Gwangju choco pie or trying to figure out a Gwangju travel souvenir, the 6-piece set — letting you fit in several flavors at once — is great value.

For anyone like me who stops by 1913 Songjeong Station Market every time they're in Gwangju, it's a great spot to combine market browsing, a meal, and dessert into one course. Besides the mugwort desserts, the various choco pies made with chocolate, fruit, and peanut are popular too, and the Ssukseu cheesecake, chocolate cake, cookies, and milk tea are also fan favorites worth checking out.

If you're traveling in search of a Songjeong Station food spot in Gwangju, leave yourself a sweet memory with a dessert course at Ssukseu Choco Pie after your meal.