Yeonnam-dong bakery: weekday pickup & chestnut loaf for kids, Mandong

Why does Mandong Jegwa come to mind first for a Yeonnam-dong bakery?

Mandong Jegwa (만동제과) is the first Yeonnam-dong bakery the writer thinks of, her regular spot, and she has visited so many times she has lost count. This time she stopped by the Yeonnam branch on her way home after running an errand in Hongdae.

Yeonnam-dong isn't far from home, so I end up here whenever I'm craving bread! And when it comes to Yeonnam-dong bakeries, the first one that pops into my head is always Mandong Jegwa, haha. I've been back so many times I can't even count. It's totally my regular bakery, hahaha

This time I had something to do around Hongdae, and I dropped by Mandong Jegwa on the way back home. It's such a famous Hongdae food spot that it's a must-stop on any Yeonnam-dong bakery crawl, haha.

Inside Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch: the atmosphere and the breads on display

The Yeonnam branch was busy again this time, and the writer was surprised by how many foreign customers there were. The shelves are packed with breads baked fresh every day.

As expected, it was full of customers when I walked in. It's become pretty well known abroad, and there were so many foreign customers that I was surprised all over again, lol. Mandong Jegwa is going global~

The shelves are full of bread baked fresh every day. Breads that make you happy just by looking at them!

True to a Yeonnam-dong bakery that focuses on the real flavor of bread, there are so many breads with distinct personalities that just browsing is fun, haha. I look at the unusual-looking ones and imagine what they taste like, and the ones I'm curious about I end up trying one by one, hahaha.

Is reserved pickup at Mandong Jegwa weekdays only?

Mandong Jegwa reportedly offers a reserved pickup service, where you book popular items ahead and collect them. In the writer's experience weekends seem too crowded for it, but it is available on weekdays.

Garlic baguette, cappuccino bread, basil tomato bread, onion bagel... there are so many famous breads that I agonize every single time. Today I agonized again, lol.

They also offer a reserved pickup service, so you can book the popular items in advance and just pick them up. It doesn't seem to work on weekends because it's so crowded, but on weekdays you can use it, so keep that in mind!

A display where every bread is now individually wrapped

There used to be some breads without packaging, but it looks like everything is wrapped now. Thanks to that, picking the breads I wanted was easy, with no worry about dropping one with the tongs, lol.

After picking these, I added the most famous garlic baguette at checkout and ordered! Haha. Even though it's a Yeonnam-dong bakery, the prices didn't feel crazy expensive, more reasonable than I expected.

Then I packed up my bread and headed home~ The yummy smell kept wafting out of the bag, and I could barely stand it all the way home, haha.

Where can you eat Mandong Jegwa bread right away?

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch has no space to eat inside. Instead, you can reportedly eat its bread at the nearby Ediya Yeonnam-dong branch if you order one drink per person.

Here's some info for anyone who wants to eat right away! Bread tastes even better fresh, so this trick is a real gem, lol.

I got home and tasted everything right away, lol. I mixed my usual breads with new ones, and the familiar ones were even better because I knew the taste, while the new ones were fresh and delicious too! Lol.

What does Mandong Jegwa's garlic baguette taste like?

Mandong Jegwa's garlic baguette is a golden-baked baguette generously spread with creamy garlic sauce, crisp outside and moist inside. The writer calls it the signature item you absolutely have to grab here.

This is Mandong Jegwa's most famous garlic baguette! You absolutely have to grab it. The look alone ends the game, they say.. lolol

Creamy garlic sauce is slathered over the golden-baked baguette, and the sauce soaked in between glistens so much, ugh T_T One bite and it's crisp outside, moist inside! A rich garlic flavor fills your mouth, and the way it melts nutty and savory is truly top-notch, haha. Before you know it you're picking up another piece, that's how addictive Mandong Jegwa's garlic baguette is, haha.

Emmental with big chunks of cheese

Mandong Jegwa's Emmental is a round bread with big chunks of cheese baked inside, and one of the writer's favorites. The bread is soft and moist, and the chewy bits of cheese make the texture fun.

That round look grabs your eyes right away! The outside is baked golden and there are big chunks of cheese inside, and it looks delicious just sitting there. This Emmental is also one of my very favorite breads, haha. The bread is soft and moist, and the cheese you bite into here and there makes the texture fun!

The chestnut loaf I bought for my kid for the first time

Mandong Jegwa's chestnut loaf is something the writer bought for the first time this visit for her child, and the child ate it well. Chestnuts are packed between the slices of loaf bread and it isn't overly sweet, so reviewers say both kids and adults can enjoy it.

This is the chestnut loaf I bought for the first time for my kid, and just as I guessed, they ate it up, lol. Sweet chestnuts are packed between the plump slices of loaf, which makes it even better! The chestnuts are gently sweet, not overly so, so kids can eat it without any trouble, and it's tasty for adults too~

A regular sums up Mandong Jegwa

All of these breads were a success too, haha. No wonder it's famous as a Yeonnam-dong bakery! Besides the freshness of bread baked every day, there are so many distinctive items that every visit brings something new to enjoy. Please try the garlic baguette in particular! Once you've had it, you keep thinking about it, haha. Do go to Mandong Jegwa, the Yeonnam-dong bakery and Hongdae food spot! I'll probably be back soon to buy another garlic baguette, haha.