Yangsan café for red yeast rice bread: Choi Main Branch

Opposite Hopo Station, Choi Main Branch Is a Family Favorite

Today I’m sharing our visit to Choi Main Branch, a regular Yangsan café that my family visits often.

What about the location and parking?

It’s directly across from Hopo Station, so you can get off at the station, cross the pedestrian overpass, and arrive right away :) Drive in along the right side of the building for indoor parking, or use the spaces by the entrance or the separate outdoor lot too 🚘💨

It was selected for the 2024 Blue Ribbon, and it seems to be run by CEO Choi Jeong-ho, an opening member and executive chef at Haewoldang. I had thought Haewoldang had completely turned into a different café, so this was something I only just found out…!

How each floor works

• Basement 1: parking
• First floor: bakery and drink ordering
• Second floor: drink pickup and café lounge
• Third floor: rooftop garden (no-kids zone)

You can pick up bakery items directly on the first floor, but drinks are ordered on the first floor and collected on the second.

Second Floor with Group Tables, Sofas, and River Views

There are lots of group tables and sofa seats, so it seemed popular for get-togethers. The sofas are easily big enough for six people, and there were really, really lots of families with young children!!

A river view stretching out clearly through the huge windows 🥹🫶 You pay for and take bakery items right from the first floor, while drinks are collected inside on the second floor.

For packing up leftover bread, use the self-packing station in front of the second-floor elevator!

The Rooftop Garden on a Cool Day

The third-floor rooftop garden is a no-kids zone. Everyone,,,, when the weather gets a little cooler, you absolutely have to go up to the rooftop. I’ve been so stressed lately that the feeling of helplessness has been no joke, but sitting here and zoning out in the cool breeze gave me a little healing, even if only for a moment. I honestly just wanted to lie down here and fall asleep immediately hahaha

What Did We Choose from the First-Floor Bakery?

Their number-one menu is the top-ranked croissant made by a croissant champion, and there were lots of other signature items too, including Choi Bread and Haereul Pumeun Dal.

They also have whole cakes, cake slices, roll cakes, fresh chocolate, and more.

There are lots of loaf varieties too, and I recommend the red yeast rice bread. My dad tends to buy it every time he goes—it’s sooooo chewy.

There are salads and sandwiches too, plus an enormous variety of things like salt bread, egg tarts, and chocolate baguettes, so it’s fun just looking around :)

Blueberry Smoothie and How the Breads Tasted

There were so many menu options that I deliberated for ages, then ordered chamomile and blueberry yogurt 🫐

The blueberry smoothie (₩7,000) looks like it would be intensely sweet, but it was less sweet than expected, which I actually liked (!) My mom, who needed a sugar boost, found that a little disappointing, but I was happy that I could just keep sipping it down 🫢

The chamomile (₩5,500) uses a Twinings tea bag. The flavor was light and delicate rather than strong, which felt soothing on my stomach and was lovely ☺️

We chose an almond croissant, almond kouign-amann, and multigrain bread.

Almond Croissant

I was going to have the number-one croissant, but I thought it might be even nuttier and tastier with almonds on it, so that’s what I picked. The almond topping on top was seriously so nutty!! I kept tearing off and eating only the top hahaha Like when I used to peel off and eat only the top layer of Nunneddine as a kid hahaha

Almond Kouign-Amann

This one felt more so-so than I expected…! I saw lots of other people buying it, so I was curious and picked one up, but the bottom was like rusk, so the texture was quite hard. I do like crisp or hard textures, but both the texture and taste were somehow a bit neither-here-nor-there,,, 🤔

Multigrain Bread and My Top Pick, Red Yeast Rice Bread

I’m someone who likes nuts, so all the breads I chose at Choi ended up being this kind of bread haha,,,! But I think Choi is a bakery café that does loaves really well. They’re soft and fluffy, easy to pull apart, and the crunchy nuts are so savory and delicious.

But my number-one pick among Choi’s loaves is the red yeast rice bread 🍞‼️ The more you chew it, the more sweetness comes through, and the texture is completely, wonderfully chewy. It’s so good ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Choi Main Branch at a Glance

• A café with huge windows and a rooftop, great for river views and night scenery
• Recommended for families or gatherings thanks to plentiful group tables and sofas
• A café run by a croissant champion
• Menu recommendation: loaf breads, especially the red yeast rice bread