Jongno 3-ga bakery with a 40cm coffee bread and onion bagel: Munhwa

Munhwa Bakery: the Jongno 3-ga bakery found on a lunchtime walk

Munhwa Bakery is a bakery near Ikseon-dong, about 200m from Exit 7 of Jongno 3-ga Station toward Changdeokgung. Lunch breaks are short, but after wolfing down lunch at the cafeteria, my coworkers and I usually take a walk nearby to digest. One of our fast-walking managers apparently clocks 4km at a brisk pace, but that's a bit much for me haha ^^;;

There are lots of good loop-walk routes around Jongno, and today we decided to head toward Jongno 3-ga. As we walked, a bakery near Ikseon-dong caught my eye just from its exterior. That was Munhwa Bakery.

I'd seen it online a few times as a famous Ikseon-dong bakery and kept meaning to visit, and for some reason there was no line out front this time. That's basically a sign to buy bread! I'd already eaten lunch, but I went in anyway. A working adult's 'planned' spending sometimes starts with zero planning at all. Haha.

What Munhwa Bakery looks like from the street

Munhwa Bakery stands out right from the exterior. It has a Korean vibe that fits the Ikseon-dong mood, something like the late-Joseon feel you'd see in Mr. Sunshine...

The store is quite small, and there was a sign asking only two parties to enter at a time.

When I went, there was no wait and no other customers inside, so I walked right in. Apparently it usually gets a line, so I think I just got lucky with the timing.

The moment I opened the door, that delicious bread smell hit~~~ Even after eating lunch, I still react to bread smell. Right, we all have a separate stomach for rice and a separate stomach for bread...

How big is the bread at Munhwa Bakery? Much bigger than the photos

The bread at Munhwa Bakery is much bigger in person than in photos. Looking at pictures online, the prices seemed a bit high, so I figured the bread might be on the pricier side. But seeing it in person completely changed my mind. The bread is way bigger than I expected.

There was a big gap between seeing it in photos and seeing it in person. The coffee bread in particular is nearly 40cm long, way longer than I expected. Same with the onion bagel. If you're picturing the bagel size from a typical franchise bakery, this one is about 1.5 times bigger. It's chunky — I'd guess about 15cm in diameter. Seeing the size like that, the price suddenly made total sense. ^^

Munhwa Bakery's signature breads: garlic bread, coffee bread, onion bagel

What I picked were Munhwa Bakery's three signature items: garlic bread, coffee bread, and onion bagel. I hadn't decided on a menu beforehand, so I asked for signature recommendations, then just grabbed all three. Yes, I really had already eaten lunch. ^^

Garlic bread: soft and moist

Garlic bread usually brings to mind a crispy or firm texture, but Munhwa Bakery's garlic bread is soft and moist. The garlic aroma isn't overwhelming and blends naturally with the bread. I especially liked how moist it stayed all the way through. It was still tasty even after I brought the leftovers home. A famous item that lives up to the hype, taste-wise too.

Coffee bread: nearly 40cm long, sweet with coffee aroma

Second up is the coffee bread. This was the one that really shocked me in person compared to the photos. At nearly 40cm long, I thought 'you could skip rice entirely and just eat this and be full.' The bread itself was soft, with a noticeable coffee aroma and just the right amount of sweetness, so it seemed like it would pair well with coffee. Since the coffee bread itself has a subtle coffee scent, I think it'd go really well with a clean, simple coffee like an americano.

Onion bagel: cream cheese packed with onion

Last is the onion bagel. I don't usually like the chewy texture of bagels, so I don't normally pick one out on purpose. But since it's a famous bakery's signature item, I went for it anyway. The combo of the bagel's chewiness with the onion cream was pretty good. There was a generous amount of cream cheese inside too, giving it a savory flavor. The onion flavor is fairly strong, so if you like onions, you'll probably love this.

Queues at Munhwa Bakery and what to know before you go

I got lucky with no wait, but while I was picking out bread and getting it packed, customers kept coming in. I think during busier hours there could definitely be a line. Also, I've heard the bread can sell out and the store may close early, so it's probably best not to visit too late in the day.

• Address: 65 Donhwamun-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00
• Location: About 200m from Exit 7 of Jongno 3-ga Station toward Changdeokgung
• Parking: Not available, public transit recommended
• Format: Takeout-only store, no seating inside
• Interior is small, so only two parties enter at a time
• Wait times can vary depending on when you visit

A bakery stop to add to an Ikseon-dong walking route

You could make a special trip just for the bread, but it's also well-located for stopping by while walking through Ikseon-dong or Jongno 3-ga — like me, drawn in by the bread smell after lunch, which isn't a bad way to go either.

It was pretty funny — I went out saying I was just walking off lunch, then ended up buying more food and cheerfully swinging a bread bag back to the office. What is work-life balance, really, if not this? Walking slowly after lunch and stumbling on delicious bread — that's basically work-life balance too... haha (great excuse, but the belly fat, well...;;)