Carrot râpée chicken sandwiches at a Goyang café: Boulangerie Tan

I stopped by Boulangerie Tan, Hyundai Department Store KINTEX in the basement food hall while visiting Hyundai Department Store KINTEX 🥖 I had heard it was famous for salt bread, so as someone who normally loves salt bread, I had been curious about it too. As I passed by, I saw they had so many kinds of bread ready, so I took my time looking around.

The atmosphere in the Hyundai Department Store KINTEX basement food hall

Boulangerie Tan, Hyundai Department Store KINTEX is on B1 of the department store, making it an easy stop while shopping. Different types of bread were neatly arranged on the displays, and there were lots of varieties of salt bread to see as well. Whenever I go to a bakery, I walk in thinking I will choose just one thing, but once I am looking at the bread, I always end up adding more one by one—and this day was no different..🤭

There was everything from breads that would be nice for a simple bite to items better suited to snacking, so it was easy to choose according to your taste. Especially if you love salt bread, I think it would be worth stopping in and having a look at least once 🤍

The salt breads and sandwich I ordered

That day, I ordered the carrot râpée chicken sandwich, chewy rice-cake salt bread, gourmet butter salt bread, and an iced Americano. For the carrot râpée chicken sandwich, you can choose either salt bread or a baguette. Since I had come to a place known for salt bread, I chose the salt bread without a second thought 🥖

So, how was the carrot râpée chicken sandwich?

The first thing I tried was the carrot râpée chicken sandwich. To be honest, I am not really a carrot person, so I was a little curious what a sandwich with carrot râpée would taste like. But the distinctive carrot flavor was not as strong as I expected. Instead, it was tangy and crisp, and I could see why it is popular.

That made me think even people who are not good with carrots could give it a try. Eaten with the chicken, it was mild, while the carrot râpée added a fresh lift in the middle, so it was not rich or greasy overall. More than anything, I was happy I chose the salt bread. With crisp, buttery salt bread, chicken, and carrot râpée all together, it made a perfectly good simple meal. It was also nice with an iced Americano, almost like brunch ☕️

The chewy texture of the rice-cake salt bread

Next was the chewy rice-cake salt bread, which I picked because I was curious! It had glutinous rice cake and red bean paste inside the salt bread, so it had a texture quite different from ordinary salt bread. The outside was mild and crisp, but the inside was chewy because of the rice cake, making each bite fun texturally. Regular salt bread is lovely too, but if you want to try something a little different, this kind would be a good option.

Gourmet butter salt bread with coffee

Since this is known as a great salt-bread spot, I also picked one of the basic options. Salt bread somehow tastes best with coffee, I think ☕️ It was mild with a nutty buttery aroma, plus a salty note that kept me reaching for another bite. If you love salt bread, it could be fun to choose several kinds and compare them one by one.

A menu that worked even for someone who does not like carrots

This time I chose mostly salt breads, but it was nice that there were so many things to try, from sandwiches to desserts. The carrot râpée chicken sandwich was especially my kind of thing. Even though I do not usually like carrots, the distinctive carrot taste did not come through strongly, and I loved its sweet-and-tangy flavor. It felt like the kind of taste I would think about again when I wanted a light meal. So I think even people who do not normally eat carrots can try it without feeling intimidated. And as a place famous for salt bread, it has many varieties ready to go, so salt-bread fans should be able to find something that suits their taste 🥖🤍