Fresh donuts and garlic sticks to go at Yangsan bakery café Choi

For the weekend, I wanted to escape the stuffy city and get some fresh air and open scenery, so I went on a bit of a drive-slash-café-trip.

It's a large bakery café near Busan that's famous for its grand scale and gorgeous view.

Actually, I'd visited before for my mom's birthday and had such a great time that the memory stuck with me strongly — I really wanted to come back to 'Choi Bakery' in Hopo, Yangsan, and this time I finally did!

Choi Main Branch hours and parking

Choi Main Branch (초이 본점) is open daily from 09:00 to 21:50, with last orders at 21:20. The address is 83 Yangsan-daero, Dong-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea.

The parking lot is very spacious and pleasant — even during weekend peak hours, I was able to park with no trouble at all, which was really convenient.

Why Choi Main Branch won a 2024 Blue Ribbon

As soon as I walked in the entrance of Choi Main Branch, some certification marks caught my eye — this place had actually won the 2024 Blue Ribbon award!

On top of that, owner Choi Jeong-ho has an impressive résumé — winning the 2024 Baguette & Croissant Championship, receiving the Prime Minister's Award at the 2024 K-Bakery awards, and even serving as a judge for the 2025 Baguette & Croissant Championship.

For reference, this place used to be called 'Haewoldang,' and only the name was changed to 'CHOi Bakery' while keeping the same flavor and care in the baking.

Knowing they have such an impressive track record and skill, my trust in the taste of the bread shot way up.

Two floors and the Nakdong River window-wall view

Choi Main Branch splits its space into the bakery kitchen and checkout on the 1st floor, and a drink pickup counter and table seating on the 2nd floor. True to its scale as a massive bakery café — from the exterior to the interior — each floor is divided really thoughtfully.

First floor: bakery counter

There's a gorgeous bakery kitchen where they knead and bake the bread themselves, plus the checkout counter, and countless varieties of eye-catching bread displayed everywhere.

There are seriously so many kinds of bread that the moment you walk through the door, you're happily overwhelmed trying to decide what to pick.

Second floor: river-view seating

There's a pickup counter where drinks are made quickly, along with wide-open table seating where you can sit comfortably.

One thing to note is the seats themselves aren't super plush or cushy, just so you know beforehand!

But that small letdown gets completely wiped away by the fantastic Nakdong River view stretching out beyond the window wall. There's no better spot to just zone out and heal while watching the river flow by outside.

It's the perfect place to stop by as a follow-up after a hearty meal nearby, to enjoy sweet desserts and coffee.

Choi Main Branch drink menu and the breads we took home

The drink menu at Choi Main Branch has a wide range to choose from depending on your taste — everything from coffee to lattes, cold brew, refreshing smoothies and ades, and fragrant teas.

There are seriously so many kinds of bakery items — let me show you the full bakery menu I photographed back in July.

With such a wide variety of bakery items, if you're feeling overwhelmed about what to pick, just check the 'Best Menu' signage prominently displayed in the store — you really can't go wrong!

This time, I packed two drinks along with some hefty, delicious-looking bread to bring home.

Mango croissant (my pick)

I hadn't eaten lunch so I picked this as a substitute, and I was shocked by the size alone.

The mango was so sweet and perfectly ripened, and even the cream filling was a soft mango cream — total bullseye for my taste.

It was so huge that I got really full. I gave the leftovers to my husband, and he took one bite and said it was so good, then devoured the rest in a storm.

Fresh donuts and garlic sticks (my husband's pick)

I came home, took a nap out of exhaustion, and woke up to find just the empty bag lying around? He finished them off in the blink of an eye — guess they passed my husband's taste test too, haha.

July visit: desserts the whole family loved

When I visited Choi Main Branch with family in July, I picked the crunchy strawberry dessert and the Mont Chouchou roll. Let me introduce these too~

Crunchy strawberry dessert

This item had such a fun, cute look to it — my niece, who came along, loved it the moment she saw it, and I still remember it vividly.

Mont Chouchou roll

This one really won over the adults, including my mom.

How can it be packed with this much cream and still not be greasy at all, just melting in your mouth and tasting this good?

the adults kept exclaiming.

If you like cakes or soft roll-type desserts, I definitely recommend trying this one.

Free tofu snack for a review, and would I go back?

During this visit, Choi Main Branch was also running a review event! While waiting for our drinks, I quickly wrote a review and got a free 'tofu snack' in return — and honestly, it was quite the treat.

It had a nutty, crispy texture that made me keep reaching for more — an addictive kind of taste. If you're looking for a large bakery café near Busan where you can enjoy delicious bread and drinks while gazing at an open, refreshing Nakdong River view, don't hesitate — go check out 'Choi Bakery.'

I've already been twice, but this is truly a favorite spot I want to keep coming back to!