Seodaemun bakery afternoon bread takeaway: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam

Bread display at Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch at 4 PM on a weekday

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch is a great bakery near a Yeonnam-dong chicken-feet restaurant, partway along the walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3 toward Yeonhui-dong Catholic Church. Its neat Korean-lettered Mandong Jegwa sign and warm, cozy wood interior make this bakery feel so comforting.

With that huge “bread” sign on the wall beside it, Mandong Jegwa should not be hard to find haha.

The shop is long and narrow, and since it is a bakery rather than a bread café, it was filled with display cases. You pick out each bread you like, then have it packed and pay at the counter haha. Unfortunately, as you can see in the photos, I arrived a little late and there were not many breads left—but this was around 4 PM on a weekday, so that really showed how popular this bakery is..!

Still, I was glad there was bread left to choose from. As I looked through them one by one, I saw that every item was individually wrapped in plastic, which made the hygienic handling feel very trustworthy haha. There was still a nice variety left, including salt soboro, butt bread, and jalapeño ciabatta,

squid-ink bread and walnut bread,

bacon ciabatta, kaya coconut, and red-bean cream,

Emmental and chili sausage,

plus quite a few popular choices such as rusk, onion bagels, cucumber baguettes, and garlic baguettes!

The prices were so reasonable that even after filling a whole bag, the total did not come to much haha.

Four breads I took home

• Onion bagel ₩5,500
• Salt soboro ₩3,600
• Garlic baguette ₩7,000
• Bacon ciabatta ₩4,900

What is the onion cream texture in the onion bagel like?

The onion bagel is said to be a walnut bagel filled with fresh onion cream. The outside was firmer than I expected, with a lovely crisp bite, and it was so large that one alone was filling. It was divided into four, too, making it easy to eat haha. The onion cream in the middle had a clean onion flavor, while the crunchy pieces of onion still had their texture, making this a really fun bread to eat!

The signature garlic baguette

Next is Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch’s most famous garlic baguette~ It is said to be Mandong Jegwa’s signature item, packed with garlic sauce, and once I tasted it, I understood why it is both the signature and so famous haha.

Crisp outside and moist inside—exactly that ideal contrast—with a properly rich garlic flavor: Mandong Jegwa’s garlic baguette! The inside was thoroughly soaked in garlic cream, making it incredibly moist, and there was plenty of that cream, too. It is a recommended item for anyone who loves garlic flavor haha.

Salt soboro and bacon ciabatta

The salt soboro is said to be made with mochi dough and butter. Its texture and flavor were different from what I expected, which was interesting, and its chewy texture was so delicious.

The bacon ciabatta has cream cheese, bacon, and pepper inside a mild ciabatta. The savory bread with that salty touch could not possibly be bad, and it was just right for a snack haha.

I visited late and chose from the few breads remaining, but every single one was delicious—no misses at Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch! I was satisfied just to try the signature garlic baguette at this famous essential stop on a bread tour, but the other breads make me curious too, so next time I want to visit earlier and try more varieties in greater quantities 😆