Ikseon-dong bakery beyond the garlic bread: chestnut & mugwort, Munhwa

If you're looking for a bakery in Ikseon-dong, I recommend Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵)! I'd been here before and came back again~ They say it's one of Seoul's top 3 bakeries, so it must be a must-stop on a bakery tour, right?! If you're ever around Ikseon-dong or Jongno 3-ga, it's worth dropping in~ It's great for snacks and also good for bread gifts.

Where is Munhwa Bakery in Ikseon-dong, and what is the shop like?

Munhwa Bakery is in Ikseon-dong near Jongno 3-ga Station, and it's famous for a variety of breads, garlic bread included. The exterior, done in wood and tiles to match the Jongno streets, is so pretty!

There's no space to eat inside Munhwa Bakery. It's a takeout-only bread shop. The inside is rather cramped, so only 2 groups can enter at a time~

What breads does Munhwa Bakery sell besides garlic bread?

The shop is small, but the bread selection is packed. Injeolmi (roasted soybean powder rice cake) bread, peanut bread, mugwort rice cake bread, black sesame bread, milk cream bread, cheese bread, squid-ink condensed milk bread... there's a huge variety of things you'll want to eat~~ The staff were also super friendly, so I could ask anything about the breads and buy happily. After asking around, I bought the chestnut loaf and the mugwort rice cake bun.

The famous onion bagel, rice chestnut loaf, rice cheese loaf, sweet potato bread, white red-bean-paste bread, walnut bread, coffee bread!

And the most famous garlic bread is there in heaps~ So glossy, doesn't it look delicious? The look alone is worth recommending as a bakery in Ikseon-dong. Munhwa Bakery's onion bagel, garlic bread and coffee bread are the most famous, and I'd tried them all, so this time I went for something different.

Is takeout packaging at Munhwa Bakery convenient?

Munhwa Bakery even has a separate container for garlic bread, and they give you a paper bag too, so taking things away is easy.

Bread packed up, off we go home~~ I'm excited just thinking about eating this tasty bread.

I brought home the rice chestnut loaf and the mugwort rice cake bun. They're big, hefty breads, so I was looking forward to them even before eating. They were individually wrapped, so I took them out one by one. I set it all up neatly with apple and milk and enjoyed a lovely bread meal, haha.

Seeing the hefty, glossy bread makes my mouth water~

How does Munhwa Bakery's rice chestnut loaf taste?

The rice chestnut loaf is made with rice, so it's gentle on the stomach and soft, and it had tons of big chestnuts embedded inside. I started with the chestnut loaf, which I always love, and my heart fluttered because it was so full of chestnuts...! The chestnuts aren't overly candied in sugar, so their own subtle sweetness and aroma go together nicely.

How does Munhwa Bakery's mugwort rice cake bun taste?

The mugwort rice cake bun has real mugwort rice cake inside, so it's chewy, and the mugwort scent bursts out. It was really good. The light syrup brushed on the outside adds sweetness, so it went wonderfully with milk. It nails flavor, aroma and texture, and I thought the balance was great.

Is Munhwa Bakery worth it on an Ikseon-dong bakery tour?

If you're looking for a special bakery in Ikseon-dong, Munhwa Bakery is worth stopping at at least once. The already famous garlic bread, onion bagel and coffee bread are tasty, but the rice chestnut loaf and mugwort rice cake bun I tried this time were also more satisfying than I expected. The plain, ingredient-forward flavor and hefty texture were impressive, and I could feel the care in every bite.

Since it's a takeout shop, it's good for enjoying at home at leisure, and it's perfectly fine for gifts too. If you're planning an Ikseon-dong outing or a Jongno date, I recommend Munhwa Bakery for your bakery tour. You get the fun of browsing many kinds of bread, plus the joy of picking what suits your taste. Next visit, I'd like to taste the signature garlic bread again after a while. If you want a small but happy time with tasty bread, visit Munhwa Bakery.