Mangwon bakery: jalapeño danish & pain suisse at Boulangerie Copain

What kind of bakery is Boulangerie Copain in Mangwon?

Boulangerie Copain is a bakery in Mangwon-dong that was introduced on SBS's Master of Living (생활의 달인) as home to a baguette and croissant master. A Mangwon-dong bakery run by a baguette and croissant master? Of course I had to stop by.

The show aired on February 26, 2018, and true to that, you can see the bakers making bread right there at Boulangerie Copain. Through the clear glass on the left side at the back of the shop, I could feel all the care that goes into the bread.

Boulangerie Copain is a must-stop on a Mangwon-dong bakery crawl. Lots of its breads are famous both online and offline, so I really wanted to try them.

• Address: 115 Huiujeong-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 10am to 10pm

Boulangerie Copain is a bakery that's neither huge nor tiny, just a good size, and as I watched, passersby wandered in one by one until the place was packed. That's how you know it's a Mangwon-dong bakery you can't skip on a bakery crawl.

When is the Boulangerie Copain time sale?

Boulangerie Copain has a time sale every day from 7pm.

What breads does Boulangerie Copain sell?

Boulangerie Copain isn't just baguettes. The shelves are full of things like kouign-amann (퀴니아망), melon cream bread, mini brioche, berry chocolate bread, basil crunch, fig cream cheese baguette and chestnut loaf. When I walked in, the shelves looked pretty picked over, but they kept refilling them, and freshly made breads were lined up alongside, ready to go out.

I wanted everything but couldn't have everything, so I chose a few. Every bread at Boulangerie Copain really brings out the natural flavor of its ingredients, and they all looked beautifully balanced too.

Before loading up, you lay baking paper on the tray and pick up your bread with the tongs.

How does the Boulangerie Copain choco baguette taste?

The Boulangerie Copain choco baguette pairs a crisp baguette with sweet chocolate, and I'd had my eye on it from the start. I picked it first, then an almond sausage.

The choco baguette gives you the crunch of a baguette along with a dreamy chocolate sweetness, and the two work together beautifully. The more you eat, the more fun the texture gets, and the chocolate aroma fills your mouth. It goes well with coffee or milk, and it leaves nothing to be desired. It's so popular that it's a must-grab whenever you come to Boulangerie Copain.

Next time: fig cream cheese baguette and corn cheese sausage croissant

The fig cream cheese baguette at Boulangerie Copain looked so good too. Next time I have to try that crisp baguette with wine-poached figs and cream cheese.

The corn cheese sausage croissant looked delicious as well. It seemed so generous, probably because it's stuffed with corn cheese mayo and sausage.

What time do baguettes come out at Boulangerie Copain, and can they be sliced?

Baguettes at Boulangerie Copain come out at 10am. Breads baked before 10am can be bought, except the baguettes.

Boulangerie Copain will slice the baguette, choco baguette, campagne and basil crunch for you.

Which danishes and pastries to pick at Boulangerie Copain

Tomato olive danish

The tomato olive danish at Boulangerie Copain was the one that looked best to me. I'm told it's a danish topped with tomatoes cured for 5 days, olives, and Emmental and shredded cheese, baked, then brushed generously with syrup. It's hard to find elsewhere, so at a famous spot like this, you can tell you'll get a proper danish.

Raspberry almond croissant

The raspberry almond croissant at Boulangerie Copain is a crisp almond pastry topped with tangy raspberry filling and nutty almond cream. The pastry itself is crisp and delicious, and then they added raspberry and almond cream on top. Wow, it's amazing.

Highly recommended. It's so good.

Sausage jalapeño danish

The sausage jalapeño danish at Boulangerie Copain is a danish topped with sausage and spicy jalapeños. The danish itself is an upscale bread that already looks tempting, and then they put on sausage, which I love, plus spicy jalapeños. Honestly, you can't not eat it. Best bread ever.

Pain suisse

The pain suisse (펭 스위스) at Boulangerie Copain is a syrup-brushed pastry filled with custard cream and chocolate chips, with plenty of vanilla bean. It looks elegant, and it tastes even better. You get the crispness of a pastry along with a lovely texture where the filling and the bread come together.

Why Boulangerie Copain is worth a return visit

Everything at Boulangerie Copain looked so good that I agonized over what to pick, but I think I chose well. Out of all the breads, I picked the ones that deliver both crispness and looks. The more I ate, the more I could tell it's a bakery that uses good ingredients. Boulangerie Copain is a Mangwon-dong bakery recognized for its flavor and quality.