Sokcho bakery café near the City Museum: kid's squid jjondeugi, Bultan

How did we end up at Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread Main Store?

Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread Main Store (속초불탄감자빵 본점) is a bakery café in Sokcho that sits right near the Sokcho City Museum, so we dropped in on the way there with my daughter. On our last Sokcho trip I was wandering Jungang Market and spotted this odd snack called "burnt potato bread" (bultan gamja-ppang) right at the entrance. The jet-black look stuck in my memory. This time I found out the main store is near the museum, so we stopped by on the way~!

A Sokcho bakery café worth the stop: Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread, with nutty, mild (and I thought spicy) potato bread and chewy squid jjondeugi~!

What are the exterior and parking like?

The whole outer wall of the building is covered in colorful, hip graffiti art, and there's a roomy dedicated parking lot in front. It's full of cute characters and bright paintings, like an outdoor gallery. Everyone parked and was busy taking photos here, haha.

It's also very close to Sono Felice Delpino and Seorak Waterpia~ Best of all, the parking lot is big, so even nervous drivers can park easily.

At the entrance, a black potato character in a cute hat greets you with a handcart. It's a great photo spot for a souvenir picture with your kid.

Seating inside and the Seoraksan view

The main hall has a cozy brick-style interior (I think?) with plenty of soft sofa seats. Outside, there are outdoor tables with a grand view of Seoraksan Mountain, perfect for enjoying the scenery on a nice day.

Origin sign and 10% off for 3 boxes

Next to the counter is an honest origin-of-ingredients sign. The key ingredient, potatoes, is domestic, and it even says the staff are "purely domestic" too. I burst out laughing, haha.

On one wall they explain what makes burnt potato bread special: a healthy bread made with domestic potatoes, Sokcho's famous squid ink and chewy glutinous rice.

When we visited, they were also offering 10% off when you buy 3 or more boxes. A box is ₩10,000, so with the discount it's ₩9,000, which would be great for buying plenty as gifts for friends 😉

I was startled by the brick wall filling one side of the shop. It's packed with signatures and photos from lots of famous celebrities who've already been here... You really feel that this Sokcho bakery café is a hit even among TV personalities.

Mous Toy painting for kids

One corner of the store has a Mous Toy painting experience space where kids can join in 🫪 You paint your own design on a white ceramic doll, so it seems like a good stop for families traveling with children?

What are the drinks, menu and prices?

The showcase holds a variety of cold drinks for adults, handmade juices and even bottled beer. You can also order an Americano or latte to go with the potato bread.

In front of the counter, besides the burnt potato bread, they sell sweet, crunchy oranda (crisp candied-grain snack) and Sokcho jjondeugi (chewy dried-squid-style snack) that brings out the local specialty flavor. The squid jjondeugi is ₩10,000 for a set of 12, so I added it as a snack, haha.

The menu board neatly lays out the signature Sokcho burnt potato bread, jjondeugi and coffee. The potato bread is ₩2,500 each, or a 4-piece set for ₩10,000 in a tidy box. At about ₩10,000 a box, it's good for gifts.

How did the burnt potato bread taste?

The burnt potato bread I took home had a chewy glutinous-rice skin and a mild potato filling packed inside, not overpowering and tasty. Out of the box, the jet-black look, like charcoal from a hearth or a burnt potato, was really unusual, hahahaha.

I tore off the wrapper to try one, and I have no idea what those two round dots are, hahaha.

The glutinous-rice skin is super chewy, and the inside is stuffed with a mild, soft potato filling, so it's not strong at all and really good. No wonder it's a Sokcho bakery café hit?! There's already the main store, plus branch no. 1 and no. 2 near Jungang Market~!

But because it's called "burnt" potato bread, I mistook it for a slightly (?) spicy potato bread... Am I the only one 😂?

How to reheat burnt potato bread for better flavor

The side of the box has handy tips for eating it at home. Microwave it for about 20 seconds, or bake it in an air fryer for 5 minutes, and the outside gets crisp while the inside gets even chewier.

The Sokcho squid jjondeugi my daughter loved

The Sokcho squid-flavored jjondeugi I bought along with it was a snack my daughter wouldn't put down and kept eating happily. As soon as I bought it she asked for it, so I handed one over, and thanks to the salty, nutty savory taste she ate it up. It's a snack the whole family can enjoy, so the trip felt that much more satisfying, haha.

Should you add it to a Sokcho museum trip?

If you want a different kind of bakery and a great mountain view on your Sokcho trip, do stop by Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread Main Store~ If, like us, you're going to the National Mountain Museum or Sokcho City Museum with a kid and want a bakery café to rest in along the way, it would be a good stop! It also works as an easy dessert gift, so I think you'll be happy with it :)