Sweet pumpkin ciabatta run, air-fryer reheat: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam

Today I finally made it to the famous Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch~~ It's been mentioned so often lately as a must-visit stop on the Yeonnam-dong bakery pilgrimage among Hongdae food spots that I just had to find out what the hype was about!☺️

Location and hours of Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch

• 🚩Location: 466m from Hongik University Station Exit 3
• ⏰Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• 🚗No parking (if driving, use a nearby paid parking lot)
• Wi-Fi available, takeout available

The exterior had such a retro, atmospheric feel~ Especially that big sign reading 'bbang' (bread) on the side of the building — really eye-catching! It's the perfect spot for a photo op 👀

• ✔ There's no seating inside the shop, but apparently you can bring Mandong Jegwa bread to the nearby 'Ediya Yeonnam-dong Branch' if you order one drink per person
• ✔ If you don't want to make a wasted trip or wait too long, weekday reservations seem like a good option!

Store atmosphere and the wait

The inside was pretty cozy, and the moment I stepped in it was packed! I was surprised at how many foreign visitors there were too haha (I quickly snapped these photos when it happened to be empty for a second haha)

I picked up a tray and started scanning which bread to choose~~

While I was browsing, the owner gave me some tasting bread~ It was this hip bread, and it was so chewy and soft and delicious that I put it on my tray first thing,,🤤

Overall the breads were really large in size but priced so reasonably that the value for money was great haha This is the kind of place that makes bread lovers' eyes light up!☺️

Choosing without regrets, thanks to the tasting bread

Tasting bread

Whenever I was torn between breads, I could taste them, so I ended up picking only breads that perfectly matched my taste without any regrets! Mandong Jegwa's generosity is truly the best 👍

Apparently the garlic bread at Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam is the most famous item~ But I don't usually like garlic bread, so I passed on it,,

I wanted to buy at least one of these three, so I asked the staff what sells best!! She explained everything so kindly and even handed me tasting bread, telling me to decide after trying it haha The female staff member was so, so sweet and kind ♡

Types of bread and cold-pack packaging

Types of bread

They also had a great lineup of nutty, plain, traditional-style breads like chestnut sweet bread, yakbap (sweet rice) bread, and mugwort rice cake bread — the kind that would win over older generations or anyone with a 'halmaeniel' (grandma-chic) palate~

That sweet pumpkin ciabatta seemed really popular haha I bought the very last piece and it sold out right after! (I was so lucky! It was a bread I'd really wanted to try haha) The moment I took a bite, I totally understood why it's so popular,, it became my top pick,,🙊

They also sell cooler bags and ice packs separately! If you're buying breads with cream cheese inside, like onion bagels or basil tomato, or if you have a long way to travel, adding the cold-pack option seems perfect for keeping it fresh haha

The four breads I bought and their prices

• Basil tomato ₩6,200
• Sweet pumpkin ciabatta ₩6,200
• Hip bread ₩3,500
• Pretzel ₩5,000

Basil tomato vs. cucumber baguette

I wanted something fresh and light, so I was torn between the basil tomato and the cucumber baguette~ Since they gave me samples, I tried both, and the cucumber baguette was cleaner and fresher! (It tasted like baguette + yogurt + cucumber haha) If you dislike sweet, heavy flavors, the cucumber baguette would be the one to get~☆

The basil tomato had sweet cream cheese inside, plus a bagel base for a nutty flavor! The sun-dried tomato and basil made it fresh~ The reason I chose the basil tomato is because the combination of cream cheese, basil, and tomato worked so well together☺️

Sweet pumpkin ciabatta

The ciabatta was plain and nutty~ and the sweet pumpkin was sweet. Not the added-sugar kind of sweet, but the natural sweetness that comes from the pumpkin itself! The cream cheese inside added a refreshing touch, and the combination was insane‼️

The pumpkin was in big chunks, so you could tell they didn't skimp on ingredients, which made it even more delicious haha This is one I think about again and will have to go back and pick up,, Actually, I ate it plain the day I bought it,, then kept it in the fridge and reheated it in the air fryer the next day~~ You absolutely must eat it after air-frying it!!★

How to reheat Mandong Jegwa bread in an air fryer

♡Air fryer method♡ Heat at 160°C–170°C for 3–5 minutes. (For larger breads, 5–7 minutes) Heating it this way made it crispy and insanely delicious,,☆ You really have to try eating it like this!!

Hip bread

Inside the chewy mochi dough was a ton of sweet condensed milk cream~~♡ It was so generously filled that the cream burst out the moment you took a bite — if you're a cream bread fanatic, there's no way you won't love this one haha

Pretzel

Wait, now that I think about it, all three breads I bought had cream cheese in them lol This one's cream cheese too lol

✔ The bread itself was very soft and packed full of cream cheese inside for a nutty flavor~ But since I accidentally threw myself a cream cheese party, personally this pretzel ended up being my 4th favorite,, (just a matter of taste — the bread itself is delicious!)

Overall review of Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch

With taste, service, and value all covered, this is a Hongdae bakery and Yeonnam-dong food spot with all three boxes checked, so if you love bread, I highly recommend stopping by at least once! I'm planning to come back again soon and sweep up all the other breads too~~ 🥰