Mullae Station bakery café: mango cake and chestnut campagne, Chef Zo

What is Chef Zo Mullae Main Store?

So many people are looking for less-sweet cakes these days, right? I was searching for cakes in Yeongdeungpo and ended up at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store (쉐프조 문래본점), which is rumored to be one of the best cake spots in Seoul. I'd been curious about cakes in Mullae and wanted a good place near Mullae Station, so I went in with big expectations.

Chef Zo Mullae Main Store is in Mullae-dong 3-ga, Seoul (98 Mullae-ro), and it's open 08:00-22:00. The owner is a master baker who appeared on the TV show Life of a Master, so people say it's one of the top spots in Seoul. Apparently if you say Mullae cake, this is the place.

What is Chef Zo like after the lunch rush?

We went after lunch, and as you can see it was packed with people. Groups, couples, families, lots of people chatting over bread and drinks.

Inside was clean and cozy. Bread, desserts and cookies were lined up on the shelves, and it got me excited.

They say the cakes are made fresh 2-3 times a day, which made me trust the place even more. It's a perfect spot to take a break with a Yeongdeungpo cake.

Picking out bread at a bakery is the best feeling, isn't it? Chef Zo Mullae Main Store felt comfortable whether you come alone or with one other person.

The bread shelves at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store

The bread seems to turn over fast, because everything looked freshly made and delicious. It's a handy spot near Mullae Station, and lots of people seem to be looking for Mullae cake.

There was so much variety, and the toasty smell of bread hit me so hard I wanted to load up my tray. It reminded me of the pizza bread and chestnut cookies I used to eat all the time back in the day.

What we ordered at Chef Zo

At Chef Zo Mullae Main Store, we ordered a No. 1 mango cake, a mascarpone croissant, a chestnut campagne (rustic country bread with candied chestnut), plus a café latte and an americano.

• 🍰 No. 1 mango cake
• 🥐 Mascarpone croissant
• 🍞 Chestnut campagne (보늬밤 깜파뉴)
• ☕ Café latte, americano

As a top cake spot in Seoul, the menu has lots of choices. This was a Yeongdeungpo cake and bread combo, picked out in Mullae. Choosing bread and drinks to go with it was half the fun.

It's a place that was on Life of a Master, and if you join the receipt review event you can get an americano or a strawberry latte. Go ahead and grab one!

What's in the cake display at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store?

It's famous as one of the "four heavenly kings" of cake shops, and in the showcase at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store the strawberry and mango cakes stood out most.

Seasonal fig, strawberry and mango cakes, plus tarts, roll cakes and cake slices, all looked delicious.

I packed everything we ordered into one shot: the mango cake, mascarpone croissant, chestnut campagne, café latte and americano.

How does Chef Zo's mascarpone croissant taste?

The mascarpone croissant at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store is crisp outside and moist inside! The cream is rich, so it goes perfectly with an americano. It's on the sweet side, so I'd recommend having it with a drink. I thought, so the bread is different at a Mullae Station favorite too.

Maybe because it's dairy whipped cream, it tasted nutty and wholesome without being heavy. It was even better with strawberries.

What is the bonibam (candied chestnut) campagne like?

The chestnut campagne at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store uses natural yeast and cold fermentation, so it's plain and nutty. It's made with organic flour, and the mild flavor lingers.

The chestnut campagne went well with the café latte too. The more you chew, the nuttier it gets, and I kept thinking about it. Bread this good is rare in Yeongdeungpo, and for a cake specialist, the bread is delicious too.

How sweet is the low-sugar No. 1 mango cake?

The mango cake at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store uses 100% dairy whipped cream, so it's light, not greasy. It's low in sugar, so the mango flavor comes through clearly, and it's so moist my fork kept going back.

A close older friend has a birthday coming up, so I stuck a candle in the mango cake and lit it up.

The cream tasted so clean that a slice vanished in no time, sob. Of all the Mullae cakes, this one is the best.

The cream was different from the whipped cream in the mascarpone croissant, but it went well with the mango, and the sponge was fluffy, so it's great with coffee.

What to try next at Chef Zo Mullae Main Store

If you're looking for a Yeongdeungpo cake, I recommend Chef Zo Mullae Main Store! It's a worthy cake spot in Seoul and a Mullae Station favorite too. It's also good enough for gifts or dessert at a gathering.

Next time I want to try the strawberry cream cake and the sweet pumpkin tart. The tart is made with hand-boiled pumpkin, and it's the chef's recommended item! They also have milk red bean shaved ice (patbingsu) in summer, so I'll have to visit again then.