Seodaemun bakery corn cheese tasting: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam

Returning to Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch

While I was out having fun in Yeonnam-dong, there was one place I simply couldn’t walk past!! I went to the famous Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch, haha. It comes up so often when you search for bakeries in Yeonnam-dong, so I’d wanted to try it—and after enjoying it so much on my previous visit, I came back again this time!

I visited Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch. The big “Mandong Jegwa” lettering on its black exterior immediately caught my eye! It has a distinctive mix of an old-school bakery and a modern vibe, so it wasn’t hard to spot. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the good breads sell out quickly, so definitely go early if there is something you want!

A bakery with lots of bread choices

Once I stepped inside, there were even more kinds of bread than I expected. Breads were lined up all along both sides, and looking at them one by one made choosing surprisingly hard, haha. If you like bakeries in Yeonnam-dong or Hongdae with lots to choose from, I think browsing here would be pretty fun too. And each bread at Mandong Jegwa is quite generously sized, which made them stand out even more!!

Garlic baguette and basil tomato bread

The items I had planned to buy from the start were the basil tomato bread for ₩6,200, garlic baguette for ₩7,000, and shrimp baguette for ₩5,800. The garlic baguette is one of the signature items that first comes to mind when you think of Mandong Jegwa, right? Seeing it in person, the garlic sauce looked properly soaked right into the surface, haha.

When I got home and sliced it up, it was moist all the way inside with a real burst of garlic flavor, so I could see why it is famous. It was not the kind where only the outside tastes strongly of garlic while the inside is dry—the flavor had soaked into the moist interior too, making it a garlic baguette I kept reaching for!! If it is your first time at Mandong Jegwa while looking for a Hongdae bakery, I think the garlic baguette is well worth picking up.

I also chose the basil tomato bread for ₩6,200! This was another item I had been curious about. The pairing of basil’s distinctive aroma and tomato gave it a totally different charm from the garlic baguette. If you love basil and tomato together, I absolutely recommend it!!

Corn cheese chosen after a tasting

The shrimp baguette was ₩5,800. It was long and substantial, so visually it already passed the test!! As I picked breads along with the garlic baguette, I somehow ended up with three... but stopping there felt a little disappointing, haha. I kept looking around the shop, wondering whether I should buy just one more. Then, right then, a staff member offered me a corn cheese sample.

Honestly, I had not planned to buy the corn cheese at first... but after one bite, I thought, oh? This is good??? Hahaha. So without any more hesitation, I immediately decided on corn cheese as my final item, haha. Since I got to taste it before choosing, it was nice to put it in my basket without worrying about a miss. It was nutty and sweet, with that distinctive corn-cheese flavor, and felt completely different from the garlic or basil breads.

So my final Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch picks that day were garlic baguette for ₩7,000, basil tomato bread for ₩6,200, shrimp baguette for ₩5,800, and corn cheese!! If you walk in planning to buy only one, it probably will not be easy... haha. Once I brought them home and sliced them into easy-to-eat pieces, it was so fun trying one of each kind.

Personally, if it is your first visit, I would recommend starting with the garlic baguette, then adding other kinds such as basil tomato or shrimp baguette to share several breads, haha. And if you are debating which last bread to buy like I was, take a look to see whether there are any items available for tasting, haha. I took one bite that way and ended up bringing home the corn cheese too!!

If you are on a date in Yeonnam-dong and looking for somewhere to pick up bread, or you want dessert while doing a Hongdae food tour, Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch is worth stopping by. Especially if you love garlic baguettes among Yeonnam-dong bakeries, I think it is worth a visit :) Next time I go, I want to try the breads I could not pick this time too, one by one, haha. If you are looking for a bakery in Yeonnam-dong or Hongdae, fill up on breads that suit your taste at Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch!! They are all delicious!!