Jongno dessert café for mugwort choco pies: Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul

With the heat finally easing up, I went on a Cheonggyecheon walk date with my boyfriend for the first time in a while. As we strolled along the stream in the cool breeze, we ended up near Jongno 5-ga and sought out one of the Gwangjang Market spots I love. This time, I visited Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul (쑥스초코파이 서울), the one regional-specialty choco pie shop that completely won over my palate.

Getting to Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul from Jongno 5-ga Station

It is 115 m from Exit 7 of Jongno 5-ga Station, toward Gwangjang Market South Gate 1. Just leave through Exit 7 and walk straight for about three minutes, so it is very easy to find.

Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is decorated in striking deep green and clean white. Finding such a stylish, polished dessert café inside the market felt so fresh. The interior also makes great use of the brand colors, creating a bright and cozy space that lifted my mood the moment I walked in.

On past trips around Korea, I had bought loads of the original-style choco pies that were supposedly famous in other regions and brought them home. But my family was pretty lukewarm about them. My younger sibling in particular has picky tastes and high dessert standards; after one bite back then, they said it was not that good and would not even look at them again. But the moment my sibling took a bite of Ssuk's Choco Pie, their eyes went wide and they could not stop saying, “This is really delicious.” That is how polished the quality is—something almost anyone could enjoy—so I really wanted to introduce it properly.

Tasting and buying at the mugwort choco pie specialist

Ssuk's Choco Pie began selling in 2016 and is said to be Korea’s first specialist mugwort choco pie shop, with a patent to its name. I liked it even more because, beyond mugwort, its products are made with ingredients grown in Korea. It is already known in Gwangju as a leading bakery and an essential bakery pilgrimage stop, and I was happy to find that reputation in the heart of Seoul too.

I bought mine in person, but refrigerated products are also available through Naver Smart Store.

When you enter the shop, they offer samples like this. That is how confident they are in the flavor!

Since I had come all this way and wanted to enjoy lots of flavors, I ordered the Ssuk's six-piece set. Individual pieces cost ₩4,500 to ₩4,800, but with the six-piece set, you can freely choose six flavors at ₩4,000 less than the individual total, making it much more economical and satisfying.

How to store preservative-free fresh-cream products

Because these are preservative-free fresh-cream products, they also carefully explained how to store them. In summer or hot weather like this, it is best to refrigerate them within one hour of purchase, and insulated packaging is available. They stay fresh for eight days refrigerated or up to 30 days frozen. For products frozen solid, simply thaw them naturally in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before eating: the cake becomes moist, the cream cool like ice cream, and you can enjoy the original texture perfectly.

Clean, polished packaging

You can tell from the packaging alone why it makes such a good gift. The package is clean and polished, just right for gifting! Inside, everything was neatly wrapped in plastic, which was perfectly hygienic and convenient for freezer storage too.

My favorite flavors from the six-piece set

Once home, I placed them on a pretty plate and properly got to tasting with a warm cup of coffee. All six flavors clearly use ingredients generously and each has its own appeal, but my undisputed number-one favorites were Gwangju Real Chocolate and Geomundo Sea-Breeze Mugwort.

Signature Geomundo Sea-Breeze Mugwort

First up was Geomundo Sea-Breeze Mugwort, the signature flavor that represents Ssuk's Choco Pie and forms the foundation of the lineup. It was also the flavor they kindly offered as a sample when I entered. Split it in half, and thick white milk fresh cream sits between green-tinged mugwort cake layers. The moment you take a big bite, a subtle, refined mugwort aroma fills your mouth—not an artificial syrup scent, but the fragrance of real sea-breeze mugwort from Geomundo ground in generously.

The pleasant sweetness of the chocolate coating, fresh cream that melts softly in your mouth, and the clean savoriness of mugwort are in perfect balance. It is so good that even beginners unfamiliar with mugwort desserts will have their eyes opened without any hesitation.

My absolute favorite: Gwangju Real Chocolate

If you love chocolate, you absolutely have to try—and take home—Gwangju Real Chocolate.

A layer of rich cocoa powder coats the outside for extra depth, while the soft fresh cream is dotted with satisfyingly nutty pieces and crunchy chocolate chips.

The sweetness is not simply strong and sugary. The cocoa’s naturally bittersweet, deep richness comes through, and the texture makes every bite fun too. The nuttiness elegantly reins in the chocolate sweetness, giving it an irresistible charm that never becomes cloying, even after a whole one.

The bright purée in Nonsan Strawberry

Of course, every other flavor was excellent too. Nonsan Strawberry does not hide a light, sweet commercial fruit syrup in its cream; instead, it contains a thick handmade purée carefully cooked from real Nonsan strawberries.

The instant I took a bite, the strawberry’s distinctive bright tang burst across my mouth and blended with the moist chocolate cake, making it feel like I was eating a slice of cake.

Trying the flavors one by one, I could taste the depth created with care and a commitment to good ingredients. If you want to find a small but certain joy in an ordinary dessert moment, or you are looking for a healthy, thoughtful gift for someone special, stop by Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul after a Cheonggyecheon walk. One bite, and you will fall for the wonderful combination of mugwort and fresh cream.