Ikseon-dong bakery at 3pm: messy milk cream bread to go, Munhwa

Today I'm posting my first bakery review as a self-proclaimed bread fanatic. The bakery I'm introducing today is Munhwa Bakery, located in Ikseon-dong, Jongno 3-ga, Seoul.

Where is Munhwa Bakery, and is there parking?

Munhwa Bakery is at 65 Donhwamun-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, open 11:00–20:00 with no fixed closed day. Parking: none — there's neither a parking space nor a lot.

There's absolutely no space to park, and the road next to it is a through-road for cars, so if you're driving alone you'll need to park somewhere else first (it's not even a spot where you can just flash your hazards and dash in). I went with my boyfriend, and since there was nowhere to park, he circled the block a couple of times while I ran in and bought the bread.

This is Munhwa Bakery as seen from outside. Isn't the traditional hanok exterior gorgeous? It catches your eye immediately.

Takeout only: two groups inside Munhwa Bakery at a time

The inside of Munhwa Bakery is very small, so you can't eat there — takeout only! Only 2 groups are allowed in at once. If it looks like there are already 2 groups inside, just line up and wait outside.

Munhwa Bakery's top 3 signature breads

• Garlic bread (a garlic baguette soaked all over in garlic sauce)
• Coffee bread (a soft bread brushed with coffee cream and castella crumbs)
• Onion bagel (a bagel spread with onion cream cheese)

These three are the signature items — the staff said they're what most people come looking for.

There are lots of other breads on top of those. You can check the types and prices in the photos~

For bigger breads like the garlic bread and onion bagel, the owner cuts them for you. The inside is clean and the bread display is so neat — my eyes were happy the whole time I was browsing!

Baked and sold the same day: where the leftover bread goes

Munhwa Bakery has a great strength: everything is made same-day and sold same-day. Anything that doesn't sell by the end of the day isn't thrown away — instead it goes to free meal kitchens, homeless shelters, kids who can't afford meals, and elderly people living alone.

It's a bakery with real heart, wanting to help people in tough circumstances and not create food waste. It's such a warm place (major respect to the owner~).

Free salt bread for a Naver receipt review

If you buy bread at Munhwa Bakery and then leave a Naver receipt review, they give you a salt bread too (I don't know how they can keep giving stuff away like this and still make money). But this salt bread is genuinely delicious!!!!

If you go, definitely do the review event and grab a salt bread! (It seems to be limited quantity, so I'd recommend not going too late.) I went around 3pm and got the very last salt bread ~ score ~ ☆

Tasting the onion bagel, coffee bread, milk cream bread and salt bread at home

After my Seoul date I went home and tried the bread. I bought the onion bagel, coffee bread, and milk cream bread, plus got the salt bread from the review event — three (well, four) breads in total.

The onion bagel — need I say more, that classic flavor everyone knows, so good. I'd really recommend eating the coffee bread the same day you buy it!! My boyfriend put the salt bread in the air fryer and was obsessed, calling it a next-level flavor. Warmed up, it's a wide-eyes kind of good!!

The milk cream bread might be a bit awkward to eat outside — white powder gets on your mouth, face, and clothes. There's so much cream inside that it oozes out the moment you bite in, so it's not exactly easy to eat gracefully. I wouldn't recommend eating the milk cream bread out and about!

+ If you're with someone you like and you're not ready to give up looking cute for the sake of a good laugh, maybe skip this one... (honestly I didn't want to know either)

Is Munhwa Bakery worth a return visit?

Overall, I really enjoyed the bread. Given Seoul bread prices these days, I think it's fairly priced for the size you get! And knowing the bakery's good cause is part of it, I think it's worth a visit.

I plan to go back next time I'm on a date in Jongno (yes, I'll be back). Next time I want to try the ones I haven't had yet — plain bread, rice chestnut bread, rice cheese bread, and white bean paste bread!! I should go a bit earlier so they don't sell out before I get there.