Yeonnam-dong bakery sold-out shelves, 4 breads ₩18,400: Mandong Jegwa

© Gangkeulim

Is any bread left at Mandong Jegwa in Yeonnam-dong in the afternoon?

Today I visited Mandong Jegwa (만동제과), one of the stops on the Yeonnam-dong bakery trail. Mandong Jegwa is a bakery originally based in Gangneung that expanded into Yeonnam-dong and has been loved for quite a while now. It's popular enough that even on a weekday, if you visit in the afternoon, plenty of breads are already sold out. If there's a specific bread you're set on trying, I'd recommend going early.

Hours 11:00 - 21:00

Mandong Jegwa's shop floor is on the smaller side, so they recommend keeping it to 3 groups or fewer inside at a time so it doesn't get too crowded.

Outside the store, there's a big sign that just says '빵' (bread), so you can tell from far away that it's a bakery.

How to order at Mandong Jegwa, and which breads you ask the counter for

Once you're inside, you pick up a tray and load it with whichever breads you want. But the garlic baguette, onion bagel, basil tomato bread, cucumber baguette, and cappuccino bread aren't put on trays — you have to ask the counter staff to get them for you.

I visited in the afternoon, and some breads were already sold out, so the shelves were partly empty with the remaining loaves pushed together in the center.

A bit disappointing, but plenty of the remaining breads still looked delicious, so I took my time browsing and picking what to try. They also offered tasting samples while I was choosing, which was nice since I could actually taste before deciding. There was a rusk by the register that looked nice and crunchy, so I grabbed one for when I feel like snacking.

The four breads picked at Mandong Jegwa, and what they cost

Here's what I ended up ordering:

• Onion bagel 5.5
• Shrimp baguette 5.8
• Cappuccino bread 5.6
• Rusk 1.5

Onion bagel ₩5,500 — packed with onion cream

I picked four kinds of bread in all. First, Mandong Jegwa's onion bagel is one of their most famous items — it's packed with onion cream between the bread, so you really get that onion flavor and aroma as you eat.

Cappuccino bread ₩5,600 — coffee bread sent home in a cooler bag

They thoughtfully packed the cappuccino bread in a cooler bag, so I didn't have to worry about it even in hot weather. It's a coffee bread with vanilla cream between soft castella layers — the subtle coffee flavor and the cream went together really well, making it a great dessert-style bread.

Shrimp baguette ₩5,800 — a flavour you won't find elsewhere

The shrimp baguette was a little on the salty side, but the shrimp flavor came through strongly, so I ended up liking it more than expected. It doesn't taste like anything I've had elsewhere, so it has a distinctive feel — worth trying once.

Rusk ₩1,500 — the snack for idle nibbling

The rusk had that crunchy texture and sweet flavor, perfect for when you just want something to munch on — I kept reaching for it. Mandong Jegwa in Yeonnam-dong isn't really about basic breads; a lot of what they make has real character of its own. If you love bread, I'd recommend stopping by at least once to try their variety for yourself.