Ikseon-dong bakery: moister next-day coffee bun & decaf, Munhwa

What kind of bakery is Munhwa Bakery in Ikseon-dong?

Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵) is a bakery at 1F, 65 Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in Ikseon-dong near Jongno 3-ga Station. It is open daily from 11:00 to 19:00 and sells only bread baked that day.

Every time I pass Jongno 3-ga Station, I can't walk past this Ikseon-dong bakery, Munhwa Bakery! They say it's such an eye-catching Seoul bakery that it even got on Running Man 🔥

Not only do they sell only bread made the same day, but bread that doesn't sell is reportedly given to people in need, such as children without meals, elderly people living alone, homebound people with disabilities, free meal centers and social welfare facilities. A kind bakery like this? No reason not to go ❤️🔥

Inside Munhwa Bakery and how entry works

The shop is small, so to keep service smooth they recommend letting in two parties at a time. I get excited just seeing the word "bread" .. 😋

Inside, there's just some space along the aisle where the bread is lined up. Super simple, but it feels like there's no shortage of bread types!

What I ordered at Munhwa Bakery

This day I ordered garlic bread (₩6,800) and a coffee bun (₩5,800). Every time I stop by, I wonder which bread to get. I went with the garlic bread, which is properly crispy outside and moist inside, and since I wanted to take the bread home and eat it with coffee, I picked the coffee bun to go with it ✔️

Munhwa Bakery bread menu and prices

• Rice chestnut loaf ₩5,800
• Rice cheese loaf ₩5,900
• Maple cream cheese bread ₩4,900
• Sweet potato bun ₩3,800
• White red-bean-paste bun ₩3,800
• Walnut bun ₩3,500
• Onion bagel ₩6,000

• Black sesame bun ₩3,800
• Milk cream bun ₩3,500
• Cheese bread ₩5,400
• Squid ink condensed milk bun ₩4,500
• Injeolmi (roasted soybean rice cake) bun ₩3,800
• Peanut bun ₩3,800
• Mugwort rice cake bun ₩5,700

Does Munhwa Bakery cut and pack your bread?

Munhwa Bakery first asks whether you want the garlic bread cut, and the coffee bun is cut into quarters by default even if you don't ask. The spare bread sits behind the display and everything looks very clean, so this Ikseon-dong bakery gets full marks for hygiene too.

They asked whether I wanted my garlic bread cut, so I said yes, and snip snip, it was cut and packed right away! The coffee bun is long and narrow, so it gets cut into four even without a request ❤️

If you need a paper bag or wet wipes, just ask, and the paper bag is free 👍 These days hardly anywhere gives out paper bags for free, so that left an impression.

Munhwa Bakery photo review event: free salt bread

Munhwa Bakery also runs an event where you get a free salt bread if you write a Naver photo receipt review, so if you're interested, do join in and pick up your salt bread 🩵🩵

Every time I tell myself I'll try something different next time! and every time I end up picking mostly from the top three. That's the magic of Munhwa Bakery in Ikseon-dong.

The garlic bread and coffee bun, neatly packed and placed in a paper bag.

How does Munhwa Bakery's garlic bread taste?

The garlic bread at Munhwa Bakery (₩6,800) is thick and the textbook example of crispy outside, moist inside, so I order it every time I visit 🥰

The outside is super crunchy while the inside is so moist, and it's loaded with garlic sauce without holding back, so of course it's Munhwa Bakery's bestseller.

Does Munhwa Bakery's coffee bun go well with coffee?

The coffee bun at Munhwa Bakery (₩5,800) is a perfect match with iced Americano. At first I didn't get what was so special about the coffee bun, cut into quarters (;;), but with an iced Americano it pairs unbelievably well 💦🩵👍

The bread surrounding the coffee cream is fluffy yet moist, and the cream inside is even (!) moister haha

If you buy two or more breads, you don't have to finish them all at once. You can set aside part of each and enjoy two or more flavors, so it feels like double the happiness >_< ✨️

Is Munhwa Bakery's coffee bun still good the next day?

The coffee bun at Munhwa Bakery tasted even better the next day. Just look at how moist the cream inside is .. 💛 I ate the other half of the coffee bun the next day with milk, and personally I think the coffee bun is truly better the day after!!!! The reason is that the cream inside soaks further into the bread outside, so it feels like they blend together even better 🤭

I've been cutting back on coffee lately, and it's a perfect match with a decaf iced Americano too 🧡

Getting to Munhwa Bakery from Seosulla-gil

Munhwa Bakery is just one crosswalk away from Seosulla-gil. If you're visiting Seosulla-gil, I strongly recommend dropping by this Ikseon-dong bakery to look around >_< A real Seoul bakery I'll keep visiting for a long time, no doubt 🥹