Yeonnam-dong bakery: pumpkin ciabatta & walnut bread, Mandong Jegwa

What kind of bakery is Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch?

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch (만동제과 연남점) is a seriously good bakery in Hongdae's Yeonnam-dong, famous for its signature moist garlic baguette. If you're in Yeonnam-dong, it's a must-visit stop on any Seoul bakery tour. I met the garlic baguette of my life here!

Getting to Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch and where to park

The bakery is about a 7-minute walk from Hongdae Exit 3, and if you come by car you'll need to use a nearby public parking lot. It sits right on the main road, so it's easy to spot and close to the station. Great access, haha~

What is the atmosphere like at Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch?

The moment you walk in, you get wood interiors and shelves packed with bread. Isn't this exactly the place for a bread lover to lie down and never leave~? It's a bread heaven full of baking smells, and it made me so happy, haha.

The trays are right at the entrance~

Does Mandong Jegwa really give generous free samples?

The best thing about this bakery is ⭐️ the huge amount of samples they give out. While you browse, the staff keep cutting up bread for you, so you end up wonderfully full, like magic~~ haha. And every single one was so good that I really wanted to buy them all!

As you'd expect from a Yeonnam-dong bakery, the variety is wide~ Almost everything is sealed, so it's hygienic and easy to buy. It's hard to find a bakery in Yeonnam-dong where everything is this good, so I felt like a total lucky girl, haha.

The 4 breads I bought at Mandong Jegwa

• Pumpkin ciabatta
• Garlic baguette
• Cheese malang (chewy cheese bread)
• Walnut bread

I had them packed up and brought them straight home~ I liked that every bread at Mandong Jegwa was big, haha.

How does Mandong Jegwa's garlic baguette taste? Packing and slicing tips

The garlic baguette is Mandong Jegwa's signature, filled with garlic sauce, and it's the number one bread you absolutely have to buy here! Tell the staff at checkout and they'll pack the garlic baguette separately~ They said they don't slice it, so please keep that in mind!

The garlic baguette is crisp outside, really moist and soft inside, and full of garlic aroma, so the balance is perfect. It's not too crunchy, and with the garlic sauce poured all over, the moistness is on another level. One bite and a sweet garlic fragrance fills your mouth. It was the best garlic baguette I've ever had!!

What is Mandong Jegwa's walnut bread like?

The walnut bread is a walnut dough topped with crunchy walnut soboro (streusel crumble). It's a kind of bread Seongsimdang sells too, so I was so glad to see it here as well~?

The walnut bread has a crisp outside, and the sweet walnut texture combined with the moist bread is so good. The more you chew, the nuttier and sweeter it gets, and I loved it ❤️ It's plain yet sweet, really delicious.

Is Mandong Jegwa's pumpkin ciabatta big enough for a meal?

The pumpkin ciabatta is a moist ciabatta with sweet pumpkin and thick cream cheese inside~ The size is overwhelming, it's seriously huge. It has cheese on top too, which makes it even better, haha.

A huge piece of pumpkin, sweet cream cheese, cheddar, and chewy ciabatta! I was amazed at how good it was. It's loaded with filling, so it works as a really filling meal. The subtle pumpkin, the sweet, thick cream cheese and the ciabatta together are love~! It was so exactly my taste that I finished it in no time.

Tips for visiting Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch

• If you go to Mandong Jegwa, you have to buy the garlic baguette!
• The onion bagel is really good too.
• If you like chewy, sweet bread, definitely get the cheese malang.
• Many breads sell out in the afternoon, so I recommend going before 12:00.