Yeonnam-dong bakery five-bread taste test with a kid: Mandong Jegwa

Visiting Mandong Jegwa with my kid

On a weekday afternoon, my kid and I stopped by Mandong Jegwa, curious about the garlic baguette it's known for. It's walkable from Hongik Univ. Station, so it worked well for both strolling around Yeonnam-dong and picking up bread to take home.

It was one of those days when, while hunting for a Yeonnam-dong bakery near Hongdae, I really wanted to try the signature bread myself.

Location and hours

The shop is Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch, located at 32 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with no dedicated parking. It's walkable from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station.

A compact shop with a wide bread lineup

The shop is fairly compact and takeaway-focused. Even walking in on a weekday afternoon, there were quite a few customers, and the display case held all kinds of bread I went through one by one.

True to its reputation as a Yeonnam-dong bakery near Hongdae, there was plenty to choose from beyond the signature items.

A tasting made the picking even better

What stuck with me most was getting to sample several kinds of bread. A staff member set out a few varieties for tasting and explained each one kindly.

Actually tasting the bread rather than just eyeballing it made choosing so much easier. Being able to taste-test a variety of breads was honestly my favorite part of this place.

The five breads I picked that day

That day I picked bacon ciabatta (₩4,900), maple bread (₩4,900), walnut bread (₩4,300), garlic baguette (₩7,000), and onion bagel (₩5,500).

If you're torn over what to grab at this Yeonnam-dong bakery near Hongdae, tasting first and choosing by preference is half the fun.

• Cappuccino ₩5,600
• Basil tomato bread ₩6,200
• Onion bagel ₩5,500
• Garlic baguette ₩7,000
• Salt soboro ₩3,600
• Chili sausage bread ₩4,300

Worth noting: the garlic baguette isn't on the display shelf — you ask for it at the counter and they hand it over.

You end up scanning around for where the signature item is, so knowing the ordering system ahead of time makes things easier. From other reviews, the range of breads also includes basil tomato, cappuccino, mugwort rice-cake bread, and the 'bottom' bread, among others.

Aside from what I actually tried, there were plenty of candidates worth keeping an eye on for next time. Since I picked five this round, I left the new ones for a future visit.

Bacon ciabatta and maple bread

The bacon ciabatta was soft and pillowy all through, with a distinct salty edge from the bacon. It's one of the five I'd definitely want again. The maple bread had a rich, sweet flavor and was equally soft and pillowy — also one I'd pick again next time.

Walnut bread and onion bagel

The walnut bread had a nice nutty flavor coming through. Next visit, I'd rather try something I haven't tasted yet before reaching for this one again.

• Cucumber baguette ₩6,900
• Sweet potato bread ₩3,500
• Kaya coconut bread ₩4,500
• Tortilla bread ₩4,300
• Chestnut loaf ₩4,900
• Yakbap bread ₩3,800

The onion bagel had a deep, savory onion flavor, with a firm crust and a chewy inside.

From the bacon ciabatta's saltiness to the maple bread's deep sweetness, each bread I picked had its own distinct flavor.

The walnut bread kept its nutty flavor front and center, while the onion bagel stood out for its onion aroma and chewy interior. Rather than getting a lot of just one kind, picking different breads made it fun to compare with my kid at home.

The garlic baguette I liked best

• Walnut bread ₩4,300
• Squid ink bread ₩4,100
• Shrimp baguette ₩5,800
• Mugwort rice-cake bread ₩4,900
• Injeolmi bread ₩3,500
• Red bean cream bread ₩3,500
• 'Bottom' bread ₩3,500

The one that stuck with me most was the garlic baguette. Sweetness and a strong garlic flavor blended together, and it was moist and soft throughout. Of the five I tried, this was my favorite. If I had to name the signature item of this Yeonnam-dong bakery near Hongdae, this is the one that comes to mind first from my experience.

My kid also picked the garlic baguette

We brought the bread home and ate it together as a family. Out of the five, my kid also liked the garlic baguette best. Comparing each bread together was part of the fun, and picking a variety turned out to be the right call.

• Maple bread ₩4,900
• Cranberry bread ₩4,500
• Chewy cheese bread ₩1,200
• Jalapeño ciabatta ₩4,800
• Bacon ciabatta ₩4,900
• Corn mayo bread ₩4,900

On the next bread crawl

• Pretzel ₩5,000
• Emmental bread ₩5,200

Next time I'm in Yeonnam-dong, I'll get the garlic baguette again and try some of the breads I didn't get to this time.

Getting to taste and pick according to what I actually liked made the whole trip memorable. If I'm ever looking for bread to take home with my kid from a Yeonnam-dong bakery near Hongdae, Mandong Jegwa will be the first place that comes to mind.