Seodaemun bakery weekend cappuccino picks: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam

There is one bakery I think of every time I go to Yeonnam-dong: Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch. I like it so much that I have already visited more than 10 times, starting with its Gangneung branch. This time too, I stopped by on a weekend afternoon and picked out some bread. Since I have visited so many times, let me introduce everything from the breads I always reach for to the new one I tried this time!

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch on a weekend afternoon: queues and sell-outs

I visited on a weekend afternoon, and even though it had not been open for long, there were so many people. Luckily, I was able to get in without waiting this time, but if you want to buy every bread you have your eye on, I personally recommend an opening run. In fact, a few breads I wanted were already sold out this time, so I sadly could not choose them.ㅠㅠ

The shop size and choosing bread through tastings

Mandong Jegwa is not a particularly large shop, but it has such a wide variety of breads. As you carry your tray and slowly look around, so many breads catch your eye one by one, making the choosing itself fun.

One thing I love about Mandong Jegwa is the tastings. While I was choosing breads this time, a staff member beside me kept cutting up and offering samples. Thanks to that, I tried the cheese pretzel, which I had not planned to buy, and ended up putting it on my tray. Being able to taste before choosing makes it great for trying new breads too.

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch bread menu

Mandong Jegwa had a truly wide range of bread on offer.

This time, I bought a garlic baguette for ₩7,000, cappuccino bread for ₩5,600, ssuk-tteok ssuk-tteok for ₩4,900, a cheese pretzel for ₩5,000, and Eongdeongi for ₩3,500, for a total of ₩26,000. Prices are based on the receipt from this visit.

The garlic baguette and cappuccino bread I choose every time

There are breads I make sure to order every time during my more than 10 visits to Mandong Jegwa. They are the garlic baguette and cappuccino bread.

First, the garlic baguette is delicious because it is not the kind with an overwhelming garlic smell; a subtle garlic aroma comes through with sweetness. It is a moist bread with sweet garlic flavor, so I naturally put one on my tray whenever I come to Mandong Jegwa.

And then there is the cappuccino bread, which I absolutely love! It feels like the popular white roll made with coffee: soft bread filled with sweet coffee whipped cream, and it is so delicious. Personally, if you are visiting Mandong Jegwa for the first time, I really hope you try the garlic baguette and cappuccino bread at least once.

Cheese pretzel won me over at the tasting, plus the other breads

This time, thanks to the staff member's tasting samples, I bought an unplanned cheese pretzel too. I think being able to try new breads like this is one of the fun things about Mandong Jegwa.

The cheese pretzel has something like cream cheese inside, and it was so delicious that I fell for it after the sample and bought one right away.

Ssuk-tteok ssuk-tteok is a mugwort-flavored bread with chewy rice cake inside and nutty almonds sprinkled over it, so it is sweet, nutty, and chewy. It is not overly sweet, just gently sweet, so I kept reaching for it.

Eongdeongi is filled with condensed-milk-flavored cream, while the outside is a chewy, springy bread. Personally, I love the cream inside so much that Eongdeongi is also one of the breads I make sure to buy whenever I go to Mandong Jegwa!

Weekend visit verdict and an opening-run tip

Mandong Jegwa in Yeonnam-dong is somewhere I have visited many times. Even after more than 10 visits, a new bread catches my eye every time, and there are lots of tasting samples prepared, which is probably why I keep coming back.

Of all of them, the ones I most want to recommend are, of course, the garlic baguette and cappuccino bread! The garlic baguette is charming with its subtle garlic aroma and sweetness, while the cappuccino bread has such a delicious soft, sweet coffee flavor.

That said, it gets busy from just after opening on weekends, and popular breads can sell out quickly. If you want to buy several different breads, I recommend an opening run. I got in without waiting at 12 p.m. on Saturday; a few items were sold out, but most popular items were still available!

If you are looking for a bakery to add to your Yeonnam-dong bread crawl, I would recommend Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch as someone who has visited many times. 🍞