Mangwon-dong bakery pain au chocolat to go: Boulangerie Copain

You all know I'm a total bread lover, right? While scouting where to go on my Mangwon-dong bakery hop, I stopped by Boulangerie Copain, long famous for its baguettes. The baguettes and croissants here are well known, but what I was most curious about was the chocolate baguette! Having tried it myself, I can confirm it really deserves its reputation as a chocolate baguette destination. Let me walk you through it in detail.

Where is Boulangerie Copain, and how do you walk there from Mangwon Station?

Boulangerie Copain is about a 13-minute walk from Mangwon Station Exit 2, heading down Huiujeong-ro toward Mangwon Hangang Park. If you're coming from the river, it's on the way up from Mangwon Hangang Park toward Mangwon Market, so it's a great spot to stop for bread after a walk.

It's right on a main street, and the navy awning makes it easy to spot. There's a sign noting it was featured on Master of Living as a baguette and croissant master's bakery, which only raised my expectations.

The interior is on the cozy side, but the display cases and shelves are packed with everything from baguettes and croissants to salt bread and sweet dessert breads — it really felt like a proper Mangwon-dong bakery hop moment.

Boulangerie Copain menu and signature breads

True to its reputation as a baguette and croissant master's bakery, there was a wide variety of the basics. Salt bread, brioche, baguette sandwiches, basil crunch, and sweet dessert breads were all there too.

Among them, the Valrhona chocolate baguette, considered Boulangerie Copain's signature item, caught my eye the most. Since I'd come specifically for a chocolate baguette destination, I picked this one without hesitation.

There are also drinks you can pair with your bread, so check those out too. Just a note — there are no seats to eat in at the store, so it's takeout only.

Apparently a time sale starts every day at 7pm. If your schedule allows, showing up at 7pm to sweep up the bread sounds like a great plan haha. Up to 30% off is such a great deal.

I packed everything up and headed home.

Valrhona chocolate baguette from Boulangerie Copain, tasted at home

So exciting~ I plated the bread and got ready to enjoy it with coffee.

First, the pain au chocolat had a shatteringly crisp outside with a soft, flaky texture inside that I really loved. The nutty buttery flavor built up with each bite, and the sweetness of the chocolate inside made it perfect with coffee. You could really tell this place is run by a croissant master — the pastry layers were on point.

And then, the one I was most excited about — the Valrhona chocolate baguette!

The outside is properly crisp like a baguette should be, while the inside is chewy, and you can feel little bits of chocolate with every bite. The baguette itself is fairly plain, so it paired really well with the rich chocolate.

Despite being called a chocolate bread, it wasn't just sweet — the highlight was how the nutty bread flavor and chocolate richness kept alternating the more I chewed!

Banana pudding from the refrigerated case

I was also curious about the banana pudding I spotted in the fridge case, so I brought that home too.

Digging in with a spoon, it's soft and moist with sweet banana flavor spreading through your mouth right away. It has a charm all its own compared to the bread, so it was nice to have a cool, spoonable dessert in between bites.

If you like banana desserts, definitely pick this one up too.

Is Boulangerie Copain worth a Mangwon-dong bakery hop?

Boulangerie Copain, my stop on the Mangwon-dong bakery hop, had a great variety of baguettes and croissants, and the overall bread flavor was clean and satisfying. In particular, the Valrhona chocolate baguette showed exactly why it's known as a chocolate baguette destination, with plain baguette and rich chocolate coming together so well. If you're looking for a delicious bakery in Mangwon-dong, I highly recommend Boulangerie Copain!