Sandwich takeout for dinner after work at a Goyang KINTEX bakery

It was on the way home from work. I was looking for something simple for dinner. My girlfriend told me about a KINTEX bakery worth trying — Boulangerie Tan.

Location — basement level 1 of the department store

It's on basement level 1 of Hyundai Department Store KINTEX. Coming down the escalator, it's on the left, so it's easy to find.

Principles — posted on the wall

There's a sign standing next to the register. It says everything is baked and sold the same day, and whatever's left over gets discarded. They say they culture their own natural sourdough starter and use organic wheat and French flour. It also says they use only natural butter and fresh cream.

Display case — so many kinds

The showcase stretches on and on. Every bread has a name tag. I went in the evening and a few spots were already empty — the popular ones must sell out early.

There's baguette and ciabatta, plus a separate section for baked cookies. Salt breads are grouped together up front.

Sandwiches are on display too. Order one and they start making it fresh right away — you can see exactly what goes in. There are several kinds, and looking at all the bread on display, everything looked so good I spent a long time deciding what to get.

One wall is a guide to cornet pies — pastry rolled into a cone shape and filled inside.

They also sell gift boxes separately. Pay an extra ₩1,000 and they'll pack it into a box — sized to fit five pies.

They sell coffee too. There are seats behind the counter where you can sit and eat.

Packaging — bagged up

I got mine to go. The paper bag has their logo stamped on it. Everything was packed neatly so nothing shifted around by the time I got home.

Carrot râpée chicken sandwich — this was the best part

This is the carrot râpée chicken sandwich. It's piled high with shredded carrot. The bread has a firm crust — pick it up and it feels heavy, packed full inside.

Cheese and arugula go in with it. The chicken breast is clean and mild. Sauce and vegetables together with each bite give it that proper sandwich flavor.

Bite in and it's packed solid inside. Of everything I bought, this one was the cleanest-tasting and most to my liking.

Salt bread — with mentaiko inside

There's seaweed laid on top.

Inside is mentaiko (seasoned pollock roe) and potato. It's salty and mild at the same time — a salt bread that tastes more like a side dish for rice.

Cornet pies — I picked two

I bought two kinds of cornet pie. One was dusted with powdered sugar, the other topped with caramel. The store had several more kinds — I even spotted one with chocolate on top.

The crocan caramel one has nuts stuck on top. It's sweetness layered on sweetness, and the caramel scent spreads right away.

The vanilla one has thick, rich cream. Since it's shaped like a cone, the cream fills it all the way to the tip. Even after one bite the cream was thick enough it didn't drip.

Crisp outside, soft inside. Same shape but different filling, so buying two doesn't feel repetitive. A KINTEX bakery like this is fun for picking and choosing.

Today's one-line review — who I'd recommend it to and my honest take

If you're looking for a good bakery near KINTEX, I'd recommend Boulangerie Tan. The carrot râpée chicken sandwich is filling enough to work as a full dinner on its own. The two cornet pies had different fillings so I didn't get tired of them, and it made me want to try the other kinds next time. It's a great KINTEX bakery to stop by while shopping at the department store.