Seodaemun bakery with mugwort rice-cake bread: Mandong Jegwa

Today, I visited Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch, a Yeonnam-dong bakery that bread lovers may have heard of at least once 🥐

Yeonnam-dong has so many atmospheric cafés and truly delicious dessert shops. Among them, this is a place I think of whenever I go to Yeonnam-dong because there is such a wide range of breads and you can enjoy big, generously portioned ones.

Mandong Jegwa is especially known for making every bread nice and large and for filling them without holding back, so I think it would really suit anyone who likes a hearty bread.

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch: location and how to visit

• Location: 32 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 서대문구 연희로 32)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Parking: No parking; public transportation recommended

There is no separate dining area in the shop; it is filled with displays of delicious breads instead. You can take your purchase to go, or I heard you can eat the bread at the nearby Ediya Coffee Yeonnam-dong Branch. It is an easy place to drop by if you are looking for a Yeonnam-dong or Hongdae bakery :)

Mandong Jegwa bread selection and prices

Once you step inside, there are more varieties of bread than you might expect.

• Salt Soboro ₩3,600
• Chestnut Loaf ₩4,900
• Kaya Coconut ₩4,500
• Sweet Potato ₩3,500
• Squid Ink ₩4,100
• Butt Bread ₩3,500
• Corn Mayo ₩4,900
• Pretzel ₩5,000
• Ssuktteok Ssuktteok ₩4,900
• Shrimp Baguette ₩5,800
• Jalapeño Ciabatta ₩4,800
• Chili Sausage ₩4,300
• Garlic Baguette ₩7,000
• Onion Bagel ₩5,500
• Cappuccino ₩5,600

There are so many varieties that on a first visit, you may have trouble deciding what to pick. One thing I also loved at Mandong Jegwa was that they had sample bread! It was nice to be able to taste before choosing, and the staff member helping me was so kind that I picked out my breads in a really good mood!

The four breads I chose

This time, I chose the Butt Bread, Cappuccino, Ssuktteok Ssuktteok, and Injeolmi breads from the many options.

Butt Bread with chewy mochi dough

First, the Butt Bread! It has a cute name, and sweet condensed-milk cream is tucked inside chewy mochi dough. The outside was wonderfully chewy, while the inside held soft, sweet condensed-milk cream, making it just right for a snack. If you like breads with a chewy texture, this is one worth trying.

Cappuccino that paired well with coffee

And then there was the Cappuccino, which I really enjoyed ☕ It is a soft coffee bread with vanilla cream, coated on the outside with finely ground coffee castella cake.

The gentle coffee aroma and the sweetness of the vanilla cream came together beautifully, so it went really well with coffee. It is a bread I would also recommend to anyone looking for Yeonnam-dong desserts.

Ssuktteok Ssuktteok with mugwort fragrance and rice-cake chew

Next was Ssuktteok Ssuktteok 🌿 The mugwort dough contains mugwort tteok (rice cake), and it is topped with soybean powder and sliced almonds.

This was personally quite memorable because you get both mugwort’s distinctive fragrance and the chewy texture of mugwort rice cake! The nutty soybean powder and almonds added even more texture, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Injeolmi with red bean paste and condensed-milk cream

Last was the Injeolmi! It has red bean paste and condensed-milk cream inside, with a generous coating of injeolmi soybean powder on the outside. The sweetness of the red bean paste and condensed-milk cream was rounded out by the nutty soybean powder, and the sweet, nutty flavors worked so well together.

A great place to pack up generously filled breads

Overall, I think Mandong Jegwa’s biggest charm is the large size of its breads and the way they are filled so generously. Each one felt packed with filling, so they were great as an easy snack, and it was also nice to take several home and eat them one by one.

Above all, they made sure to offer sample bread and the staff were kind right through to the end, so it was a visit that left me feeling good :) If you are out in Yeonnam-dong and want to pack up some delicious bread, or are looking for a Yeonnam-dong bakery, Hongdae bakery, or Yeonnam-dong desserts, do stop by Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch!

If you like big breads packed generously with filling, I think you will be quite satisfied 🤎 I also recommend choosing several breads and taking them home, just like I did!