Gangneung café souvenirs: coffee and black sesame at Gangneung Sand

During our trip to Gangneung, I visited Gangneung Sand Main Branch (강릉샌드 본점) for my mother, who likes sandwiches. This time, we chose the coffee and black sesame flavors as gifts, then ate them together after returning to our accommodation.

Where is Gangneung Sand Main Branch, and how did I park?

The main branch address I visited was 31 Seonggogyang-gil 5beonan-gil. Since another address appeared in searches for the same name, I checked the destination carefully. It fit well into our route while looking around Gyeongpo Lake and the nearby beaches.

I parked behind the white building and took the elevator. The floor I first entered was marked B1 in the elevator, so I went up to the second floor to reach the café.

Is there seating, and how do you order?

The interior was decorated in white and blue, with several tables and chairs. It looked like a good place to buy a snack and have a cup of coffee before leaving. Since we were going to eat lunch soon, we only bought gifts and moved on.

Orders could be placed at a kiosk.

What flavors were available, and how much did they cost?

There were six flavors: coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, strawberry, and sweet potato. We chose coffee and black sesame. At the time of purchase, the coffee flavor cost ₩16,000 and the black sesame flavor cost ₩17,000.

While waiting for our order, I also looked at information about Gangneung’s tourism souvenir contest awards. The display listed the following awards:

• 2022 Gold Award: Gangneung Sand original
• 2025 Silver Award: Gangneung Breakwater Bread
• 2021 Bronze Award: Dried Persimmon to You
• 2020 Bronze Award: Gangneung Coffee Tart

How was the packaging for a travel gift?

The outer packaging was neat, and the flavor was written on the sticker, making it easy to distinguish the coffee and black sesame versions. I was curious about the coffee flavor, and I hoped the black sesame flavor—which I was trying for the first time—would suit my parents’ tastes.

The sandwiches were arranged neatly inside the package.

Each sandwich was individually wrapped. The clearly stamped “Gangneung Sand” wording also stood out, and I thought they would be easy to give as travel gifts.

How were the coffee and black sesame flavors different?

After arriving at our accommodation, we tried the sandwiches we had bought.

The coffee flavor, which I tried first, was mild and smooth, and I liked its deep coffee flavor. If I had to choose between coffee bean bread and these sandwiches, I would choose the sandwiches. My mother, who has tried sandwiches from various regions on our trips, said this was her favorite of all the ones she had eaten so far.

The black sesame flavor was softer than the coffee flavor, with a distinct nuttiness. It seemed like a good choice for anyone who does not particularly enjoy the aroma of coffee.

The two flavors had different appeal, so I was glad we chose both. On my next trip to Gangneung, I would like to try flavors I did not have this time, such as dried persimmon or Chodang corn.