From Friday, July 31, to Saturday, August 1, 2026, we took the KTX to Daejeon, a city famous for its flour-based food!
The train ride from Seoul Station takes about an hour, so it sounded like an easy getaway. We tried to visit Sungsimdang’s main store, an essential Daejeon stop, but saw the line and gave up immediately. Here is our review of the Daejeon Station branchinstead. Haha.
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station Breads: Prices and One-Line Taste Reviews
The station branch had a surprisingly wide range of breads. There was plenty to choose from for gifts, too. I expected a small station shop to have limited options, but it was fun to look around.
We could even watch the bakers at work.
The shop was crowded and the aisles were narrow, so going back to a display you have passed was not easy. If you want to browse several types, decide roughly what you want beforehand and pick up anything that catches your eye as you make one lap.
I photographed almost every bread display, but the selection can change with the season, so please use these photos as a guide.
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station bread selection, gallery 1
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station bread selection, gallery 2
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station bread selection, gallery 3
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station bread selection, gallery 4
The prices felt more reasonable than I expected. Each item was wrapped neatly, which made the bread easy to carry or give as a gift.
I am not someone who hunts down every new bakery, so I cannot call it life-changing bread. Still, it had a richer, more savory flavor than what I usually get at a bakery, and I enjoyed it!
At a Glance
This covers only breads and prices I could confirm from my photos, rather than the full range.
Prices at the Daejeon Station branch were recorded in August 2026 and may change.
Bread | Price | Flavor in Brief |
|---|---|---|
Corn baguette | 3,800 won | A baguette blending sweet corn with savory cheese |
Pollock roe baguette | 3,800 won | A crisp baguette with the salty umami of pollock roe |
Rye sourdough | 7,000 won | Hearty rye flavor and the tang of fermented bread |
Noah Raisin | 7,000 won | A mild loaf with sweet raisins and nutty nuts |
Ciabatta | 3,500 won | A mild table bread with a moist, chewy crumb |
Olive ciabatta | 3,500 won | Chewy bread with a subtle, briny olive aroma |
Pain de campagne | 4,500 won | A simple table bread with a nutty grain flavor |
S Bread | 3,000 won | A firm crust, chewy center, and nutty taste |
Italian sandwich | 7,000 won | A fresh sandwich with contrasting bread and vegetable textures |
Apple Brie Cheese | 9,000 won | Salty Brie and ham balanced by crisp, sweet apple |
Soboro bun | 1,300 won | A classic bun with a sweet, crunchy crumble topping |
Apple pie | 3,000 won | Flaky pastry with sweet, tart apple notes |
French pie | 2,000 won | Delicate, crisp pastry layers and a hint of sweet jam |
Beoljip Soge Kkul (Honey in a Hive) | 3,000 won | Soft bread with sweet jam and sugar crystals |
Saeureul Nakji (Shrimp and Octopus) | 3,000 won | A lightly spicy croquette with chewy shrimp and octopus |
Glutinous rice ball | 2,300 won | A crisp shell, chewy rice, and savory seaweed and vegetables |
Plain croissant | 2,800 won | Buttery flavor in every flaky layer |
Pain au chocolat | 3,000 won | Flaky pastry with a sweet chocolate filling |
Jageun Meari (Little Echo) | 3,000 won | A crisp exterior, rich butter aroma, and sweetness |
Glutinous rice doughnut | 1,500 won | Chewy rice dough paired with sweet red bean paste |
Gongju Chestnut Mousse | 4,500 won | Smooth cream, sweet chestnuts, and bits of chestnut |
Sugar doughnut | 1,700 won | A fluffy doughnut coated in sweet sugar |
Fried soboro bun | 1,700 won | Crisp fried crumble around sweet red bean paste |
Sweet potato fried soboro | 1,700 won | Crisp fried crumble with soft sweet potato filling |
Matcha croissant | 6,200 won | A crisp croissant with richly sweet matcha cream and chocolate |
Walnut bread | 4,000 won | Mild bread topped with sweet, crunchy walnuts |
Toyo Bread (Saturday Bread) | 3,800 won | Gentle purple sweet potato sweetness and chewy tapioca |
Cream Cheese White Bun | 3,300 won | A chewy white bun with soft, tangy blueberry cream cheese |
Volcano | 3,800 won | A hearty bread with rich, salty, nutty cheese flavor |
Banhal Bun | 2,500 won | A coffee-scented crust with soft butter and condensed milk notes |
Oboreumdal (Full Moon) | 2,800 won | A thin, chewy bun with sweet red beans and nutty nuts |
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station Wait: Around 30 Minutes on Average
Sungsimdang Daejeon Station was busy too, but we got inside after waiting about 20–30 minutes.
If you have a train to catch on a weekend, allow more than 30 minutes. You will need time to wait, choose your bread, and pay. I would budget about an hour in total.
Direct Entry for Fried Soboro, Sweet Potato Soboro, and Chive Buns
There is a separate line for signature items such as fried soboro buns. The staff told us to pass the general queue and go straight in. It was an unusual system!
If you do not plan to browse other breads, walk through the store to the fried soboro counter shown in the next photo.
This was how it worked in August 2026. Items sold and queue arrangements can change, so follow the staff’s instructions when you visit.
Sungsimdang Main Store Wait: Around 1–2 Hours
As a little side story, here is why we gave up on the main store and ended up at the Daejeon Station branch.
Around 11:00 AM on Saturday, we arrived at Sungsimdang’s main store near Jungangno Station. It was such a hot summer, with temperatures around 36–38°C, that I thought there might be fewer people. I could not have been more wrong. Haha.
Line outside Sungsimdang Siru Cake Specialty Store
Looking back, the line at the store selling siru cakes was not particularly long.
Main store line, part 1
We walked farther in because we were heading for the main store. If that line looks manageable to you, there was another one just as long! They had split it across the passageway.
Main store line, part 2
A local passerby said the line looked like it would take about 1–1.5 hours, so we gave up on the spot. Haha.
It was 36–38°C outside. The heat was brutal.
What really impressed me was that Sungsimdang had prepared loads of bottled water and umbrellas for people in line. Watching customers use them made us realize we were not ready to wait for the main store after all. 😅
We had actually passed the main store on Friday evening, when it was much quieter. We thought we could buy bread the next day to keep it fresh and avoid worrying about storage. In hindsight, we should have bought it then.
Anyway, if the Jungangno main store is on your list, I would go in whenever the line looks short. If carrying your bread around is a hassle, you can also look into a nearby bread storage service.
I only learned later that there is a place to store bread and cakes for a few hours. I have put the store guide and storage details farther down.
What Each Sungsimdang Store Sells and Where to Store Bread
One thing to know: you cannot buy the famous mango siru cake at the main bread store. Head to the Siru Cake Specialty Store for that.
If you walk along the Sungsimdang street near Jungangno, you will notice that the shops occupy separate buildings and sell different products.
The table below shows what you can buy at each one.
Store | Main products | Siru cake available? |
|---|---|---|
Everyday breads, including fried soboro buns, pollock roe baguettes, and Bomunsan Meaori pastries | No | |
Cakes and desserts, including Pure Roll and Pure Madeleines | Some varieties; check the seasonal selection | |
Siru cake shop at 484 Daejong-ro | Yes | |
Sandwich shop in the basement of the main store | No | |
Traditional sweets and gifts, including Daejeon Blues rice cakes, manju, crackers, and takeout shaved ice | No | |
Cafés, food, and merchandise at Meaori Shop, plus the Meaori Pantry Café | No |
How to Queue at Each Sungsimdang Store
Staff members guide the queues at each store. It is busy, so check which store a line belongs to before joining it. Some lines start away from their stores to keep the passageways clear.
Apart from the main store, the waits we saw seemed to be around 30 minutes to an hour. Combining our impressions with other visitors’ reports, these are rough ranges for the main shops:
Main store: 30 minutes–2 hours
Cake Boutique: 20 minutes–1 hour
Siru Cake Specialty Store: 30 minutes–1.5 hours
Bread Storage
The bread storage service is not run by Sungsimdang itself. The Eunaeng-dong merchants’ association set up the ‘Euneungirang Seongsimirang Mutual Growth Center’, where you can leave bread and cakes.
Staffed service 8:30 AM–8:00 PM / Unstaffed lockers 24 hours
Room temperature 3 hours for ₩2,000
Refrigerated 3 hours for ₩3,000
Check the center’s official website for the latest details.
Looking back, Daejeon was a delicious trip, even though we never made it into Sungsimdang’s main store.
Daejeon is only an hour from Seoul by KTX and has plenty of good places to eat. If, like us, you enjoy walking around in search of restaurants, bars, and cafés, I recommend it. I especially remember how satisfying the flour-based dishes were, including kalguksu, Korean knife-cut noodle soup.
I would happily visit Daejeon again when I get the chance!
