Abebe Bakery | Weekend Wait Times & Must-Try Breads

(Continuing from the Ganggane Tteokbokki post.)

I stopped by 아베베베이커리 (Abebe Bakery), a spot many bread lovers had probably heard about at least once while visiting Gwangjang Market. If you’re into pastries and donuts, you probably already knew this famous Jeju donut hotspot!

🚶‍♂️ Stepping into Abebe Bakery With a Pilgrimage-Worthy Line

A short walk from Gwangjang Market toward Cheonggyecheon brought a black building into view.

There was a long line stretching outside, so I instantly knew I’d found the place.

Inside, the staff members were busily taking orders.

Since it was a weekend, there was a bit of a wait, but because most people were ordering takeout, the line seemed to move along fairly quickly. There were also so many breads to choose from that the waiting time gave me a chance to look through the menu. I’ll share my recommendations below!

We visited around 4 PM on a Saturday and waited for roughly 20 minutes. We gave up on getting a table and decided to grab everything to go.

🥖 Diving into Unique Menus Inspired by Jeju and Seoul

Once inside, the ordering process started at a display marked “ORDER START.” Customers moved along the showcase and placed orders as they went.

The staff packed everything up quickly, so the whole system felt very organized.

The biggest highlight was that, since this bakery became famous in Jeju, many of the bread and donut names carried strong Jeju vibes. Items like “Omegi Rice Cake Mugwort Cream Bread” and “Jocheon Omegi Red Bean Bread” immediately sparked curiosity.

On top of that, there were Seoul-exclusive items such as “Seoul Gwangjang Market Pollock Roe Cream Bread” and “Donery Oreum Milk Cream Salt Bread,” which made choosing even harder.

After much deliberation, we picked five breads:

Hamdeok Old-Fashioned Corn Cream Bread

Seoul Gwangjang Market Pollock Roe Cream Bread

Omegi Red Bean Bread

Yeongsil Ranch Pure Milk Cream Bread

Aewol Injeolmi Cream Donut

🥯 Enjoying Overstuffed Cream Breads With Rich Fillings

First up was the Hamdeok Old-Fashioned Corn Cream Bread.

I’d heard that cream breads tasted even better after being frozen, so we froze ours and then popped it into the air fryer. We didn’t freeze it lightly—we left it rock solid overnight, then air-fried it at 180 degrees for one minute. The outside turned warm and soft while the inside stayed frozen like ice cream. I absolutely loved that texture and highly recommended eating it frozen.

I cut it in half to check the filling, and it was packed with cream to an unbelievable degree.

As you can see from the photo, the bread itself seemed to exist solely to hold the filling together. The dough was incredibly thin, while the inside was stuffed with pale yellow corn cream.

One bite immediately reminded me of the sweet and nutty corn ice cream I used to enjoy. The cream was smooth, and the corn flavor came through nicely. Even though there was a huge amount of filling, freezing it kept it from feeling too rich.

Next was the Seoul Gwangjang Market Pollock Roe Cream Bread, which I was especially curious about. The black bun was generously coated with pollock roe and mayonnaise on top and bottom, and even the smell while air-frying made it hard to resist.

The savory umami of the roe blended nicely with the soft cream filling. The outer layer reminded me of crispy seaweed chips. I’m not sure whether actual seaweed was used or simply incorporated into the dough, but it almost felt like eating rice rather than bread—in a good way.

It wasn’t sweet. Instead, it was salty with a slight kick, making it a good option as a meal replacement.

🥯 Savoring Red Bean and Milk Cream Favorites

We tried the Omegi Red Bean Bread together because it seemed like something parents would enjoy.

Just like the other breads, it was packed with filling.

Beneath the sweet red bean paste was a thin layer resembling chewy mugwort omegi rice cake, which kept the texture interesting.

Almonds on top added a subtle nutty flavor as well.

My parents said it was the most generously filled red bean bread they’d ever had, and they really enjoyed it. I’d recommend it as a gift, too.

Next was the Yeongsil Ranch Pure Milk Cream Bread, one of the most basic items and marked as a bestseller.

The contrast between the black bread and the white milk cream inside was striking.

I worried it might feel heavy because of the amount of cream, but the flavor turned out to be clean and mild.

The bread was thin and soft, with a slightly chewy glutinous rice layer hidden near the bottom.

If you enjoy the rich, nutty taste of milk cream, you’ll probably like this one. We didn’t freeze this bread, but I think it would’ve tasted great that way too.

🥯 Finishing With the Aewol Injeolmi Cream Donut

The first thing that stood out was the generous coating of injeolmi powder. This wasn’t a ring-shaped donut—it was the filled style with cream tucked inside.

I carefully cut it in half to check the cross-section. Inside the thin dough was an impressive amount of beige-colored cream. It seemed like red bean cream.

The nutty soybean powder, smooth cream, and sweet red bean flavor blended together pleasantly and balanced out the donut’s richness.

Even my girlfriend, who doesn’t usually go out of her way to eat donuts, really enjoyed this one.

It wasn’t overly sweet, and the combination of sweetness and nuttiness felt approachable for all ages. If you enjoy old-school Korean dessert flavors, this one was a must-try.

💡 Who Should Come Here?

1. Anyone planning a Gwangjang Market date: It fit nicely into a route where you could fill up at the market and then stroll along Cheonggyecheon afterward.

2. Anyone who loves chewy textures: If you enjoy ingredients like mugwort, injeolmi, black sesame, red beans, and chewy rice cakes, this place might be right up your alley.

3. Anyone looking for gift-worthy bread: The packaging was neat, and the wide variety made it easy to pick something for different tastes.

💬 Wrapping Up With Final Thoughts on Abebe Bakery

I really liked that I could try a bakery famous in Jeju right in the middle of Seoul, with such a diverse lineup available.

Because the breads were so generously filled with cream, I thought they were best enjoyed one at a time alongside an Americano or a glass of milk. If you’re visiting Gwangjang Market or the Jongno area, I’d recommend dropping by.

At a glance

📍 Location: 1F–3F, 201 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

⏰ Hours: Daily 10:00–19:00

💰 Price range: Cream breads and donuts generally around 3,500 KRW–4,500 KRW

🅿️ Parking: Public transportation recommended

If you walk from the Cheonggyecheon side toward Euljiro, you’ll easily spot the busy shop with crowds gathered outside.

Abebe Bakery Seoul

1F, 2F, 3F, 201 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Verified self-paid visit

269-27 Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Aewol Injeolmi Cream Donut and 5 other items

2026.05.