Things to Do in South Korea : The One Bakery You Can’t Miss in korea
- Do Yeon Ra
- Mar 27
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 31
Are you searching for things to do in South Korea?
Then this is your sign — come to Sung Sim Dang in Daejeon, where flavor meets culture all in one place!
After the Korean War, flour rations meant for other regions were first delivered to Daejeon. As a result, noodle factories began to pop up around Daejeon Station. That’s how Daejeon became a city of flour-based food.
Whether it's bread, noodles—you'll hear locals say, “Anywhere you go here, it’s hard to go wrong.”
Today, I’ll introduce a bakery that everyone in Korea knows, a place where people from all over the country line up just for one bite. It’s no exaggeration to say this bakery marked the beginning of Daejeon’s love for bread. This is Sung Sim Dang — the symbol of Daejeon’s bakery culture.
In 1956, a man on his way to Seoul with his family ended up in Daejeon when the train broke down. Struggling to make ends meet, he received two sacks of flour from a Catholic priest. With them, he started selling steamed buns in a tent near Daejeon Station —and that’s how Sung Sim Dang was born.
From the start, he followed two key principles : Sell everything on the same day it's made and share leftovers with those in need.
Another rule still stands today : Sung Sim Dang can only be found in Daejeon.
Loved for both its taste and spirit, it’s now more than just a bakery — it’s Daejeon’s pride.
You can find Sung Sim Dang in four different locations around Daejeon, but today, I’ll focus on the head store and the spots nearby : Sung Sim Dang cake Boutique, Sandwich Stop, Yenmatsomssi Branch and Culture Space.
Other locations are great, too — but if you want to enjoy both the taste and the story of Sung Sim Dang, the head store is the place to be.
Head Store
At the main branch of Sung Sim Dang, a huge variety of breads are waiting for you! I’ve been there over 50 times, and here’s my one-line review
: There’s no such thing as a bad bread — it’s just a matter of taste.
So don’t stress — just grab whatever catches your eye. Even if you fill up an entire tray, it’s hard to spend more than 50,000 KRW. That means you get great taste and great value, all in one. Make sure to enjoy it while you're in Daejeon — this is one bakery you won’t want to miss!
If I had to recommend just one must-try bread, it would be Sung Sim Dang’s signature — the Fried Soboro. It’s packed with sweet Korean red bean paste, and the outside is a crispy twist on the classic streusel bun — deep-fried for extra crunch. It’s a favorite among travelers, and most people grab one right away.
Other popular options include Chive Bun, Choco Fried Soboro, Sweet Potato Soboro, and even a Mala Croquette. Here’s a tip : If you see a bread wrapped in paper with a label — just pick it up. Those are usually the best-sellers!
(And between us... I never leave without a Mala Croquette. It’s filled with just the right amount of mala xiang guo flavor —not too spicy, just perfect — and the crispy shell makes it unbeatable.)
Sungsimdang Cake Boutique
Source : naver blog, 맛집선수 [대전역] 아기자기한 디저트 천국 '성심당 케익부띠끄'
Sung Sim Dang Cake Boutique is where you’ll find all kinds of sweets — from cakes and tarts to pound cakes and more.
The sponge is soft yet moist, and the sweet cream wraps around it perfectly.
Honestly, it surprised me the first time I tried it. This truly is the best cake shop I’ve ever been to.
The true highlight of Sung Sim Dang’s Cake Boutique, if you ask me, is the “Siru” series — and the most famous of them all is the Strawberry Siru Cake.
This cake is no joke : a chocolate sponge layered with chocolate cream, topped with a full kilogram of fresh strawberries.Altogether, it weighs 2.3kg!
The name “Siru” comes from a traditional Korean steamed rice cake called siru-tteok — a flat, red bean-based rice cake. The chocolate sponge reminded people of that look and feel, so they named it “Strawberry Siru.”
If you look at the photo on the left, you’ll see a whole store next to the main boutique dedicated just to making these Strawberry Sirus. That’s why, even with long lines, the wait is short and sweet.
And let me tell you — the taste is amazing. Korean strawberries are known for their natural sweetness, and that balance between the creamy, chocolatey cake and the fresh fruit?Perfect. Not too heavy, just right.
They also offer seasonal variations like Fresh Cream Strawberry Siru, Mango Siru (in summer), Chestnut Siru and Fig Siru(in fall), among others. So you can enjoy a different Siru every season!
Sungsimdang Sandwich Stop
📍right next to the head store
There’s also a place called the “Sandwich Stop”, a new addition to the Sung Sim Dang family — and it’s already super popular!
Sung Sim Dang’s sandwiches have always been loved for their fresh ingredients, and thanks to that reputation, they’ve opened this dedicated spot. It’s tucked inside the same building as the main branch, and it only opened about a month ago.
But even now, the line is packed with people trying to get a taste. I haven’t tried everything on the menu yet, but one that stands out is the Apple Brie Cheese Sandwich —so good and so worth it!
Sungsimdang Yenmatsomssi Branch
This is a place I came to love even more while writing about it — a cozy spot where you can try all kinds of traditional Korean sweets. From yakgwa and hangwa to manju and chapssaltteok, you can enjoy them with drinks in a space full of Korean-style charm.
And when summer comes around, this place turns into a bingsu paradise! They offer a variety of Korean shaved ice desserts like : Black Sesame Bingsu, Nonsan Bingsu (with misutgaru powder), Bomunsan Bingsu (with green tea),and even Pumpkin Bingsu — each with its own unique local twist.
By the way, you can also enjoy Sung Sim Dang’s signature red bean bingsu the head store’s second floor, but here, you get to try more customized and creative versions. It’s such a fun and refreshing way to experience Korea in dessert form!
Sungsimdang Culture Space
Bought some bread, cake, or traditional Korean sweets and just can’t wait to eat them?
Why not take a short walk — just 2 minutes on foot — to the Sung Sim Dang culture space?
If you order a drink there, they’ll provide you with a plate, fork, and knifeso you can enjoy whatever you bought, right on the spot. It’s also a great place to soak in the story and spirit of Sung Sim Dang, the very one I mentioned earlier at the beginning of this post.
On the first floor, you’ll find a variety of Sung Sim Dang-themed goods on display. From the basement(B1) all the way up to the second floor, there are open seating areas where you can freely enjoy anything you’ve purchased.
The third floor hosts a pop-up space, while the fourth and fifth floors are dedicated to a history museum that showcases the story and spirit of Sung Sim Dang. It’s a full-on cultural complex — not just a bakery!
There’s still so much more I haven’t covered : like the restaurant on the second floor of the head store and several other spots run by Sung Sim Dang. But if I tried to include all of that here, this post might just explode from too much goodness!
That’s how deeply Daejeon embraces its bread culture — and I can confidently say that an experience like this will be your first and last in Korea. Nowhere else is quite like it.
The best part? It’s super accessible — just 🚈30 minutes from Daejeon Station🚈, so even if you’re only planning to visit Seoul, Daejeon is definitely worth spending a day or two.
Take public transportation, soak up the warmth we’ve prepared for you and bring home a truly one-of-a-kind Korean bakery experience 🧡
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