Every time we pass by Lee Sung Dang Bakery, we see a crowded store and a line that extends outside. And I mean every time! The only time I’ve ever seen something draw that much attention was the Sprinkles cupcakery in Dallas, but their shop is tiny. Lee Sung Dang looks pretty sizable. It’s renowned for being the oldest bakery in all of Korea (since 1945), and it’s still running strong.  So what is the big deal?

Being the intrepid adventurers we are, we pushed our way into the bakery on a Saturday afternoon. There was hardly any room to maneuver! Pastries pastries everywhere! People pushed their way to get to fresh baked goods. No one was messing around. As soon as they put out a new tray, the pastries were swooped up immediately.

We grabbed a tray, picked up a few items that we thought we might like, and inadvertently cut in line to pay. We made our way around the entire store, whilst in queue, and saw so many wonderful looking treats. I’m always a little skeptical because while a lot of pastries look good in Korea, they often taste very unusual to my American palate. We ended up with three things: something that’s between a cookie and small loaf of bread, a flaky pastry, and a cream-filled puff ball. And wow! Everything was so delightful! Judging by just a few bites of some select items, we can already see why this bakery is so popular.

I was sick the next day, and Clint made the sweet gesture of running out there to pick up more of the flaky pastry for me. But they didn’t have any! My miserable state of disappointment proved overwhelmingly just how addicted I’d become.

Korean Name: 이성당
Phone: 063-445-2772
Address: 12-2, Jungangno 1(il)-ga, Gunsan