What A Bread Yongsan (왓어브레드 용산) : Famous 크루찌 (Cro-Chi) Cafe in Seoul
If you’ve been scrolling Korean café content long enough, you’ve probably seen it: thick, glossy croissant-shaped breads with dramatic folds, chewy stretchy mochi insides, and captions screaming 크루찌 (cro-chi). That’s how I ended up at What A Bread, a bakery café slightly off the usual tourist trail—and one that many travelers detour to specifically for a single item.
This post is for those who want to venture beyond Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Ikseon-dong to find cafés locals actually line up for. I’ll get straight to the point early (for skimmers), then go deeper.
Today’s Stop : What A Bread Yongsan (왓어브레드 용산)
Address : 19-19 Hangang-daero 15-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Instagram : @what.a.bread
Quick Verdict (Read This First)
Famous for: Cro-chi (크루찌) — croissant × mochi
Price: ₩6,900~₩7,200 per crochi
Taste: Good, chewy, satisfying — but not life-changing
Worth visiting? Yes, if you’re curious and nearby
Worth lining up for? Debatable at this price
In short: it’s not bad, but ₩7,200 for a single bread is pushing it.
Now, let’s talk about why people still go—and why you might too.
Where Is What A Bread, and Why Do Tourists Miss It?
What A Bread is located in Yongsan, an area many first-time visitors overlook. It’s not a “wander and stumble upon” café like those in central tourist zones. You come here on purpose.
Yongsan has quietly become a neighborhood where:
Cafés feel less performative
Spaces are larger and more relaxed
Locals actually hang out, not just film
That context matters. What A Bread feels rooted in its neighborhood rather than built purely for tourists—even though tourists now flock to it.
First Impressions: Rustic, American, Almost Themed
Walking up to the café, the exterior immediately sets a tone. Wooden façade, Western-style signage, slightly Americana vibes. It looks more like a roadside bakery you’d see in the US than a sleek Seoul café.
Inside, it’s warm and busy:
Long wooden counters
Handwritten signs with bread names and prices
A constant flow of customers pointing, choosing, hesitating
This is not a minimalist café. It’s about abundance.
The Star of the Show: Cro-Chi (크루찌)
Let’s talk about the reason everyone comes.
What Is Cro-Chi?
Cro-chi is What A Bread’s signature item—a hybrid of:
Croissant (flaky, buttery exterior)
Mochi (chewy, elastic interior)
It looks like a chunky, exaggerated croissant, often glazed or topped, and noticeably heavier than a standard pastry.
Available Flavors
When I visited, these flavors were available:
Matcha
Corn
Chocolate
Plain
Injeolmi (soybean powder)
Each one is visually distinct, which makes the display incredibly photogenic.
Taste Review: Honest and Unfiltered
I’ll be blunt, because that’s more useful than hype.
Texture
This is where cro-chi shines.
Exterior: lightly crisp, croissant-like
Interior: dense, stretchy, mochi-chewy
If you like mochi textures, you’ll enjoy this. It’s filling and slow to eat.
Flavor
Flavor is… fine.
Matcha is mild but the matcha powder sprinkled on top gave it a bitter aftertaste
Chocolate is rich but safe
Injeolmi has a nostalgic Korean sweetness
Corn is subtly savory-sweet
Nothing tasted bad. Nothing tasted extraordinary either.
Price vs Satisfaction
At ₩7,200 per piece, expectations rise automatically. And that’s where cro-chi struggles a bit. It’s good, but not ₩7,200 good if you’re judging purely on taste.
You’re paying for:
The concept
The texture
The fame
The experience
Not just the bread.
Why Did “What A Bread” Get So Famous?
The short answer: TV exposure.
What A Bread gained nationwide attention after being featured on 놀라운 토요일 (Amazing Saturday / Nolto). Once that aired, everything changed.
After that:
Lines got longer
Social media mentions exploded
Celebrity visits followed
The Celebrity Wall: Proof of Popularity
Inside the café, there’s a dedicated wall displaying signed plates and photos of celebrities who’ve visited. This isn’t subtle. It’s very much a “yes, people you recognize eat here” kind of display.
You’ll spot:
Actors
Singers
TV personalities
For fans of Korean entertainment, this adds another layer of appeal. Even if you don’t recognize everyone, it reinforces the café’s status as a known spot, not just an Instagram trend.
The Bread Lineup Beyond Cro-Chi
While cro-chi is the star, the rest of the bakery deserves a mention.
Other Breads You’ll See
Long, rustic loaves
Salt breads
MBTI-themed bite-size breads
Chocolate-heavy pastries
Classic rolls and buns
These are more reasonably priced and, honestly, sometimes better value than the cro-chi. If you’re not dead-set on the viral item, mixing a cro-chi with a regular bread makes more sense.
The Crowd: Who Actually Comes Here?
From what I observed, the crowd splits into:
Locals picking up bread to go
Korean couples on café dates
Foreign tourists who did their research
Content creators filming trays and counters
It doesn’t feel chaotic, but it does feel busy—especially mid-afternoon.
Is It Worth Going Out of Your Way?
This is the key question for tourists.
Go if:
You’re staying near Yongsan or Itaewon
You want to explore non-touristy neighborhoods
You’re curious about viral Korean bakery trends
You enjoy chewy textures like mochi
Skip if:
You’re on a tight budget
You expect exceptional flavor for the price
You prefer classic French pastries
You don’t want to queue at all
How This Fits Into a Seoul Café Itinerary
What A Bread works best as:
A planned stop, not a spontaneous one
Part of a Yongsan or Itaewon café crawl
A contrast to polished, aesthetic cafés elsewhere
It’s a good reminder that Seoul café culture isn’t just about visuals—it’s also about experimentation.
Final Thoughts: My Honest Take
I don’t regret going. I’m glad I tried cro-chi at its original source. The texture is genuinely interesting, and I understand why it went viral.
But if you ask me to be completely honest?
₩7,200 for a single bread is expensive.
It’s good, not amazing.
It’s an experience, not a must-repeat.
If you’re the kind of traveler who enjoys discovering local-famous spots outside the obvious areas, What A Bread Yongsan is still worth a visit—just go in with realistic expectations.
Practical Info for Visitors
Area: Yongsan, Seoul
Best time: Late morning or early afternoon
Crowds: After lunch, especially weekends
Tip: Buy one cro-chi to try, then explore other breads
