Breakfast at Kokkiri Bagel! Enjoyed their chewy bagels and a great 10,000 won set 🥯
chan
3 days ago
While traveling in Korea, I decided to grab breakfast in the Seongsu area, and finally visited “Kokkiri Bagel (코끼리베이글),” a place I’d been curious about for a while!
When you think of Seongsu, you think of a popular neighborhood packed with stylish cafes and shops. The place I visited this time really stood out, it’s a large building with a spacious interior, and you can even watch them making the bagels.
They have more than just bagels, there are also sandwiches, soups, and drinks, so it feels less like a quick snack spot and more like a place where you can enjoy a proper meal.
## About a 7-minute walk from Seongsu Station! A big shop in a calm location
I walked there from Seongsu Station on Seoul Subway Line 2.
It’s about a 7-minute walk from the station. It’s in a quieter area a bit away from the lively streets around the station, and I found it easy to get to on foot.
When the building came into view, the first thing that surprised me was how big it was!
The exterior mixes red brick with a deep green color, and on the rooftop there’s a large pink sign in Korean.
I was imagining a typical small bakery, so it had way more presence than I expected.
Out front, there’s also an outdoor seating area with tables, chairs, and parasols, it feels open and airy.
There was also information about a lunch set on the brick wall.
Near the entrance, there were panels with quirky characters, it gave the place a pop, cute vibe!
It’s stylish but not overly pretentious, the playful design is really nice.
As soon as you step inside, it feels like a bagel factory!
As I walked in from the entrance, a completely different atmosphere opened up compared to the outside.
There are large ducts running across the ceiling and stainless steel worktables lined up, it really looks like a factory!
What stuck with me most was the big oven with flames inside.
Watching the staff at work got me excited even before taking a bite of a bagel.
At the counter, there were tons of bagel varieties lined up!
Not just plain, there were options like bacon red pepper, walnut cranberry, garlic cream cheese, and more. Just reading the names made me want to try so many.
They have both savory and sweet, so it’s hard to decide.
Because it’s an open space where you can see the bakers working, it felt like more than just choosing items, it was like getting a mini tour of the bakery itself.
[Photo 7: Japanese order sheet]
They have a Japanese order sheet, ordering is easy!
One thing you end up worrying about at cafes while traveling is how to order.
Here, it wasn’t the style where you grab bagels from the counter and put them on your own tray.
Instead, you fill out an order sheet with what you want and hand it to the staff.
When I visited, they had order sheets written in Japanese, so I could choose while checking the names of bagels, sandwiches, and drinks.
There were also spaces to write quantities and to choose hot or iced for drinks, it was very clear.
There were pencils placed near the order sheets too, so I didn’t need to translate product names on my phone and say them out loud, I could order calmly.
I think this system is especially helpful for people who aren’t confident in Korean, or solo travelers who want to take their time choosing.
Since the counter shows the actual items and the menu, it’s easiest to look at the real thing first, then write it on the order sheet.
They also have a wide variety of sandwiches!
Their stuffed, ingredient-packed look seriously whets your appetite.
The sandwich and Americano set is 10,000 won!
This time, I ordered the jambon sandwich and an iced Americano.
There was a lunch set deal that paired a sandwich with an Americano, and the set price was 10,000 won!
On the regular menu shown in the photo, the jambon sandwich is 8,600 won and the Americano is 4,300 won.
Ordered separately, it would total 12,900 won, so the set saves you 2,900 won.
Since I wanted both a meal and a drink, it was a great combo for me.
The sign at the front said it was weekday-only, so be sure to check which days it applies to and the serving hours before you go.
At Korean cafes, ordering a bagel and a drink separately can add up more than you expect, so sets like this are a budget-friendly option while traveling.
Besides bagels and sandwiches, they also had beef stew and white mushroom soup.
It’s nice that there are options for people who want something warm with their meal.
There’s seating on the second floor too, you can really relax!
After ordering, I headed to a table inside.
There are seats on the second floor as well, and it’s seriously spacious!
There were different types of seating, like areas with big tables and rows of chairs, plus smaller tables for small groups.
The first floor feels like a lively bakery where you can see the staff cooking, but the second floor, with its wooden floors and tables, has a calmer vibe.
With simple white walls decorated with posters and illustrations, it was a casual yet comfortable space.
Because the shop is so big, it was fun how my impression shifted from “It’s like a factory!” when I walked in to “I can actually relax here more than I expected” once I sat down.
When I visited, I saw people chatting while eating, and also people spending time alone.
It seems perfect for breakfast before shopping in Seongsu, or for taking a break after walking around.
Time to eat! The jambon sandwich was soft and wonderfully chewy!
And here it is, the jambon sandwich I’d been looking forward to!
The bagel on the plate looked impressively filling, with plenty of ham tucked inside.
There was also a generous amount of finely grated cheese on top, it looked so good I couldn’t help but take photos.
When I took a bite, the first thing that stood out was the bagel’s texture.
Some people might picture a dense, tough bagel, but the bagels here are soft and pleasantly chewy.
Every bite felt satisfyingly substantial.
With ham and cheese inside, it’s a different kind of satisfaction than just eating a plain bagel.
It looked stuffed with ingredients, and for me, someone who wants a real breakfast in the morning, it was perfect.
The iced Americano I picked went great with the sandwich too.
When you’re traveling in Korea, it’s easy to want to cafe-hop, but what’s great here is that you can enjoy not only drinks, but also a full meal in one place.
What stayed with me from this visit to Kokkiri Bagel wasn’t just the taste, but the whole experience.
It’s an easy walk from the station, and the exterior is pop and cute. Inside, it opens up into a factory-like space where you can watch them actually making the bagels.
And when it came time to choose, the Japanese order sheet made it easy to order even if you’re unsure about Korean, which was a big help.
It’s also a great memory that I got to enjoy the chewy jambon sandwich and iced Americano upstairs in the spacious seating area.
Especially the 10,000 won set I got this time felt like a better deal and more satisfying than ordering items separately.
This is a spot I’d recommend to first-time visitors to Seongsu, anyone who wants to explore Korean bakeries, and people who want to enjoy breakfast comfortably even when traveling solo.
There are so many bagel flavors that if I get a chance to go again, I’d love to try a different one next time.
If you’re looking for a cafe in Seongsu, definitely consider adding it to your list!
