Where to find delicious egg tarts in Seoul? 5 of the best bakeries to visit

Rich, custardy egg tarts are associated more with Hong Kong, Portugal and Macau than Seoul, so it may come as a surprise that the city has more than a few bakeries serving top-notch takes on the sweet treat. Whether closely following traditional recipes or serving up new twists on the classic dessert, here are five places to get your egg tart fix on your next visit to South Korea’s capital. 1. Nata de Nata Tucked away in a quiet alley in Seoul’s Seongbuk district, Nata de Nata brings a slice of Portugal to the Korean capital. Run by Luis Filipe Dinis Campo, a Portuguese chef who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, the bakery exudes authenticity from its brightly tiled walls and colourful decor to the buttery scent wafting from the open kitchen. After spending his childhood in Portugal, Campo’s journey took him through Macau and Hong Kong. But it was in Korea that he found a home and his calling: to bring the soulful sweetness of Portuguese egg tarts to a new audience. “Each layer is rolled by hand – the consistency in the folds is what makes it perfect in the oven. We follow the traditional Portuguese method,” Campo says. He and his team bake the tarts – which come in three varieties: original, low sugar and vanilla bean – in small batches. The pastry is crisp and painstakingly hand-folded into 18 layers. The warm custard inside is smooth and delicate. The vanilla bean tart carries a whisper of sweetness, and cinnamon and sugar packets are provided for those who want to amp it up. 2, Seongbuk-ro 2-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 2. Butter Cream Factory Located in an unassuming residential area of Seoul’s Mangwon-dong neighbourhood, Butter Cream Factory serves Hong Kong-style egg tarts – with silky yellow egg custard and cookie pastry – as well as Portuguese- and Macau-style versions. Owner Han Seung-il researched recipes over several years before opening his first shop in Gimhae, in the south of the country, in 2022. The year after, he opened the Mangwon-dong location, which has no seating but allows visitors to eat their tarts while standing. Han uses condensed milk in his Hong Kong-style egg tarts to give them an authentic taste. He uses whipped cream in his Macau tarts and milk in his Portuguese ones – which are served with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon on the side. 102, 41, Mangwon-ro 11-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 3. De Egg De Egg is a tiny bakery in the Seongsu area of Seoul with an eye-catching red exterior. The brand started off in a humble shop in Ssangmun-dong in northern Seoul and soon gained a cult following, expanding with a pop-up location in the city’s Gangnam district before finally landing in Seongsu. The shop keeps things simple with four flavours: original, apple cinnamon, chocolate and corn. It is takeaway only, with no seating and no coffee menu. The original egg tart, with its creamy custard, is intensely sweet. Staff advise customers to freeze the corn flavour tart at home, after which, they say, it tastes like ice cream. 37, Wangsimni-ro 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 4. Tongin Sweet Tongin Sweet began in 2015 as a small family-run bakery. Now it is a popular stop for both locals and tourists, drawing visitors in with wafts of buttery goodness. The walls of the shop, located just a stone’s throw from Seoul’s lively Tongin Market, are lined with celebrity autographs – and the tarts live up to the hype. Tongin Sweet’s egg tarts lean closer to the Hong Kong style with a dense, custard-like filling in a rich, buttery pie crust. While the classic flavour remains a favourite, the shop also offers walnut, apple, lemon, cheese and chocolate flavours. It is almost impossible to choose just one. “[They’re] not exactly Hong Kong-style,” says a staff member about the egg tarts. “We bake [them] more like a pie – not quite pastry, not quite cookie – to give [them] a unique texture and character. “Even though it started as a family business, word spread faster than we imagined. Now it feels like regulars are bringing in more regulars.” 50, Jahamun-ro 7-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 5. Mei Ta Wang Mei Ta Wang is a must-visit bakery in Seoul’s Seongdong district that typically has a long queue out of the door. There is no big sign at its entrance, just a simple board listing its egg tart offerings. The tarts here are neither Portuguese nor Hong Kong style but uniquely Korean, catering to local tastes. Made with natural butter and antibiotic-free eggs, the tarts here hide a surprise beneath their crisp golden pastry: a smooth silky custard cream. The tarts provide a delightful contrast between the flaky shell and the delicate filling, and strike a balance between sweetness and saltiness. The aroma of real vanilla beans and natural butter comes through beautifully, while the soft, custard-like filling melts in the mouth like a dessert pudding. It is a contemporary take that does not aim to replicate tradition but rather offers a playful reinterpretation. 43-1, Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul Read the story at The Korea Times

Where to find delicious egg tarts in Seoul? 5 of the best bakeries to visit

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a Portuguese chef’s ode to home to new spins on Hong Kong classics, check out these egg tart shops in South Korea’s capital

1. Nata de Nata

From a Portuguese chef’s ode to home to new spins on Hong Kong classics, check out these egg tart shops in South Korea’s capital