Myeongdong Egg Bread (Gyeranppang): ₩2,000 a Piece, and How to Order and Pay
The one street food you'll see most often in Myeongdong is gyeranppang (egg bread). One piece costs ₩2,000, and cheese egg bread costs ₩3,000. Both prices are posted on signs at the stall, with photos of the food. There are only two items on the menu, so there isn't much to decide, and a card terminal sits right on the cart, so you don't need cash to buy one.
How much does egg bread cost in Myeongdong?
Price first. Gyeranppang is ₩2,000 for one piece, and cheese gyeranppang is ₩3,000 for one piece. Both numbers appear on the blue signs standing between the steamers, each marked "1ea" — meaning that's the price for a single piece, not a portion or a set.
The same prices show up again on the yellow sign above the cart. Along with the Korean 계란빵, that sign carries たまごパン in Japanese, 鸡蛋面包 in Chinese, and Egg bread in English, with 포장가능 Takeout printed next to it.
| Menu | Price (1 piece) | As printed on the sign |
|---|---|---|
| Gyeranppang (egg bread) | ₩2,000 | 계란빵 / Egg Bread / 1ea |
| Cheese gyeranppang | ₩3,000 | 치즈 계란빵 / cheese Egg Bread / 1ea |
What makes this stall easy is that you never have to ask what anything costs. The two signs stand side by side between the pots, so you can read the price and then decide whether to buy.
So which of the two is worth the extra ₩1,000?
Should you get plain egg bread or cheese egg bread?
Plain gyeranppang is a soft roll with an egg baked into the top, yolk still holding its shape. Cheese gyeranppang is the same thing under a thick layer of cheese, browned in the oven, and you can tell the two apart at a glance.
Put them side by side and the cheese version is clearly the bigger one. I bought a cheese gyeranppang myself and it filled me up more than I expected. The savory cheese sits well on the soft egg bread, and that's when it clicked for me why Myeongdong egg bread has the reputation it does.
The names tell you what's inside: egg in the plain one, cheese on top of the egg in the other. If you avoid eggs or dairy, check that before you order.
Once you've picked, ordering is the simple part.
How do you order at a Myeongdong egg bread stall?
With only two items, you just pick the one you want and that's it. The two signs stand between the pots, so if the words won't come, you can point at the sign instead.
The egg bread sits on top of the steamer lids, which keeps it warm. It isn't made in advance and left to cool — you get it at the temperature it came out of the oven.
Takeout is available too. The sign on the cart says 포장가능 Takeout, and some customers carry theirs away instead of eating on the spot.
The step that trips people up more often than ordering is paying.
Can you pay by card at the Myeongdong egg bread stall?
Cash, bank transfer, cards of various kinds, and mobile pay all work. A card terminal is set up right on the cart, so the payment goes through on the spot.
While I was taking photos, a foreign customer was handing over a card to pay. In other words, there's no need to check your wallet for cash before you walk over.
| Payment method | Accepted |
|---|---|
| Cash | Yes |
| Card (terminal at the stall) | Yes |
| Bank transfer | Yes |
| Mobile pay | Yes |
Once you've paid, one question is left: where do you actually eat this?
Where do you eat the egg bread, and where does the empty container go?
You can stand in front of the stall and eat it there, or walk down the Myeongdong street while you eat. Customers do exactly that — you'll see people standing around the cart holding the round containers they were handed.
What happens afterward is where visitors get stuck most often. Here's the tip worth knowing: hand the container or the trash back to the vendor, and they'll take care of it for you. You don't have to walk the Myeongdong alleys hunting for a bin. Don't feel awkward about it — just pass your trash to the vendor.
As someone who works in Myeongdong every day, I think this egg bread stall is worth a stop. The price is posted on a sign, several payment methods are open, and the stall handles the cleanup — for a first visit, that combination asks the least of you.
Frequently asked questions
How much is one piece of Myeongdong egg bread?
Plain gyeranppang is ₩2,000 and cheese gyeranppang is ₩3,000. Both prices appear on the stall's signs marked "1ea," so that's the price for a single piece, not a portion.
Which is bigger, plain or cheese egg bread?
The cheese version is clearly bigger. It's baked with a thick layer of cheese over the egg bread, and the difference shows from the outside. One piece is more filling than it looks.
Does the Myeongdong egg bread stall take cards?
Yes. A card terminal is set up at the stall, so payment is processed on the spot. Cash, bank transfer, and mobile pay all work as well.
Can you get egg bread to take away?
Yes. The sign on the cart reads 포장가능 Takeout. You can also stand and eat at the stall, or eat while walking down the Myeongdong street.
Where do you throw away the empty container?
Hand it back to the vendor and they'll dispose of it for you. There's no need to go looking for a bin, and this is the usual way it's handled at Myeongdong stalls.
Egg bread isn't the only Myeongdong stall with a line in front of it. In the next post, I'll go through the other stall menus one by one, with photos of their price signs. Which Myeongdong street food would you try first?
