Photos by ChiHon Kim ()
I was sad to see one of my favorite Japanese restaurants near Pyeongtaek Station close its doors for good. The last two years were hard on the industry and especially on places that are made for sit-down meals and not take-out. This meant no more steaming Takoyaki octopus balls paired with ice-cold draft beer for cool weekend nights when I was in the mood for something different.
Though this restaurant closed, the small croissant shop Well Brown next door has become a new favorite.
At first, I thought this well-known bakery shop was a beauty salon, so I had ignored it on my way for Takoyaki. Now that I’ve gone inside Well Brown, I don’t know how I ignored the intoxicating smell of fresh-baked bread before.
When I entered, most of the space was occupied by baking machines and I could see the baker behind the glass sweating as he kneaded the dough by hand in the kitchen.
Owner Kim Nam-guk has 10 years of baking experience, starting in hotels and bakeries before he decided to open his own business in 2018.
“Baking croissants requires a great deal of labor compared to regular bread,” Kim said. “But I decided to focus on croissants when starting this business as I wanted to show the real taste of croissants.”
Well Brown sells croissants in a vast range of flavors and a few other breads. The bakery has laugen croissant, double chocolate croissant, garlic cream cheese and butter croissant, vanilla cream croissant, almond croissant, matcha croissant, and even injeolmi, a type of rice cake, croissant on their menu.
The croissants are so popular, they fly off the shelves. So, text them to take advantage of their pre-order option.
During my first visit, I opted for the matcha croissant, double chocolate croissant and cream croissant for about 4,000 won each (around $3.39). And, if you decide to order the matcha croissant, let me warn you to have plenty of napkins with you because this croissant is bursting with cream filling. According to the baker, the best way to enjoy the green tea-coated and green tea cream-stuffed croissant is place it in the freezer long enough so the cream solidifies.
Despite the explosion all over the table on my first bite, the matcha croissant was really delicious. And, the double chocolate croissant filled with chocolate cream will definitely become your guilty pleasure.
I returned to Well Brown a month later to try their almond croissant, chewy ciabatta served with fresh whipped cream, and for another matcha croissant I’d been craving. The layers of the bread were still beautiful and flavorful as I remembered.
The bakery also serves coffee to pair with their delicious baked treasures. Don’t miss their Christmas bread they sell every year.
Though Takoyaki is what brought me to this area near the station, now Well Brown’s flaky, delicious croissants are drawing me back. I’ll miss the Japanese restaurant but in time, the bakery has filled the Takoyaki-shaped hole in my heart.
ADDRESS 경기 평택시 평택2로20번길 20 (KOR), 20, Pyeongtaek 2-ro 20beon-gil, Pyeongtaek-si (ENG)
HOURS 11 a.m. until they sell out or until 9 p.m. (Closed every Sunday)
PHONE 010-4664-3901 (The shop is available for delivery) You can order by SMS and phone call. Free delivery for order above 15,000 won and delivery coverage includes Segyo-dong, Tongbok-dong, Hapjeong-dong, Bijeon-dong, Dongsak-dong, Jukback-dong, Yongi-dong, and Sosa-dong in Pyeongteak area.
