[Report] After a 3-Hour Wait, Tried the 'Mara-Flavored Cream Bread'... "An Unbelievable Taste"

Visiting Samlip Cream Bread 60th Anniversary Popup Store
Over 110 Groups Waiting on Weekday Afternoons
Tasting 9 Cream Flavors... No.1 to Launch in June

"Welcome to Cream Atelier."

As the door of the pink mansion reminiscent of the movie 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' opened, a red envelope was handed over. Inside was a gold-trimmed invitation. It was a direct ticket to Samlip's authentic cream bread 60th anniversary pop-up store, 'Cream Atelier.'

Samlip Cream Bread 60th Anniversary Pop-up Store in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul

On the afternoon of the 8th, in front of Cream Atelier in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, a fierce reservation competition took place to obtain this invitation. Although it was a weekday, 117 teams were already waiting.

After a three-hour wait, I entered Cream Atelier. The core of Cream Atelier was the 'Recipe Zone,' where you could taste creams suggested by the Cream Master. This place, reminiscent of a secret workshop, offered a total of nine different creams to taste.

AI-planned creams included ▲Mara Map Gochu (Mala & Coriander Cream) ▲True Blue Cheese (Truffle Blue Cheese Cream) ▲Kya Kya Caramel Popcorn (Popcorn & Caramel Cream). Chef-made creams included ▲Kkuun Butter Cream (Financier Cream) ▲Twi Twi Green Tea (Puffed Rice & Green Tea Cream) ▲Orange Peel So Good (Orange Peel & Chocolate Cream). Reflecting spring season trend ingredients were ▲Griun Han Tteolgi (Rose & Raspberry Cream) ▲My Cherry Blossom (Cherry Blossom & Peach Cream) ▲Cream of Dream (Mont Blanc Cream).

At Cream Atelier, you can choose and taste three different cream flavors. Mala Map Gochu, True Blue Cheese, Kkuun Butter Cream, Grieun Han Tteolgi, and more.

Guests invited to Cream Atelier could choose three out of the nine creams. After selecting the Mara Map Gochu, Kkuun Butter, and Griun Han Tteolgi cards and handing them to the Cream Master, pieces of cream bread with the three creams were served on a plate like ice cream.

Kkuun Butter reminded me of financier, and the Han Tteolgi card had a harmonious balance of moderate sweetness and refreshing raspberry jam. The wildly unique Mara Map Gochu had a strong mala flavor, which, as expected, was a taste that divided opinions greatly. Although I like mala, the combination with cream felt somewhat awkward. I was satisfied with having tried it. When I tasted my companion's Orange Peel So Good, it reminded me of Ferrero Rocher.

After tasting the creams, I moved to the 'Voting Zone.' It was time to vote for the most delicious flavor or the one you hoped would be released in the future. Personally, I preferred Kkuun Butter, but I cast my vote for Orange Peel So Good, which I found the most universally delicious. The voting method was stacking ping-pong balls. The flavor with the highest stack of ping-pong balls would be the winner. The cream chosen as number one is scheduled to be released as a new flavor of cream bread in June.

So far, Kkuun Butter and Orange Peel So Good are in a close competition. Surprisingly, Mara Map Gochu is performing well. A promoter introducing Cream Atelier explained, "Mara Map Gochu has a high entry barrier, so fewer people try it, but those who do are highly satisfied, earning quite a few votes."

The flavor that won first place at Cream Atelier will be released as an actual cream bread in June.

'The Original Bread Open Run' is Samlip Authentic Cream Bread... 1.9 Billion Sold So Far

"In 1964, in front of the factory in Garibong-dong, Seoul, the country's first bread open run took place. People lined up from early morning to buy cream bread."

Entering the 'History Zone' of Cream Atelier, visitors could look at the past and present of Samlip cream bread. At the time of its launch, cream bread was so popular that even running the factory 24 hours a day was not enough to meet demand.

As its popularity continued, authentic cream bread became Samlip's representative steady seller. It was the first product in the domestic baking industry to introduce vinyl packaging technology. Since its launch in 1964, it has recorded cumulative sales of 1.9 billion units and has been officially certified by the KRI Korea Records Institute and the World Record Committee (WRC) in the United States as the 'single brand highest-selling cream bread (retail sector, cumulative)' over the past 10 years.

A Samlip brand representative said, "This 60th anniversary pop-up store was prepared to provide consumers with an enjoyable and meaningful experience by combining the traditional cream bread with the diverse charms of creams reinterpreted in a modern way," adding, "We will continue marketing activities that embody the identity of authentic cream bread to establish it as a heritage brand that spans all generations."

Guests invited to the Cream Atelier are tasting cream in the 'Recipe Zone'.