Hot Spot in 성수 - An Honest Review of ETF 베이커리's 990-won Salt Bread

The place blowing up on Insta, I went to see for myself

For the past few days my Insta feed has been flooded with talk about a bakery in 성수동. Apparently it's a popup bakery opened by the finance YouTuber 슈카월드, and the salt bread is 990 won? At first I thought it was a typo, but it’s real. I couldn’t hold back my curiosity, so I convinced a friend and headed to 성수 early Sunday morning.

After about a 10-minute walk from 성수역, I spotted 글로우 성수. It wasn’t even 11 yet and there were already people gathered, with a notice saying you had to take a number via 캐치테이블.

캐치테이블 is a must! Waiting is a given

You can’t just line up on site; you can only grab a spot through the 캐치테이블 app. After installing and signing up, I got waitlist number 47... more backed up than I expected. Still, turnover was quick, and after about an hour our number was called.

While waiting we wandered around 성수동 and killed some time at a nearby cafe, so it wasn’t as boring as I expected. Maybe because it was the weekend, 성수동 itself was buzzing.

Finally in! Inside the popup store

Once inside, the space was cozier than I expected. Since it uses part of the first floor of 글로우 성수, it felt snug. The breads were lined up in front of the register, and the price tags really caught my eye.

Main menu and prices

Salt bread, plain bagel, baguette: 990 won

Loaf bread: 1,990 won

Mentaiko baguette: 2,450 won

Peach cake: 3,990 won

Ciabatta: 1,990 won

It’s really about a third of typical market prices. When I think about routinely paying 3,000 won for a single salt bread...

990-won salt bread — how does it actually taste?

First things first, I ordered the buzzworthy salt bread. It looked like your typical salt bread, and the packaging was pretty simple—just a plastic bag stamped with the ETF logo. You can tell the concept is saving on packaging to keep prices low.

First bite impression… better than I expected! The basics were solid: crispy outside, moist inside. The butter aroma was just right, and it wasn’t overly salty. Not a mind-blowing flavor, but a 'passing grade' salt bread?

My friend said, "At this price, this is more than satisfying." I agreed. The quality isn’t much different from big bakery chains’ salt bread, but the price is definitely a draw.

Tasting a few other items

It felt wasteful to leave with just salt bread, so I added a bagel and a baguette. The plain bagel had nice chew, and the baguette’s crust was satisfyingly crisp.

I was curious about the mentaiko baguette too, but it was already sold out... Popular items seem to go early. Next time I’ll come earlier to try it.

Value for money — my honest take

In terms of value, I was definitely satisfied. For 990 won, this level of quality is perfectly reasonable. Just don’t go in expecting "the best salt bread of your life" or "heavenly flavors."

I get the concept of responding to what 슈카 calls "breadflation," too. These days plenty of neighborhood bakeries charge over 3,000 won for one.

Visit tips and things to note

Here are a few tips if you plan to go!

Hours are 11:00 to 22:00, but they may close early if sold out, so give yourself some buffer.

While you're in 성수동, places to check out

Since we were already at ETF 베이커리, we explored 성수동 a bit. There are lots of cute cafes near 글로우 성수. I also heard the restaurant 자연도 is popular—I'll try it next time.

It’s a 10-minute walk from 성수역, easy to get to, and with plenty to see around—seems like a good date course, too.

Final honest verdict

ETF 베이커리 is worth experiencing at least once. If you’re expecting jaw-dropping flavors you might be disappointed, but in terms of value it definitely stands out.

Since it’s a popup, it’s unclear how long it will run. If you’re interested, go soon! I’m planning to go back to try the mentaiko baguette, haha.

There was some waiting, but as part of a little outing to 성수동 it wasn’t bad—chatting with a friend and looking around. The impact of that 990-won price alone makes it quite the talking point.