I can’t even tell you how much I love Delimanjoo, you guys. It’s a tiny Korean pastry stall tucked inside Lotte Plaza Market in Ellicott City, and it’s my go-to for bungeoppang, those crisp-outside, chewy-inside fish-shaped pastries stuffed with silky-sweet red bean. My parents specifically requested a batch, so obviously I had to make a stop, and one bite reminded me why this little spot is my absolute favorite for them.
There are a few other Delimanjoo locations around, but this one’s my fave by far. Each bungeoppang’s just $2.50, made fresh right in front of you, and the red bean-to-pastry ratio is genuinely spot on. If you haven’t had bungeoppang before, consider this your sign, because these are so yum and way too easy to eat by the half-dozen.
What Makes Delimanjoo a Standout Food Stall in Ellicott City
Plenty of places sell bungeoppang, but what sets this stall apart is the care. The owners have been at it for almost 9 years, and you can feel the pride in every batch. They use premium ingredients imported from Korea and refuse to cut corners, even with rising costs, which is honestly rare for a $2.50 snack.
That care shows up where it counts: the texture’s perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy inside, and the red bean-to-pastry ratio is spot on, so you get that silky-sweet danpat in every bite instead of a dry shell with a smear of filling. Everything’s cooked to order at the stall in small batches, so you can literally stand there and watch your snack come together. It’s a small family operation doing one thing and doing it really, really well.
If you’re into small-batch, made-to-order food from passionate HoCo makers, keep Bitty Bread Bakers on your radar too, a family-run pop-up selling artisan sourdough loaves, focaccia, and condensed milk fudge cookies at the Old Ellicott City Farmers Market every Saturday morning.
What to Order at Delimanjoo
Bungeoppang, Red Bean ($2.50)
Start here, this is the move IMO. The classic red bean bungeoppang has a crisp, golden shell, a chewy crumb, and that silky-sweet red bean filling running end to end. At $2.50 each for something handmade and this thoughtfully, it’s a great value, the kind of snack where “just one” turns into a half-dozen real quick.
My pro tip: if you don’t inhale them all in the car (no judgment), pop them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes and they taste just-baked again, so they’re perfect for next-day snacking or sharing with family, if you’re feeling generous, haha. Grab them while they’re still warm if you can, that’s when the crackly shell against the soft, sweet center really shines. These are the reason my parents send me on Delimanjoo runs, and they’re worth every bit of the detour.
They usually have a few other baked goods on the counter too, including a vanilla cream version of the fish pastry and roll cakes if you want to mix it up. I always come back for the red bean though, so that’s the one I can vouch for. If you’re new to the stall, grab a couple classics first and branch out from there.
What Is Bungeoppang, Exactly?
If you haven’t had it before, bungeoppang literally translates to “crucian carp bread,” named for its little fish shape (it doesn’t taste like fish at all, promise). It’s a Korean street-food classic that dates back to around the 1930s, adapted from Japanese taiyaki, which is molded after a sea bream instead. The traditional filling is danpat, a sweetened red bean paste, but modern vendors also do custard cream, sweet potato, and chocolate. Delimanjoo keeps it classic with red bean, and that’s exactly how I like it.
Watching Them Make It Fresh
One of my favorite parts of this visit was that the owners were kind enough to let me film them making the pastries, so I got a real behind-the-scenes look at how it all comes together. Getting to chat with them about their small business made me appreciate the whole thing even more, you can tell this isn’t just a job for them, it’s a craft they’ve refined over nearly a decade.
There’s something special about watching the batter get poured, pressed into those fish molds, and pulled out golden and piping hot right in front of you. It’s the kind of hands-on, made-to-order care you don’t always get from a grab-and-go snack, and it’s a big reason I keep coming back.
The Vibe and Experience
Delimanjoo lives inside the food court at Lotte Plaza Market, the big Korean grocery store on Baltimore National Pike, so it’s very much a casual, grab-and-go situation rather than a sit-down spot. You order, watch them work, and walk away with a warm bag of bungeoppang. It’s perfect to fold into a grocery run, and honestly the food court alone is worth a wander. While you’re there, Seoul Soondae in the same food court serves up Korean blood sausage platters and stews that are another family favorite of mine, so you can easily make a whole little meal out of the trip.
Good to Know
- Location: 📍 8801 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21043, inside the Lotte Plaza Market food court.
- Hours: the stall runs daily 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM (the market itself opens earlier, around 8 AM, so pop in once the stall’s actually up and running).
- Price: bungeoppang are $2.50 each, cash or card, and made to order.
- Parking: free surface lot at Lotte, so parking’s easy.
- Dietary: the red bean bungeoppang is vegetarian, though the batter has wheat and egg (and often dairy), so it’s not vegan or gluten-free.
- Good to know: you can call ahead to the stall at (410) 461-1035 if you want a bigger batch ready, and they’ll reheat beautifully in the oven or air fryer at home.
Is Delimanjoo Worth A Try?
1000% yes! For $2.50 a pop, Delimanjoo’s crisp-chewy red bean bungeoppang is worth the detour AND the repeat visit, and it’s my top pick for bungeoppang in Ellicott City by a mile. It’s ideal for families (mine’s obsessed), anyone doing a Lotte grocery run, or first-timers curious about Korean fish bread. If you want to keep the Ellicott City Asian-snack crawl going, Jumbo Jumbo Cafe nearby does some of the best Taiwanese popcorn chicken and boba in Howard County.
If “just one” turns into a half-dozen, I fully support that decision, lol. Have you guys tried bungeoppang yet, Nomsters? Drop your favorite pastry from their stall below so I can try it on my next run, and save this for the next time you’re in the Ellicott City area. See you at the food court!
And if you want to make a full day of it, The Pottery Stop is nearby in Ellicott City, where you can paint your own pottery or try fused glass, so you can snack AND make something cool in the same trip.