Dang Ok • 당옥

Dang Ok (당옥) is a small Japanese dessert cafe tucked in one of the alleyways of Garosugil (가로수길). They sell a variety of dessert selection ranging from cakes, mochi, tarts, ice cream, bingsu as well as a couple of savory sandos (Japanese style sandwiches). The cafe has about 12 indoor seatings and a communal table in front of the store that could fit about 6 people.

Matcha Bingsu (말차빙수) ₩19,000 | 8/10

Milk Shaved Ice, Matcha Powder, Korean Red Beans, Mascarpone Kiri Cheese, Matcha Condensed Milk.
우유빙수, 말차 가루, 국내산 팥, 마스카포네 키리치즈, 말차연유.

The matcha bingsu is not too sweet and the portion is a bit on the bigger side (definitely enough to share between two people). They use Japanese matcha powder that has pretty strong flavor and is spread in layers inside and around the bingsu along with the matcha condensed milk. It’s nice because I got the matcha in every spoonful of ice that I scoop from the bowl. There are also chunks of sweet red beans in the center of the mountain of shaved ice which added a little bit of sweetness to the matcha and they serve the bingsu with a side of matcha mochi. If you like a not-too-sweet matcha bingsu, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Chestnut Montsil Tarae (밤 몽실타래) | 7/10

Roasted Chestnut, Mascarpone Cheese, Kiri Cheese, Chestnut Cream Cheese, Chestnut Jam, Castella with Korean Rice Flour (Coffee, Chestnut Milk).
구운밤, 밤 몽실타래, 마스카포네 치즈, 키리치즈, 밤 그림치즈, 밤 쨈, 쌀 카스테라 (카피, 밤우유).

The Chestnut Montsil Tarae is essentially the Japanese version of Mont Blanc. The spaghetti-thin strands of chestnut cream definitely make this a very visually appealing dessert. It’s very easy to cut into (which surprised me a little because I thought it’s going to be at least a little firmer) with the wooden knife they provided. And when the cake split open, I can see the different layers inside the cake. As for the taste, although I do like chestnut, I think the overall flavor was a bit too much chestnut for me and it was a little too sweet for my taste. But I think for those who love chestnut or Mont Blanc in general will like this one.

Black Sesame Warabi Mochi (와라비모찌 흑임자) | 10/10

The Black Sesame Warabi Mochi was the bomb. This was my most favorite thing out of the three desserts we ordered. They really nailed the texture, just like the warabi mochi I had in Japan. And the black sesame flavor is really nutty and earthy with the right amount of sweetness to it. They served it with kuromitsu syrup (which is made from a mix of dark brown sugar and white sugar) on the side for you to dip your mochi into or pour it over if you prefer. Will definitely go back again for this next time I’m in Garosugil area.

 

Dang Ok • 당옥

Address: 서울 강남구 강남대로162길 22 1층
Telephone: 0507-1379-1276
Hours: Tue-Fri & Sun 12:00-21:00 | Saturday 12:00-22:00

Instagram: @dangok_sinsa

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Gray Gristmill • 그레이 그리스트밀

I visited Gray Gristmill (그레이 그리스트밀) last year a month after it just opened in June. The shots of Gray Gristmill’s exterior made a frequent appearances on my Instagram explore feed at the time, mainly of people taking OOTD shots in front of it. I mean, I can totally see why it became popular real fast because the exterior of the cafe is quite unique. After seeing the images of the place quite often on Instagram, I decided to check this new addition to the trendy cafes in Garosugil (가로수길).

To be honest, I was worried as soon as I stepped in front of the counter to order. Their menu only listed coffee options and I didn’t see any non-coffee options available. Before I had the chance to ask the barista behind the counter who was waiting for me to tell him my order if they have non-coffee menu, he asked if it’s my first time here. Clearly I looked like I don’t know what I’m doing so I nodded and said yes. He then proceeded to explain how the ordering process goes at this cafe. First, you pick your beans—single origin or blended—and then you choose the beverage type—Americano, Brewing, Latte, or Affogato. The price of the single portion vacuum sealed beans and the beverage type will then be added as the total price of your drink. So it’s almost like you customized your own coffee order kinda thing.

For coffee drinkers who know their coffee beans, this might be a great thing. I totally get it. But for me who are not a coffee drinker, all this was just a little bit too complicated. So I quickly asked him if they have non-coffee options. He pointed me to the other side of the counter where non-coffee options were displayed on different bottles buried between ice cubes. To my relief, I instantly recognized all the labels displayed on top of each bottles indicating what they are. Avoiding the complicated ordering process, I quickly picked up one of the bottle and paid.

A year later, the coffee shop is still there and seemed to have become a popular destination for cafe goers in Garosugil. I assume their coffee must be pretty good, which is not at all surprising since the baristas who work there have won numbers of barista championships in the past. If you want to read more about this place, I found this article that might interest you. I have a feeling this cafe is probably going to be around for a while, so if you are in Garosugil area and looking for a good coffee spot, you might wanna try this place.

Here’s the video of the space:

Gray Gristmill • 그레이 그리스트밀

Address: 서울 강남구 압구정로2길 15
Telephone: 02-546-8902
Hours: Weekdays 11:00 - 21:30 | Weekend 12:00 - 21:30

Instagram: @gray_gristmill

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Cafe Mula • 카페 뮬라

If you’re reading articles titled somewhere along the lines of ‘Pretty Cafes to visit in Garosugil’, Cafe Mula (카페 뮬라) probably made it to 9 out of 10 of those kind of articles. Located in the quieter side of Garosugil (가로수길), Cafe Mula’s entrance is quite simple and almost hidden. Unless you turn your head and look into the small alley like path leading to the cafe, you could’ve easily missed the entrance of this place. What I love about this place is the glass rooftop that they have on half of the space of the cafe. The combination of the amount of natural lighting shining through the ceiling and the pretty interior that they have will make you feel like you’re having tea time in a beautiful greenhouse. I’ve been here a couple of times and for some reason, every time I was here, it’s always on a gloomy day (which I don’t mind to be honest) and I still like the place. Imagine being here on a sunny day when all the sunlight brightly lit the place. The atmosphere is probably even more awesome.

Since its opening day, the thing that people usually order when visiting this place is their Tiramisu (or at least that’s the picture people Instagrammed the most at this place), so I ordered their Tiramisu and a cup of hot tea on the side the first time I came to visit this cafe with my friend. The tiramisu was alright. I mean, I’m not an expert in Tiramisu or anything so I can’t really say if this is the best Tiramisu in town or not. I feel like there are so many cafes in Seoul that offer Tiramisu as their dessert menu and all of them just tasted similar (maybe they have the same recipe or got them from the same source? I dunno). But, in my opinion, I could use a little bit more ladyfingers and less of the mascarpone. It’d be nice to have the ladyfingers with the mascarpone instead of the other way around. Too whipped-creamy for my taste. But hey, that’s just me. On another visit though, I tried their green tea latte and it was pretty good. Solid green tea latte at this place.

If you’re looking for a spot to chill in Garosugil, I would definitely recommend this place. It was pretty crowded with both locals and tourists when it was just opened a couple of years ago, but I think nowadays, it’s getting less crowded. I’m not 100% sure but at least on my latest visit, the cafe wasn’t as crowded as it used to be. But then again, I went on a Monday afternoon, so that could be one of the reasons why.

Here’s a video of the place:

Cafe Mula • 카페 뮬라

Address: 서울 강남구 압구정로4길 13-12
Telephone: 02-6104-4541
Hours: 10:00 - 22:00 (Sunday - Thursday) | 10:00 - 23:00 (Friday - Saturday)

Instagram: @cafemula

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Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Seoul • 미스터홈즈베이크하우스

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse has been on my radar since the time their infamous cruffin started popping up on Instagram a couple of years back. I still remembered the first time I heard about this cruffin hype in San Francisco where people lined up early mornings just to get a taste of the croissant textured muffin. As much as I'm curious on how good it actually is, I never once made the effort to go to Larkin Street at 7 am to join the hype. But then, lo and behold, a couple of years after that, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse opened its Seoul branch. And there it started again, the whole cruffin hype and the stream of people posting cruffin and ootd shot from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Seoul (미스터홈즈베이크하우스). Since my friends wanted to go, I finally got to try this cruffin that I've been hearing so much about.

Ordered the cruffin (크러핀) and the Ferrero Rocher croissant (페레로 로쉐 크로와상). To be honest, they both were pretty good but the filling on the cruffin was a tad too sweet for me. If it has less fillings, it might be better for me since I don't really like super sweet stuff. But overall the pastries were good, although I still don't know if I would spend a couple of hours lining up for a cruffin early in the morning.

Apart from trying the cruffin, I also got to see their super awesome branding design in store. If you are into dessert, cafes, and ootd, you probably have seen their famous 'I GOT BAKED IN SEOUL' pink neon sign somewhere online. The designer/co-owner of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, Aron Tzimas, apparently has successfully made this neon sign and the store's carry-out boxes into a must have Instagram shot if you are visiting Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. I have to say this Mendl's Bakery (from Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel) inspired design for the carry-out boxes is executed beautifully. If you are looking to try some cruffin in Seoul, definitely give this place a visit. If not, you can always come for their other pastries or their neon/marble interior for some great ootd shots ;)

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Update:

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Seoul has closed permanently. The San Francisco and Los Angeles locations also have closed permanently after the company filed for bankruptcy in February 2021.

 

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Seoul (미스터홈즈베이크하우스)

Address: 서울특별시 강남구 압구정로10길 34
Tel. No: 02-547-2004
Hours: 10:00 - 22:30
Subway: Sinsa Station (Line 3) Exit 8

Instagram: @mrholmesbakehouse_kr

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Stumptown Coffee Roasters Garosu-Gil • 스텀프타운 커피 로스터스

I first heard about Stumptown Coffee Roasters (스텀프타운 커피 로스터스) after I moved to Seattle. Just like I associate Blue Bottle Coffee with San Francisco, I associate Stumptown Coffee with Puget Sound and Portland. I'm not necessarily saying that those brands are the best brands in those two cities (they might as well be, but what do I, a non-coffee drinker, know. really), but more because of my friends and the people that I met in those two cities just happened to named those brands as their favorite coffee to drink. Seeing the brand in Seoul, this time in Garosu-gil (가로수길) to be exact, gave me a sense of familiar feeling and reminded me of the time I spent in Seattle. Funny sometimes when I realized the things that I associate with a certain period of my life seemed so small and unimportant back then, but now, they could mean hundreds of memories.

I didn't know when this place was open in Garosu-gil, but I'm guessing not too long ago since I didn't remember seeing it there last summer. I was actually talking about Stumptown Coffee beans with a friend of mine a couple of days before and was telling him that he should try their coffee beans because it's pretty well-known in Portland. And whaddaya know. A couple of days later, I just happened to pass by this place when I was exploring Garosu-gil. Since I'm already there, I thought I would buy a bag of their coffee beans and give it to my friend to try. There was some kind of discount going on I think, cos I get a small discount and a free bottle of cold-brew coffee.

A little about the place, the coffee stand is actually in the same building as the Official Holiday by Koon store. It has a small outdoor seating area, which is pretty nice and cozy I would say. I didn't get to browse around the store other than the Stumptown's corner, but I would definitely go back and check out the store and maybe have a cup of tea and sit around for a bit.

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Update:

This cafe is now closed.

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