Botanical café in Yangju: green tea coconut and daisy bread at Doasis

After staring at a monitor for days, I was craving something green. Going far out to the countryside sounded exhausting on the way there and back, so I looked for a pleasant spot for an easy drive near Seoul and found Doasis in Yangju. It's 2,000 pyeong (about 6,600 m²) and supposedly full of palm trees, so I hopped in the car to get some fresh air.

How do you get to Doasis in Yangju, and is parking easy?

Doasis is about a 5-minute walk from Deokjeong Station, and it has a private parking lot in front of the building for around 140 cars. I hear Deokjeong Station is going to be the terminus of the GTX-C line. It's close to the station, so it's easy to find even if you're coming without a car.

The private lot in front of Doasis is big, with roomy spacing between the lines, so I parked and walked in with no stress. If you're looking for a bakery café in Yangju that's an easy trip from Seoul, parking won't be a headache here.

300 palm trees: a café that rivals a botanical garden

Inside, Doasis spans about 2,000 pyeong with ceilings open all the way up, filled with 300-plus real palm trees said to have been brought straight from Jeju Island.

Once I stepped inside, the sheer size of about 2,000 pyeong and the open ceiling gave me a real sense of spaciousness.

The 300-plus real palm trees, said to be from Jeju, fill the big interior to the brim.

Between the big plants there are cute animal models too, like giraffes and zebras, so it's fun to wander around and look.

It felt like I'd suddenly landed at some far-off resort. Few bakery cafés in Yangju go for a full botanical-garden concept like this, so it felt fresh.

How many breads and desserts does Doasis bake?

The display cases at Doasis hold about 50 desserts baked fresh every day, and besides bakery items there's pizza, beer and brunch. That's why a lot of people come for a meal and a get-together.

The cases are lined with about 50 desserts baked fresh daily. Besides bakery items they sell pizza and beer, and there's a brunch menu too, so plenty of people come for a meal and a get-together.

I wanted to focus on sweet desserts, so I circled the shelves several times, deliberating seriously. From plain breads to sweet desserts there's a huge variety, so choosing took quite a while. I also made sure to order two iced Americanos, made with high-quality beans, to go with the bread.

What does Doasis's green tea coconut taste like?

Doasis's green tea coconut is a bun coated in toasted shredded coconut and packed with bittersweet green tea cream. It was the first one I reached for that day.

The toasted coconut shreds are generously stuck on the outside, so you hear a crisp rustle the moment your fork cuts in. Cut it in half and the lightly sweet, bittersweet green tea cream fills the bun right to the edges.

The green tea aroma is strong but the bitterness is mild, and the crunchy outside mixed with the soft inside means the texture never gets boring. The pleasant coconut scent and the green tea blend naturally instead of fighting in your mouth. If you like bittersweet green tea desserts, you won't regret trying it.

White roll, a good match for an Americano

Doasis's white roll is covered in castella (Japanese-style sponge cake) crumbs, with white milk cream sandwiched between the sponge layers. It melts softly the moment it touches your mouth. The sweetness isn't overdone, so a sip of iced Americano followed by a bite of white roll is the best combo!

Choco coco, cream cheese brioche and daisy bread

On top of that, there was the choco coco, with its rich, hefty chocolate flavor,

the cream cheese brioche, piled with sweet cream cheese,

and the daisy bread, packed with cream. Each had a different texture and a different flavor direction, so taking turns between them was a lot of fun.

Is Doasis in Yangju worth a drive from Seoul?

Doasis in Yangju is easy to park at and big, a large bakery café that's great for a breather away from the crowds. Sitting under the giant palm trees with coffee and bread cleared my head. It's a comfortable indoor spot to get some fresh air. If you're looking for a big bakery café in Yangju with easy parking, definitely visit Doasis!