# Chodang-dong café in Gangneung with mugwort injeolmi gateau: Cafe Giwa - By Hasol (https://superchart.com/en/@awning-lunches-seoul/) - Written Sep 13, 2026 - Updated Sep 15, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Gangneung, Gangwon - Sponsored: This post was written with support for a store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [简体中文](https://superchart.com/zh-cn/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [繁體中文](https://superchart.com/zh-tw/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [Tiếng Việt](https://superchart.com/vi/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [ไทย](https://superchart.com/th/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [Bahasa Indonesia](https://superchart.com/id/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [Bahasa Melayu](https://superchart.com/ms/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) · [Español](https://superchart.com/es/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/index.md) ## In short Cafe Giwa is a hanok café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung, set in a 130-year-old house with a garden. The visit covered the Giwa black latte, pink flower latte, Dutch coffee and the mugwort injeolmi gateau with black sesame cream, along with vintage décor and garden photo spots. The chewy, barely sweet mugwort injeolmi gateau was the highlight at Cafe Giwa. ## Good to know - **Hours**: 10:00–21:00 (last order 20:30) - **Regular closing day**: Wednesdays - **Parking**: Free private parking lot - **Amenities**: Hand-drip coffee, separate men's and women's restrooms, high chairs, group seating, takeout, reservations, Wi-Fi - **Pets**: Allowed indoors and outdoors, including the garden, but only in a pet stroller or carrier (including carry bags) - **Desserts on offer**: Gateau chocolat, mugwort injeolmi gateau, green tea triangle, pure milk roll cake, tiramisu roll cake, mugwort injeolmi toast, cookies *as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026* I ordered the mugwort injeolmi gateau, the Giwa black latte, the pink flower latte, and Dutch coffee. ![Cafe Giwa's signature drinks and mugwort injeolmi gateau](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-01-3ye9h-1200.webp) ## Cafe Giwa hours, closing day and parking ⏰️ Hours are 10:00–21:00, last order at 20:30. Closed Wednesdays. 🅿️ The private parking lot is free and spacious~ no parking stress at all👍 Hand-drip coffee, separate men's/women's restrooms, a baby chair, group seating, takeout, reservations, and Wi-Fi are all available. 🐕 Pets are welcome too, but inside and outside — including the garden — you must use a pet stroller or carrier/cage❗️ ## A 130-year-old hanok and its green garden I visited a hanok café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung, over the weekend~😆 Being a hanok café it has this serene, timeworn feel ✔️ and the garden is packed with colorful, lush plants — good enough to snag a killer photo📸! > Cafe Giwa, with its 130-year-old hanok and garden ![Cafe Giwa, with its 130-year-old hanok and garden](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-02-2f79y-900.webp) Isn't it just gorgeous! 🤩 After always going to those huge chain cafés, it was nice to feel some real hanok atmosphere again😇 ![Cafe Giwa's space, full of hanok atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-03-sm4jc-900.webp) There are outdoor tables too, but the flowers were so fragrant there were quite a few 🐝 bees around, so I came back inside! The weather was cool though~ sitting outside around sunset with a drink would be lovely. If you're eating outside, definitely bring bug spray~! ![Cafe Giwa's outdoor tables and garden view](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-04-1vkpv-900.webp) ![Cafe Giwa's outdoor area with flowers](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-05-h28qh-900.webp) ![Photo spot in Cafe Giwa's outdoor garden](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-06-11tya-900.webp) ![Cafe Giwa's garden and outdoor seating area](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-07-t55m7-900.webp) ⭐️Even the photo spots are perfect⭐️ ![A photo spot in Cafe Giwa's garden](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-08-6gdab-900.webp) ![Mugwort injeolmi gateau and black sesame cream at Cafe Giwa, Gangneung](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-09-d1hi7-900.webp) ## Inside Cafe Giwa: quiet seating and vintage décor > Inside Cafe Giwa, time feels like it's stopped..💬 ![Interior with vintage furniture and props](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-10-16n9s-900.webp) Once you step inside, under the wooden rafters there are vintage furniture pieces and old props scattered around, frozen in time — genuinely fun to browse! (There's a Naver review event running — a handmade cookie gift!) ![Old-fashioned props inside Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-11-1d8t3-900.webp) ![Vintage interior decoration at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-12-funf1-900.webp) They also sell coffee beans! If it suits your taste, you can buy some to take home👍 ![Coffee beans sold at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-13-o6m69-900.webp) ![The coffee bean sales area at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-14-mvi72-900.webp) ✔️There are blankets, plenty of space, and lots of tables, so if you're looking for a café for dates, family gatherings, or any kind of group meetup, this place is a total recommendation! It's very quiet, so it's great for actually talking. The restrooms are clean too, and the women's restroom is split into two separate stalls. Those old coffee props I mentioned! If you look closely you'll know exactly what they were used for❗️ and I really wanted to take them home~ a real treasure trove of vintage props! The table decorations in between are made with fresh flowers too~👍 looks like they brought them straight in from outside🌸🌼🌺 ## Cafe Giwa signature drinks and dessert menu ![Signature menu sign at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-15-1qgax-900.webp) ![Coffee menu description at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-16-q4803-900.webp) Looks like Cafe Giwa roasts their own beans! You can just feel it from how the description reads~ ![Dessert menu sign at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-17-1tjyc-m-900.webp) ![Dessert menu including the mugwort injeolmi gateau](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-18-1tey0-900.webp) Cafe Giwa desserts🍰 gateau chocolat / mugwort injeolmi (rice cake) gateau / green tea triangle / plain milk roll cake / tiramisu roll cake / mugwort injeolmi toast / cookies ### What we ordered: mugwort injeolmi gateau and lattes - ✔️Giwa black latte ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - ✔️Pink flower latte ⭐️⭐️⭐️ decent - ✔️Dutch coffee ⭐️⭐️⭐️ decent - ✔️Mugwort injeolmi gateau ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ![Drinks and desserts ordered at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-19-1iixd-900.webp) ![Giwa black latte and pink flower latte](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-20-1t3kx-900.webp) ![Dutch coffee and latte menu ordered](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-21-t86yt-900.webp) ![Drink order lineup at Cafe Giwa](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-22-116mw-900.webp) ![Mugwort injeolmi gateau with drink menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-23-1qjzy-900.webp) ☕️The Giwa black latte is a latte with nutty grain milk, a heavy espresso base, and Cafe Giwa's own black sesame cream. ➡️ The black sesame cream latte was nutty and smooth and just so good! Nicely balanced sweetness — I'd recommend this as Cafe Giwa's signature drink❗️ ☕️The pink flower latte is a soft, sweet latte blending strawberry milk with the gentle depth of Dutch coffee, like a spring flower. ➡️ Layer by layer, the milk had a slight ✨️coconut flavor that was a nice surprise✨️ ☕️The Dutch coffee ➡️ wasn't nutty, more on the acidic side, clean-tasting — the kind of strong coffee flavor that felt like it might keep me up all night just from a sip :) 🍰Round of applause for the mugwort injeolmi gateau!👏👍 It's a mugwort gateau + chocolate + injeolmi (rice cake) cream combo, and apparently it's ⭐️the café's most popular dessert⭐️ ![Mugwort gateau with chocolate and injeolmi cream combo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa-24-1lefi-900.webp) The mugwort gateau is so good. Firm and chewy and not too sweet — good enough that I want to try making it myself!! The chocolate part is really sweet, so if you're after something on the sweeter side, this will satisfy you! For me it was almost too sweet, so the mugwort sponge and injeolmi cream alone were already an eye-opener~ The injeolmi cream isn't overpowering, so feel free to try it without hesitation! If you're looking for a café near Chodang-dong while traveling in Gangneung, I recommend Cafe Giwa😊 ✔️It's quiet and ✔️the outdoor scenery is pretty enough to take photos! The drinks are varied too — coffee, tea, ade — and all solid~ Especially the mugwort injeolmi gateau, highly recommend👍👍 ## Where it is - Cafe Giwa (카페기와) - 15 Chodangwon-gil 54beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea - 강원특별자치도 강릉시 초당원길54번길 15 카페기와 - 37.7859541, 128.9163704 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B9%B4%ED%8E%98%EA%B8%B0%EC%99%80/@37.7859541,128.9163704,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@awning-lunches-seoul/gangneung-chodang-ssuk-gateau-cafegiwa/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt