Gwacheon café with made-to-order matcha latte, matcha babka: Minimale

I came to the area for lunch and a café I'd been wanting to try was right next door, so off I went! It's Minimale Coffee Roaster in Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town, sitting right between Government Complex-Gwacheon Station and Indeogwon Station! I thought you could only find Minimale in Seoul, so having one in Gwacheon means I'll probably be coming a lot. I'll walk you through everything I tried: their in-house roasted coffees and the signature menu items only Minimale has.

What are the opening hours at Minimale Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town?

Minimale Coffee Roaster Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town Branch is open from 07:00 to 19:00. Since it's in an area full of offices, the hours differ a bit from other branches. It opens early in the morning, so it looks great for grabbing a coffee on the way to work.

Honestly I almost never come around here, and I only visited as a little kid, so all the new buildings feel unfamiliar. Minimale is right on the street, though, so it was easy to find even in unfamiliar surroundings.

Minimale atmosphere and parking

The modern-looking Minimale is said to be named after the German word for "coffee roaster" (literally "one who roasts coffee"). If you like a calm atmosphere, I think you'll love it.

Visitors can use the parking lot in the building for up to 3 hours, which should be plenty of time to enjoy a good coffee, haha.

How to order, and the bread situation in the afternoon

You can order through a kiosk, and there's a nice variety of signature menu items you can only get at Minimale.

I'd read reviews saying the bread selection is wide, but I came after the afternoon rush, so almost all the bread was already gone. A pity, but next time! ^^

How does the signature Helsinki Latte taste?

Today Gomagu's pick was the Helsinki Latte, Minimale's signature latte. True to Minimale Gwacheon's reputation as an Americano hotspot, the coffee aroma came through strongly even in the latte!

I'd recommend the Helsinki Latte on a sunny day, and it works as an afternoon recharge too, haha. No dryness at all: the richness of the milk and a faint coffee aroma made it a charming signature latte!

A matcha latte I thought was sold out, made on the spot with its date written on

The Minimale matcha latte was a menu item an acquaintance insisted I try! When I sadly assumed it was sold out, they just made it for me right there!!!???? They brew it fresh and even write the preparation date on it, so you get the feeling of tasting something you've confirmed is fresh. I'd also recommend this matcha latte as a drink to give as a gift.

Minimale egg tart: the day I didn't give it up to my daughter

Egg tarts are something Gomagu's little kiddo absolutely loves. I always give the egg tart up to my daughter, but today it's mine, haha. The harmony of rich egg custard and crispy pastry honestly moved me... Minimale is an egg tart hotspot :)

Signature bakery babka: what does the matcha babka taste like?

Babka is Minimale's signature bakery line, a bread with a history in France and America. It's unfamiliar in Korea, but it's crispy like pastry and moist like brioche, and pulling it apart along its layers is fun. It's a bread I think I'll be seeking out often! Of the 7 kinds of babka Minimale sells, Gomagu's choice was the matcha babka.

The matcha babka packs the bittersweet flavor of Kyoto Uji matcha richly into brioche dough, so the matcha aroma stays fully alive, and there's no astringency or harsh bitterness at all; the two blend together beautifully! Next time I'm going to try the butter babka!

Location of Minimale Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town Branch

Minimale Coffee Roaster Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town Branch, with delicious bread as well as coffee, is at 102 ho, 68 Gwacheon-daero 7-gil, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Check the map below for the location!