Hongdae café at opening for Earl Grey plum tea and terrine: Jitheunsan

Yeonnam-dong, Hongdae — my all-time favorite café that I kind of want to keep to myself, but it feels too good not to share, so here's the review. For anyone who needs quiet, solo time to themselves, I genuinely want to introduce and recommend this place! It's tucked a little off the beaten path even within Hongdae, so it feels like the perfect spot only the people in the know find. Let's go through the route, the recommended menu, and everything else one by one.

Jitheunsan's hours and location

Jitheunsan is at 27 Seongmisan-ro 29an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 1st floor. It's open daily from 08:30 to 23:00, with last order at 22:30. For closed days, you'll need to check Naver Map.

Walking through the Yeonnam underground passage

After passing through the Yeonnam underground passage,

Wait, this spot apparently is famous as a photo spot among foreign tourists too. Last time I went to Jitheunsan I also passed through this passage, and seeing everyone taking pretty photos here, I looked again and realized — yeah, it's got a lot of atmosphere. Just a heads up, you do need to pass through the Yeonnam underground passage to get there.

Getting there

Address: 27 Seongmisan-ro 29an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor

Jitheunsan is 943m from Hongik University Station Exit 3. If you take the bus, getting off at Yeonhui 104 Goji-ap or Gungdong Neighborhood Park stop only takes about a 5-minute walk from there! If the bus route feels awkward, walking from the station is a fine option too — it's a great way to soak in the vibe and atmosphere of Hongdae along the way.

Jitheunsan at opening time: interior vibe and seats

There were a lot of customers just getting takeout, and also quite a few, like me, sitting down to enjoy the atmosphere and read. I got there early, right at opening time, which was great because I could photograph the space the way I like it, without the crowds.

There are more seats if you go further inside. I've sat and read inside before too, but this time I chose the window/bar seat and just spent time there, soaking in the quiet.

Jitheunsan's must-try menu, and what is terrine anyway?

Jitheunsan is honestly a terrine spot. Sure, it's an atmospheric café too, but it's really a terrine spot. So what is terrine, you ask? Let me explain.

Terrine is a flourless cake with an intense, concentrated flavor from its base ingredients — rich, deeply flavored, and slightly dense, the kind of dessert that's just so good. It's made with chocolate and butter. Once you fall for terrine, you may find yourself only seeking out flourless terrine from then on! What I ordered this time was the "mugwort terrine."

I checked out the cute handwritten menu board and guestbook once again, and this time I also got a good look at the cute, friendly menu.

The cute, friendly menu board actually helps a lot when deciding. Of course, deciding is still tough because there are so many delicious drinks and so many kinds of terrine — happily overwhelming, honestly....

So here's what I ended up ordering this time.

• Mugwort injeolmi terrine (쑥절미 테린느)
• Earl Grey plum tea (얼그레이 매실티)

Just these two were enough — the slightly bitter mugwort-and-injeolmi (glutinous rice cake) terrine paired with the fragrant, tasty plum tea was so good together. There was no coffee involved, but the flavor combo was refreshing enough on its own, I'd say.

Earl Grey plum tea

What's plum good for? Digestion! I'd recommend this as an after-meal drink at Jitheunsan — there's a jelly-like bit mixed in, and stirring it all together with the Earl Grey and plum tea makes for such a good flavor. Sweet, but not overly sweet. Recommended.

Mugwort injeolmi terrine

Found it — my love!!!! Calling all the grandma-taste crowd, gather round! Made with plenty of mugwort plus injeolmi (glutinous rice cake) mixed in — not dotted in neatly, but poured in generously, this is the mugwort injeolmi terrine. It's a flavor that hits right for both grandma and grandpa palates.

It comes served with vanilla ice cream, and wow, why do these two go together so well.... They really complement each other. The mugwort injeolmi terrine has a relatively firm texture, while the vanilla ice cream is soft, sweet, and cooling — together they were a perfect combo. If you want a terrine that's on the less sweet side, I'd recommend the mugwort injeolmi.

Finished off with lemon sherbet

Finally, the palate-cleansing lemon sherbet they gave at the end! Refreshing and genuinely delicious!

Jitheunsan, 27 Seongmisan-ro 29an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor. My favorite café in Hongdae that I kind of want to keep all to myself.