Gwanak café takeout and yellow cheese muffins: Pulse Line Coffee

After finishing our meal, I stopped by Pulse Line Coffee (펄스라인커피) on Sharosu-gil with my two daughters for drinks. We ordered Bareyo, an iced Americano, a yellow cheese muffin, and a mulberry muffin, then took them home to eat.

Where is Pulse Line Coffee, and is parking available?

It is a café on Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Entrance Station. The address is 서울 관악구 관악로14나길 13, 1층 101호. It was easy to find from Sharosu-gil, but on-site parking was not available.

The hours posted at the time of my visit were 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. It was listed as open year-round, and Sikgwon Daejang could also be used.

Which drinks and baked goods did I order?

Items I do not often see at cafés, such as a lemon yogurt drink and a dessert with mulberries, caught my eye. After some thought, I chose an iced Americano, Bareyo, a yellow cheese muffin, and a mulberry muffin.

You can choose coffee beans to suit your taste, and prices differed by bean. I had an iced Americano that day, but next time I would like to choose the beans myself.

Along with muffins and pound cake, the bakery selection included pies such as crumble pie. I saw pound cakes being baked at the back of the shop.

What is the café atmosphere like?

The interior was neatly decorated around black and red. To me, the red did not stand out too strongly and suited the space well.

The heartbeat-inspired logo and silver chairs were distinctive details. With the colors kept cohesive, it was also a good setting for taking photos of food and coffee.

How were the takeout Bareyo and Americano?

The children were excited and moving around a lot, so I quickly got our order to go because I worried they might disturb other guests. We took the drinks and muffins home to eat.

Bareyo, which I was most curious about, is a yogurt-based drink with vanilla and lemon. It was smooth, with lemon's freshness kept in balance and a subtle sweetness from the vanilla. It was not a yogurt drink defined only by tartness.

My younger daughter liked it so much that she drank almost all of it herself, leaving my older daughter and me only a few sips. It tasted good, but I was disappointed not to have more, so I would like to order another Bareyo when I next visit Sharosu-gil.

The iced Americano had a nutty, rich taste. It also paired well with the yellow cheese muffin.

What did the yellow cheese muffin taste like, and what was disappointing?

The yellow cheese muffin was soft rather than dry. It had the characteristic savory, nutty taste of yellow cheese, and the overall balance was good.

However, if you like a strong yellow cheese flavor, you may wish the cheese taste were a little more pronounced. I am not especially fond of yellow cheese, so it was easy for me to eat without feeling overwhelming.