Chang-dong café for cheese chimney bread and lemon ginger tea: Uisagye

A pretty, cozy café in Changdong full of Uicheon stream views, Uisagye, feat. Czech chimney bread

My first Czech chimney bread at Uisagye in Changdong

At Uisagye, a café right by the Uicheon stream in Changdong, I finally tried the chimney bread (Czech trdelník) that people say you have to eat when you travel in the Czech Republic. As a self-proclaimed bread lover, this was the one bread I had always wanted to taste.

Sadly I haven't made it to Europe yet, and I was so curious what a bread that sounds crisp and nutty would taste like. Today, finally!! I went and tried the famous chimney bread at a Changdong café. It was even more addictive than I expected, and I enjoyed every bite.

Uisagye hours and visitor info

Uisagye is at 178 Uicheon-ro, Dobong-gu, Seoul, and it is open every day from 10:00 to 21:00. Chimney bread is not sold on Wednesdays, but the café runs as normal.

• Address: 178 Uicheon-ro, Dobong-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 10:00–21:00
• Chimney bread not sold on Wednesdays (café open as normal)
• High chairs, Wi-Fi, men's and women's restrooms
• High-fuel-price support voucher accepted

A Uicheon-view café in a converted 50-year-old house

Uisagye is a charming café made from a house about 50 years old. It sits right in front of the Uicheon stream, so you can enjoy the view from both the 1st and 2nd floors. The exterior is cozy and pretty, isn't it? The red brick, white and gray finishes go together really well.

The inside of Uisagye is cozy and tidy too. Because it was a house, the space is divided into several rooms. They look alike, yet each is decorated with its own character, so wherever I sat I could enjoy a lovely tea time.

The 2nd-floor terrace with a better view of the stream

Uisagye has a terrace on the 2nd floor, and from up there you see even more of the Uicheon stream. A light breeze was blowing today and it felt so good. It felt like I had driven somewhere far away.

Uisagye menu: what kinds of chimney bread are there?

Uisagye's chimney bread comes in original, cinnamon, cheese, choco, and a filled version called chimney gimbap. There are also plenty of coffees, non-coffee drinks, teas, desserts and signature drinks, and cakes too, but at Uisagye you really should try the chimney bread first.

With a name like chimney gimbap (seaweed rice roll), I wondered if it had seaweed in it, but it turns out to be a chimney bread sandwich packed with emmental cheese, jambon (Korean-style sliced ham) and arugula. It looks good as a light meal when you're a little hungry.

For summer they are also selling snowflake iced persimmon bingsu (shaved ice dessert) and red bean bingsu. I'll have to come on a Uicheon outing for that cool persimmon bingsu on a hot day.

Signature drinks you rarely see at other cafés

Uisagye has lots of unusual drinks too: omija (five-flavor berry) cappuccino, Sangha Farm milk ice cream latte, homemade omija ade, lemonicano and more! Many combinations I don't often see at other cafés.

Today's tea time: cheese chimney bread, ice cream latte, lemon ginger tea

Today's tea time: Sangha Farm milk ice cream latte, homemade lemon ginger tea, cheese chimney bread

At Uisagye this day I ordered cheese chimney bread, a Sangha Farm milk ice cream latte and homemade lemon ginger tea. I had planned on just a hot americano... but I couldn't resist the temptation of Sangha Farm ice cream.

I seriously love Sangha Farm ice cream. Every summer I make sure to eat their soft serve, and this year my first Sangha Farm turned out to be at a Changdong café.

The plating came out neat and very on-trend. The chimney bread is made hot as soon as you order, so you wait about 4–5 minutes. But! It's worth the wait.

What does Uisagye's cheese chimney bread taste like?

Uisagye's cheese chimney bread is lightly crisp outside and soft and chewy inside. I'm told it's made with Canadian flour to bring out more chew.

It's baked with cheese on the outside, and it's really hollow in the middle like a chimney. It's quite big, just right for two people to share as a tea snack.

So how does the cheese chimney bread taste? The addictiveness is no joke. The outside is lightly crisp with savory cheese and a faint sweetness coming through. And the inside is a total twist! The soft, chewy texture is so good. The inside is kind of halfway between very well-baked sandwich bread and a croissant, I'd say? Crisp outside, chewy inside, and chewing both at once has quite a charm.

Homemade lemon ginger tea

Uisagye's homemade lemon ginger tea is rich and fragrant. It's pleasantly sweet with a strong, fresh ginger aroma, and it felt like it melted my whole body.

Sangha Farm milk ice cream latte

Uisagye's Sangha Farm milk ice cream latte is strong brewed coffee with milk and Sangha Farm ice cream. There's no way this could taste bad. It's refreshing, with the rich nuttiness of milk and the sweetness~~ I'd recommend it without question for a lazy summer afternoon.

Dip your chimney bread in the ice cream

If you eat chimney bread at Uisagye, I recommend dipping it lightly in the Sangha Farm ice cream. Time to cut up the chimney bread and start the mukbang (eating show)! It comes out slightly warm, so it's even fluffier and tastier.

You know how, when you eat really well-toasted nurungji (scorched rice), you just keep eating without thinking? It's exactly that feeling. The addictive taste of the first time I had a salt bread! It's even better than that. It was so good I wanted to cut it up and carry it in my pocket like jwipo (dried seasoned fish snack). I can't understand why such a delicious bread isn't sold in more places.

When you eat chimney bread at a Changdong café, definitely have it with Sangha Farm ice cream. Dip it in lightly and, well, you can't stop.

Is Uisagye's chimney bread worth trying?

After eating at Uisagye, I immediately understood why people love chimney bread so much. From now on I'm going to eat it whenever I see it. If you like savory bread, definitely give it a try.