Cafe in Songdo outlet, Incheon: hojicha Wunder Gato after kaimak sold

Hyundai Premium Outlet Songdo is one of those places I end up at again and again, weekday or weekend — there's always plenty to browse and the shopping is just too good.

But walking around such a huge outlet for a while, your legs get tired fast, and there comes a moment when you just want something cold and sweet to recharge on sugar.

This time I went to Wunder Coffee Bar's Songdo branch, the basement hotspot everyone's talking about for its chewy, rich handmade ice cream and serious coffee.

I got a good opportunity to visit, but as someone who genuinely loves coffee and dessert, I'm going to taste each menu item carefully and give you my honest, unfiltered thoughts!

No more kaimak — must-read info and menu options before you go

Honestly, I'd been curious about this place for a while after seeing the kaimak set and ice cream on social media, and that's mainly why I went!

But when I asked the staff at the counter, they told me the Songdo branch has officially discontinued kaimak, unfortunately ㅠㅠ If any of you are heading there specifically for kaimak like I was, please keep this in mind so you don't make a wasted trip!

I was a little disappointed at first, but looking over Wunder Coffee Bar's signature lineup, there were so many eye-catching drinks that I got excited again pretty quickly haha.

Three soft-serve ice cream flavors

Looking at the sign at the counter, you can choose from three soft-serve and cream flavors depending on your taste.

• 1. Hojicha (original ver.): the signature flavor, made from roasted tea leaves for a deep, nutty, slightly bitter taste
• 2. Vanilla: soft, sweet, classic vanilla
• 3. Hojicha & Vanilla mix: half and half, so you can enjoy both flavors at once

We wanted to really feel Wunder Coffee Bar's identity, so we ordered the signature Wunder Coffee (cream latte) and Wunder Gato (ice cream coffee), and for the ice cream, there was no question — we went with the original hojicha!

Looking around the store, I noticed they use Maeil Dairy's 'Amazing Oat Barista,' so there are proper options to switch to oat milk or lactose-free milk when ordering a latte. You can also choose between the rich, nutty Noche blend or decaf beans — a level of care you'd expect from a real coffee specialty shop.

Forget plain vanilla — how does the hojicha Wunder Gato taste?

When our drinks came out, I first met the hojicha Wunder Gato, served with a long clear spoon stuck in it — the round, prettily piped soft-serve caught my eye immediately!

Usually if you order an affogato at a regular cafe, you just get a shot poured over ordinary vanilla ice cream you could find anywhere, right? But Wunder Coffee Bar's Wunder Gato has a base of hojicha ice cream, carefully made from roasted tea leaves, so it felt different from the very first impression.

A first bite that makes you gasp, and a great balance

As instructed, I first tried a small spoonful of just the hojicha ice cream, and the moment it hit my mouth, it wasn't artificial sweetness — it was the deep, nutty flavor of roasted green tea with a gentle bitterness spreading through!

There was no heaviness at all, just a clean, deep grain-tea aroma that made me go 'wow' haha. Then the bitter, rich espresso slowly seeps in, and when the coffee's deep body meets the nutty hojicha, it explodes into a luxurious, unusual umami you don't get to taste often.

Unlike vanilla affogato, which is just plain sweet, this had sweetness, bitterness, and nuttiness in perfect three-way balance, so I scraped up every last drop without ever getting sick of it 👍

If you usually enjoy the subtle aroma of tea, or you're tired of desserts that are just too sweet, you have to try the hojicha Wunder Gato. It hit my taste so well that next time I want to order a big cup of just the hojicha soft-serve on its own, no coffee!

A grown-up latte, rich but not sweet: Wunder Coffee

The Wunder Coffee we tried alongside it is the signature cream latte — you drink it by putting your lips right to the rim and savoring the cream and coffee together, then giving it a light stir about halfway through.

Restrained sweetness and dense, silky cream

At a lot of the trendy Vienna coffee or cream coffee spots these days, they pour in so much syrup that just two sips leave your stomach sweet and your mouth feeling heavy, right?

But Wunder Coffee clearly cuts back on the excess sweetness and maximizes the naturally nutty, smooth texture of dense, silky cream. The espresso that pushes through heavily behind the soft cream is also acid-free, firm, and richly roasted with a nutty flavor, so it's a great balance that anyone could enjoy comfortably, no matter their taste.

Instead of flashy tricks, it feels like it wins honestly with the combination of good beans and rich cream — the more I drank, the more I liked it!

Final thoughts and visiting tips

It was a bit disappointing that the kaimak set is discontinued, but the quality and taste of the hojicha Wunder Gato and Wunder Coffee were unique enough to instantly wipe away that disappointment! Thanks to the rare, luxurious hojicha flavor and the nutty, acid-free coffee, it was the perfect healing break in the middle of shopping.

• Kaimak note: the Songdo branch no longer serves the kaimak set, so keep this in mind before you go so you don't make a wasted trip.
• Ice cream flavor: if you want something more distinctive and deep instead of the usual flavors, go with hojicha, no question!
• Pairing tip: the basement level of the outlet has so many famous, delicious bakeries gathered together, right? Grab a plain salt bread or croissant from a nearby bakery and pair it with Wunder Coffee Bar's rich, nutty coffee for a great dessert course haha.