Anyang brunch café with a lawn view: shrimp avocado salad at Notten

Brutal heat wave. I went to the new café Notten to cool off and catch my breath. I think this used to be a pasta place called Crillie — looks like they've turned it into a café now. (The pasta was also incredible, by the way.)

Where is Notten? Location, parking and opening hours

Notten is easy to find, sitting just to the left near the entrance to Dongpyeon-maeul, and it's open Wednesday through Sunday, 9am to 6pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). The lush green yard is striking, and the grassy view gives the place a real sense of openness. There are entrances at both the front and back, with parking space behind the building — about 4 spots, so keep that in mind.

Open kitchen and lawn view: inside Notten

Even back when it was a pasta restaurant, the coffee menu stood out, and now that it's fully running as a brunch café, they seem to be focusing even more on coffee. The clean open kitchen makes the space feel cooler and more airy. There are also bar seats right in front of the kitchen, which seemed like a nice spot for coffee.

Inside, sphere- and bowl-shaped objects near the windows give the space real character and personality. The warm-toned, ochre color palette is stylish too, so the atmosphere is great right from the start. With summer greenery at its peak, the view from inside — away from the blazing heat — felt refreshing.

I got there around 3:30pm, prime coffee time, and stayed until five. By around five most people had left, so it got much roomier — on a weekday afternoon there was plenty of seating.

Notten's brunch menu and coffee beans

Notten's menu has a clean, Nordic-style brunch feel. With a Korean-wheat bread plate, campagne French toast, salads, yogurt, and other organic-leaning brunch items, it felt like they were putting real thought into health too. Apparently they cure their own pork neck bacon in-house — I'll have to try the plate next time.

They also source beans from well-known specialty roasteries — Lowkey, Momos Coffee, Pastel Coffee Works, and more. I love washed coffee, but since I was eating alongside it I just ordered a regular americano — looking back now, I regret not ordering the washed one.

Cutlery and water are self-serve. There's a baby chair, so it's good to bring a little one, and the interior is quiet, not noisy at all — a good space and mood for a relaxed chat or getting some work done.

How are Notten's americano and iced latte?

First up, of course, were a cool americano and iced latte for summer! The americano had a bright acidity that made it easy to drink, and the iced latte was nutty and delicious too.

The coffee cup, saucer, and tray — all clean and tidy. A little note on the Nordic vibe.

How was Notten's campagne French toast?

Then the campagne French toast arrived right away. (They mention brunch dishes take a bit of time when you order.) The bread was nutty and tasty, and it was interesting to find corn kernels tucked inside.

Moist yet crisp bread paired with maple syrup made for something sweet and chewy — a good pick when you're a bit peckish. I ended up polishing off the bread faster than I expected.

The fluffy, easy-to-cut texture of the French toast was great!

Notten's shrimp avocado salad, a dish worth craving again

Just as I was digging into the French toast, the shrimp avocado salad came out right after!

The shrimp avocado salad seemed to use young romaine — sweet and delicious, with avocado and grilled shrimp mixed in. The mustard seed, avocado, cheese, oil, and balsamic dressing was light and just right, making it a great pick when you're a little hungry.

Shrimp, avocado, cheese, lettuce — a healthy, delicious combination that simply can't be bad.

Sitting back and enjoying a leisurely weekday brunch while looking out at the lush green view of Dongpyeon-maeul — this, I thought, is what a real getaway feels like.

Tender, crisp, and clean-tasting — that shrimp avocado salad! I want it again. A taste I keep thinking about!

Is Notten in Anyang worth a visit? Final thoughts

In this kind of heat, I'd recommend Notten, a new café in Anyang's Dongpyeon-maeul where you can enjoy great coffee and healthy brunch without going far, for a bit of a mood reset. If there's no parking out front, I'd suggest using the Dongpyeon-maeul public parking lot.