Gyesan Station bakery café: sweet pumpkin cake over fig at Dalgeuraem

Dalgeuraem near Gyesan Station: location and hours

Dalgeuraem (달그램) is at 9-7 Jubuto-ro 543beon-gil, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon (1st floor), about a 1-minute walk from Exit 3 of Gyesan Station. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–21:00, with last order at 20:30, and closed every Monday. There is no parking.

I'd been meaning to visit this bakery café in Gyesan-dong for a while. I once ate pasta at a place called Saddle Brown in this very spot, and it has turned into a café already. I was curious about the space, which keeps the old interior, so I finally made it!

What is the atmosphere at Dalgeuraem like?

Dalgeuraem has a European-style interior in beige tones with wood accents, and there were Halloween decorations at the entrance. I went in the evening, and the bright inside caught my eye against the dark alley. Pumpkins, spider webs and even an Eiffel Tower prop decorated the entrance, so it was fun to look around before even stepping in.

Inside, it was a European-style interior in beige with wood accents.

Cute little props and a vintage mood made it feel warm and bright. There were tables for 2 and 4 with plenty of room, and decent spacing between tables.

It was also handy that there's a restroom inside the café. Beside the sink there were hair ties, bobby pins and cotton swabs, and also

hand wash, hand lotion and even sanitary pads, which felt really thoughtful.

What breads and cakes does Dalgeuraem have?

Dalgeuraem has several kinds of salt bread, meal breads like baguettes and ciabatta, baked sweets such as financiers, and cake slices. I went late, so not much bread was left, but I could still look over a good variety.

Besides the basic salt bread, there were potato cheese, chili sauce, red bean butter, bacon mayo and soft salt bread versions.

There were breads good as a meal, like the chocolate baguette, pollock roe baguette and corn mayo cream cheese ciabatta, and baked treats such as plain financiers, fig cream cheese financiers, double chocolate financiers and egg tarts.

Cake slices were lined up in the clear showcase in front of the counter: Shine Muscat yogurt cake, fig yogurt cake, Lotus caramel cake, pomelo cake, sweet pumpkin cake, blueberry chocolate cake and tonka vanilla cake. Quite a variety!

Torn between the fig yogurt cake and the sweet pumpkin cake

I usually love figs, and the season is almost over, so I thought about getting the fig yogurt cake. But I also like trying new things, so after a long debate with the sweet pumpkin cake, I ended up choosing the pumpkin one.

Dried pumpkin sat on top of the vivid yellow cake, along with pistachios and walnuts, so I was curious before even taking a bite. The sponge and cream inside were yellow too, so I was looking forward to the pumpkin flavor.

Dalgeuraem takeout prices and packaging

What I took out that day: sweet pumpkin cake ₩8,200, pollock roe baguette ₩6,500 and corn mayo cream cheese ciabatta ₩5,500.

The cake came separately in a paper box, and the two breads were each wrapped in paper and clear plastic, with disposable forks and knives included.

Is the Dalgeuraem pollock roe baguette spicy?

The pollock roe baguette is crisp outside with plenty of roe mayo sauce inside for a salty flavor, and the spiciness felt different from person to person. At home I warmed the baguette and ciabatta in the microwave, cut them into bite-size pieces and shared them with my family.

First, the pollock roe baguette: a long, golden-baked baguette sprinkled with seaweed flakes. It was crisp outside and moist inside, with plenty of roe mayo sauce.

The baguette's chew plus the salty roe flavor should suit you well if you like seasoned breads.

The heat will feel different for everyone. I handle spicy food well and it wasn't very spicy to me, but my dad, who doesn't eat spicy food well, said it was spicy. It's fairly salty, so I think it would go well with something clean like an iced americano, or with milk.

What does the corn mayo cream cheese ciabatta taste like?

The corn mayo cream cheese ciabatta is a chewy ciabatta loaded with cheese and corn, not spicy and nutty-savory. It has a different charm from the pollock roe baguette. It was sprinkled with parsley and topped generously with cream cheese, mozzarella and corn.

The ciabatta's chewy texture was joined by the richness of the cheese and sweetness of the corn, and I bit into olives here and there, so the flavor never got monotonous. With no spice and a savory taste, I think it would pair well with coffee or milk. I shared it with my family, and my parents especially enjoyed this one.

Was the sweet pumpkin cake worth giving up the fig cake?

The sweet pumpkin cake exceeded my expectations the most of the three takeout items, and I didn't regret skipping the fig cake at all. Layers of yellow sponge and cream showed, and inside it had orange and yellow hues with nuts dotted throughout.

The sponge was moist and soft, with the nutty flavor of pumpkin coming through well. The cream blended in smoothly, and the nuts here and there added texture.

I hadn't had pumpkin cake in a long time, and it was far tastier than I expected. I picked it over the fig cake I usually love, and I had no regrets.

My parents enjoyed it too, so it's good for sharing with family,

and of the three, the pumpkin cake suited my taste best.

Dalgeuraem Naver photo review event

Dalgeuraem also had a Naver photo review event posted. If you write a review with at least 2 photos and at least 20 characters, you can get one americano or latte, or one financier. I was told the drink can be hot or iced, and you can pick the financier flavor you like. The event may change, so it's worth checking when you visit.

This time I went in the evening and took the bakery items and cake home. Next time I'd like to stop by earlier, enjoy salt bread with coffee, and try the financiers and other cakes I missed. If you're looking for a café in Gyesan-dong where you can enjoy both bakery items and cake, Dalgeuraem is worth a stop.