Ttukseom Station café terrace on a rainy day: strawberry soufflé, 5to7

Do you like soufflé pancakes, the ones with that fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture? Honestly, soufflé is one of those desserts that's surprisingly hard to find. The egg whites have to be whipped into a firm meringue and baked with care, or the fluffiness collapses, so it's pretty fiddly and labor-intensive to make.

Even so, that one-of-a-kind texture, nothing like castella or ordinary bread, pops into my head with real force every so often. I'd never dare to make it at home and was craving a proper dessert, so when I heard about a soufflé café near Ttukseom Station in Seongsu that's famous for fresh strawberry desserts, I went. It's a roastery café full of atmosphere: 5to7 (read "o-too-chil" in Korean).

Location, hours and atmosphere of 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch

5to7 Seongsu Main Branch is open daily from 12:00 to 21:30, with last order at 21:00. You can walk there from Exit 8 of Ttukseom Station on Line 2 or Exit 5 of Seoulsup Station on the Suin-Bundang Line.

Come in at the far end of the Ttukseom Station alley and you'll spot a small but stylish building. The 1st floor is occupied by another bakery, and when you go up to the 2nd floor, the 5to7 café opens up as a moody coffee bar.

Inside, soft wood tones and gentle lighting make it quiet and serene, not noisy at all. Everyone was chatting in low voices while enjoying dessert. There are also a few nicely done photo spots here and there, so it's good for taking pictures too.

Tips before you visit 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch

Do you have to grab a seat before ordering?

Yes. When you walk into 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch, the staff tell you, "Please pick your seat first, then come back." It's a popular Seongsu café with lots of visitors, so I guess it's to avoid seating mix-ups. You need to check the upper floors or the spot you want before ordering. (There were plenty of empty seats so I tried to order first, but they won't take your order until you've got a seat, so definitely grab a seat first..)

The rooftop and 2nd-floor terrace: what about a rainy day?

5to7 Seongsu Main Branch has an open rooftop space above the 3rd floor. Sadly it rained the day I went, so I couldn't use the rooftop, but I took a seat on the 2nd-floor outdoor terrace instead. Inside, the air conditioning felt a bit cold, but sitting on the terrace listening to the rain was lovely: not hot at all, and honestly the mood was really satisfying.

What we ordered at 5to7, and the prices

5to7 Seongsu Main Branch is a roastery café that roasts its own beans in the shop, so a big plus is that you can choose the type of beans to suit your taste when you order. It's laid out as a coffee bar, so you can watch the baristas brew coffee right in front of you.

This time we ordered the following combination.

• Strawberry soufflé (₩21,000)
• Iced americano
• 5to7 signature Einspänner (coffee topped with thick cream)

How long does the strawberry soufflé take, and how big is it?

The 5to7 soufflé is whipped and baked only after you order, so it takes about 10 minutes. The price isn't exactly cheap for a dessert, but once the gorgeous, generous dish arrived, I could see why it costs what it does.

If you're visiting after a meal, it comes out as a mini-cake size generous enough for three adults to share one. My friend and I had stuffed ourselves at dinner beforehand, so we ended up leaving some behind ㅜㅜ (still haunting me, such a waste of good flavor)

How did the fresh strawberry soufflé and Einspänner taste?

When it was served a little later, the 5to7 strawberry soufflé looked perfect, with fresh cream flowing down like a waterfall.

At the first bite, the fresh cream wasn't heavy at all and melted pleasantly sweet in my mouth. Above all, I really liked that the strawberries on top were truly fresh, not canned or frozen. It's summer, so strawberries can be a little off, but the sugar crystals lightly sprinkled on top balanced the sweetness and tartness really well.

Soft fresh cream + fluffy soufflé sheet + sweet-tart fresh strawberries = no way to go wrong! An unbeatable combo!

Once I'd gotten used to this soft, fluffy sweetness, a sip of the clean iced americano, roasted in-house, wiped my palate and the balance was perfect. And when I wanted something heavier with a bitter-sweet note, drinking the signature 5to7 Einspänner felt like a proper dopamine hit. The harmony of coffee and dessert was really great.

Is 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch a good café for a blind date or date?

• The soufflé done right: a place to taste a fluffy, carefully made, high-quality soufflé, which not many places serve.
• Great atmosphere: with its calm, quiet wood-tone interior, it's highly recommended for a Seongsu date, or as a blind-date spot for light conversation when a full meal at a first meeting feels like too much.
• Great coffee: as a roastery café, you can choose beans to your taste and the drinks have deep flavor.

Overall, I had a very satisfying time at 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch thanks to the serene feel of the space and the high-quality dessert. If you're looking for a proper dessert café near Ttukseom Station, or a Seongsu café for talking in a calm atmosphere, stop by 5to7 and enjoy a fluffy soufflé!