Naebang Station café: after-dinner pies & hibiscus tea, Hodukkakki

These days, when I pick a dessert, health matters almost as much as taste. I love sweet desserts, but overly sharp sugar is too much for me. Hodukkakki Brothers (호두까끼형제) Bangbae branch, a café near Naebang Station, promotes "healthy sweetness without sugar," so my younger sister and I happily paid a visit.

Location and opening hours of Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch

Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch is at 21-1 Seocho-daero 27-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, JL Building, 1st floor, Unit 101. It is 207 m from Exit 8 of Naebang Station on Line 7, and it is open 10:30-20:00 on weekdays and 10:30-19:30 on weekends.

Exterior: nutcracker dolls greet you at the start of the alley

This café near Naebang Station is easy to spot thanks to the nutcracker dolls on display. It is a 3-4 minute walk from the station, and since it sits at the start of an alley, it's not hard to find.

Is the inside of Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch spacious?

The interior is small, with only two 4-person tables. In return, the warm wood-tone decor and relaxed, casual mood looked great for staying quietly.

Lots of people seem to get takeout, too, since packaging boxes were stacked in one corner of the shop. My sister and I wanted to talk quietly, so the atmosphere was just right.

Menu and prices at Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch

That day I ordered a milk cream walnut pie for ₩4,800, a macadamia cheese pie for ₩5,000, a hazelnut americano for ₩4,800 and a blueberry hibiscus for ₩4,300, ₩18,900 in total. Prices across the menu aren't steep, so one pie per person is easy to do.

• Milk cream walnut pie ₩4,800
• Macadamia cheese pie ₩5,000
• Hazelnut americano ₩4,800
• Blueberry hibiscus ₩4,300
• Total ₩18,900

We'd already eaten dinner, so I ordered a hazelnut americano and a blueberry hibiscus tea to freshen the mouth, plus the sweet milk cream walnut pie, and added the macadamia cheese pie my sister picked.

Our order was ready in no time.

How do the hazelnut americano and blueberry hibiscus tea taste?

The hazelnut americano had a subtle hazelnut aroma, and the blueberry hibiscus tea balanced sweet blueberry with hibiscus nicely. Both cleanly settled the galbi (grilled marinated short ribs) we'd had for dinner.

The hazelnut americano is on the left and the blueberry hibiscus tea is on the right. I thought about asking for a little less hazelnut, but the owner said the flavor would come out weaker, so I ordered it as is, and I liked the gentle aroma. The blueberry hibiscus was a blended tea, and the hibiscus went quietly well with the sweet blueberry scent. I liked that both the coffee and the tea cleanly settled the galbi from dinner.

With my throat refreshed, it was time to try the pies.

Is the macadamia cheese pie dense and rich?

The macadamia cheese pie was closer to soft than dense and rich. It's a cheese pie loaded with macadamia nuts, and the crust was thin and crisp.

The filling in the middle had a faint cheese aroma, and the macadamia topping went well with the cheese flavor. I liked that it felt light, if anything.

Milk cream walnut pie taste

The milk cream walnut pie is a walnut pie topped with clean-tasting milk cream. The plain, light cream on top of the hefty walnut pie made it much softer to eat.

The plain, nutty milk cream blends with the flavor of the relatively heavy walnut pie, so it goes down much more softly.

Who I'd recommend Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch to

• 👉 People looking for healthy sweetness
• 👉 People looking for a quiet, cozy place to talk near Naebang Station
• 👉 People hunting for a thoughtful holiday or thank-you gift

Overall verdict

Taste, health and atmosphere were all comfortable at this café near Naebang Station. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a gift to show someone you care, or on a day you want a healthy indulgence for yourself. Next time, I plan to buy a pie set.