Banpo-dong café with ₩500 decaf and red bean bingsu: Cafe Ssum

Cafe Ssum, a dessert café near Sinnonhyeon Station, is popular among locals for tasty desserts at great value, so I tried the snow ice red bean bingsu and a decaf americano there. Below I'll walk you through the introduction to Cafe Ssum and my full review of the snow ice bingsu and decaf americano.

Where is Cafe Ssum, and what are its hours and parking?

• Address: 732-29 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Transit: Line 9, Sinbundang Line, Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 1 (7-minute walk)
• Hours: Weekdays 08:30–18:30, Saturday 10:00–16:00 (closed every Sunday)
• Parking: No dedicated lot (nearby Eongubi public parking lot available)

Cafe Ssum is located in Banpo-dong, 434m on foot from Sinnonhyeon Station, so it seemed to draw not just locals but people coming over from Gangnam Station too.

One reason I couldn't help but step inside Cafe Ssum was the eye-catching standing signboard with its vivid photo. It's late September, but midday is still hot enough to need short sleeves, so a cool bingsu (shaved ice dessert) was exactly what pulled me in.

Seating and amenities inside Cafe Ssum

Inside Cafe Ssum there's a variety of seating, from group tables to a bar table perfect for sitting alone comfortably. Since the weather was nice, I sat at the window bar table to watch the street outside.

There's also café-only Wi-Fi, and further inside a clean restroom, so I could stay comfortably without any inconvenience.

Cafe Ssum menu and prices

Being known for desserts, Cafe Ssum has everything from egg tarts to various bingsu, and I ordered the snow ice red bean bingsu. My husband and I ordered the small size, which for reference would be filling enough for one person alone, or just right as a shared dessert for two.

There were also various drinks, and the prices overall were surprisingly low for Gangnam. The americano was 3,500 won, with decaf costing just 500 won more, no burden at all, and there were also affordable specialty drinks like Cafe Ssum's own chamoe (Korean melon) latte.

Next to the menu board you can see the egg tarts the owner bakes fresh every day with care. Being Portuguese-style, the crust looked deliciously crisp. The owner said the egg tarts can be reserved or bought in bulk, so if you're thinking of gifts, give Cafe Ssum a visit.

Below I'll share a detailed review of the snow ice red bean bingsu and decaf americano I tried.

Small snow ice red bean bingsu: enough dessert for two

Cafe Ssum's snow ice red bean bingsu was a near-textbook bingsu: soft snow milk ice topped generously with nutty soybean powder, injeolmi (sweet rice cake), and sweet red bean spread. The snow milk ice melts smoothly in the mouth without clumping, and with a bit of sweet red bean on top it was sweet enough even without the condensed milk served alongside.

It also had nutty-sweet injeolmi and crunchy sliced almonds for varied texture, and the combination of the nutty soybean powder and the clean, cool milk ice was great too.

How big is the decaf americano at Cafe Ssum?

I was surprised by how cheap Cafe Ssum's decaf americano was, and surprised again by how generous the portion was. It looked to be at least 500ml, which would be great to sip while working, and paired with the bingsu this time, the sweet-and-slightly-bitter combination worked really well together!

Even brewed from decaf beans, it had a slight acidity, so if you like coffee with some brightness, I'd recommend it.

Is Cafe Ssum worth a stop near Sinnonhyeon Station?

Today I shared my review of the bingsu and americano I tried at Cafe Ssum, a dessert café near Sinnonhyeon Station. The calm, charming atmosphere was appealing from the start, and the dessert and coffee I ordered were delicious, plus the owner was really kind, making for an even more pleasant time at Cafe Ssum. There are plenty of other menu items besides what I showed today, so if you're looking for dessert near Sinnonhyeon Station, give Cafe Ssum a try.