Sharing desserts three ways at Eojil In, a Wangsimni café bakery

Ever been torn between a café with great coffee and one with great desserts when meeting a friend? For me there's one more condition — the seats have to be comfortable too. If three of us meet up and the table's too small, it turns into a game of Tetris the moment plates start landing.

This time I went with two friends to Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch, and both the fun of picking desserts and the relaxed space won me over, so I wanted to write it up. If you've been bookmarking candidates while searching for a Wangsimni Station café bakery, hopefully this review helps.

We had milk tea, vanilla latte, the milk bowl we were told is the signature menu, plus a financier and Basque matcha cheesecake. The cream cheese financier and the matcha cake especially still linger in my memory. To be a bit more specific about 'delicious' — even though both were moist, each had its own kind of charm.

Inside Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch: a café spread over two floors

Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch uses both the first and second floors together, so there was plenty of room for the three of us. Small, cozy cafés are nice too, but on days I want to talk for a long time, I find a slightly bigger space more comfortable.

Since this café uses two floors, there was fun in walking around and exploring. When I went, the seats felt generous enough that we could pick where to sit. Of course it can get busier depending on the time, so it's not a guarantee of seats every time, but on this visit the space never felt cramped.

Overall the mood was calm and tidy, but not stiffly quiet either. Wooden furniture, dark sofas, and patterned flooring combined to give the impression of briefly stepping into a neighborhood café abroad. I even thought a little of a scene from a teen movie where friends hang out chatting. Interiors with this kind of detail to notice around every corner tend to stay in my memory longer than ones that are loudly decorated.

I came for Wangsimni café desserts but ended up liking the space too, because it felt easy to sit and spend time in. It was good for chatting with two friends, and I think it would also suit bringing along a light assignment to sort through. That said, it's not a dedicated study space, so how quiet it is or seat availability could differ each visit. If you need things like outlets or a set time limit, it's worth checking before you go.

The books and small objects placed here and there were also nice. At cafés, waiting for a friend often means just staring at my phone, but here my eyes naturally wandered around the space. This kind of slightly quiet mood suited my taste well with the desserts. Rather than a space that's only pretty for photos, it felt more like a place that made me comfortable while sitting there. With the three of us each having a drink and chatting, being able to use the space so freely was even better.

What three friends picked from the Eojil In display case

At Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch, baked goods are lined up side by side on the display, with the Basque cheesecake kept separately in its own showcase. There were so many dessert varieties that the debating started before we'd even ordered.

With the baked goods lined up, it wasn't easy to just pick one. Before coming to the café we'd said 'let's eat light today,' but that resolve suddenly wavers the moment you're standing in front of the display — am I the only one this happens to? This time too, my friends and I stared for a good while trying to decide what to get. ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

The showcase with the Basque cheesecake in particular kept catching my eye. Hearing that the cheesecake was the signature item made me even more curious. When picking a cake at a café near Hanyang University, I prefer ones that taste rich when you actually eat them over ones that are just pretty in photos, and the matcha we picked that day matched that preference exactly. It was a menu item where the anticipation from looking at the showcase carried through even after eating it.

Our table ended up with milk tea, vanilla latte, milk bowl, along with cream cheese financier, Valrhona chocolate financier, and Basque matcha cheesecake. This is exactly the good part about going as three — since everyone picks something different, you get to try a bite of each other's. Going alone, I'd have stuck to just one flavor, but thanks to my friends I got to try combinations I thought weren't my style too. ✧⊹˚🍨🍦🍰˚⊹✧

What does the cream cheese financier at Eojil In taste like?

Eojil In's cream cheese financier had that crisp-outside, moist-and-chewy-inside texture. It also went well alternating bites with the milk tea.

The cream cheese financier I ordered had cream inside, so it was soft and moist. But it wasn't just soft — the more I chewed, the more there was a chewy feel to it too. The outside was closer to crisp, and going inward it turned moist, so the phrase 'crisp outside, chewy inside' fit perfectly. The first bite felt different from slow chewing, which made it even more enjoyable.

You'd think a financier is small so it'd be over in a few bites, but when the texture is this good, those few bites stick quite clearly in your memory. I prefer this kind of moistness on the inside over baked goods that are so dry you reach straight for a drink. Thanks to the cream, the cream cheese financier kept a soft feel that went well alternating with sips of milk tea. If I go back, I'll probably order it again. ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

Cream cheese financier vs Valrhona chocolate financier

I also tried a bite of the Valrhona chocolate financier my friend chose, and the chocolate coating on the outside was really thick and fudgy. You'd assume a chocolate-flavored baked good would have the same texture all the way through, but for me the texture of the outer layer was especially memorable. It felt like a little detour into a different dessert while eating a familiar financier. One bite in and I immediately said, 'oh, this is good too?'

If I had to pick just one, I'd probably lean a little more toward the moist, chewy cream cheese one. That's not to say the chocolate one disappointed at all. If you like rich chocolate and a fudgy exterior, my friend's pick might suit your taste more. If you're looking into the menu at a Wangsimni Station café bakery, I'd suggest checking out these baked goods too, not just the breads. They look small but there was plenty of enjoyment in eating them. (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)

How were the milk tea and the milk bowl at Eojil In?

The milk tea I drank was also delicious. It was easy to sip between bites of dessert, and set alongside the baked goods, it completed the kind of café spread I like. Rather than judging a drink on its own, I care more about how well it pairs with whatever else is on the table that day, and this time the milk tea and cream cheese financier combo was satisfying. With my friend's vanilla latte too, the table scene got quite full. („• ֊ •„)੭

I also tried a bite of my friend's milk bowl, the signature menu item. What stood out most was the rich milky flavor of the ice cream. There was a creamy quality to it in the mouth, different from just plain sweetness. Eaten with coffee, the sweetness level was just right for my taste. Adding coffee to the smooth milk flavor made it fun to enjoy almost like a dessert, and I could sort of see why it's introduced as the signature menu. You might assume that pairing a sweet drink with dessert would always end up too sweet, but it really depends on the combination and personal taste.

The most memorable dessert: Basque matcha cheesecake

Of everything we had that day, Eojil In's Basque matcha cheesecake left the strongest impression. The moment I took a bite, the matcha flavor really hit hard. If you were expecting just a faint hint of fragrance, this would feel quite different.

To put it plainly, the matcha hit like a jolt straight to the brain. For someone who likes matcha, that intensity was very welcome, and my friend and I kept saying how good it was as we ate. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

The inside had a moist, soft, cream-like texture, while the outside was fudgy, so the feel changed a little depending on which part your fork picked up. Just because it's called a Basque cheesecake doesn't mean the whole thing is firm and heavy in texture. The slice I had let me feel both the soft inside and the fudgy outside together. It suited my taste well — someone who likes rich flavor but finds overly dry cake a bit much. If I had to recommend just one item to a friend looking for a cake café near Hanyang University, I'd mention this matcha one.

Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch: location and what to check before you go

Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch is located at 18 Majo-ro 9-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 1st and 2nd floor. I confirmed the address from the search listing info on the official account's post. Please check the official Instagram for the latest notices before visiting.

Business hours, days off, menu prices, and whether a given dessert is available that day can all change, so I won't state them definitively here. If there's a menu item you want, checking in advance would be good. You can find the location by searching 'Eojil In Wangsimni Station Branch' on Naver Maps.

If you're looking for a Wangsimni Station café bakery where the atmosphere for staying a while matters just as much as the desserts, hope this helps. It's a strong recommendation whether you're meeting a friend casually for Wangsimni café desserts or a couple wanting to talk a bit longer on a date. If you're a matcha lover weighing cake café options near Hanyang University, the item we had this day might especially catch your interest. It was a day that reminded me once again how many delicious spots there are in Wangsimni. I'd like to come back with my friends and slowly try more desserts next time. ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡