Filter coffee café in Gongdo, Anseong: Yeoksam-dong Tiger, Chat Baker

A big café near Starfield and Farmland in Anseong: Chat Baker Brunch & Bakery (CAFE - Chat baker).

Today I'm introducing Chat Baker, a fairly new bakery café near Farmland in Anseong. Big cafés on the outskirts of Gyeonggi are hard to be satisfied with, both for price and service, but I found one that ticks the boxes for taste, space and service, and I'm proud of myself for it. It's been a while since a place won me over like this.

Getting to Chat Baker and parking

Chat Baker is near Starfield Anseong and Farmland, so it's a hot spot that's always packed on weekends.

Unusually, it's inside a building shared with an outlet. There's a big private parking lot, but I came at peak time and almost couldn't find a spot.

Inside Chat Baker: atmosphere and seating

Walk in through the door and you see the coffee bar right in the center of the first floor.

The café has two floors, and the high ceilings make it feel incredibly open.

1st floor

2nd floor

The space is finished in calm green and wood. When I heard "big café in Anseong," I imagined a chaotic, rowdy atmosphere. It was noisy, but the seating is roomy, which I liked.

It's 500 pyeong, so sitting alone doesn't feel awkward, and families or groups fit in naturally too. Most seats have outlets, so it's also good for working on a laptop or studying.

Is it okay with kids or a baby?

For anyone wondering about visiting a big Anseong café with kids: Chat Baker is spacious enough for children to run around, and it's easy to move a stroller through, so bringing a baby is fine too.

The name Chat Baker and the water curtain terrace

Chat Baker takes its name from the jazz great Chet Baker. Like music that leaves a quiet echo in your heart, it aims for an atmosphere that isn't over the top but makes you want to stay a long time.

The terrace has a water curtain. With the sound of flowing water and natural light, it feels different from the indoors.

Drawbacks: weekend parking and noise

The strengths were clear, but of course there are downsides. On weekends or at peak times there may be no parking spots, and since the space is big and echoey, it gets very noisy when it's full.

Most people come with family, friends or kids, so if you want a quiet café mood, I recommend a weekday or opening time.

Chat Baker menu and breads

Chat Baker has more kinds of baked goods than I expected, plus a varied lineup of filter coffee, bingsu and more. Everyone, young and old, can pick something to their taste.

The yellow, delicious-looking corn loaf caught my eye right away, so I grabbed one first.

They say all the breads at Chat Baker are baked from scratch every dawn, starting with the dough. No artificial additives, natural sourdough fermentation, and only 100% milk butter, apparently. What I personally liked is that both the trendy new bakery items and the basic ones are above average.

Popular items can sell out later in the afternoon, so if you're after the new items at this big Anseong café, going in the morning works better.

Recommended at Chat Baker: filter coffee and corn loaf

So many things looked delicious that I bought a lot.

Filter coffee: Yeoksam-dong Tiger / Natsume Soseki

A big café with a filter coffee bar? I couldn't not order. The filter coffees with the memorable names: 'Yeoksam-dong Tiger' and 'Natsume Soseki'.

I got lucky and snagged a roomy, comfy round table, so I could take a nice group shot too. The soft, moist corn loaf I ate as soon as I got home.

Corn loaf with strawberry jam

Chat Baker's corn loaf is so soft, with a really strong, nutty corn aroma... It's the corn loaf my parents used to bring home by the bagful from the neighborhood bakery when I was little. Eating it after so long, it was honestly really good.

Even plain, the sweet, nutty corn flavor is lovely, but please try it spread with strawberry jam.

Almond cookie

A rich almond cookie, nutty and sweet. The texture is hard and crunchy. I think it would make a good gift, and it went well with the filter coffee.

I bought this one on a staff member's recommendation: one of those layered, flaky breads that are trendy these days, you know, that kind.

Verdict: what impressed me most at Chat Baker

Honestly, something at Chat Baker impressed me even more than the space or the bread. There were several senior staff members, and their attitude was really great. They greeted every customer warmly and guided us sincerely and with real care, which made the visit even more pleasant.

In short, Chat Baker is a big Anseong café that families with babies or kids, and anyone who wants to enjoy brunch, bakery and coffee in a large space, should find very satisfying.