Quiet café at Gyodae Station after 2:30 pm: salt bread, Mini Male

I had an errand near Gyodae Station, hadn't managed a proper meal, and had a bit of time to kill, so I went looking for a café. I wanted somewhere with good coffee and good desserts, so I headed to Mini Male Coffee Roaster Gyodae Court Branch (미니말레 커피뢰스터 교대법원점).

Where is Mini Male Gyodae Court Branch, and can you park?

Mini Male Coffee Roaster Gyodae Court Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 6 of Gyodae Station. It's close to the station, so it's easy to reach by public transport. Parking isn't available, though, so if you're driving, keep that in mind!

Opening hours and last order

The café is open 8 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 7 pm on weekends. Last order is 20 minutes before closing, so it's worth knowing before you go. There's a small kiosk at the entrance, which I liked because you can look over the menu and order before you even walk in. Dogs aren't allowed, and Wi-Fi is available.

When is Mini Male at Gyodae Station less crowded?

Right after lunch the place was almost full, and once it passed 2:30 pm a lot of people had cleared out. The interior isn't huge, but it has quite a few tables. Even when I visited, a little after the lunch rush, nearly every table was taken. Since it's near Gyodae Station, I guess lots of office workers come. If you want a more relaxed coffee, try avoiding peak hours.

The bakery zone and what's on sale

Right inside the entrance there were blankets ready for customers, and next to them the bakery zone.

Maybe because I came after the peak, a lot of the bread was already gone, which was a little disappointing.

Still, looking at the shelves, the range of baked goods seemed really wide.

Luckily the salt bread, financier and chocolate cookie I wanted were still there, so I grabbed them right away. Haha.

As a coffee roastery, Mini Male also sells drip bags, and I liked that they can be packaged as gifts. The cookies can be prepared as gifts too. They sell coffee beans and handmade milk tea as well. If you love coffee, browsing the beans and drip bags could be fun.

How to order, and the self-serve bar

Next to the bakery zone there's an ordering kiosk, and you can also order in person at the counter. The menu board is well organized, so choosing wasn't hard.

They also offer gift vouchers, so check that out if you're interested! The Helsinki Latte seems to be Mini Male's signature drink, so I ordered that too.

Beside the counter there was water, Wi-Fi information and wet wipes, plus a return table for your dishes when you're done.

The drink and desserts came out faster than I expected. Together with the latte I picked three items: a financier, a chocolate cookie and salt bread!

Helsinki Latte: fine even if you don't like sweet drinks?

Despite its sweet aroma, the Helsinki Latte tasted nutty rather than sweet. Honestly, I didn't have huge expectations when it arrived. I don't usually like very sweet drinks, and the latte smelled sweet, so I was a little worried as I stirred it well and took a sip. Wow, it was less sweet than I thought and the nutty flavor was really good!

Unlike the sweet scent at first, the nuttiness that lingers in your mouth is the charm. It isn't a cloyingly sweet latte, so people who don't like sweet drinks, like me, could enjoy it. Apparently the owner based the recipe on a latte of a lifetime they had while traveling in Helsinki, Finland. After hearing that, it felt even more special. Best owner ever! Haha.

How is Mini Male's salt bread?

The salt bread was crisp outside and moist inside, with salty grains of salt still noticeable, and it was as satisfying as I'd hoped, since it was what I was most looking forward to. Salt bread is only right when the outside is crunchy and the inside moist, right? Mini Male's has that charm. The bread itself was soft and fluffy, and the bits of salt here and there added a salty taste that made it delicious.

It was nice that it wasn't hard or chewy at all, just soft to eat. It went well with coffee too, and personally it lived up to my expectations.

The new financier was a little disappointing

To my taste, Mini Male's new financier was slightly bland. Since it's a new item I ate it with high hopes, but it was a bit of a letdown. With the other items so satisfying, I wished it had a richer flavor. Of course, desserts vary by taste, so take this with a grain of salt!

The chocolate cookie with marshmallow

The chocolate cookie wasn't as sweet as I expected and had a plain, mild taste, and the chewy marshmallow in the middle was the highlight. From the name I thought it would be quite sweet, but it was milder than I thought. Personally, very sweet cookies can get tiresome after a few bites, but this one was easy to eat. The chewy marshmallow makes the texture fun and goes well with the chocolate cookie.

What kind of occasion suits Mini Male Gyodae Court Branch?

Mini Male Coffee Roaster Gyodae Court Branch can get a bit crowded around lunchtime, but after 2:30 pm it felt relatively relaxed. If you visit after the peak like I did, you can enjoy your coffee in a calmer atmosphere. The space is quiet and the mood is nice, so it seemed good for light conversation, and personally I thought it wouldn't be a bad spot for a blind date. If you're looking for a place near Gyodae Station to enjoy good coffee and desserts together, I recommend Mini Male Coffee Roaster Gyodae Court Branch!