Mountain-view Ulsan café: Lescure butter bread, keyring draw at MUG

If you're looking for a drive out of Ulsan, or a place with good bread and coffee, listen up! Today's spot is MUG (먹), in Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan. I heard it's up in the mountains, but the roads are good and it was easy to find. I've always insisted on ocean views, but sitting surrounded by mountains turned out to be calming too.

Where is MUG, and how is the parking?

MUG is at 90 Hyangsandagae-ro, Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, and it's a pet-friendly café.

I was shocked at how huge the parking lot was when we arrived! Even big cafés sometimes have tiny lots and parking can be a struggle, but MUG's is so spacious there's nothing to worry about.

Being up in the mountains, the ground is high and the view was great, with summer cypress (daepsari) plants dotted around here and there :)

Why is the MUG building black?

The exterior is the color of 'meok' (먹, ink), which fits the café's name perfectly. You rarely see a building this color, so it felt unique.

It turns out that in 2013 the landscaping trees here were lost in a wildfire, a painful history. The building's exterior was made from the burnt trees left behind, as charred wood. Knowing it was reborn as a new space after the pain of the fire makes the place feel even more meaningful.

There's calm water in front of the building too, which adds to the relaxed, quiet mood. Watching the building reflected on the water felt like looking at a painting.

Just inside the entrance there's a Halloween-decorated photo area~ It would be even better with kids since there's a photo zone :)

MUG's interior and seating

MUG has both indoor space and outdoor seating. I looked around the indoor area first while ordering.

Like any big café, the inside of MUG is really spacious. The ceilings are high and the floor-to-ceiling windows open it up, so it feels airy wherever you sit, and you can see the mountains, which calms the mind.

MUG's bakery: bread made with Rescure butter

Right when you enter MUG, the counter and bakery are on the left! There's a big variety of bread, and everything looked delicious ^^

I already like Rescure butter, so I was extra happy to hear MUG uses it~ The bread was really good too, so I planned to eat one but ordered two and ate more~ It's a true bakery hotspot!! haha

Drinks are reasonably priced even though it's a big café, which I liked. I ordered an americano and the signature <Meok black latte>.

There was an event going on, so give the lucky draw a try~ I won that black keyring and it's so cute ^^haha

White roll, tiramisu cinnamon roll and Meok black latte: the taste

• White roll
• Tiramisu cinnamon roll
• Meok black latte
• Iced americano

MUG's bread was soft and delicious, and not too sweet, which I liked~ It went well with coffee, as expected. The americano was nutty rather than acidic, easy to drink, and what I was most looking forward to was the black latte.

The top of the Meok black latte is black, so I went 'huh?' for a second, but the staff told me to stir it well, so I did. It was sweeter than I expected, perfect for me since I was craving something sweet. Sipping a cold drink, looking at the mountains and eating good bread was healing in itself.

MUG's outdoor tables, walking trail and dog-friendly area

After sitting indoors, I went outside since there's a walking trail.

There are tables outside at MUG too, and the weather was nice enough for a cup of coffee out there. Since pets are allowed, a dog was happily playing outside~ I thought, what a lucky pup haha😊

There's also a big pond at the back~

It's not big, but the trail is great for a short stroll after your coffee. Going down it brings you out by the parking lot, so it's a perfect little loop!

If you're driving out toward Eonyang, Ulsan and want a little healing and a cup of coffee, I recommend the Eonyang bakery café <MUG> :)