Opening-time weekend café in Gunja, Seoul: mocha Einspänner at Palco

For the past few years Gunja has been getting more and more hip cafés and good restaurants, and now on weekends it's so hot you can hardly find room to stand! As a (former) Gunja resident, I'm honestly amazed by the change, so I went to Palco, a dessert café by Gunja Station that's kind of at the center of it all (?)!

Where is Palco near Gunja Station, and is it busy on weekends?

Palco is a dessert café less than a five-minute walk from Gunja Station. It has a terrace, so on nice weekends like these it's full from around 1 p.m., and I always had to turn away disappointed T_T

But this time I basically ran there for the opening rush and got to enjoy a relaxed Palco, haha. From the moment I walked in, the soft texture and color of the wood and the quiet music were sooo healing! Since visiting, I've been singing "the Gunja boom is coming."

How do you choose beans for coffee at Palco?

At Palco you can choose your cappuccino from 3 beans, and for drip coffee you could smell 5 beans on the day we visited before ordering. First, we ordered right as we walked in! We normally only drink iced Americanos (the "iced coffee or die" crowd), but we'd heard Palco has so many great coffees that after much agonizing we ordered a hot cappuccino and a mocha Einspänner.

Just from the first impression you can tell how deep their coffee knowledge goes. There are lots of filter coffee options, which is tricky for a coffee beginner like me, but the staff explain each one kindly, so choosing isn't hard!

What seasonal desserts did Palco have?

When we visited, Palco's seasonal desserts were two: orange marmalade and Basque tiramisu. Palco is also known as a café with great desserts, so I was really looking forward to seeing what the seasonal options were before I even went.

There was an orange marmalade that looked zesty at a glance, and a Basque tiramisu that looked fragrant and sweet. We agonized between the two and picked the Basque tiramisu! They make desserts with seasonal fruit, so until recently they were apparently selling a strawberry cake, haha. It makes you want to come back every time the season changes!

And there was a rum vanilla canelé (a small French custard pastry), which I love so much I ordered it without a second thought~ No regrets! Everything on the menu at Palco was a total hit.

What are Palco's open kitchen and interior like?

Palco's kitchen is 100% open, so when you order coffee you can watch the stylish owner make it right there. I snuck a peek and it was so clean... harmonious and pretty without a single thing out of place!

You can tell they put a lot of thought into every corner of the interior, and in a way you can almost smell the money, lol.

Overall the coffee-brown color, wooden furniture and props make the tone and mood consistent, so even just sitting there without thinking about anything made me feel relaxed and unhurried, lol. It feels like you naturally slow down and rest.

Is it okay to go alone?

Palco has everything from small tables to a spacious shared table, so going solo feels comfortable, and a group could easily relax here too! Even on the weekend morning we visited, most guests were parties of one or two, haha.

When the coffee and dessert are ready, they bring them to your seat! The plates were Palco's own merch cups and Arabia Finland, so sooo pretty.

How does Palco's rum vanilla canelé taste?

Palco's rum vanilla canelé is the essence of crisp outside, moist inside,, with a deep honey aroma and a nutty richness. So good~

I ate canelés all the time back when they were booming, but lately other desserts have pushed them aside and I rarely see them, so finding one at Palco made me really happy, haha. Crackly on the outside, moist inside, with a rich, subtle vanilla scent. Totally GOAT.

How was Palco's recommended cappuccino?

The cappuccino has a red star next to it on Palco's menu as a recommended item, so my friend ordered it, and it was so good! Drunk hot, the first impression was smooth and deep, and it felt like melting.

My friend, who lives for coffee, was also very satisfied, haha. I've been to lots of places in Gunja, but this is the first where the coffee, the plates and the vibe all three suit my taste.

What does Palco's mocha Einspänner taste like?

This is the mocha Einspänner I ordered at Palco! A drink where you can really taste a rich, classy sweetness.

The whipped cream on top and the cinnamon cocoa powder make the cream taste even smoother~

There's chocolate latte underneath, and this is neither a chocolate latte nor an Einspänner, it's a mocha Einspänner...!! Not just plain chocolatey, but not an Einspänner either. A fantastic 50-50 balance.. So good.. My all-time favorite Einspänner.

Palco's Basque tiramisu: okay if you don't like cheesecake?

The last dessert was the Basque tiramisu! Honestly I don't really like Basque cheesecake, but it had tiramisu on top so I was curious and ordered it. Both the tiramisu mascarpone cream and the cheese genoise (sponge) underneath felt sooo fresh. You can see a baking area as an open kitchen on one side of Palco, so since they make the desserts themselves, it felt even fresher!

The unusual thing is that coffee goes into the cheesecake, so a fragrant cheese-plus-coffee flavor is mixed together,, It's like the cheesecake's soft, moist taste and texture is soaked deep in coffee!

It's softer than tiramisu ladyfingers, so one bite and it melts in your mouth. Even the desserts are high quality at Palco, the dessert café by Gunja Station~ A space I want to come back to often, enjoying the quiet music and soft lighting!

Is Palco near Gunja Station worth going back to?

Palco has become my favorite café in Gunja... Palco... The coffee and desserts were both perfectly delicious and the staff were so kind, so I think I'll be coming often!