Daeheung Station café: summer basil tomato juice, pecan cookie, Ieo

What is Ieo Coffee Roasters Gongdeok Branch, the café in a Daeheung-dong alley, like?

Ieo Coffee Roasters Gongdeok Branch (이어커피로스터스 공덕점) is a cozy roastery café quietly tucked into an alley in Daeheung-dong, Mapo. I stumbled on it while wandering the alley, and it was one of those spots you want to keep all to yourself.

Honestly, this was my first time in Daeheung-dong, and I never expected such an atmospheric café hiding between the small alleys! Even from far away, the light coming through the big glass windows looked so warm ☺️ I felt calmer before I even walked in. ✨

Inside Ieo Coffee Roasters Gongdeok Branch: atmosphere and seating

Step inside and you get what Koreans call a "neukjoeun" (느좋, "good vibes") interior, clean and neat. 👀 The place is full of the brightness and softness of a big-window café where the sunlight reaches deep inside.

The tables aren't packed together, so you can stay without feeling cramped. The window seats especially looked perfect for coming alone, gazing at the view outside and thinking, or just spending some quiet time.

Are pets allowed?

Yes, Ieo Coffee Roasters Gongdeok Branch is a pet-friendly café. This warmed my heart the most: when I visited, a customer at the next table happened to have a cute puppy with them.

Watching quietly, I saw the owner kindly hand the pet a little treat. You could feel how sincerely they love and welcome animals, and it felt healing the whole time I was there. 🥰

How to get to Ieo Coffee from Daeheung Station, and parking

The café sits neatly between Daeheung Station and Gongdeok Station, with Daeheung Station a little closer. Come out of Daeheung Station Exit 3 and stroll along the alley, and it's easy to find, a nice, easy route.

It's also very close to the green Gyeongui Line Forest Park, so I thought it was a perfect café to stop by before or after a walk there. One caution: as a hidden alley café, it may have no dedicated parking, or very little, so I'd recommend public transport or checking a nearby public car park beforehand!

What did we order from Ieo Coffee's summer seasonal menu?

At the central counter, a neatly written menu board greets you. As a place that roasts its own beans, the bean lineup and quality of the basic coffee menu looked really great.

But that day I wanted something refreshing instead of coffee, and an appealing seasonal item caught my eye, so I ordered the basil tomato juice. 📖 It's made by blending fresh produce generously, not with artificial syrup, and at ₩6,000 my first thought was how reasonable that is by today's prices.

The Basque cheesecake was already sold out at 3 p.m. on a weekday

The dessert lineup was as solid as the drinks. I'd actually come to try Ieo's Basque cheesecake, which is also popular on Instagram.

But even at an in-between time, around 3 p.m. on a weekday, it was already completely sold out because it's so popular. 😭 I was so disappointed, but I settled for the egg tart and thick walnut pecan chocolate cookie left in the showcase.

How were the basil tomato juice and desserts?

Soon the neatly served basil tomato juice and desserts arrived at the table. The golden, crisp-outside-moist-inside look alone made my mouth water!!

Plus, with sunlight pouring in prettily through the big windows, even casual phone shots turned out gorgeous. 📸

Basil tomato juice: basil aroma and sweet-salty tomato

After the photos, I started with the drink I was most curious about, the seasonal basil tomato juice, and took a cool sip.

The moment I sipped, the fragrant basil and the tomato's sweet-salty taste spread harmoniously through my mouth. The healthy freshness of real produce came through, and I loved it.

As I drank, it was surprisingly filling too, so it's a great juice to have as a light meal replacement on a busy afternoon. 👍

Egg tart: rich flavor with a custard cream filling

The egg tart I tried next made me exclaim the second it hit my mouth. The pastry is packed with soft custard cream, and the rich, nutty flavor was the best.

Walnut pecan chocolate cookie: a sugar recharge studded with nuts

The walnut pecan chocolate cookie after that was also generously studded with nutty bits in a sweet chocolate base, so it was really fun to chew. The pleasant sweetness melted away my afternoon fatigue like snow, a proper sugar recharge.

The quality of every dessert I ordered was so high that I forgot all about missing the cheesecake. Totally satisfied!

Is Ieo Coffee Roasters worth recommending as a Daeheung Station café?

If you're looking for a Daeheung Station café that's good for photos and relaxed in mood, I'd boldly recommend Ieo Coffee Roasters Gongdeok Branch!! I love the warm mood of the space, so I'm definitely going back soon to try the cheesecake I missed!! haha