Post-Chime Coffee Fan · 11 stories
I write about cafés I visit around Seoul. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants
Easy White Bread (이지화이트 브레드) is a new bakery café specializing in white bread loaves near Oedaeap Station in Dongdaemun, Seoul, close to Kyung Hee University. On a morning visit, the writer had a half Golden Beurre fresh loaf (6,000 won) sliced 1.5cm thick and took a pour-over coffee (3,500 won) to go. Easy White Bread suits anyone looking for well-made, back-to-basics bread and a clean cup of pour-over coffee.
Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵) is a takeout-only bakery in Ikseon-dong, Jongno, Seoul, near Exit 7 of Jongno 3-ga Station. On one of many repeat visits, the writer waited about 30 minutes on a weekend afternoon to buy a coffee bun (5,800 won) and garlic bread (6,800 won). Her mom, who dislikes sweet food, named the Munhwa Bakery coffee bun her top pick, and the writer ranks the garlic bread as the number-one must-eat.
Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch 24 Auto Brew Cafe is a café open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, near Exit 1 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho, Seoul. The writer looked around the group seats, print corner and camping-style terrace, then compared Mocha Blend and Geisha iced Americanos (₩3,800) alongside a smoked salmon sandwich (₩8,500). The verdict: Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon is a 24-hour Sinnonhyeon café where you pick your own beans, great for studying or group meetups.
Hyeonseoni-ne Cheonggye Instant Branch is a retro, old-school Korean snack bar near Exit 3 of Euljiro 1-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. A regular of the Yongsan branch stopped by during the weekday after-work rush and ordered the Hyeonseoni Combo Set (25,000 won) in mild, with tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fish cake, mini gimbap, sundae (Korean blood sausage) and vegetable fritters, and the owner brought out a little of the spicy sauce to taste. Verdict: Hyeonseoni-ne Cheonggye Instant Branch is an easy Euljiro pick for spice-shy eaters who want tteokbokki, fritters and sundae.
Bada Super Haemul Cheonha Jogaegui, Geobukseom Oido Branch is an ocean-view grilled and steamed clam restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building on Geobukseom-ro in Siheung, Gyeonggi. Our family ordered the broth clam pot for 3 (₩69,000), which came with a broth tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) appetizer, a pot packed with scallops, abalone, whole octopus, shrimp and blue crab, and a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) add-on served with beef shabu-shabu. For a family meal of generous seafood with a sea view, Bada Super in Geobukseom is a very satisfying choice.
Hanmaeum Jeonguk Sikdang Yeongjong Sky City Branch is a butcher-shop Korean BBQ restaurant in Yeongjong Sky City, Incheon, that sells both aged pork and aged beef. During a summer vacation, the writer booked ahead and ordered 2 servings of aged galbisal (beef rib meat, 150g for ₩21,000) plus fried rice. Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and jjolmyeon (chewy spicy noodles) came free, and a playroom with a CCTV screen made the visit easy with kids. Hanmaeum Jeonguk Sikdang is a solid pick for families who want good meat, a generous table spread and kid-friendly facilities.
Katsu Monster Myeonmok is a Japanese-style tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant near Exit 2 of Myeonmok Station (Line 7) in Jungnang, Seoul, right next to the Myeonmok Bondong police box. At the bar facing the open kitchen, the fillet katsu (hire katsu) set for 14,000 won came with a thick pork fillet in a crisp crust and a satisfying mini cold soba on the side. Katsu Monster Myeonmok is an easy, no-fuss tonkatsu spot in Myeonmok for a solo meal or a date.
Roastery Stan Yeoksam Main is a fresh fruit juice and fruit sando café in Gangnam, Seoul, on the ground floor of the Prugio officetel about 370m from Yeoksam Station Exit 3. The takeout order was a fresh watermelon juice (₩5,500), an aged café latte (₩4,700) and two egg sandwiches, one packed with tuna and one packed with potato (₩4,800 each), and it came with a 1-hour parking ticket. The sando and Basque cheesecake were sold out, but Roastery Stan's rich aged latte and refreshing watermelon juice alone are reason enough to return.
Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a tsukemen and gyudon (beef rice bowl) restaurant one minute on foot from Exit 10 of City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. A dinner of tsukemen at 13,000 won and a mini donburi at 4,000 won, paired with a cold beer and watermelon cider, brought thick, springy noodles and a deeply savoury dipping broth. With bar seats and 30 seats in the basement, Mentsuru City Hall Branch works just as well for a solo meal as for a date.
Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is a bunsik (Korean street-food) restaurant on Yongridan-gil in Yongsan, Seoul, that began as a street cart in 2004 and now runs 8 company-owned branches. The 24,000 won combo set brings tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fried snacks, fish cake skewers, mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and sundae (blood sausage) to one table, and ordering the mild version came with a scoop of the original-spice sauce on the side, so both heat levels could be tried. Dipping the tteokbokki in the self-serve fry powder is the move that makes Hyeonseonine worth the trip.
Munhwa Bakery is a takeout-only bakery with a tiled hanok front in Ikseon-dong, Jongno, Seoul, about 200m from Exit 7 of Jongno 3-ga Station. After a wait on a weekend at 3pm, this visit's haul was an onion bagel (6,000 won), maple cream cheese bread (4,900 won) and milk cream bread (3,500 won), and the maple cream cheese took first place ahead of the long-time favourite coffee bread. Munhwa Bakery's breads are mild and taste of their ingredients, so they suit just about everyone, young or old.
