Uijeongbu café for a black sesame cheesecake night date: Forerest

Sometimes when you're on a date, you end up looking for somewhere to go late at night, somewhere to spend time without much fuss. That's when I go to this large café in Uijeongbu that stays open late, so I can always take my time. The café itself has great vibes, but the drive there is part of the fun too — it's become a go-to Uijeongbu date course for a lot of people.

Where Forerest is and how late it stays open

• Forerest
• Location: 181 Nogyang-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–24:00
• Open every day
• Group seating, parking available, pet-friendly, takeout, high chairs

Forerest, located on the outskirts of Uijeongbu, is a place I've already visited more than three times paying with my own money — a genuine regular spot for me. When I want somewhere pleasant to grab dessert and enjoy the drive too, instead of some cramped little neighborhood café, this is the first place that comes to mind.

Cheesecake is Forerest's signature menu

Forerest's signature item is cheesecake. When I first looked this place up, I actually searched for the best cheesecake in Uijeongbu, and I was surprised that a single cheesecake could draw this much of a following. Besides coffee, there's also a wide range of ades, lattes and teas, so everyone can find something to their taste.

Private seating split into three or four rooms

Every time I've come, the advantage of this large Uijeongbu café has been plenty of seats and a real sense of privacy. It feels like a regular house converted into a café, with about three or four rooms, and I love that each room has its own interior and tables, letting you enjoy a different mood in each one.

There's also plenty of indoor seating that looks out toward the outside, and I thought the biggest charm was being able to enjoy a coffee in the cozy comfort of one of the rooms.

I've always come here as a couple on our Uijeongbu date course, but every time I visit, plenty of families and groups of friends show up too. There are group tables for 8 or more people, both in the center of the café and in some of the rooms, so it's a good space for family visits or get-togethers.

Outdoor seats in the night air, and pets welcome

One of the biggest strengths of this place is that there's just as much room to sit outside as inside. Even in the middle of summer, and even now heading into fall, it was great to spend time out there in the cool night air.

Surrounded by trees and grass, you can feel the phytoncides in the air and enjoy a calm, quiet mood, and since the tables — both inside and out — are spaced generously apart, it's easy to have a private time with your group. Pets are welcome too, and there's plenty of space for dogs to walk around and sniff — when I visited during the day, there was even a dog meetup going on. I have a dog myself, so I thought it'd be nice to bring mine along next time.

Two restrooms at Forerest

There are two restrooms: one unisex restroom near the entrance, and one women's restroom further inside. Most guests don't walk all the way to the back, so they don't realize there's a women's restroom there and end up waiting in line at the unisex one! Forerest is a large Uijeongbu café, and given the scale, it's worth knowing there are two restrooms :)

The interior is also full of photo spots. Every room has a different mood, and there are mirrors placed here and there at the entrance and along the walls, making it easy to snap a few memories.

There are also plenty of high chairs so people of all ages can enjoy the space together, so this large Uijeongbu café is an easy pick for anyone visiting with young kids.

Apple ade vs apple chamomile: how they taste

This time I ordered a plain cheesecake, a black sesame cheesecake, an apple ade and an apple chamomile. Last time I had iced Americano with the plain cheesecake, but their basic iced Americano is really clean and delicious too, so coffee lovers can enjoy themselves here just fine.

The other drinks, apple ade and apple chamomile, paired really well with the dense, moist cheesecake. Both had a similar apple base flavor, but the ade had stronger carbonation and sweetness that gave a real dopamine hit, while the apple chamomile had a subtle chamomile aroma layered with apple's freshness, which made it the one I kept reaching for.

Personally, I think both the desserts and the drinks here are less intense than at other Uijeongbu cafés, making the whole place feel clean and light overall.

Plain cheesecake and black sesame cheesecake compared

The star of the show, the cheesecake, is good enough that not just me but friends of mine who live in Uijeongbu call it their favorite cheesecake in the whole area. It might look small in photos, but in person the portion isn't small at all, and you get both softness and density at the same time.

The outside is slightly crisp, with a nicely balanced sweet-charred flavor. I'm a fan of that classic sweet burnt taste you get with cheesecake, and this one delivers it in full. It has a dense texture overall, but it melts more and more the closer you get to the center, so you get to experience several different textures and flavors of cheesecake all in one bite.

This time I tried the black sesame flavor for the first time, and if you already love the nutty taste of black sesame or nutty desserts in general, you really, truly need to try this one. I already love black sesame, and Forerest's black sesame cheesecake mixes the deep flavor and texture of a regular cheesecake with the nutty, grainy texture of black sesame — doubly delicious.

A friend of mine who also visits this large Uijeongbu café often says the chocolate cheesecake is her favorite. I'll have to try that one next time.

Forerest after dark, plus a parking tip

I've always visited during the day and enjoyed the greenery, but I always thought it must look even prettier at night, lit up. And it really did — walking up to the café, there was a long string of lights, and the calm, quiet mood, almost like an arboretum, felt even stronger at night!

True to being a large Uijeongbu café, parking is never really an issue: you can park in the big lot at the entrance and stroll up the main path, or drive all the way up and park behind the café. Personally, I liked parking in the big lot and taking a slow walk up, since the whole area is so pretty.

It's a good stop on a drive between Uijeongbu and Yangju, or Yangju and Uijeongbu, in either direction. The black sesame cheesecake is really, truly delicious, so I hope you'll make a date out of it and try it at least once :)