Mangwon roastery café: Uji matcha Basque and Marco Polo tea, PICT

Mangwon-dong really seems to get a new café every time I visit, doesn't it?

There are so many pretty cafés and places with great desserts now that instead of just going for the vibe, I've started looking up what each café is actually known for before I go.

This time, I heard that PICT Roastery, popular over in Magongnaru, had opened a new branch in Mangwon-dong, so I went to check it out.

Where is PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch? 4 minutes from Mangwon Station Exit 2

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch is about a 4-minute walk from Mangwon Station Exit 2 — really easy to get to on foot, and since it's right next to Mangwon Market, it's perfect for stopping by the market before or after your coffee.

It's tucked into an alley in Mangwon-dong, so it's not the chaotic, bustling kind of place — more like somewhere to take a quick breather.

This is the ground-floor storefront right here! You enter through the door on the right.

Inside PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch: floor-to-ceiling window seats and a quiet room

Inside, PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch is decorated with wood-tone furniture, and the window seats look out through full-height glass onto the Mangwon-dong alley. It's a totally different vibe from what you see outside, right?

A lot of people were sitting at the window seats working on laptops or handling errands! There were also solo customers just having coffee — and it's also great for two people having a quiet chat.

A lot of Mangwon-dong cafés get pretty hectic on weekends, but PICT Roastery was fairly quiet under its bright interior lighting.

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch menu: three desserts and the signature drinks

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch's desserts fall into three main categories: French toast, tiramisu, and Basque cheesecake. You pay at the TossFront kiosk, and every menu item has its own photo, which made it easy to browse!

Check this menu board for the full picture at a glance, and note that drinks get a ₩1,000 discount for takeout, haha.

There are two signature menu items that are especially popular here! First, the aged French toast (₩11,900) — French toast aged for 24 hours, topped with powdered sugar and maple syrup for a soft, gentle bite.

And then the matcha Basque cheesecake I ordered, which is also one of their signature items — apparently made with stone-ground Uji matcha from Japan. I'm the kind of matcha nerd who even makes matcha lattes at home with Uji matcha powder... so I had to try it, and ended up ordering the matcha Basque cheesecake with Marco Polo tea.

For coffee, you can choose from a variety of beans when you order.

I was sitting at my table and they brought everything right over to me!

Marco Polo tea: the black tea that pairs with the matcha Basque

First, the Marco Polo tea, which I ordered as the weather's been turning chilly. Marco Polo is a black-tea base with fruit and floral notes added, and the aroma alone is really bright and vivid. When I first smelled it I thought it might be quite a sweet tea, but tasting it, it's actually cleaner than expected.

Since the matcha Basque cheesecake is dense and richly flavored, I figured pairing it with Marco Polo might actually work better than coffee — and it really did! A bite of cake followed by a sip of warm tea resets your palate perfectly.

How does the Uji matcha Basque cheesecake taste?

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch's matcha Basque cheesecake really has a deep color right from the start, doesn't it? The surface is darkly caramelized like a proper Basque cheesecake, and the inside is incredibly moist.

There are so many matcha desserts these days, but a lot of the time when you actually taste them, the cheese or the sweetness overpowers everything and you're left wondering where the matcha went. PICT's matcha Basque cheesecake, though — the bitterness hits you first, right in the mouth. But the sweetness rises up right after it, so for a matcha nerd like me, it's just... so good.

The inside is completely creamy and soft, yet still has some density to it, so personally I really enjoyed it! I usually try not to finish a whole slice of cake by myself, but this one just disappeared, haha. If you love matcha, you really have to try this one!