Yeonnam-dong café for oat lattes and fig terrine: Jitheunsan

I feel like I have about 10 favorite cafés in Yeonnam-dong alone, but Jitheunsan is especially famous for its incredible terrine desserts—and it is also a café I make sure to visit once every month or two! Tucked away at the edge of Yeonnam-dong, it feels like the kind of place only people in the know would come to, yet it is always completely full, weekday or weekend... It is just perfect for me, haha.

Rather than the few standard slices of cake you find everywhere else, this place has such a wide variety, including seasonal terrines in chestnut, chocolate, matcha, lemon, and more.

Jitheunsan location and hours

Jitheunsan is a little far from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station, so it is much quicker to get off at the Yeonhui-dong 104 Gogi bus stop!

This cute yogurt-colored café is Jitheunsan. It is open daily from 08:30 to 23:00, with last orders at 22:30. Somehow I remembered the opening time being later than this..! These days they open from 8:30 and stay open until late at night. Next time, I am going to try an opening-time run too, haha.

Jitheunsan menu and café latte

You can refer to this menu for all the drinks and desserts. There are non-coffee options too, but at Jitheunsan, please... you absolutely have to try the coffee... I get the café latte 90% of the time, and oat milk is a free swap!!! Jitheunsan is Yeonnam-dong's number-one spot for a wonderfully nutty café latte... And takeout gets you a whopping ₩2,000 discount. Insane *

And if you look below the menu, they have drawn cute little illustrations introducing the drinks and desserts. Looking at them is another little treat... I started with their signature chestnut flavor, but honestly, the base itself is so good that no matter which flavor you have, you will say, “Oh my god, this is insane;;”

All the terrines are displayed in the showcase on the left, for reference... So, what is trending? What is in season as of September? It is, of course!!! the fig cream cheese terrine. I am the kind of woman who is obsessed with figs. No questions asked—let's do it.

Inside the café: three seating areas

If I remember correctly, I think the owners said they were siblings, though I do not know whether they are still the same people... I am an introvert, so I do not look at the owners' faces (?) What I do know is that they are incredibly kind, stylish, cool—they have it all,,

The café has an unusual layout and is broadly split into three areas: window seats, seats in front of the counter, and inner seats. It is not particularly spacious, but every seat is comfortable, and they have put in tasteful brands of lighting such as Artemide, so you can get an indirect little design experience (?) too. There were customers at all the window and counter-front seats, so I did not photograph those separately! Personally, I love the window seats... In summer, sitting there with the windows open is so healing,,

They bring your latte and terrine directly to your table. Haha, does it not look delicious!!

A nutty latte with oat milk

First, let me show you the latte—can you see this beauty? If coffee looks delicious just from its appearance, that is a huge success.

Give it a little swirl, swirl. Maybe because the beans themselves are nutty, but with oat milk, the nuttiness doubles. If you like a nutty latte, you absolutely have to get this... Not even a trace of cloying richness.

Fig cream cheese terrine

And then, haha, the terrine. Just looking at it makes me smile;; Since some people may not know terrine, let me explain it quickly: it tastes completely different from regular cake and is a much denser, fudgier dessert! Unlike cake, which is mainly fluffy sponge, terrine highlights ingredients such as chocolate, cheese, and matcha in a rich way—and it does not contain flour!!!

With good-quality chocolate and butter, the flavor goes up... Maybe because I love gâteau and terrine-style desserts, but Jitheunsan's gâteau is number one by my standards. That dense, chewy texture is so charmingㅠ Even the subtle cream cheese flavor... I think I liked it even more because it was barely tart.

The terrine has little diced pieces of fig throughout, with sliced fig on top. Ahㅠ It felt far too precious to finish, so I carefully cut and ate it one bite at a time;;

And when you are sitting there zoning out, they bring you lemon sherbet as a complimentary service in this cute little cup... Service: 100 points. Atmosphere: 100 points. Taste: 100 points. There is not just one terrine flavor; they consistently offer different ones, and the menu changes every season, which makes me want to keep coming back... When you are looking for a dessert café in Yeonnam-dong and want something a little special instead of the usual cake you always eat, come try Jitheunsan!! Afterward, take a slow walk down toward Gyeongui Line Forest Park for a perfect Yeonnam-dong stroll~