Post-bike-ride dessert café in Seongsu: lemon madeleine at Notldun

Notldun: a Seongsu dessert café upstairs in a Seoul Forest backstreet

Notldun in Seongsu dessert spots. I've always loved the backstreet behind Seoul Forest. I passed by it so many times, and only today did I finally go in.

Maybe it was because I was sweaty from cycling and needed sugar, but I felt pulled up the stairs to the second floor like a magnet defying gravity.

The kitchen you see from the entrance. Pastry chefs in white gowns moving in perfect coordination. It's a scene straight out of a drama.

The dessert cakes lined up in the display case are incredible. Calling them beautiful isn't enough. I was amazed at how they stood in a row like works of art. Whichever one you eat you feel fully satisfied, and whichever one you pick, you're bound to feel a twinge of regret over the ones you didn't.

After much deliberation: mascaberry cake, lemon madeleine, and TWG French Earl Grey. There was exactly one reason I chose the mascaberry — I love mascarpone.

Mascarpone (France), blueberries (Korea), fresh cream (France). The origins read like a friendly match between France and South Korea.

After cutting it, the cross-section looks almost like an active volcano spewing blueberries. Insanely soft, tangy, and creamy. My eyes closed on their own, and my brow furrowed in genuine disbelief.

Lemon madeleine. As a madeleine enthusiast, I've been working my way through all kinds of them. The balance of sweet madeleine coated in tart lemon is wonderful.

TWG French Earl Grey. An Earl Grey with astringency that neutralizes the sweetness. That's a compliment. After all that sweetness, you need this kind of astringency to complete the experience.

It's been a while since a dessert genuinely moved me. This is the one — the Seongsu dessert spot.

I think this is the hottest alley in Seongsu. Tucked into the cute backstreets behind Seoul Forest, here's a Seongsu dessert spot worth introducing. It's moving.

Notldun, Seongsu

How to find Notldun and how entry works

Here it is. Second floor. Notre Don. Notldun.

Notldun, Seongsu. Coffee, drinks, dessert. Once you've made it this far, you're basically there. Ready to be moved?!!

Even from a quick glance at the photos outside, I was already drawn in.

1.5 hours of use for dine-in; takeout guests can go in right away. And Compassion — a table of sharing that helps save children's lives. They're doing good work.

Inside Notldun: the white-coated pastry kitchen and the cake showcase

First time seeing something like this. Partly because I don't eat dessert that often, but it reminded me of scenes from a drama — pastry chefs in white gowns inside the kitchen.

This is Notldun's mark.

Dessert.

There are so many kinds of madeleines too.

The financier selection. If you buy a box separately, it seems like a great gift. It's classy enough as a thank-you gift that the recipient would probably smile.

The drink prices are around this range. I went with the TWG French Earl Grey.

A collaboration with Guanaja.

Mascaberry cake, lemon madeleine and TWG French Earl Grey at Notldun

Sat down at my table. Mascaberry cake, lemon madeleine, and TWG French Earl Grey.

I picked a perfect combination of three without even planning it, and surprised myself.

• Mascaberry cake
• Lemon madeleine
• TWG French Earl Grey

The tableware is incredibly nice too. I love that the knife stands upright.

Cut it open. Actually, 'cut' isn't quite right — more like it unfolded into a flower. The mascaberry became a flower.

Total volcano, lava-like blueberries pouring out. What am I supposed to do with this softness?! What am I supposed to do with this tanginess?! You can just barely see my bike tied up outside.

Slicing the madeleine.

Notldun madeleine and financier selections to take home as gifts

Browsing the display. The madeleine selection would make a great gift too.

Photographed like this, it looks like artwork from a museum, and it puts me in a great mood.

The last photo is a refreshing green. Let's cleanse our eyes.

A Seongsu dessert spot, Notldun in Seongsu. The ultimate bite made by a dessert artisan. A place you absolutely must visit after a lap around Seoul Forest. You'll see the furrowed brow of truth.