Suwon Rodeo Street café pairing brownie and mocha latte: Hongrad

I was wandering around Suwon Station, looking at this and that, and at some point I suddenly wanted coffee and something sweet. I went looking for a place where I could take a relaxed break, and ended up at Hongrad Suwon Station Branch (홍라드 수원역점).

Where is Hongrad Suwon Station Branch, and where can you park?

Hongrad Suwon Station Branch is on the 2nd floor at the end of Suwon Station's Rodeo Street, behind the Suwon Tax Office building. You can't park in front of the shop, so use a nearby public parking lot.

Go around behind the Suwon Tax Office building and up to the 2nd floor, and there's the shop. It's not far from Rodeo Street, so it's an easy stop while you're browsing the area. If you drive, you can't just pull up in front; you use a nearby public parking lot. We parked and walked over, and since we'd checked where to park beforehand, it wasn't hard at all.

Atmosphere and seating at Hongrad Suwon Station Branch

Overall, Hongrad Suwon Station Branch has a hip, vintage feel: a black tone with added lighting. It has cushioned chairs and sofa seats, and it's a dog-friendly café.

The first thing I noticed after going up to the 2nd floor and opening the door was the all-black tone. With the space done mostly in dark colors, it felt a bit hipper and more vintage, and with the lighting added it was oddly cozy.

Every chair had cushioning, so sitting was more comfortable than I expected, and one side had separate sofa seats. It struck me as a place to stay a good while, chatting with a friend or on a date, rather than gulping down one coffee and leaving.

I also noticed that it's a dog-friendly café. I think it would be good for people looking for somewhere to relax with their dog.

What we ordered at Hongrad Suwon Station Branch

At Hongrad Suwon Station Branch we ordered the Hongrad Brownie, a mocha latte and a Summer Latte.

What does the Hongrad Brownie taste like?

The Hongrad Brownie is a brownie topped with ice cream, banana, cherry and blueberry. It's dense outside and moist inside, and it has so many chocolate chips that it's fun to chew.

It's prettily decorated with banana, cherry and blueberry. A chocolate dessert can look heavy, but with the fruit on top the colors are pretty and it looks a little fresher. I cut into the brownie with a fork and it cut moister than I expected. On the first bite, the outside had that typical dense brownie feel while the inside was fairly moist.

What I liked most while eating was how many chocolate chips there are. The brownie itself has a rich chocolate flavor, and with chips crunching here and there, it doesn't end at a soft, melting texture; you get the fun of a crunchy bite. If you like chocolate desserts, I think you'd really like this texture.

Eating some blueberry or banana along the way brought a fresh fruitiness into the rich chocolate, which helped reset the sweetness bit by bit.

Best drink with the Hongrad Brownie: mocha latte

The mocha latte at Hongrad Suwon Station Branch adds the sweetness of chocolate to the bitterness of coffee, and it was smooth and easy to drink. Having it with the Hongrad Brownie, the chocolate flavor carried over naturally, so the two matched well.

Summer Latte topped with ice cream

Unlike an ordinary iced latte, the Summer Latte at Hongrad Suwon Station Branch has sweet ice cream on top. As the ice cream slowly melts, a sweet, smooth taste blends into the coffee, and it was nice to enjoy as a sweet drink on its own.

At first I tried the ice cream and then the latte, but as time passed and the ice cream slowly melted, its sweet, smooth flavor mixed naturally into the coffee. Personally, I thought the mocha latte went well with dessert, while the Summer Latte was nice to enjoy sweet on its own.

There are separate sofa seats and the seating is comfortable overall, so it didn't feel like a place where you drink your coffee in a rush and leave.

When to visit Hongrad Suwon Station Branch

My impression was that Hongrad Suwon Station Branch is a good place to spend time enjoying the atmosphere, the comfortable seating and dessert all together.

If you've had a meal at Suwon Station and aren't ready to go straight home, or you're looking for a café to rest in while exploring Rodeo Street, Hongrad Suwon Station Branch is worth a stop.