Shinsegae Gangnam cake shop, real-nut pistachio mini cake: Chef Cho

Chef Cho (쉐프조) at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam is a cake spot in Shinsegae Gangnam's Sweet Park, famous for its gorgeous, high-end-looking pistachio cake. You can buy whole cakes in Seoul without a reservation, so it's great for anniversary cakes or dessert gifts. I bought the signature Pistachio Forest, and it doesn't taste like Baskin-Robbins pistachio. It's rich with real pistachio flavor, and I was really happy with it. Let me start the review!

Where is Chef Cho at Shinsegae Gangnam, and why is it famous?

Chef Cho is in Sweet Park on B1 of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam, a pop-up zone packed with desserts. It's well known as a cake shop for dessert gifts at Shinsegae Gangnam and one of the best-known spots in Sweet Park.

Chef Cho says it uses 100% animal-based fresh cream and fresh fruit delivered daily, and its cakes are made by a Korean master baker (제과기능장, a state-certified master confectioner). It's also known from the TV show Master of Living (생활의달인) and as one of the "4 Kings of Cake."

Can you buy Chef Cho cakes without a reservation?

The Chef Cho branch at Express Bus Terminal Station (Shinsegae Gangnam) has plenty of whole cakes you can buy on the spot. The walk-in cakes come only in No.1 size. If you want No.2 or larger, you'll need to reserve separately.

Chef Cho No.1 whole cakes you can buy without a reservation, with prices

Fig Pistachio No.1 (58,000 won) and Pistachio Forest No.1 (56,000 won)

The Fig Pistachio No.1 is ₩58,000. It's described as a fantastic pairing of lightly sweet figs and nutty pistachio. It's a new Chef Cho menu item, and with fig season on right now, I bet it's really good.

The Pistachio Forest No.1 is ₩56,000. It's described as rich pistachio cream and smooth chocolate cream with refreshing cherries. Pistachio Forest is Chef Cho's signature cake. The look is so beautiful that this is the one I recommend most for gifts.

Real Mango Rose and Apple Mango Strawberry Flower No.1, 56,000 won each

The Real Mango Rose No.1 is ₩56,000, a cake with a deep mango flavor made with plenty of fresh mango and a secret-recipe mango cream. The Apple Mango Strawberry Flower No.1 is also ₩56,000, with not-too-sweet, soft fresh cream loaded with strawberries and mango. True to Chef Cho's reputation as a fruit cake specialist, these are stuffed with fruit. The looks of Chef Cho's cakes are seriously the best..

Cacao 52% Chocolate Whole Strawberry No.1, 56,000 won

The Cacao 52% Chocolate Whole Strawberry No.1 is ₩56,000. It's a cake where the flavor of 52% cacao chocolate cream and fresh whole strawberries come together over soft chocolate sponge. If you're a chocolate lover, I strongly recommend it! Chocolate and strawberry never fails, right?

What slice cakes does Chef Cho sell, and how much are they?

Chef Cho at Shinsegae Gangnam also sells slice cakes, which makes it a nice place for a light dessert there. There's a wide range: pistachio, mango, chocolate, matcha chocolate, strawberry and crepe rolls, priced from ₩9,000 to just over ₩10,000. Fig Pistachio is the only flavor sold both as a slice and as a whole cake; the rest are slice-only.

Real strawberry cream slice (9,800 won) as a pre-meal dessert

I had the Chef Cho real strawberry fresh cream slice (₩9,800) as a pre-meal dessert, haha. Made with 100% animal-based milk cream, it was nutty and rich, as expected. Even though it's not strawberry season, it tasted fresh and good.

How many people does the Pistachio Forest Mini serve?

I bought a whole cake too! As you'd expect from a department store brand, the packaging is neat and classy, so it works well as a Shinsegae Gangnam dessert gift.

The Pistachio Forest Mini is ₩43,000. Chef Cho's mini size is filling for two people, or good as a dessert for four if you cut it into 4 pieces. Also, the shelf life of Chef Cho's animal-based fresh cream cakes is two days, so keep that in mind.

Doesn't it look like an obviously expensive cake, haha? It's a great cake for treating yourself. It looks so pretty that it's perfect to bring for an anniversary, and it photographs well. If you're looking for a whole cake place in Seoul, I recommend Chef Cho at Shinsegae Gangnam, which is easy to reach by public transport and easy for parking.

What does Chef Cho's Pistachio Forest taste like?

Chef Cho's Pistachio Forest was a cake where the nuttiness of real pistachio really comes through. I understood why the Forest cake is famous the moment I took a bite.

• Baskin-Robbins-style pistachio flavor: X
• Real pistachio flavor, just as it is: O

It's the best pistachio dessert I've ever had. The moist cake sheet has a chocolate base, so I'd recommend Chef Cho to chocolate dessert fans too. There are two creams, chocolate and pistachio, so the balance is really good. And it's animal-based fresh cream, so it's seriously delicious!

Final thoughts on Chef Cho's pistachio cake

If you're looking for a Shinsegae Gangnam dessert that's good for gifts, or a good-looking Shinsegae Gangnam cake, I recommend Chef Cho at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Sweet Park!