Egg tart and hotteok babka near Gyodae station: Mini Male café

Mini Male, a café near Gyodae station

When I want bread and coffee around Gyodae, Mini Male Roastery & Coffee Bar is the place that comes to mind. It's not really a spot I go to just for coffee — I find myself wanting to come back for the bread alone.

The Portuguese-style egg tart in particular is really good. And when I have it together with the Helsinki latte, that's my favorite combo complete.

A café where both the coffee and the bread are good

When you go to a lot of cafés, sometimes the coffee is fine but the bread is a letdown, or the other way around — great bakery, average coffee. At Mini Male, from what I tasted, both were good. This time I had the hotteok babka and the Portuguese-style egg tart, and the bread was excellent as always. I only meant to have one dessert, but looking at the selection, I end up picking more.

Portuguese-style egg tart, ₩2,800

What I especially love here is the egg tart. The Portuguese-style egg tart was ₩2,800 each, and I really recommend it.

I like egg tarts and try them whenever I see them, and Mini Male's egg tart really suited my taste. It's nice to have lightly with a coffee, and the price isn't too much of a burden, so whenever I visit I want to order one for sure.

The hotteok babka had me curious from the name alone

This time I also tried the hotteok babka. It was ₩5,500, and the name alone was too unique to pass by.

It's a menu item that brings together the familiar hotteok (sweet Korean pancake) and babka, so it had a different kind of fun compared to the usual bakery breads you see. If you go to Mini Male, don't just eat the egg tart — take your time and browse the full bakery lineup too.

At a Gyodae café, the Helsinki latte is a must

And then there's the Helsinki latte, which I really love. I ordered it iced again this time, and it was ₩5,200.

It's Mini Male's signature menu item, and it's not just a latte with a special name — it's rich yet smooth, and I really enjoyed drinking it. If you're visiting for the first time and can't decide on a coffee, I'd recommend starting with the Helsinki latte.

Specialty coffee, roasted in-house

I thought the coffee tasted good, and it turns out the beans used in the store are roasted on-site. They use specialty green beans scoring 80 points or higher, and you can choose your beans according to your preference.

If you like acidity and a clean finish, Balance would suit you; if you prefer something heavier and nuttier, Dunkel seems like a good match. There's decaf too, so it's an option even on days when caffeine feels like too much.

100% fresh tomato juice

This time I also had the 100% fresh tomato juice. It was ₩6,300, and I ordered it without syrup. It's nice that there's a drink option for anyone coming along who doesn't drink coffee. If you like the fruit's own flavor more than a sweetened tomato drink, ordering it without syrup is worth trying.

Four items ordered, ₩19,800 total

This time I ordered the hotteok babka at ₩5,500, the Portuguese-style egg tart at ₩2,800, the iced Helsinki latte at ₩5,200, and the fresh tomato juice at ₩6,300, coming to ₩19,800 in total. Having tried everything myself, the egg tart and the Helsinki latte were still the most memorable.

A café that stays in your memory isn't just one you visit once because it's famous — it's one where you end up with your own favorite menu item. For me, Mini Male is that kind of place.

Location and parking info

Mini Male Roastery & Coffee Bar Seocho Gyodae Branch is on the 1st floor at 70 Banpo-daero 30-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Note that parking in front of the store is difficult, so if you're driving, it's more convenient to check nearby paid or public parking lots in advance. If you're looking for a café near Gyodae station where the bread is just as good as the coffee, give this one a try.

I really love the bread here, and the Portuguese-style egg tart in particular was especially good. Pairing it with the Helsinki latte is my favorite combo. Next time I go, I'll be ordering these two again for sure.