Mapo café for strawberry latte and brûlée cheesecake: Noknok

A two-story café by Gyeongui Line Forest Park with parking

There are so many pretty cafés around Yeonnam-dong's Gyeongui Line Forest Park, but a large café with parking is hard to find! I found one I absolutely loved for the first time in a while 😆

Noknok (녹녹) is a large Yeonnam-dong café spread across the first and second floors, so you can spot it while walking along Gyeongui Line Forest Park. Parking is prohibited directly in front of the shop, except for one car at the far end; in the space beside the café, I heard you can park in order from the back.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the standing sign for a ₩1,900 takeout iced Americano! Isn't that such a great price in this era of high prices? 👍🏻 It would be perfect to grab one for a walk along Gyeongui Line Forest Park, and I imagine lots of nearby office workers stop by too.

What are the first- and second-floor seats like?

The first and second floors had very different moods. The first floor felt trendy, with deep green as an accent color! There was also a seating area with big sofas gathered in the middle, so it looked great for visiting with a group.

The second floor, meanwhile, was brighter and cozier than the first. With group tables, sofa seats, and window seats, it looked ideal for quietly studying at a café or working on a laptop. Dogs are welcome too, so you can bring your pup! That day, I enjoyed some peaceful solo café time upstairs.

Drink and bakery choices

There were so many drinks that choosing was difficult 🥺 From standard coffee to lattes, ades, tea, smoothies, and patbingsu cups (red bean shaved-ice cups), there were lots of options to suit different tastes.

There was an amazing variety of bread as well as drinks! From sandwiches and salt bread to baguettes, loaf bread, financiers, and cookies, every single item looked delicious, so I browsed for quite a while.

They also had chiffon sandos, cheesecake, and rolls, and I thought, “This place is seriously a dessert gem,” haha. I already love cheesecake, but it was my first time seeing a place with this many kinds of cheesecake!

Handmade strawberry latte and crème brûlée cheesecake

Handmade strawberry latte ₩5,900, crème brûlée cheesecake ₩8,500.

I visited in the afternoon, so I ordered a handmade strawberry latte instead of coffee 🍓 Strawberry lattes with a strong syrup taste can be a little disappointing, but Noknok's was delicious because it contained homemade fresh-strawberry preserve. It was full of milk and tangy strawberry pieces, just sweet enough, and delicious right to the end.

For dessert, I chose the crème brûlée cheesecake! Crispy crème brûlée meeting a dense, rich cheesecake—what an unfairly good combination 🤤

The top was caramelized, so it shattered with a crisp crunch, while the cheesecake was moist and soft—so delicious. Dipping it into the cream underneath gave me a proper sugar boost! So of course, I had no choice but to put my diet off until tomorrow again ㅠㅠ

Isn't this a combination that makes you happy just looking at it? ❤️❤️ A sip of sweet strawberry latte followed by a bite of rich cheesecake made the afternoon feel properly relaxed >< Next time, I want to come back to try other breads!

• A Yeonnam-dong café near Gyeongui Line Forest Park where dogs and parking are welcome
• Takeout Americanos are available for ₩1,900
• A Yeonnam-dong bakery café with a wide range of drinks and baked goods