100-day mini whole cake at a Shinsegae Gangnam cake shop: Chef Cho

Hi, it's helpful Chacha! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ I was trying to decide on a cake for my second baby's 100th day celebration and landed on this place. Let me introduce a cake spot I revisited at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam — 'Chef Cho' — as a dessert-loving fan!

Where is Chef Cho in Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam?

Chef Cho Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam is located in the Sweet Park food hall on basement level 1 of the department store. You know that a cake shop with a department store spot is already a proven favorite, right? Haha. Chef Cho has even been named one of the '4 Cake Kings' on the TV show Masters of Life!

Chef Cho Jung-im, who has run Chef Cho for 23 years and made a name as a cake master, is a certified Korea Master Confectioner. Through constant research and effort, she draws out the natural flavor of ingredients while pursuing varied textures and pairings with fresh fruit.

Among all bakery items, the shop has focused solely on cake, and that's how it's kept up its reputation.

People kept crowding around as they passed by... A lot of them, like us, were there to pick up a reservation!

The whole cakes and slice cakes on display looked so pretty and sweet that I somehow felt obligated to grab one on the way home from work!!

Chef Cho cake menu and prices

Chef Cho's menu is simple. There are three options: No.1 whole cake, mini whole cake, and slice cake.

• No.1 whole cake
• Mini whole cake
• Slice cake

Chef Cho has built its name on cake alone. Prices vary a bit depending on size and ingredients.

• No.1 whole cake: ₩50,000s
• Mini whole cake: ₩40,000s
• Slice cake: about ₩10,000

They're especially known for their fresh, sweet fruit cakes. On this visit there were three fruit whole cakes: mango, peach & strawberry, and fig. Among the slice cakes there were also chocolate and matcha flavors!

The two cakes chosen for a baby's 100th day

We chose two: the fig pistachio mini whole cake for 45,000 won and the dark chocolate forest slice cake for 9,800 won. Figs are in season these days, and my husband loves pistachio, so that was his pick! The chocolate cake was our first child's instant choice 😋

The packaging was pretty fancy too. After dinner, time to unbox dessert!

Dark chocolate forest slice cake, 9,800 won

First up, the cute dark chocolate forest slice cake. Finely chopped chocolate pieces sit on top with the cream. The strawberry slice topped with gold flakes went straight into our first kid's mouth, ha.

"Wait until mom finishes taking photos~" I told my cute first pup, but she wasn't listening haha. I snapped a quick shot right before it got eaten 🤣 Beyond the usual chocolate cake taste, the sponge texture was also really soft!

Fig pistachio mini whole cake, 45,000 won

Here's today's main event, the fig pistachio mini whole cake.

Fresh figs were piled generously on top. Rich milk cream meets thick pistachio cream for a cake that really feels like fall 💚🤎

For today's star, we stuck in a '100' number candle, turned off the lights, and started singing!~ The actual star of the day couldn't eat the cake though, haha, so the rest of us got more excited 😆🥳

Our first kid even blew hearts at her little sibling, hugged the cake saying the candle was hot, and blew out the candle for her too haha. The second baby seemed to be enjoying it in her own way 😍

After the party wrapped up, it was time to actually enjoy dessert. Cutting into the cake, it was packed with fig all the way through — real fruit-cake satisfaction 👍🏻 My husband said it was the best cake he's ever had, crowning it his all-time favorite, haha.

That was our whole cake and slice cake review of 'Chef Cho Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam.' Whether for a special day or the upcoming Chuseok holiday, I hope you spend a happy time with the people you love over cake 🍰🎂💕