Black sesame latte at Cafe Giwa, a Chodang-dong café in Gangneung

While traveling around Gangneung, I stopped by a good-looking café in Chodang-dong. This time I visited Cafe Giwa, and true to its name, the space has a strong hanok (traditional Korean house) feel — worth a visit if you're looking for a nice-atmosphere café during a Gangneung trip. It's also located in Chodang-dong, famous for Chodang sundubu (soft tofu), so it's convenient for anyone looking for a Gangneung Chodang café.

This visit was made using a 50% discount voucher provided through Supermembers, and this is my honest review after trying it myself.

Cafe Giwa: address, hours and parking

• Address: 15 Chodangwon-gil 54beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 10am–9pm / last order 8:30pm
• Parking: Available / dedicated lot on site

What kind of café is Cafe Giwa in Chodang-dong?

Cafe Giwa, tucked into Chodang-dong in Gangneung, feels like a hanok café from the name alone. The mix of traditional roof tiles (giwa) and wood gives it an atmosphere quite different from an ordinary café. After a day of chasing beaches and restaurants around Gangneung, it was nice to just sit and rest in a space like this. If you're looking for a pretty-atmosphere café in Chodang-dong, this one fits the bill.

Inside Cafe Giwa: a hanok-style space

Walking inside, the interior clearly leans into hanok style overall. The mix of tile and wood felt calm yet warm, and there were plenty of pretty photo spots scattered around. These days I find myself looking less for a place that just serves coffee and more for a space I can actually enjoy sitting in, and Cafe Giwa has that kind of appeal. If you're looking for somewhere to relax in Gangneung, the fact that it's a hanok café alone makes it worth a visit.

Three things we ordered at Cafe Giwa

That day we ordered three things: the Giwa Black Latte, the Mungbean Flower Latte, and the Mugwort Injeolmi Gateau. Instead of a plain Americano or latte, we picked out the more unusual menu items that seemed unique to Cafe Giwa. I was especially curious how mung bean, mugwort, and black sesame — traditional ingredients — would taste in drink and dessert form.

Giwa Black Latte: black sesame like misugaru with a shot added

First up, the Giwa Black Latte. On the first sip, the nutty aroma of black sesame came through alongside a fairly strong coffee flavor. I'm not really a coffee person, so it felt a bit intense at first. If I had to describe it, it was like misugaru (roasted grain powder drink) with an extra shot added — the nutty, mellow flavor of black sesame and grains, plus the bitterness of coffee on top.

I liked that it wasn't as sweet as I expected. If you're hoping for a strongly sweet latte, this might feel a bit plain, but if you like the nutty flavor of coffee and grains, you'll probably enjoy it. On the other hand, if you don't like coffee, the coffee flavor might come through stronger than expected, so I personally wouldn't recommend it for that crowd. Highly recommended if you like coffee and grains!

Mungbean Flower Latte: soy-milk nuttiness with a bitter finish

Next was the Mungbean Flower Latte, which had an unusual name to begin with. Making a coffee drink out of mung beans was pretty novel to me. I expected something smooth like a regular latte, but there was a slightly bitter aftertaste from the mung bean itself. Overall it had a nutty flavor similar to soy milk, with a mild bitterness from the mung bean lingering at the end.

If you like sweet drinks, this might not be for you, but if you prefer something plain and nutty, it should suit you well. Personally, I thought 'you really can make a drink like this out of mung beans!' — the menu item itself was fun. Anyone visiting a Chodang-dong café should find a stop at Cafe Giwa interesting just for this kind of unusual menu.

Mugwort Injeolmi Gateau: sweet enough for kids, never too much

And the dessert I was most curious about — the Mugwort Injeolmi Gateau. I expected mugwort and injeolmi (rice cake) to make for something rich and sweet, but it was much more restrained than I thought. There's a chocolate-like layer in the middle of the cake that gives the whole thing a subtle sweetness. The cream itself was barely sweet at all, and it had a firm texture rather than being soft or runny. The sponge was moist and soft, so the texture worked well together with the cream.

The mugwort aroma wasn't as strong as I expected at first, but it got noticeably stronger toward the back of the cake. So I started out tasting it plain and picked up more of the mugwort flavor as I went.

What I liked most was that the sweetness didn't feel artificially boosted. When eating dessert with kids, overly sweet or intense flavors can sometimes be too much, but this one is mild enough overall that it shouldn't cause much disagreement even among kids. Of course, taste will vary depending on whether you like mugwort or injeolmi, but personally I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Why Cafe Giwa's traditional-ingredient menu tastes different

I think Cafe Giwa's biggest appeal isn't just the hanok space itself but also its use of traditional ingredients in the menu. Black sesame, mung bean, mugwort, injeolmi — familiar ingredients — are worked into coffee, lattes, and desserts for a slightly different experience. Even though the ingredients are familiar, meeting them in menu form felt fresh.

This place suits anyone looking for a somewhat special menu at a Chodang café in Gangneung. And if you want to soak up a hanok atmosphere while resting during your Gangneung trip, this Gangneung hanok café is worth putting on your list.

A Chodang-dong café for a break on a Gangneung trip

Gangneung has so many famous cafés that it's hard to decide where to go. This time, I spent some relaxed time at Cafe Giwa tasting a few unusual drinks and desserts. The calm hanok atmosphere made it a nice place to take photos, eat something good, and slow the pace of the trip for a bit. If you're planning a trip around Chodang-dong in Gangneung, or looking for somewhere to grab coffee after a Chodang sundubu meal, Cafe Giwa is worth pairing with your visit.

Who will like Cafe Giwa

• Anyone looking for a Chodang café in Gangneung
• Anyone looking for a good-atmosphere café in Chodang-dong
• Anyone wanting to relax at a Gangneung hanok café
• Anyone who likes unusual drinks rather than typical coffee menus
• Anyone who likes traditional ingredients like black sesame, mung bean, mugwort, injeolmi
• Anyone who prefers desserts that aren't too sweet
• Anyone looking for a mild dessert good to share with kids

Mild, distinctive menu items enjoyed in a hanok setting! If you like desserts that aren't too sweet and drinks made with traditional ingredients, this Gangneung hanok café is worth a visit 😊