Mullae-dong bakery café: strawberry cake No. 1 to go at Chef Zo

I really love cakes with fruit and fresh cream. This time I visited Chef Zo Mullae Main Store (쉐프조 문래점), famous as one of Seoul's best cake spots, and took a strawberry fresh cream cake home.

Chef Zo was featured in the "Four Heavenly Kings of Cake" segment of the TV show Master of Living (생활의 달인), and it reportedly uses 100% animal-based fresh milk cream. As someone who loves fresh cream cakes, I was extra curious. :)

Where is Chef Zo Mullae, and what are the hours and parking?

Chef Zo Mullae is on the first floor of the Hanyoung Building (units 104, 105, 106) at 98 Mullae-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 188m from Mullae Station Exit 3. It's open daily from 08:00 to 22:00, and parking costs ₩3,000 for 60 minutes plus ₩500 per additional 10 minutes.

• 📍 98 Mullae-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Hanyoung Building, units 104, 105, 106)
• 188m from Mullae Station Exit 3
• ⏰ Daily 08:00–22:00
• 🚗 Parking available / ₩3,000 for 60 minutes, ₩500 per additional 10 minutes

If you're looking for a Yeongdeungpo or Mullae cake, the location is handy for picking up a birthday or anniversary cake.

What is the inside of Chef Zo Mullae like?

Chef Zo Mullae isn't just a cake shop. It's a bakery café that also sells bread, coffee and drinks. When you walk in, the bakery display is on the left and the table seating is on the right.

Inside, the left side has a variety of baked goods on display, and the right side has tables and chairs. I expected a cake-specialty vibe, but there was a wider variety of bread than I thought, and they sell coffee and drinks too. There are quite a few tables, so it looked fine not only for takeout but also for having coffee with bread or cake.

The cake selection was also wider than I expected. I browsed everything from mango cake to chocolate cake, chocolate kirsch and tarts, and ended up choosing the signature strawberry fresh cream cake.

When I visited, quite a few people were enjoying desserts and drinks at the tables. There was also a notice about the "Four Heavenly Kings of Cake" feature on one side, which made me look forward to the cake even more.

Chef Zo Strawberry Fresh Cream Cake No. 1: price and packaging

The Strawberry Fresh Cream Cake No. 1 costs ₩46,000. When I opened the box at home, the cake was well secured inside, so it kept its shape during the trip.

The No. 1 strawberry fresh cream cake I took home was ₩46,000. After carrying it home I opened the box, and the cake was held firmly in place, so it hadn't lost its shape on the way.

The first thing I noticed on opening the box was the look of red strawberries dotted over the white cream, but the strawberries on top weren't all there was.

How many strawberries are inside Chef Zo's strawberry cream cake?

Chef Zo's strawberry fresh cream cake had strawberries not only on top but all the way into the cream between the sponge layers. Even while cutting, I could feel the knife going through lots of strawberries.

From the moment I started cutting, I could feel the knife tip slicing through strawberries quite a lot. In the cross-section, the cream between the layers really was full of strawberries.

With strawberry cake, it's disappointing when there are only one or two strawberries on top, so I liked that this one was packed with them all the way through.

Is Chef Zo's milk cream good even without strawberries?

Strawberry, cream and sponge worked well together in one bite, and even the cream and sponge alone, without strawberries, were plenty tasty. Best of all, the cream wasn't overly sweet or heavy.

First I ate the strawberries, cream and sponge together. The tangy strawberries, the moist, lightly sweet sponge and the soft cream made a really good harmony overall. Because the cream wasn't too sweet or heavy, the whole thing felt even cleaner with the strawberries.

After a few bites, I took the strawberries out and tried just the cream and sponge. I had high hopes since they say it uses 100% animal-based fresh milk cream, and even without strawberries the cream itself was delicious, so the cream and sponge alone were plenty good. It wasn't too sweet or heavy, so I kept going back for more without feeling weighed down, and after trying it myself I could see why people seek it out as one of Seoul's best cake spots.

Who should try Chef Zo's strawberry fresh cream cake?

Chef Zo Mullae's strawberry fresh cream cake suits people who like fruit cream cakes and anyone in Yeongdeungpo or Mullae picking up a birthday or anniversary cake. With plenty of strawberries and cream that isn't sweet, it was easy to finish without feeling overwhelmed.

At first I figured one big slice would be enough, but I ended up cutting a bit more, haha. I usually like strawberry fresh cream cake, and this time I could really feel the harmony of strawberries, cream and moist sponge, so I was quite satisfied. If you're looking for a Seoul cake spot and like fruit cream cakes, I think it would suit you. The strawberries go all the way inside and the cream isn't too sweet, so it was easy to enjoy to the end.

If you're looking for a Yeongdeungpo cake to pick up for a birthday or anniversary, or a strawberry fresh cream cake around Mullae, Chef Zo Mullae is worth a try. :)