Naebang Station pie café: dessert date with black coffee, Hodukkakki

If you love pie, this is a place you'll save after just one photo. So many cafés have opened around Naebang Station lately, right? But there was one that kept catching my eye: Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch (호두까끼형제 방배점). The name made me laugh at first, but the more I searched, the more it kept popping up. Hearing they don't use refined sugar made me curious and I really wanted to go. Honestly, desserts these days all look pretty, but afterwards your mouth feels dry and your stomach feels a bit off, doesn't it? So this time I made time on purpose and went.

Where is Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch?

Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch is a little way into an alley when you walk out of Exit 4 of Naebang Station. At first I was walking along thinking, "Is this really the right way?", but the vibe of that alley was oddly nice. It feels slightly removed from the busy streets. It's quiet and relaxed, which is actually perfect for dessert. Once you arrive you get it right away, why it's in this spot.

What are the exterior and interior like?

The exterior of Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch has dark wood-toned walls with a navy blue door as an accent, so it feels really classic and upscale. But what catches your eye first is the circus cart with a red roof next to the entrance and the nutcracker dolls displayed in the window. I totally get why people come to take photos. It's an exterior you just can't walk past.

The inside of Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch is really small. It's not a spacious café; it's more a place where you buy pie and sit down to enjoy it properly. The floor has vintage patterned tiles, and wooden toy props are dotted around, so there's plenty to look at. Every table has a nutcracker figure, and the self-serve water comes in a glass pitcher. Every one of these little details shows the owner's great sense!

Choosing pies from the glass-dome showcase

The showcase at Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch is the real highlight. Pie slices are set one by one on round wooden trays covered with glass domes, and it's a whole different level from an ordinary café case. The shapes are all different and the toppings are all different, so the choosing itself is so much fun. I'm normally a quick chooser, but here I looked for ages. My husband kept going back and forth too, "Should we try this? Or that?" It felt less like a café visit and more like a little event.

Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch menu and prices

For assorted sets at Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch, the Premium Assorted Pie MIX.1 is ₩34,900 and the Nut & Cream Pie MIX.2 is ₩33,000.

• Premium Assorted Pie MIX.1 — ₩34,900: Signature Walnut Pie 2 pcs / Original Pecan Pie 2 pcs / Hazelnut Cacao Pie 2 pcs / Macadamia Cheese Pie 2 pcs
• Nut & Cream Pie MIX.2 — ₩33,000: Signature Walnut Pie 2 pcs / Original Pecan Pie 2 pcs / Milk Cream Walnut Pie 2 pcs / Cream Cheese Walnut Pie 2 pcs

You can buy by the slice too, so it's good if you're coming alone or just want something light. In the showcase there were also seasonal items like sweet pumpkin pie and matcha cream walnut pie (NEW). Fair warning: being asked to pick just one is nearly impossible here. You'll want everything.

What do they use instead of refined sugar?

The key point of Hodukkakki Brothers is that they use honey, oligosaccharide syrup and maple syrup instead of refined sugar. There's a brand introduction card inside the box where you can check this yourself. It's not a place that just pretends to be healthy; you really do notice the difference when you eat it.

Why we chose the MIX.1 assorted pies

We went with the Premium Assorted Pie MIX.1. If we picked just one, I felt the others would keep nagging at me. I wanted to taste them all. And this choice was totally the right call. The pie pieces come in a blue box neatly arranged in a fan shape, and the moment I opened the lid I couldn't help going "Oh~~!!"

Is a pie without refined sugar really not sweet?

The first thing I thought after eating a Hodukkakki Brothers pie was, "Huh? This isn't sweet?" But as you keep eating, it's not that the sweetness is missing. It's a different kind. It doesn't hit and vanish like sugar sweetness; it spreads gently and fades away naturally. That's why you reach for another slice after finishing one. Your mouth doesn't feel dry afterwards. That's the really big difference.

Signature walnut pie with black coffee

The Signature Walnut Pie is topped with big chunks of nuts. When you bite in, the texture comes first and then the nutty richness follows. The more you chew, the more that nutty flavor keeps rising, yet it finishes cleanly without feeling greasy. I had it with black coffee and the combination was insane. The coffee's bitterness flows right into the walnut's nuttiness and the flavor feels several times deeper. A pie you end up eating while thinking about pairings, at a café no less.

Original pecan pie

The Original Pecan Pie is a softer type. The surface feels slightly caramelized, so you get a gentle crunch when you bite in. But the inside stays moist. I thought, so crispy outside and moist inside works for pie too. The sweetness spreads and then disappears cleanly with no aftertaste, which keeps making you go for the next bite.

Hazelnut cacao pie (the most memorable flavor)

Personally, the Hazelnut Cacao Pie left the biggest impression on me. It has a chocolate drizzle on top, and the look alone already gets you excited. The chocolate aroma is rich but not heavy. The characteristic bitter lingering note of cacao stays at the end and balances the whole flavor. While eating, a faint espresso aroma rises up, and the taste feels layered. The first bite, the flavor while chewing and the lingering note after swallowing are all different.

Macadamia cheese pie

I think even people who dislike cheese could eat the Macadamia Cheese Pie. There's almost no tanginess, and it's just full of nutty richness. The cream cheese melts in your mouth and spreads that richness, and the macadamia nuts give it texture as you chew. It isn't too dense and loosens up smoothly, so it's really not heavy at all.

We have to talk about the crust too

Overall, the crust on Hodukkakki Brothers pies is thin. There's almost no flour taste and the filling flavor comes through much more clearly. Thanks to that, you don't get tired of them even eating all four in a row. Usually when you eat several desserts, it gets dry and heavy toward the end. Here, that doesn't happen.

The box and packaging: good for gifts?

Hodukkakki Brothers puts the pies in a navy blue box, with the brand introduction printed inside the lid and a separate card included too. I really can't leave this out.

Four philosophies are written there: "THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX", "JUST RIGHT", "THIN & CRISPY" and "DELICIOUS = HEALTHY". Reading them, you can feel how seriously this brand takes its ingredients. I thought it would be a perfect gift too. It's packaging the person receiving it would be happy to get.

Thoughts after eating

After a dessert, you usually come away thinking it was good but too sweet, or that it felt a bit heavy. But leaving Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch, I felt light. My stomach wasn't very heavy and my mouth felt fresh. After eating, I really felt that this comes down to the ingredients.

Who we'd recommend Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch to

• People who like sweet desserts but hate that dry, heavy feeling afterwards
• People who love nut pies (it's honestly heaven)
• People who care more about dessert quality than café atmosphere
• People looking for a whole cake as a gift (the packaging is really pretty)
• Days when it feels like a waste to walk into just any café around Naebang Station

It was a café where, after one visit, my first thought was what combination to try next time. If you find yourself around Naebang Station, do stop by once. You won't regret it.