Mango bingsu café near Ujangsan Station in Seoul: The Sweetree

A Balsan Station dessert spot review: The Sweetree near Ujangsan Station and its life-changing apple mango bingsu and almond crunch waffle!

These days, whether the weather turns chilly or stays hot, there are days year-round when you just crave a sugar hit and something cold and refreshing. A while back I really wanted bingsu (shaved ice dessert), so I headed to The Sweetree, a dessert café near Ujangsan and Balsan Station. I usually love bingsu and waffles and go hunting for good dessert spots, and this time The Sweetree exceeded my expectations — every single menu item was genuinely high quality, which honestly surprised me a bit.

Especially if you love mango bingsu, this is a place you'll really love.

What does The Sweetree look like inside and out?

The Sweetree is a small dessert café with a pink exterior that really stands out. The moment I arrived, what caught my eye first was the cute, emotional, pink-toned facade.

The entrance is decorated so prettily that you can spot it from a distance.

The standing banner at the entrance listed all sorts of "snow-ice bingsu" and "real smoothie" menu items, so even before going in I was already excitedly deciding what to order. Inside, warm and comfy wood-tone tables were paired with cute character figures (Toy Story's Woody and Buzz!) as interior decor. Seating isn't huge, but there are cozy little spots to sit and enjoy your bingsu.

Le Gall French fermented butter and 100% milk snow ice

The Sweetree's waffle batter is apparently made with Le Gall, a premium French fermented butter. And the bingsu ice is made from 100% Maeil original milk with no water added, according to the signage.

Looking at The Sweetree's menu board, there was a good variety — waffles, drinks, and snow-ice bingsu. The waffles especially are made with Le Gall premium French fermented butter, according to the sign! Using such good ingredients naturally raised my expectations for flavor and texture.

The bingsu also uses 100% Maeil original milk with no water added to make that silky, melt-in-your-mouth snow ice — which had me looking forward to it even more.

Apple mango snow-ice bingsu: hotel-level bingsu in a brass bowl

The main highlight of my visit to The Sweetree was, without question, the apple mango snow-ice bingsu. A heavy, brass-bowl-like dish was piled thick with big chunks of apple mango.

Honestly, I have a family member who's kind of obsessed (insanely so) with mango bingsu, so I've eaten a lot of famous mango bingsu on trips to Taiwan and Vietnam.

But no exaggeration — The Sweetree's apple mango snow-ice bingsu was just as good as what I ate in Taiwan or Vietnam! I'd say it's on par with the pricey, premium apple mango bingsu sold at hotels.

First, the presentation was overwhelming: the heavy, upscale brass-bowl-like dish piled generously and densely with big chunks of apple mango.

I scooped up a big spoonful, and the moment it hit my mouth, the 100% milk ice melted away smoothly, blending perfectly with the sweet, chewy mango flesh.

The mango itself had no fishy or sour notes at all — it was perfectly ripe, and sweet juice burst in my mouth with every bite. On top of that, a not-too-sweet condensed milk soaked through, so I never got tired of it and scraped up every last bite. If you love fruit bingsu, I really hope you try this one.

Almond crunch waffle: crisp outside, soft inside

The Sweetree's almond crunch waffle comes out freshly baked and still warm, wrapped in paper packaging. I ordered it alongside the apple mango snow-ice bingsu, and it was just as satisfying.

The waffle arrived piping hot, straight out of the oven, giving off a nutty aroma in its warm paper wrapping. Maybe because of the Le Gall fermented butter, even the baking smell was a cut above, and the first bite had an audible "crunch" on the outside while the inside stayed pillowy and moist — genuinely artful texture.

Chopped almonds and a nutty, sweet syrup topping were worked into every crevice of the waffle grid, so each bite delivered a burst of nuttiness. Taking a bite of the cool, sweet apple mango bingsu, then a bite of the warm, nutty almond waffle — it was the ultimate sweet-and-nutty duo.

Final verdict and how to find The Sweetree

The Sweetree has a solid lineup across drinks, waffles, and bingsu, nailing both value and quality, so I think I'll be back often whenever I'm craving mango bingsu.

If you're near Balsan or Ujangsan Station and want a proper handmade waffle and milk mango bingsu, I highly recommend it!

• Name: The Sweetree
• Address/location: Naebalsan-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (near Ujangsan Station / Balsan Station)
• Recommended menu: Apple mango snow-ice bingsu, almond crunch waffle

Next time, I plan to try the 100% real smoothie or one of their other waffle types.