Ogeum-dong café bread times and jambon-beurre breakfast: Grid Cafe

How did I find Grid Cafe in Ogeum-dong?

Grid Cafe is an Ogeum-dong café that my husband and I have been going to every so often for years. It's a salt bread hot spot.

I first heard about it from the grandmother of one of my kid's friends. She goes to buy Grid Cafe's salt bread every day. Every single day. Honestly I was a bit skeptical that anyone would head out daily for one bread. But after tagging along once, I've been going regularly myself. haha

Where is Grid Cafe, and when is the best time to go?

Grid Cafe is in a quiet residential alley near Seongnaecheon stream, at 146 Macheon-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor. It's about a 10-minute walk from Gaerong Station or Ogeum Station, open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00–18:00 and closed on Mondays.

It opens at 9, and if you can, go right at opening. You get to catch the bread fresh out of the oven. With bakeries, the early birds really do win.

Grid Cafe bread timetable

There's a sign in front of Grid Cafe showing when each bread comes out, and the times differ by bread. If you have your heart set on one, check this and you won't go wrong.

• 9:00: egg tart, salt bread, ciabatta, jambon-beurre sandwich
• 10:30: streusel salt bread, pollack roe and seaweed salt bread
• 11:00: crack salt bread, fresh cream salt bread

This time I was on the 9 o'clock team. haha The fresh cream salt bread will have to wait for next time.

The inside of Grid Cafe is done in white tones, which feels especially fresh in the morning.

The TV show "God of Business" (장사의 신) has been here too, so I trust it even more!!

Grid Cafe menu and prices

Salt bread at Grid Cafe is ₩3,000 and the egg tart is ₩3,700. You'll end up standing in front of the display case for a long time.

• Salt bread ₩3,000
• Egg tart ₩3,700
• Olive ciabatta ₩4,000
• Gourmet butter scone ₩3,500
• Corn or chocolate tart ₩4,000
• Plain loaf (saengsikppang) ₩4,000
• Jambon-beurre sandwich ₩8,500
• Americano ₩3,800
• Vanilla bean latte ₩4,800

The shine on this salt bread.. it's seriously glossy. Coarse salt crystals are dotted all over it, and just looking at it makes me hungry.

What should you eat first on a first visit?

The display case at Grid Cafe shows a popularity ranking: NO.1 egg tart, NO.2 salt bread, NO.3 olive ciabatta.

The egg tart is nicely golden on top and rich and dense, and Grid Cafe's egg tart is JMT too!!! (JMT is Korean slang for "insanely delicious.") I've been a few times and tried everything, and my own ranking is about the same. If it's your first visit, try them in this order. The power of collective wisdom!

How is the coffee at Grid Cafe?

Grid Cafe uses Fritz coffee beans. You can choose between Jaldoeeoganeunsina, which has some acidity, and the nutty Old Dog, and there's decaf too.

You know those bakeries where the coffee is disappointing? At Grid Cafe the coffee is the real deal too. Ordering is by kiosk, so it's easy.

Jambon-beurre sandwich as a morning brunch

This time at Grid Cafe I ordered a jambon-beurre sandwich (ham and butter baguette-style sandwich, ₩8,500), salt bread, an iced americano and an iced vanilla latte. I'd skipped breakfast and wanted a proper meal out of a sandwich. They cut the sandwich for you, so it's easy to eat.

A sandwich lives or dies by its bread, right? Look at the cross-section of the ciabatta in this jambon-beurre sandwich: the air pockets are nice and big. It's crisp outside and chewy inside, and gets softer the more you chew. There's plenty of ham too, so you get your protein and your mouth is happy. haha

The sauce is ranch-like, and it goes well with the ham and leafy greens. It isn't heavy, just light and fresh. Weekend morning brunch: success!!!

How does the salt bread at Grid Cafe taste?

Grid Cafe's salt bread is crisp outside and full of butter aroma. The moment you bite in, it goes crunch— I wish I could let you hear it.

Look at the cross-section: the layers are all there, and the hollow inside is definitely there too. It smells so buttery that the smell alone is nutty and rich. Rather than greasy, it feels more like the butter wraps around it creamily.

I hadn't had it in a while, and it tasted exactly like the first time. Every time I eat it, I understand all over again why the grandmother comes every day.

Is there a receipt review event?

There's a receipt review event by the counter at Grid Cafe. Leave a 5-star photo review using the same-day receipt and they give you a salt bread rusk. It's salt bread turned into a rusk, so you'd be missing out if you didn't grab it. haha

Grid Cafe revisit verdict

Keeping the same taste for years is harder than you'd think. I feel like every bakery that survives this long has its reasons. If it's your first time at Grid Cafe in Ogeum-dong, Songpa, I recommend the egg tart and salt bread, or the jambon-beurre sandwich if you're going for breakfast.

And don't forget to check the bread times before you go!