Seongsu café for a toddler’s fig soufflé break: 5to7

There are so many cafés around Seoul Forest, right? But for a dessert you can share with your little one, I sincerely recommend soufflé. 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch, a Seoul Forest café known for soufflé, is an acclaimed spot that has even been invited to pop-ups in Tokyo and Hong Kong!

A Seoul Forest soufflé café with a toddler

Soufflé is one of the desserts I used to enjoy making at home. From the batter to the baking, it is surprisingly finicky. Still, that uniquely fluffy, pillowy look is so cute every time I see it and eat it. Today, I stopped by 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch with my 17-month-old. It is already famous among moms as a great soufflé café, so lots of moms visit in particular.

We went for a sugar boost before visiting Seoul Forest with the baby. 5to7 has the feel of a house, while its aesthetically designed interior has another, more exotic atmosphere. Maybe that is why so many international tourists come by too.

The atmosphere is exactly that European Gen-Z aesthetic that hits the spot. No wonder it is popular when you can eat soufflé in a space like this. When I have sought out a good soufflé place before, I have often found the interior a little disappointing compared with the dessert.

5to7 Seongsu Main Branch is a Ghirardelli membership café.

Terrace time with my toddler

This may look like a monthly magazine spread, but it is 5to7, a Seoul Forest café known for soufflé. It is only a few minutes’ walk from Seoul Forest, so it is really close. The main seating is made up of wood-tone tables, and there is outdoor rooftop seating upstairs too.

Just as I was hoping to soak up the mood indoors with my 17-month-old, I found an outdoor terrace seat with such a lovely view of the trees, so we settled outside.

With autumn approaching, I had even brought a book because I was planning a fallen-leaf book activity with Hajun at Seoul Forest today. So I read him a book at the café too.

Ordering fig soufflé and drinks

• Fig soufflé ₩22,000
• Café latte ₩6,500
• Lemon myrtle ₩8,000

By around 17 months, it goes more smoothly if the baby has their own menu item at a café. Of course, every child is different! The fruit on the soufflé changes with the season, and this season we ordered the soufflé piled high with fresh figs.

A home baker’s take on the soufflé

When a home-baking hobbyist tries someone else’s baking, you can roughly guess the measurements and ingredients. This place definitely nailed its soufflé. It captured that characteristic soft texture, with the flavor and texture in a perfect ratio. I am someone who personally prefers the texture of soufflé to pancakes, so I enjoyed it so much.

Above all, the cream on top was clearly high quality. It is worth ₩22,000. The figs had also been lightly preserved, so they were soft. To be honest, just from the look of it, I thought it would be very sweet—but it was not. Once I tasted it, the balance was perfect. You will understand if you try it.

An unexpected shared table and a Seoul Forest walk

We met some fellow aunties at the next table and ended up sharing a table altogether. One had a child in university, and another had a child in middle school. At first, they saw how Hajun was sitting and advised me to move him farther in so he would not get hurt, and that is how we got talking.

Thanks to these experienced moms, we spent a little over an hour together. Their conclusion was that connection is what matters most at this stage, and that I should not make him do this and that! Thanks to them, I think I can budget for spending a little less on private education later on. Haha. They played so sweetly with Hajun too, and it was such a lovely, grateful encounter. ♥

After properly refueling with delicious soufflé, Hajun and I headed straight to Seoul Forest Park next door. We have been walking around Seoul Forest two days in a row, yesterday and today. Today, Hajun took a tumble going down the stairs and got a little bloody scrape... sob sob... Since it was his first injury, it tugged at my heart even more. I try to have the mindset that injuries happen, but when he actually gets hurt, it still makes my nose sting a little. Let’s play without getting hurt tomorrow ♥