Mangwon-dong coffee shop: two beans and fig French toast at PICT

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch 45 Wolgworld-cup-ro 23-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 11:00 ~ 19:00 (closed Tuesdays)

PICT Roastery, a Mangwon-dong dessert spot! Check out the intro video and let's get started.

Hi everyone, this is Running Traveler. Whenever I go to Mangwon-dong, browsing Mangwon Market is a must, but lately I've also been enjoying finding cafés with good vibes tucked into the alleys.

Where is PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch, and what is the space like?

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch sits on Wolgworld-cup-ro 23-gil close to Mangwon Market, making it a good stop after browsing the market or grabbing a meal. This time, while looking for a Mangwon-dong café or a café near Mangwon Market, I ended up at PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch, which is great for enjoying coffee and dessert together.

The space overall felt clean and calm. Rather than a flashy, bustling large café, it had the feel of somewhere you could sit comfortably and enjoy coffee and dessert, which made it seem good for a Mangwon-dong date café as well as a solo coffee visit.

PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch menu and prices

We ordered two americanos and the fig French toast.

• Fig French toast ₩17,900
• Americano ₩4,900

Americano taste test: acidic bean vs nutty bean

At PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch you can choose your bean when ordering an americano, so with our two cups we picked one bean with noticeable acidity and another that was mainly nutty. Even though it's the same americano, the aroma and taste genuinely differed by bean, which made comparing them as we drank kind of fun. The acidic coffee felt relatively bright and clean, while the nutty one was easy and comfortable to drink without any pressure.

What does the fig French toast at PICT Roastery taste like?

The menu item I was most looking forward to that day was PICT Roastery's fig French toast.

Figs were piled generously on top of the French toast, so it caught the eye visually the moment it landed on the table. The figs were fresh and sweet enough to eat on their own, but paired with the moist French toast the combination was even better.

The cream cheese layered in the middle was especially the highlight. On top of the soft, sweet French toast, the fresh sweetness of the figs and the nutty richness of the cream cheese came together so it didn't lean into just one flavor but kept a nice balance. Anyone who likes figs would especially enjoy this dessert.

Which coffee bean pairs best with the fig French toast?

The French toast itself is on the sweeter side, so it paired well with the americano.

Personally, it was good with the nutty bean too, but the acidic americano also went pretty well with the fig-and-cream-cheese French toast.

A bite of sweet French toast, then a sip of clean americano - that combo! If you want to properly enjoy dessert after a meal in Mangwon-dong, this is a pairing I'd recommend.

There's a lot of cream cheese layered throughout. Eating it with the bread and with the figs together was so delicious.

Is PICT Roastery worth it as a Mangwon-dong dessert café?

There are really so many cafés in Mangwon-dong, but if both coffee and dessert matter to you, PICT Roastery is worth a visit. The americano where you can choose your preferred bean was nice, but above all, the fig French toast I had that day stuck with me.

Loaded with plenty of fresh figs and blending well with the moist French toast and cream cheese, it was a satisfying meal. If you're looking for a Mangwon dessert spot, I'd suggest enjoying coffee and French toast at PICT Roastery after browsing Mangwon Market. I'd also recommend it to anyone looking for a café to rest at during a Mangwon-dong date. :)