Weekday off with Mom: Ethiopian drip coffee, edible flower toast in

A weekday off with Mom for brunch in Gwangalli

Took a day off for the first time in a while for a date with my mom! After a trip to the department store, we visited Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch, famous as a Gwangalli brunch café. The vibe was great and the seats were nice and spacious — really good for a brunch outing.

Location and hours of Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch

Open 08:00, close 18:00. Coming from Gwangalli Beach toward Millak Fish Market, you'll find Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch, a well-known Gwangalli brunch café.

The whole building belongs to Famous Benny. I loved the modern beige-toned interior. Such a cozy vibe 💡

Looks like they change the flowers every day. Little touches like this really elevate the café atmosphere.

Menu and what we ordered

Here's the menu. They mainly serve brunch, with plenty of coffee and drinks too. There are three bean options, so you can pick based on your taste. We ordered drip coffee (Ethiopian), matcha lemonade, grilled mushroom toast, and avocado toast.

Self-bar and seating on the 2nd floor

Head up to the 2nd floor and you'll find water, plates, tissues all set up — plus blankets in case you get chilly! (The AC's been so cold lately that blankets matter a lot to me, haha.) Everything was neatly arranged.

This is the 2nd floor. Great atmosphere, right? Besides the window-facing seats for two, there are also tables for groups. The spacing between seats is comfortable, and the tables are wide enough that you can order several dishes without feeling cramped.

Matcha lemonade and Ethiopian drip coffee

The drinks came out first. The iced drip coffee came with a little info card explaining which beans were used.

The matcha lemonade I ordered needs a good stir before drinking — the tangy-sweet lemonade underneath gets topped with a strong matcha flavor, and the combination was lovely. Especially the refreshing + bitter pairing worked really well. It's a great drink for cleansing your palate alongside a sandwich that could otherwise feel heavy. My mom picked the iced drip coffee, and the Ethiopian beans, with their balance of nuttiness and acidity, were roasted and ground just right — delicious. We each took a sip and went 'oh, this is good,' slurping it down together ☕️

Grilled mushroom toast, with a gorgeous edible flower look

The sandwiches arrived too! Loaded generously with ingredients. And the visuals were so pretty. The edible flowers on top looked like blooms scattered in grass — perfect for photos 🤳

First, the grilled mushroom sandwich. The mushrooms were golden-brown, richly grilled, and piled on generously without holding back. The mushrooms' chewiness plus the well-seasoned bread struck a perfect balance. There was also a special sauce spread on the bread, which added just the right umami kick.

And the toppings really don't hold back! Even by the last bite of bread, there was no shortage of toppings — we ate it all up happily.

Avocado toast: ripeness is everything

The avocado sandwich! I love avocado, so I ordered this one with high expectations — and it exceeded them.

First off, the avocado was fresh and perfectly ripened! And there was so much of it that I got to enjoy avocado to my heart's content. The creamy, smooth texture paired beautifully with the nutty grilled bread. A light squeeze of lemon juice added freshness, and you could also taste the umami from the special sauce.

Wrap-up

It was a satisfying, healthy meal, and the avocado especially was so perfectly ripe that I enjoyed every bite without any issues. You could tell the drinks were made with care and the food used fresh ingredients, and the cozy space was great for conversation. If you're looking for a special, well-executed brunch in Gwangalli, I recommend Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch!