Introduction
Since relocating to Asia last year, we have taken every opportunity to hunt down the many exquisite desserts that the region has to offer — starting with a Chinese New Year-themed high tea in Kuala Lumpur, we then compared two of the best kuih shops in Penang, escaped the pandemonium of Hanoi by taking high tea in the clouds, slurped bowls of che admist the glowing lanterns in Hoi An, feasted on exquisitely-crafted cherry blossom high teas and hunted down the best wagashi in Tokyo, hopscotched through Singapore’s best traditional high teas, became bedazzled by three different Thai high teas in Bangkok and two of Bangkok’s most instagrammable dessert cafes. In the latter aspect, Seoul’s dessert cafes are a strong competitor to Bangkok’s. And in this latest volume of our dessert travel adventures, we check out the dessert cafe that repeatedly features on every Instagram reel about Seoul travels. Is it worth the hype?
Daytrip to Irin Iljan Cafe (1인1잔)
Dessert destination: Irin Iljan Cafe, Eunpyeong Hanok Village, 534 Yeonseo-ro, Jingwan-dong, South Korea. - Budget: Approx USD $10-25
If you are like us and short on planning time and mental energy, consider the many daytrip tours on offer on Klook. We booked this tour (link here). Offering a convenient pick up in the centre of Seoul, the first stop was Haneul Park. Transformed from a former landfill to an expansive parkland, Haneul Park is particularly well known amongst locals for its autumn flowers. During our visit in the middle of autumn, silver grass – similar to pampas grass – was in full bloom, their elegant heads of champagne flufff softly swaying in the light breeze. There was also a small patch of pink-coloured bushes at the entrance which attracted a significant share of visitors to the park. Lying adjacent to the Han River, the park also afforded views of the mega metropolis that is Seoul via several observatory platforms. Although we visited in the early morning, we suspect that Haneul Park would also be a great spot for sunset photography.
Our next stop was Gamaksan Suspension Bridge. This bridge is typically visited as part of a daytrip tour to the DMZ, but for us with no interest in warfare or military history, we were nostalgic for NYC’s fall season and so we visited to see the fall colours instead. To get to the bridge, one must partake in about 10-15 minutes worth of an uphill hike through steep stairs and a forested section. Having just went to Guilin a few weeks before Seoul and having climbed a suspension bridge there, Gamaksan was a piece of cake. Although Gamaksan is South Korea’s longest suspension bridge, it was neither as high, as long nor as otherwordly dramatic as the suspension bridge in Guilin’s Ruyi Peak (we will write on Guilin sights and desserts soon). In short, it was not as impressive as a construction feat, but the fall scenery surrounding it was beautiful in any event.
And finally – yes we know, you read this blog for desserts after all – we visited Eunpyeong Hanok Village. It is billed as the less touristy, traditional-style Korean village to Bukchon Hanok Village in the centre of Seoul. However, for us, it was entirely underwhelming. First, none of the hanok houses are historic. Not a single one. They are all modern-day constructions. While there were hoards of daytrippers like us taking photos in front of the houses, the entire village lacked that soul innate in a truly historic, preserved village. Indeed, in any other country, it would have been derided as a fake city. Second, that Instagram famous dessert cafe – Irin Ilgan Cafe (translated into “One Cup One Person“) – was the main reason we decided on this particular daytrip out of Seoul, but it turned out to be, a cafe in a starkly modern building of black glass at the border of a modern village (see second last photo below). Its sole best asset was the panoramic curve of windows overlooking Eunpyeong Hanok Village. As though to rub salt into our disappointment, the food menu at Irin Ilgan Cafe erred overwhelmingly towards Western cuisine… yes, you read that right, Western brunch and lunch fare. We certainly did not come all the way to Eunpyeong Hanok Village (or Korea for that matter) just to eat pasta, steak and Western-style cake, and sip iced Americano… 😦
So by now, you must be wondering, why are we writing this dessert review? It actually, isn’t for Irin Iljan Cafe. After we internally sighed at the Instagram illusion we had been lured into, we took the obligatory photos, and then went to a no-name cafe right across the street that was housed in a hanok-style building (last picture above). There, we ordered two platters of properly traditional Korean desserts – yakgwa (a sticky, fried cookie with honey and ginger tones) and garaetteok (tubes of rice cakes dipped in honey) – and pots of Korea ginseng citron tea. This no-name cafe had no spectactular view of the village, but it had more soul than the whole village put together. And, there were locals inside – a table of cackling ajummas telling stories over similar rice cakes, and a wizened old couple quietly sipping their tea. Always follow the locals, they say, and as we learned, that’s most definitely the best advice when it comes to hunting down desserts too. In short, you can get that snapshot of hanok-style houses without people in the background and not get #FOMO at Eunpyeong Hanok Village and Irin Ilgan Cafe, but if you are remotely interested in Korean history or Korean desserts, look elsewhere.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination: Seoul, South Korea.
- ☑ Budget: $$-$$$.
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: Instagrammable dessert cafes and fall colours
- ☑ Travel notes:
- How long? Similar to NYC, 4-5 days is a good start for the first time visitor to Seoul. It is a massive metropolis. We intend to return for more city-based dessert adventures in 2026. 🙂
- When to visit? Autumn is a lovely time of the year to visit Seoul. Peak fall typically hits the city in late October to early November, with the surrounding countryside a little earlier than that.
- How to get there? The above itinerary followed a Klook tour, and we do recommend the tour, even if Eunpyeong Hanok Village proved to be more of a facade-type of place.
- Where to stay? For tourism purposes, we recommend staying near Insadong and/or Myeondong (i.e. north of the river), instead of south of the river.
Dessert Correspondents 