It was a good day. I went to Hongdae to say good-bye to some friends as they left to go home overseas. I had some time to kill so I found a cafe on Hondae's main street. I decided to go to Cafe Nouveau. I ordered a espresso (4,500 won), got a cherry mille-feuille (6,500 won) and read a comic (free :). A perfect day I have to say. The coffee was rich and dark and the cherry mille-feuille had lots of fresh cherries; fresh, lush cream; flaky pastry and rich, dark coffee. The dessert was perfect for one person. I would have loved it to have been bigger, but its not really Korean style. Plus cherries are quite expensive here so I was really surprised they put so many cherries on the cake. Cafe Nouveau Phone +82 70-7743-3265 Click here to open map on your phone . Address: Mapo-gu Seogyodong 330-21 마포구 서교동 330-21 / 1층 Nouveau 커피 & 디져트 전문점 Seoul, Korea Phone +82 70-7743-3265

Oh my gosh. So good. I just want you inside me. It is a pound cake with pistachio nuts around it topped with a confetti of red and dark berries. #dessert #swedish #fika #seouleats

With Summer about to be in full force, I am looking for ways to cool myself down. The best way I have found is with something cool and refreshing. My blood is not 2 parts mulnaengmyeon (chilled buckwheat noodle soup) and 2 parts Korean ice cream and patbingsu. The other 6 parts are just my regular diet of rice, soup, soju, beer etc- not necessarily in that order. These days, I have had a pressing question in my brain: what is the origin of patbingsu?  The debate on the internet goes that it has roots in Malaysia or China and then we have Koreans assert that it is uniquely Korean.   Of course, there are variations of this snow ice dessert in other countries, but if you look at the classic patbingsu. You have fruit cocktail, sweetened condensed milk, corn flakes, and ice during summer. Could this been a dessert to have started during ancient times? According to the Korea Herald,  during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897),  " Seobingo ― the government office in ch...

This was originally published in the March Issue of Seoul Magazine. It is reprinted with permission. Amandier Chocolates in Seoul, Korea When Christopher Columbus came to "New Spain" he noticed that the Indians used almond beans "as currency; and these Indians in the canoe valued greatly." Can you count the number of errors in this statement? Three. But the biggest error of all was that the Native Americans were using cocoa beans as currency and they were right to value it. Good chocolate makes me drool the second I smell it. A bite or a sip of really good chocolate sends a jolt of flavor to my jowls and makes me lightheaded. Quite simply, chocolate gets me high. The simple cocoa bean after being roasted and processed can be made into a variety of different products. Great chocolatiers are like alchemists. They know how to temper the chocolate correctly in order to make a glossy sheen and uniform snap. They also know which flavorings, butters, and sweete...

Here are some shots of Christmas Cakes in Seoul. The ones in the cases are from Paris Croissant. They looked great, but were a tad expensive (37,000 for a cake). I ended up getting a cake from Crown Bakery. It was a yellow cake with chocolate icing. Not bad and at only 20,000 won, it was great. Merry Christmas! Dan Christmas Cake from Crown Bakery Chiffon Cake from Paris Croissant Cakes from Paris Croissant Cakes from Paris Croissant

Article and pictures  by guest contributor Laura Hamm and David Simon If you are a lover of truly cheesy, creamy, thick, tangy, cheesecake… then you’re probably well aware of how difficult it can be to buy a satisfying slice in Seoul, or anywhere else in Korea. Perhaps you’ve experienced the familiar disappointment one too many times. You see cheesecake on the menu, or at the bakery, and the idea of that velvety deliciousness you know so well plants itself firmly into your brain until you can’t resist. You eagerly order your indulgence… only to push your fork into it’s pastel surface and realize that it’s far more ‘cake’ than ‘cheese’, and again you feel duped. We can empathize. However, do not lose hope completely… it IS possible to find the real thing in Seoul. On the ultimate quest to search for the best cheesecake in Seoul, two true cheesecake lovers sampled some delectable options and have decided to share their knowledge here with any other kindred seekers. Outback Steak...