[CUP]
Warm apples and real vanilla ice cream

Tarte tatin from Gateaux et M’amie in Hongdae, northwest Seoul.By Ser Myo-ja

Claes Oldenburg’s “Museum a la Mode” is one of my favorite artworks. When I was in college, I received a postcard of the drawing from my best friend, who was off having adventures in Europe. The image was so tantalizing that I was compelled to rush to a nearby dessert shop close to where I was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to get myself a piece of apple pie a la mode.

In Seoul, pie a la mode is not easy to find. These days, most dessert shops are inundated by waffles.

But there is an alternative.

Gateaux et M’amie is a chic, newly opened French-style cafe in the Hongdae neighborhood in northwest Seoul. It is hiding in the sub-basement floor of a hagwon building, but its red exterior is hard to miss if you know just where to look.

The tarte tatin (6,500 won, $5.20), or upside-down apple tart, is served with homemade vanilla ice cream. The layers of the warm, puffy pastry were crisp, and the aroma of the caramelized apples on top of the tart was irresistible.

The ice cream actually tastes like real vanilla - you can even see the flecks of vanilla bean inside. The vanilla is a wonderful complement to the crispy texture of the pastry and the fruity sweetness of the caramelized apple. It can be eaten alone, but the portion was so small that I wanted several more scoops.

The cafe’s soda special was my beverage of choice. Of the four variations - citron, rosemary, framboise (raspberry) and passion fruit - I choose framboise (5,500 won), and a clear bottle with a beautiful ruby colored liquid arrived. The soda was sweet and fresh, and the mint leaves on top and subtle lemon flavoring mixed into the soda brought out the berry flavor even more.

My companion tried the chocolat fondant, or warm chocolate cake. It was delicious, but not much different from the chocolate fondants found at other cafes.

The cafe also serves some delicious varieties of coffee. My companion had a cappuccino, which came with a great mountain of foam and a sprinkling of cinnamon powder on top.

Gateaux et M’amie

Location: 337-15, Seogyo-dong, Mapo District, northern Seoul

Hours: 2 to 11 p.m. on weekdays, 1 to 11 p.m. on weekends. Closed Mondays.

Telephone: (02) 326-1095

By Ser Myo-ja Staff Reporter [myoja@joongang.co.kr]