Therapeutic tarts in a Swedish design den

Retail therapy, as embarrassing as it is to admit, is one of my favorite activities. When I have a rare break on weekdays between hectic deadlines, I often debate whether I should go for retail therapy or caffeine therapy.

At the fancy department store Lotte Avenuel, I have found a place that will provide both these therapies at once. On the fifth floor of the store, a cafe recently opened with the theme of the Swedish coffee break.

FIKA claims to serve Swedish desserts and drinks, although I could not find anything unique about them that distinguished them from the food of other Western countries.

I tried the grapefruit scandiade drink at the recommendation of the owner. My companions decided to order coffee, as the cafe offers espresso variations from the famous capsule coffee chain Nespresso.

Above, the Swedish cafe FIKA at Lotte Avenuel combines Scandinavian design with tasty tarts, top. By Ser Myo-ja

But the coffee and my drink were nothing special. My Scandinavian soda tasted like a bottled pink grapefruit juice mixed with sparkling water, except that it was not sparkling enough. It tasted a bit flat to me.

While the drinks were a disappointment, the cafe’s baked tarts were great. We had tried a slice of a fruit tart and a cheese tart, and both tasted wonderful. The fruit tart was topped with glazed pineapples, kiwi, cherries and strawberries, and the pastry was moist and chewy. The pastry also had nuts and pistachios, which added to the texture and savory taste of the sweet fruits on top.

The cheese tart was decorated with raspberry syrup and a piece of rosemary. The caramelized top was sweet and the soft cream cheese underneath created a nice tangy flavor. It was a rich taste for a small piece of tart.

After finishing up the pastries and drinks, I took a look at the Swedish stationary on sale in the center of the cafe. FIKA is operated by the stationary company Bookbinders Design, and all the offerings were a joy to look at. They were a bit pricey, but the designs were so beautiful that I stood there for minutes debating what to buy.

I think the next time I visit I will get a postcard and pen from the shop and write a note to my nephew in New York while enjoying the cafe’s coffee and tarts. That will be my retail and caffeine therapies at once.

FIKA

Location: 5th floor, Lotte Avenuel department store, 130, Namdaemunro-2ga, Jung District, Seoul

Telephone: (02) 2118-6165

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

korea joongAng daily

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Therapeutic tarts in a Swedish design den

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