A cute, cozy cafe inspires new love for an old area

Arts & Design

Published: 04 Jan. 2009, 22:26

A cute, cozy cafe inspires new love for an old area

Freshly baked scones served with butter and banana-orange jam. By Ser Myo-ja

It seems like a cafe or two opens up in the Garosugil neighborhood of southern Seoul every week. I thought the area was already saturated with such coffee spots, but amazingly, there’s always room for a new one.

During my recent routine visit to a friend of mine who owns a shoe design studio in the neighborhood, she insisted I check out a new place she had found. I thought I was pretty much done with the places in Garosugil, but I was wrong.

5CIJUNG, tucked away on one of the neighborhood’s less crowded back streets, was a pleasant surprise. The style code could be described as “Tokyo vintage,” with adorable artwork and furniture giving off a cozy feeling that showed the warmth in the owner’s heart.

The menu was filled with not only the usual coffee and tea variations, but also original fare such as ginseng milk. I ordered soft persimmon yogurt (9,000 won, $6.85). About 15 minutes later, a sumptuous portion of delicious, healthy-tasting yogurt mixed with persimmon was served to our table. The tray was decorated with an adorable doll that elicited shrieks of delight from all present.

My companions ordered a vitamin tea made of orange (7,000 won) and insisted that I taste their drinks. The tea’s citrus aroma was so delicious that I was going to demand a sip if they didn’t offer.

The warm tea was sweet and fresh, washing away all the troubling thoughts from my mind. The tea was also a visual delight, with a slice of orange afloat in the honey-colored liquid.

Go perfectly with the vitamin tea made of orange and honey. By Ser Myo-ja

When ordering coffee or tea, you get free scones that have been baked at the cafe that day, delicious additions that are difficult to resist. The scones were served with banana-citrus jam and butter and were a perfect addition to the tea.

The cafe also serves light meals such as sandwiches and salads. The brunch menu is a bowl of warm noodle soup served with tuna-stuffed rice balls wrapped in lettuce (7,000 won).

5CIJUNG

“Tokyo vintage” is the style at Cafe 5CIJUNG. By Ser Myo-ja

Location: 525-11, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight from Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday

Telephone: (02) 512-6508

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