Today, we are going to be introducing a small cafe, Motunui Island locataed in Yeonnam-dong, right in the city center. Motunui is famous for its mugwort dessert which is popular amongst elderly Korean women. Let's go find out about the charm of Motunui together!
Information
Location: 서울 마포구 동교로 251
251 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Directions: About a 13 minute walk from Hongdae Station Exit 3
Hours: Everyday 12pm - 9pm (Tuesday Off)
Why We Recommend It
You can experience the bitter flavor of the mugwort with the savory bean paste in the middle. Find out why the older women of Korea love these snacks.
Everything at this cafe is handmade by the owner. Come taste the mugwort, drinks and dessert that are made with love and care.
The decor and atmosphere make you feel like you're away at a camping site in the middle of Seoul.
If you really want to feel the camping experience, you can rent the picnic set that comes with a camping chair, a milk box, and a drink so you can have a picnic nearby!
The terrace is pet-friendly so if you're lucky, you'll see some cute dogs during your visit!
Our Visit
Motunui is located near Landis Donut, which you can get to by heading straight from Exit 3 of the Gyeongui Line Hongdae Station. It was pretty easy to find because it was the first house in the alley. We'd walked by this cafe many times wondering why there was so many people in the cafe. As it turns out, that cafe is Montunui!
In some ways, the cafe reminded us a little bit of Jeju Island. This place probably gives a sentimental vibe on rainy days.
One incentive of ordering to-go is a 1,000 KRW discount. Good to know.
The cafe is not very big so there is a limit on how long you are able to sit inside. The max time for all guests is two hours so make sure you plan ahead!
The decor consisted of camping chairs and tables which gave the feeling of being away on a camp site.
Looking out the window while sitting in the cafe gave a new perspective of the city as we looked out the window. It felt like a peaceful escape from the restlessness of Seoul.
To the left, of the bar seats, we found a stone statue! We were right on the money about the Jeju Island vibes.
In front of the counter there was a speaker.
In front of the speaker were some stickers for guests to take to remember the visit to Montunui! Don't forget to grab yours when you visit.
In addition to the seats inside, there is more on the terrace. During the nice weather, these seats are much more popular. Don't forget you can bring your furry friend or meet someone else's during your visit.
Just like inside the cafe, the camping decor continue to the terrace, but the camping vibes became stronger outside.
Now enough sightseeing. Maybe we should order something. When we came, we saw the owner preparing all the day's menu items carefully.
We came with a mission and that mission is D.E.S.S.E.R.T. We can't be the only ones, right?
This is not your typical sweet dessert spot, so keep that in mind. For those who like more of a bitter and savory flavor, Motunui is perfect. It has items like mugwort and ingeolmi, so if you are a fan of those, then this place is PERFECT for you.
The drinks menu is just as unique as the desserts. Catered to the taste of Korean grandmothers everywhere, it had drinks like a Nui Latte and a mugwort latte. The desserts included items like tiramisu, Basque cheese cake, green tea brownies, mugwort brownies, and more.
We ordered a Nui Latte, a mugwort latte, mugwort jeolmi tiramisu, and lemon cake. We chose all of Montonui's signature menu items and those all happened to be green!
The Nui Latte (6,500 KRW) is a combination of the bitter mugwort, espresso, sweet cream and mugwort sprinkled on top. Similar to some einspanners, you can only order it iced. The mugwort along with the espresso went really well together. The savory espresso mixed with the sweet taste of the mugwort was the perfect combination.
The Mugwort Latte (6,500 KRW) is made with 100% mugwort powder and mixed with milk to make it a latte! If you want to taste the true taste of mugwort, then we suggest you try this latte over the one with coffee.
When you first receive the drink, the various ingredients are still separated so it arrives with a gradient look. Once you mix it well, you are ready to taste the sweet and bitter delicious taste of the mugwort latte.
The Mugwort Jeolmi Tiramisu (6,900 KRW) is made by adding mascarpone cheese and injeolmi power to a moist mugwort syrup on top of the cake. This was nice take on tiramisu since because of the bitter mugwort flavor, it wasn't overly sweet, but incredibly savory. One thing to be careful of is the mugwort power on top of the cake. If you inhale it accidentally, it may make you cough. (Cinnamon challenge anybody?)
The Lemon Cake (2,400 KRW) was a small, very simple but refreshing lemon cake. It comes wrapped up like a lemon candy, so we couldn't help but order one when we saw it.
We we first saw it, we thought it was a simple lemon cake, but to our surprise it was a sweet and soft cake coated in a lemon-glaze frosting! Since there's so many options, you may not be in the mood to try this at the cafe, but since it's small you can easily order and take it to go!
If you've ever wondered what the grandmothers of Korea enjoy after seeing countless posts on SNS, then we definitely recommend this place. Montonui Cafe in Yeonnam-dong is the perfect place to find out.
We hope you enjoyed our review and we can't wait to provide you with more content on the various places to visit in Seoul. Make sure you to follow our Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook so you can stay up to date on all the great places to visit in Korea. And if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us help@creatrip.com.
