Two Hours in Seongsu-dong — Ongeundal
Nicoleheitong
a day ago
In the previous post I wrote about missing the whipped house workshop, but since I was already at Seongsu-dong Station, of course I explored! Here’s a write-up of my two hours in Seongsu-dong. At this hottest trend spot in Seoul Station, flagship stores and pop-ups from many brands are everywhere, it’s loved by fashionistas and artsy types alike. If you had two hours, how would you spend them? Visit Tamburins, Stand Oil, Ader Error Seongsu Space, Gentle Monster and more? Shop beauty brands like fwee, hince, dasique, TIRTIR, Amore Seongsu? Enjoy the industrial vibes and graffiti, especially at Maxim Mocha Bookshop? Haha, or like me, waffle between many famous cafés—El Patio, balance, frolla seoul, Café Onion, café column, café botbotboot?
Because the campus is a bit far from Seongsu-dong, after getting up I only had a collagen drink and nothing else, so my first stop, after thinking a long time while looking through a list of Seongsu-dong cafe recommendations, was the cafe I visited twice, Ongeundal.
I finally decided to visit it for the third time. This visit was different from the previous two because I went in the morning, just as the shop opened, so there weren’t many people yet. The selection and flavors of desserts and breads were very complete (but the first thing I did after entering was take photos of the beautiful, full displays). If you like documenting everyday moments, I recommend coming at this time. These relatively empty Ongeundal scenes are rare, so if you get the chance, take a few extra photos to capture another lovely travel memory.
Why is it worth photographing a quiet Ongeundal? Besides being a popular café many people like to visit in their free time, K-drama fans will know it was one of the filming locations for 'Currently Breaking Up'. Ongeundal has two indoor floors and a rarely seen large open-air seating area on the rooftop, and with so many city buildings around today, whether you want to enjoy the sunshine or soak up the dusk, Ongeundal is a great spot to relax and unwind.
Also, from its rooftop you can clearly see the adjacent adidas and medicube stores. If you think that makes it look like a typical department store, you’d be mistaken. Before Seongsu-dong became a trendy hotspot in recent years, it was an industrial area, so although the neighborhood’s function has changed, many buildings have kept parts of their factory and warehouse character and added murals by local artists. Even newly built brand buildings don’t show up in Seongsu-dong looking ordinary, each shop has its own distinctive style.
Since the seats by the large pool on the first floor were luckily unoccupied this time, I chose that spot. Looking at the outdoor pool through the glass added a relaxed vibe, and the sunlight streaming in through the three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows made me feel energized.
That said, since it’s a well-known café, the food offerings definitely leave people very satisfied. Whether it’s the various breads or the different flavored cakes, they’re all equally popular
One iconic item is the croissant-muffin 'Cruffins', which combines features of a croissant, a muffin, and a cake. The outside is drizzled with icing, and the inside is filled with a generous filling. Today I ordered one of the popular flavors, Ongeundal matcha, since I still keep thinking about the strawberry flavor I tried on my first visit. I also got a matcha latte, this three-toned matcha latte might be one of the reasons I’ll come back for a fourth visit.
