AVA (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

AVA (formerly known as AMA) is a popular artisanal chocolatier just a few steps from Ttukseom station, celebrated for its handmade chocolate with pistachio and peanut spreads.

With the viral Korean chewy cookies taking the world by storm a couple of years ago, it’s no surprise that they were among the first to incorporate them into their menu. Since one of my missions on this trip was to unearth some of the best Korean chewy cookies in Seoul, it made perfect sense to swing by and see what they had to offer. 

I still get a little confused by the name, though — the signage outside says AVA, while the menu and packing still use the former name, AMA. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I was mainly looking for their Dubai chocolate chewy cookies but as it turned out, they also have it in almond and macadamia flavors.

Dubai chewy cookie (₩7,000) — The texture was wonderfully mochi-like on the outside. 

I liked that it wasn’t overly sweet, although both the chocolate and pistachio flavors were less pronounced than I have expected. For a chocolatier, I was hoping for a bit more intensity in the outer cookie layer but nevertheless it was still pretty tasty. 

They don’t have a dine-in area, so I ended up sitting in a nearby park to enjoy it. Not surprisingly, I made a complete mess with the chocolate powder. 😆

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 656-1112 Seongsu-dong 1(il)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Ttukseom

Tel: +82 02-2088-4794

Opening Hours: 2:00pm - 8:00pm daily

Questo Gelato Bar 퀘스토 젤라또 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★☆☆☆

We all know the bustling Seongsu neighborhood for its hipster bakeries, cafés, and restaurants, but the area around neighboring Ttukseom Station has also undergone a serious transformation in recent years. What was once a stretch of auto-repair shops and warehouses has experienced a quiet renaissance, with many of those spaces now converted into sleek modern boutiques, cafés, and bakeries.

I decided to take a closer look at a few of these spots before hopping on the subway to my next destination.

My first stop was Questo Gelato (퀘스토 젤라또), a highly rated artisanal gelato bar just a short walk from Ttukseom Station. 

The shop rotates 8 to 10 flavors daily, often including refreshing Korean melon and intensely rich pistachio. However, I was in the mood for something nutty this afternoon.

Salty milk pecan — Made primarily with French sea salt for a rich, savory depth, and topped with crunchy candied pecans for what was meant to be a sweet-and-salty balance.

Unfortunately, for a milk-based gelato, it lacked the creamy, milky texture I expected from a good scoop. The candied pecans were a nice touch, but they didn’t provide enough sweetness to balance out the saltiness.

Beyond the underwhelming gelato, what really soured the experience was the hospitality. The server (presumably the owner) came across as complacent and at times, outright rude when I asked about prices of each scoop and how to use the payment machine. Everything was in Korean, and since I don’t speak the language, a little patience would have gone a long way. Instead, he seemed reluctant to offer any help.

Food Rating: 4.6/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 8-30 Seongsu-dong 1(il)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Ttukseom

Tel: +82 0507-1418-9926

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 10:00pm daily

I’m Donut? Seongsu (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★★☆

My favorite donut chain, I’m Donut?, has expanded heavily into Seoul last year, with three locations in the trendy neighborhoods of Seongsu, Hongdae, and Gangnam (inside Shinsegae).

Known for their melt-in-your-mouth “nama donuts” (raw/fresh donuts) made with chewy rice flour, their signature treats are famous for an incredibly fluffy texture. In Seoul, they’ve introduced Korea-exclusive flavors like bossam (pork belly) and seaweed glaze to tame the taste buds of Seoulites.

As a huge fan of I'm Donut?, I decided to swing by for a quick breakfast the moment I arrived in hipster Seongsu-dong. his is their flagship branch, and not surprisingly there were over 30 flavors to choose from — classic signatures, cream-filled varieties, savory options, and of course the Korea-exclusives.

Breakfast time!!! 🍩🍩🍩

Maple prosciutto (₩4,800) — While the Bossam collection looked like the perfect savory breakfast choice, I went with this one instead — two slices of prosciutto (premium Italian dry-cured ham) on top of a maple glaze. The salty notes played really well with the sweetness. Not bad at all.

Muscat grapes (₩5,200) — But this one was even better.



The natural sweetness of the Shine Muscat grapes really shone through beautifully against the custard cream and fluffy dough. I loved it.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t much of a line at the flagship store. In fact, another viral bakery called Haz Bakery just a few steps away had an even longer queue.

Food Rating: 7.1/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 316-50 Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Seongsu

Website: https://www.instagram.com/imdonut.kor/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily