Cafe Nudake Haus Dosan (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

After starting my journey in Dosan Park with a vanilla Basque cheesecake at CHIZN (치즈앤), I wasn’t ready to leave the neighborhood’s sweets scene yet. Next up, I'm exploring the sweet treats at Cafe Nudake Haus Dosan.

Tucked in the basement of Gentle Monster’s flagship eyewear store, Cafe Nudake Haus Dosan delivers one of the most distinctive and conceptual café experiences in all of Gangnam. Here, desserts are treated less like baked goods and more like avant-garde art pieces blending high-end fashion, surrealist visuals, and experimental gastronomy.

    

A visit feels more like a tour of a modern art gallery than a typical café stop. This was my second time at their Dosan branch, so I already knew exactly what was coming — striking color combinations, unexpected textures, and sculptural forms, with samples of their creations lined up along the wooden benches.

Having already tried the signature items like the Tart Moon, I decided to go with something lighter and more refreshing this time, especially after the rich Basque cheesecake I enjoyed not long ago.

Tomato 🍅 (₩12,000) — A clear jelly filled with a vibrant red strawberry-and-tomato compote hidden inside a chocolate core.

The jelly itself carries a tropical edge highlighted by notes of coriander, lime, and soy. There was also an earthy, vegetal undertone rounding things out, that resembles the flavor of a real tomato. 

While I liked the innovative side of this dessert, it felt more like a palate cleanser from a multi-course meal. Refreshing, yes but satisfying? Well, it depends…

Food Rating: 5.9/10

Price: ₩₩₩₩

Address: 649-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Apgujeong

Tel: +82 070-4128-2125

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm daily

CHIZN 치즈앤 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

With about 45 minutes to spare before a highly anticipated lunch at y’east, I decided to put the time to good use by stopping by a few cafés near Dosan Park. My first stop was CHIZN (치즈앤).

CHIZN is a popular dessert café known for its ultra-creamy, melt-in-your-mouth Basque cheesecakes and seasonal fruit cakes. Co-founded by Lee Jin-seok (of Netflix’s Single’s Inferno 3 fame), the café draws steady crowds with its distinctive mix of Western cheese-centric desserts and traditional Korean architectural touches.

While their seasonal fruit cakes including a tempting fig shortcake, looked pretty promising, I had my sights set on the signature Basque cheesecake right from the start.

Celebrated for its soft, fluid, and exceptionally creamy texture, CHIZN’s Basque cheesecakes are often praised for striking the perfect flavor balance. The lineup rotates, but two regular crowd-pleasers are Vanilla Bean and Ssok Matcha (mugwort matcha).

Vanilla Basque Cheesecake (₩8,000) — The molten center was rich and deeply fragrant, with a caramelized “burnt” aroma that proved highly addictive.

The only minor blemish was perhaps the excessive amount of moisture at the base, which left the cake slightly wetter than ideal. But for the most part, I have enjoyed both its flavor and texture thoroughly.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 645-28 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Apgujeong

Tel: +82 0507-1452-6999

Website: https://www.instagram.com/chizn.kr/

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

Kyochon Chicken 교촌치킨 City Hall (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

I was ready to call it a night. Most restaurants in Seoul stop taking orders by 8:30–9pm, except for the late-night specialists—mainly fried chicken places that pair well with beer. Growing a little desperate, I even checked a few spots in Myeongdong that I normally avoid, including touristy Myeongdong Kyoja (明洞餃子). None of them were seating new customers.

I headed back toward City Hall near my hotel, wondering if I’d find anything still open. After one last check on Naver, I spotted a Kyochon Chicken (교촌치킨) just a few steps from where I was staying.

Kyochon is one of South Korea’s largest and most well-known fried chicken chains. Founded in 1991 in Gumi, it helped launch the first major wave of Korean fried chicken (KFC) onto the global stage and has never looked back. Today the brand is known for its premium, thin-battered, double-fried chicken finished with natural sauces. With more than 1,300 locations in Korea alone, Kyochon also has a strong international presence across the United States, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, the UAE, and the Philippines.

Half-and-half (Soy sauce and honey garlic) (₩26,000) — Ordering ban-ban (반반) chicken is common here. You get two different flavors in a single order.

The wait was long enough that my mild hunger turned into a serious one. I really like Kyochon’s thin batter, and the seasoning isn’t as heavy-handed as many other Korean fried chicken places, which made me a happy camper.

The set came with a mix of wings and drumsticks. The soy sauce flavor is the classic choice; even without added honey it carries a mild sweetness from the sweet soy glaze. Still, I preferred the honey garlic. The extra sweetness from the honey balanced the savory notes more nicely.

These sets are usually meant for two, so it wasn’t surprising that I didn't manage to finish the whole thing myself. I was careful with how much I ate these days, especially with a few big meals lined up over the next couple of days.

After dinner, I took a slow and deliberate walk back to my hotel. For the first time, I let myself truly slow down and take in the night view around Seoul's City Hall. There was a profound peace in that unhurried pause — a rare moment to let my mind drift away from the constant pulse of city life.

Food Rating: 5.6/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 55 Taepyeongno 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Myeongdong 

Tel: +82 2-318-1994

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 1:00am daily