Balance Pâtisserie 카페 발렁스 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Balance Patisserie (카페 발렁스) used to be one of my go-to dessert spots in Seongsu-dong (聖水洞) a couple of years ago but since their relocation to Anguk (安國), I have yet to find the chance to check their new digs out personally.

While I had no dinner planned for tonight, I was determined to spend the evening all in Anguk for some bakery café hopping. Won’t that be great if I could also cross Balance Patisserie off my bucket list?

Tucked away on the second floor of an unassuming building near Bukchon Hanok Village, Balance Patisserie is a popular artisanal French patisserie and dessert café, known for its meticulously crafted, French-inspired creations.

I was in for a shock as soon as I stepped through the doors. There were only two kinds of pastries left in the display case. Worse yet, I’ve tried both of them on my previous visits (Tumon and pistachio tart).

Getting my order done was a nightmare. The staff didn’t speak much English, and when my Apple Pay didn’t work at first, he just stood there without offering to help. Since everything was in Korean, I didn’t hesitate to ask him to get more involved in resolving the issue.

Thankfully, the payment eventually went through, and I was all set.

Tumon (₩10,400) — On top was a thin, sugar-dusted crisp, torched to a crème-brûlée-like caramelized finish. Right underneath it was a light, silky yet rich vanilla mousse, layered with deeply satisfying Darjeeling tea-infused ganache, a soft coconut biscuit joconde, and a base of toasted, caramelized macadamia nuts for a bit of crunch.

It was just as enjoyable and pleasing as I remembered from a few years ago, although the vanilla flavor was sadly a little less pronounced. That was the only difference I could recall.

I was hoping to try more of their creations, especially some of the newer ones from recent years, but unfortunately, there was nothing new available this afternoon.

Food Rating: 6.9/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 140-41 Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Anguk

Tel: +82 2-2194-1234

Website: https://www.instagram.com/balance_patisserie

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 7:00pm (Wed - Sun)