One of the newest chains to make its way over to Korea is the Artisan Chocolatier Cafe J BROWN. Coffee shops are all over Korea and there's nothing special about a lot of the new ones. It is definitely great to find a new cafe that is specializing in all things chocolate and sweet, all desserts and drinks are paired with some kind of chocolate made fresh in store. With a new branch that opened in the Hongdae Hapjeong area, Cafe J BROWN is a must visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.
As you pass this store on the corner, you may think it is just a storefront that sells desserts packaged to go, but in fact, there is a cafe downstairs. The concept is a little different where you pay separately for your dessert and drinks at the two different floors. Entrance is where all the dessert goodies are where you pay for your piece(s) and they will bring it downstairs to decorate and plate for your enjoyment. When you go downstairs, you will be given a drink menu where you pay again for your drinks.
Desserts and drinks vary in price, on average costing about $6 a piece, a cup. Quite a splurge on an afternoon dessert, but this is actually average for drinks in Korea. The one good thing is that you feel as if you are getting more for your money because of the fact that they are dedicating a lot of effort into presentation. You may think that you are getting some kind of regular drink or dessert, but in fact you are in for a surprise. Desserts are decked out with some kind of chocolate addition, macarons included. The best part about the drinks is that they are all served with some kind of chocolate which makes your drink that much more amazing. Because many do not know about this, you can practically skip out on the dessert if you are consuming alone.
The one complaint to make about Cafe J BROWN is the fact that their Napoleon dessert is nothing like the traditional Napoleon that is made with layers of chocolate and cream. The Napoleon, like many other desserts in Korea is made their own way, with their own twist. Rather than using layers of flakiness, it is an actual cake. This cake is in fact great in presentation, but definitely not something I recommend for someone who is looking for more of the traditional cake. On another note, although this cake concentrates on chocolate, its cream and cake layers are overpowering to the point where you cannot really taste the chocolate, not the best splurge for $6.
Address: 298-10 Mapo-gu, Seogyo-dong
마포구 서교동 298-10
Phone: 02-324-7676
Cafe Goodovening is a cafe that is themed around cupcakes. This was on my list for quite a while as one of the must check out cupcake shops in Seoul, what I thought would be the best cupcake in Seoul. There was just so many people raving about the cupcakes that I was dying to dry. With so many branches around Seoul, finding one wasn't too difficult especially because you can pick it up at the major shopping complexes as well. Nonetheless, I still wanted to check out an actual shop and the newest opening is the one in Myeongdong. 
On the second floor off the main shopping street in Myeondong, Cafe Goodovening is themed just like the other stores with a black and white interior. This simple but classic touch is the perfect place to enjoy a coffee break with a friend, especially after shopping. It has an awesome window view of the main strip of Myeongdong shopping and it's across from an awesome H&M that has a creative entrance. They are extremely popular with guests coming in to buy boxes for take out that they even run out of flavors.
Luckily for myself, they had an extra red velvet stacked in the back and of course, because of presentation, I had to go for the early grey tea cupcake. The only thing is the cupcake was not that amazing. For my taste, being that I am so critical with cupcakes, these were a little on the dry end. The flavors aren't as strong as the many other bakeries in Seoul, so there's not too much hype there. I will probably not return again which is a shame to say because it does remind me of Gentle Lady cupcakes.
