Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Cafe Etonne

Cafe Etonne, located in Hongdae, is probably one of the cheapest places to get amazing desserts that actually caters around presentation. In Korea, presentation of food is extremely important, but with that comes a big price> Cafe Etonne offers desserts that are appealing to the eye without splurging on the wallet. They are pretty on point with taste and they try to whip up desserts and drinks that are unique to the menu.

Of course, Cafe Etonne offers the regular desserts of cake slices, tarts, macarons and all, but the one thing that definitely stands out on the menu is their bing su, shaved ice. They are the only place by far that offers a Sangria Bing Su which is infused with a ton of fresh fruits, piles of ice, drowned in red wine and topped with a ball of ice cream. The only weird thing to this dessert is the chunks of cottage cheese. Koreans have something for cheese that is just explainable, but it is easy to remove and enjoyed. Better yet, tell them to take out the cheese which saves you the trouble of picking!

Cafe Etonne is definitely one place recommended for a date setting as well as girl time. They have a spacious open area with a variety of seating and open windows for you to enjoy the quieter streets of Hongdae. This is one place you do want to visit for cheap desserts in Seoul, Korea.  

Directions: Take exit 8 of Hongik University station on the green line 2. Take a right at the exit, go straight pass the curved road to the back alleys. Take a right at the dead end and a left at the next block. Go straight for two blocks and Cafe Etonne will be on the left upstairs from one of the shopping stores with an entrance at the corner.

Address: 344-14 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Telephone: 070-7583-6432

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Dilly*Dally

Dilly*Dally is one of the cutest bakeries in Korea with three franchises in the area offering all things cute and sweet. Dilly*Dally breaks from the traditional names of pastries by offering a special thing called The Ugly Veggie, making food fun. The pastries are extremely cute, fun, and delicious in taste. It is the cutest place to bond with girl time or even on a date for yummy pastries, baked goodies, and drinks.

Dilly*Dally offers a brunch menu for you to enjoy actual food if you are not looking to sample their variety of baked goodies (breads, pastries, cupcakes, croissants, cakes, and so much more). They also offer the popular Shaved Ice (patbingsoo) that can be shared between two. With a variety of things on menu, it is the perfect place to go at all hours of the day with a variety of guests. It has been seen that some Koreans even have speed dating at certain facilities of Dilly Dally which definitely makes the experience that much more amazing.

For the Bundang branch: From Jeongja Station exit 4 on the yellow Bundang Line. Take a left at Woori Bank and a right at Waffle Bant. Go straight and you will see the Bundang branch on the corner to your right. Phone: 031-719-0994

For the Sinchon branch: Take exit 2 from the station. Phone: 02-335-0114

The Gangnam branch address: 서울 강남구 논현동 49-17 Seoul, Gangnam-gu, NonHyeon-dong 49-17 Phone:  02-598-7571

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Snowmounteen

Being that there are so many different version of patbingsoo 팥빙수 (the shaved ice dessert) in Korea, every cafe and restaurant has their own take on it. Why? Because of the way the ice is shaved down for the sole purpose of being a refreshing dessert that is topped off with all things amazing. 

Snowmounteen is a place that serves up this traditional Korean eat along with other drinks that include coffee and bubble teas. For the most part, many go to the popular Korean chain for it's shaved ice. The patbingsoo at Snowmounteen is definitely different from the rest. The texture of the ice is so flaky and thin, it is softer than snowflakes. Is that possible? It sure is at Snowmounteen. 

Topped with a variety of flavors that are milky and fruity, it is definitely a way to refresh yourself on a hot summer day. In addition to the $5 single and $9 double servings of flavored snow ice at Snowmounteen, there are also the option of the fruit incorporated patbingsoos which is something that can be shared between two. With a handful of chains in Seoul, it's definitely worth making a visit to Snowmounteen. 

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Bingsooro

Patbingsoo 팥빙수 is an extremely popular shaved ice dessert in Korea for the simple fact that is an amazing blend of everything. One place that has a limited menu (which sometimes should be kept that way) to enhance the best flavors of a dish, is Bingsooro in Hongdae. Having just four different options on the menu, Bingsooro offers a milk and green tea blend, strawberry, red bean and a regular snow blend. Fairly priced, patbingsoo is marked at roughly $6. Bingsooro offers an open seating of basic wood interior which is welcoming to a young crowd. Located close to the university, a lot of students drop in for a quick refreshment and are on their way. Because these shaved ice are made fresh, it can take a while with a large crowd, but for the most part, is it an amazing blend of flavor, red bean, mochi and thin pellets of ice that will practically melt in your mouth! 

From the Hongik University station on the green line 2, take exit 9 and go straight until the light. Make a left and go straight for two blocks. You will be facing the university with gray buildings. Before reaching the end where the third light is, Bingsooro will be on your left on the second floor after the light.

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Patbingsu 팥빙수

Bingsu 빙수 an Asian dessert dish that is perfect for the hot weather is the ultimate sweet tooth satisfaction and summer remedy. The Korean take on the Bingsu called patbingsoo 팥빙수 consists of the basic sweet red bean, fruits, sweet condensed milk, freshly shaved ice and topped with icecream. This dish ranges from location to location, but it is definitely worth the cool down and snack to share with someone on a humid day. The price and size of this dessert range from $4-10 depending on location, but it can be found at almost every cafe in Korea. The only difference between Bingsu in Korea and back at home is the selection of ingredients in your dessert.