Cafe Yeonnam-Dong 223-14, Seoul
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I stepped through a door and appear to have mislaid a dimension. I have entered a cafe in which the tables, chairs, decorations and floor have lost all depth. Everything is in plain blackandwhite and is utterly cartoonish.
WHERE ARE YOU? It’s all a bit Alice In Wonderland, but this is Cafe YeonnamDong 22314, named after the district in which it is located, in western Seoul. The disorienting twotone decor was inspired by a shortlived Korean television show, W, in which the characters are caught partway between the real world and a cartoon existence. A favourite show of one J.S. Lee, he set out to recreate that look and the cafe opened last November. The floor has a blackandwhite parquet effect; intricate crests and swirls on the cross beams are reminiscent of stately homes but are in two dimensions only, as are the elegant candleholders on the walls and a “sideboard” that holds twotone plates, coffee pots and tea cups. Lee is a businessman, though, and the “look” is designed to also appeal to Instagrammers and other social media devotees – of whom there are many on a recent Thursday afternoon. The cafe’s fame has spread internationally, too, with customers from America and Japan among those hamming it up for their online accounts; 2D or not 2D, that is the question. And it is all deceptively fun.
ARE THE FOOD AND DRINKS SIMILARLY FLAT?
On the contrary, they are fully rounded. The menu is limited, but what they do, they do well. My lemon yogurt smoothie is generous in scale and refreshing on a hot day while the mocha cheesecake also hits the spot. And while the cafe serves regular hot and iced drinks – a good selection of coffees, fresh juices and teas – there is also a playful side to what it does. The Toy Latte comes with a block figure made from sugar that floats on the foam until it dissolves, while the Popcorn Cafe Frappe is an espresso topped with sweet caramel popcorn. The Choco Choco Frappe is so sweet they had to name it twice, and comes with a chocolate biscuit partly concealed in the foam. Cakes dominate the menu, with the pinkberry and yellow cupcakes eyecatchers in the display cabinet. The staff can whip up croissant sandwiches to order.
AND IS IT PRICEY? No more so than many “mainstream” cafes in central Seoul. Cafe lattes start at 5,500 won (HK$37) and the rest of the menu is in the same ballpark.
WHO DO THE INSTAGRAMMERS RUB SHOULDERS WITH?
The cafe has attracted a cult following with both fans of cartoons and those who like their food and drink with a twist. On weekends, I’m reliably informed, long queues form outside.
HOW WOULD I REDISCOVER THAT MISSING DIMENSION?
If this cartoon becomes overwhelming, head up two storeys, to the roof (above). The owner has laid out a stretch of plastic grass, installed some more blackandwhite chairs and tables and strung a series of washing lines across the roof, each with a selection of flat twotone clothing – shirts, blouses, shorts – hanging from them.
SO WHICH PART OF SEOUL ARE WE IN?
A 15minute walk from exit three of Hongik University Station, YeonnamDong is undergoing something of a makeover. The narrow lanes are losing their grimy traditional stores and oneperson businesses, and those properties are being taken over by hip cafes run by adventurous individuals such as Lee. Within a few hundred metres are Thai, Brazilian and Vietnamese restaurants, sophisticated wine bars, boutiques and music stores that specialise in vinyl – and, of course, have instore coffee shops.