Café Hopping in Mangwon | Hungo Ringo Bread

We recently read an article about how Mangwon was “becoming Seoul’s hippest neighborhoods,” so while in Seoul, we made sure to carve out a day specifically dedicated to cafe hopping. The first cafe on our list was Hungo Ringo Bread, known for their house-baked goods and in particular, their green tea pound cake. That a fat kitty roamed the cafe (who remained hidden while we were there) was an extra added bonus.

The moment I saw the sign for Hungo Ringo, I knew we would be in good hands. Hand lettering + hand-drawn illustrations + hand-drawn illustrations of kitties = automatic points for awesomeness.

Hungo Ringo’s second floor cafe was barely noticeable from street level. In fact, we passed by a couple of times before backtracking, looking up, and discovering the sign. We climbed a couple of flights of stairs and entered a warm and tiny space oozing with vintage charm. To the right of the entrance was a small kitchen counter with several loaves of freshly baked bread on display and a line of hand-poured coffee drippers.  Just around the corner, a small, light-filled seating area brimmed with people quietly sipping coffee and eating baked goods.

Even in such a tiny space we felt immediately disoriented, as if we had stepped into a parallel version of Korea. The Euro-Korean space felt both old and new as an antique sewing machine decorated one side of the room while contemporary drawings (and Star Wars figurines) occupied another.  Mellow electronica music played softly in the background.

As we waited for two seats to become available, we studied the simple menu, though in retrospect, I’m not sure why. We had come to Hungo Ringo for one thing, and one thing only: a slice of their famous green tea pound cake.

Need this illustration. Except substitute a drawing of Sly for the chef, and a scone in place of the pound cake. Maybe also add an illustration of me squatting in the corner greedily stuffing all manner of baked goods into my pie hole.

We ordered two cups of coffee and a slice of pound cake to share. Our coffee arrived first, served with two small shortbread cookies. A few sips later, out came our instagram-worthy slice of green tea pound cake, dotted with roasted chestnuts, and topped with cold whipped cream and a raspberry.

After reading so many accolades about the “best ever” green tea pound cake, our expectations were through the roof. Flavor-wise, it tasted wonderful. The green tea flavor was vibrantly present with a faint bitterness that I associate with matcha. As far as texture, it had the optimal pound cake density, but we both felt the cake was not quite as moist as we were used to eating.  That being said, our differences in textural preference hardly detracted from the overall Hungo Ringo experience. I could spend endless afternoons at Hungo Ringo simply sitting in warmth of the sun-filled cafe, catching the slightest of cool breezes gently rippling the curtains, sipping on dainty mugs of hot coffee, and nibbling on slice after slice of pound cake.

DETAILS

Hungo Ringo Bread | CUISINE: French-style bakery and cafe | LOCATION: Mangwon | COST: Inexpensive | DESCRIPTION: Tiny second floor cafe and bakery with small menu, very limited seating (seats approximately 12-15 people at most), and welcoming staff. The most popular item on the menu is without a doubt the green tea pound cake, which you are required to eat in-house (cannot take away).  In addition to cookies and pound cake, you can also purchase loaves of house-made bread to take home. If you’re lucky, you might also see the resident fat cat roaming around.  | VERDICT: Hungo Ringo feels very homey the moment you enter; the kind of place where you want to linger all day. Recommended.