Cafe Chez Moi – Unjung/West Pangyo

There’s a reason they label the walk near the stream in Unjung a cafe street – the neighborhood is steeped in coffee shops. Cafe Chez Moi is one of these cafes, but they also advertise brunch – a surefire way to get me in the door. Every five minutes or so as we sat waiting for our food, we saw locals popping in to grab loaves of fresh baked bread. This is an uncommon sight on this side of Unjung-Ro – you see plenty of locals sitting for hours at these coffee shops, sipping on a series of Americanos, but far fewer establishments where people come in specifically to buy just bread.

In traditional Korean style, Cafe Chez Moi doesn’t just serve a simple ham and cheese, they garnish it with pesto and olives, use  multiple types of cheese and add sauteed sweet onions. The set is completed by a mixed greens salad and a cup of creamy pumpkin soup topped with pepitas. The soup was a real winner – seasoned and sweet with just the right amount of crunch from the pumpkin seeds.

We also sampled the German pancake. I’d never had this soft buttery version of the classic, and I was happy to get to know it – served with lemon curd, ice cream, and honey banana compote as choices for toppings, it pleased my short attention span and my taste buds.

I also had to order Cafe Chez Moi’s affogato – how can I resist honeyed ice cream for breakfast, especially when when served with such an adorable cup of espresso. It was a tasty and, at 6,000 Won, a less expensive version of the treat.

Bottom line – a comfortable cafe with great people watching windows and tasty German pancakes, Cafe Chez Moi is a good choice for brunch on a cold winter weekend.

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Click to enlarge

Inbread – Unjung/West Pangyo

If the adorable overly baguette-laden bicycle isn’t enough to bring you in, the smell you encounter as you walk through the doors of Inbread will make your stomach growl.

If, like me, you’re addicted to carbohydrates and always looking for another bread fix, I know you’ll appreciate this small bakery. In addition to baguettes and ciabatta, the friendly baker makes scones, fig wheat bread, cinnamon raisin toast, and various focaccias and other goodies. Stop in if you need a loaf to go with dinner – most baked goods are priced between 1,500 – 4,500 Won.

Bread N Drip – Unjung/West Pangyo

In a neighborhood where you can’t swing a cat without hitting a coffee shop, it takes something special to stand out. At Bread N Drip, they do so through their bread and baked goods.

Bread N Drip offers lunch and brunch sets complete with Americano and salads for around 10,000 Won. We chose the Caprese Panini and the Cranberry Chicken Sandwich. The bread was freshly baked, the cheese and veggies delicious. The Caprese had a spicy tomato sauce that really set it apart and the chicken was dressed with a homemade chutney that was sweet and went well with the mustard and cranberries. The salads were made from dark greens and chard and dressed with a simplistic balsamic.

The coffee shop is decorated simply with plenty of window seats for people-watching. The island near the counter displays cookies, muffins, and loaves and loaves of plain and flavored ciabatta, fresh from the oven.

One unique feature of this shop is the way they make their fare – there’s no butter, milk, or eggs in many of their baked goods. The cookie we had was made with no butter, egg or milk, and while not the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had, it was perhaps the best vegan one I’ve tasted.

Bread N Drip is a terrific place for lunch and a comfortable spot to snack on some sweets and sip a coffee. The ladies who run the place are wonderful and often come around to share free samples of whatever delicious goody is coming out of the oven at the time.

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Click to enlarge