If I lived near Hongdae, you would probably find me at one of the cafes there every single day. How many independent coffee shops are hidden in the alleys of Hongdae? Mm... , a lot. Case closed.
My most recent Hongdae excursion took me to this fun spot called 'Cafe1010.' The whole concept behind this place is the idea of going on a trip.
Everything from the images on the walls, the ornaments and products, right down to your receipt, all revolve around this 'leaving-on-a-jet-plane' theme. There's even a giant lego pilot at the front entrance! Amazing.
Some might call it kitschy or gimmicky, but I'm one of those people who enjoy being at airports because of everything they represent- excitement, transitions, hellos and goodbyes, and the hope of adventure... I love being a traveler, so for me, this coffee shop isn't hard to appreciate.
But you know what takes this cafe from merely 'cool' to practically enlightened? The fact that they have soymilk on their menu. OH YES. Their 'Doyou Latte' (translation: soy latte) is enough to make me a loyal customer. Can we all just take a minute and give them a round of applause? It's good to know at least one cafe in Korea is doing things right.
My soy cafe latte (5000 won) and boarding pass/receipt.
They also have a few food items on their menu (sandwich sets, etc), but not much for a vegan. My friend Abs was hungry and ordered their 'Honey bread' to go with her glass of iced soy cafe latte. Clearly it's not vegan, but it's quite a sight to see. The 'honey bread' was a giant hunk of soft brown bread, topped with melted butter, honey, cinnamon, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Then on the side, they created a mound of whipped cream, with caramel and chocolate drizzled on top, and sprinkled with almond slices. phew!
It's hard to leave this cafe without feeling inspired to do some traveling and adventure-seeking~ Speaking of adventure, I wanna take this chance to announce that I'll be going to the Philippines (namely, the island of Boracay) for vacation in May! The tickets are bought, my vacation week has been approved, and it's all set!! Even though it's still an excruciating 2 months away, my friends and I are practically crapping our pants with excitement.
