HyunSangSo, in Korean it means a photo processing laboratory, more commonly known as a print shop. That’s what this place was before transforming into one of the most unique cafés in Seoul. A quick word of mouth has not only put this café on the maps of many Seoulites, it has even brought the neighborhood some new attention. The all white café has a subtle warm tone to it, especially from the lamps lighting up a warm yellow hue. The windows are covered with a light curtain, letting in enough light to brighten up the whole place, but making sure none of the subtleties are lost from any intense sunlight. The wide open space, with white wooden flooring, consists only of 10 round tables, a few exhibition pedestals and the café of course. The middle is left wide open, almost making us expect the bride and father come in for the father-daughter dance of an all white wedding. As we are seated, the waitress hands over an envelope. Within in are two folded papers, containing a memo written in pencil. At this point, it really does feel like an invitation to a wedding, just until you read what it says. It’s the menu to the café.
All different types of coffee are priced at 7,000 won while the desserts are 5,000 won. Both the ‘Sea Salt Cream Espresso’ and the ‘ChocoCream on the Milk’ contain a little bit of salt to strengthen its innate sweetness. The ‘ChocoCream on the Milk’ is thicker than chocolate milk but lighter than a hot chocolate, making for a great chocolate drink. The ‘Apple Crumble Cinnamon Pie’ was had a good level of layered crust along with a good balance of apple and cinnamon. Just the like the café itself, the menu items aren’t glamorously elaborate, but still holds itself in high regard just like an artist.