Suyeonsanbang — Local services in Seoul

Loveee their bingsu. Took a long travel to get here but it was so worth it. The bingsu was fresh and the beans and pumpkin toppings sure did take lots of time to prepare, speaking as a self proclaimed dessert connoisseur. It was well balanced, not overly sweet and the freshness of the veggies was super prominent. Their service tea was also delicious. The injeolmi i ordered was in Korean black berries flavour and the flavour did not come through at all, very disappointed. There was a hint of velvet colour and acidity in the first bite but that was it. So i recommend other flavours than the berries. The downside of this place is the time limit of 2 hour. It was enough for me to finish my food but the preparation took so much time i couldn't enjoy everything in my slow pace (slow chewer's problem). Staffs were polite but they were just standing all over the places and they kinda made me feel like being observed lol. The architect is phenomenal since it carries...

I came here just after 6pm and they wouldn't serve me because they said it was their break time. Apparently that lasts until 7pm. So that would be a good thing to keep in mind when visiting. It's walkable from Hansung University on line 4, maybe takes 15 minutes. You can pair this with hiking along the fortress wall, but remember to bring your ID because it passes through a military zone.

Suyeon is located in a traditional hanok house and an important literary figure once lived here, so it has an interesting history, but honestly if you're just looking for a nice afternoon drinking tea in a hanok house I would recommend Cha-teul.

It's about 15-20 minute walk from Anguk station but the walk is significantly more interesting because you can weave your way through Bukchon Village. The staff are really friendly and this place has wonderful teas and desserts (including...

This lovely tea house is located in an artsy area of Seoul known as Seongbuk-dong (성북동). They serve primarily tea and options are extraordinary! Highlighting a few specialties: Omija (5 flavor) tea, sweet ginger (생강 차, "saeng-gang cha"), jujube date tea (대추 차, "daechu cha"), and iced green tea (냉녹차, "naeng noke cha"). Tea is served in a glass or ceramic pot or served by the mug.

In the summer, they offer a shaved ice dessert called "ppat-bing-su" (팟빙수), which is like a snowcone in a bowl. Their version is topped with sweet steamed pumpkin and red bean paste for a healthy, refreshing summer dish.

One drawback: Other than light rice cookies, the tea house does not serve food and they do not allow guests to bring their own. We wanted to enjoy a birthday cake dessert while having after-dinner tea, but they did...