Cheongsu NJ — Restaurant in Fort Lee

To be honest, I was really excited to go here. It was really popping off on social media. When me and my friends went here initially they were so disorganized and way over capacity. The sign on the ordering kiosk said “ sit first and then order” and there was nothing we could order to-go. So we left. We returned weeks later, this past Sunday (hopefully it was more organized and calm) but we were wrong.

The cafe was packed. The two groups ahead of us, were approached and sat at tables. We noticed it was packed and that they had a second floor available so me and my friends went to see if there was seating upstairs. It was empty and we were told by one of the workers that the seating was unavailable upstairs. So instead they sat us at the “bar” which was smacked in between the drop off place and bathroom and entrance. So yeah, terrible seating arrangement. We placed our orders, and this group of Korean women placed their order after us. However they received all of their items before us. And they picked up their items from the “return plates/dishes” zone. Where me and my friends were sat. When one the workers who looked really over it called our order, I stood next to the same place where the Korean lady received hers, only to be told to cross around the other side to get my order. Then another worker told me same thing, as my friend went to cross over the already packed cafe to get our order.

And guess what, that group of Korean Ladies who came in, were sat upstairs in the “unavailable seating”. There’s a common theme at these predominantly Korean establishments, and that’s if you are Korean, you actually get serviced. Me and my friends were ignored, rudely spoken to by the employees besides the sweet girl that was working. I will give this place Two stars, cause the drinks were actually good. But we also noticed another group of poc came in, were barely talked to, and ended up leaving also.

If only we had read the other very much honest reviews before going here. The “tipping” at the self service kiosk is diabolical, when you are barely treated with...

This place is an existing brand in Korea that focuses on traditional meets modern Korean desserts. If you like aesthetics they definitely achieve it. I can see why it has bad reviews. It’s not the food, it’s their hospitality. Although my interaction with the staff weren’t negative their hospitality method seem to lack an understanding of pleasant experience. I think there needs to be a staff by the door and ordering station to inform customers on how the cafe works. It’s still a new concept and they were yelling at customers to find a seat first before ordering through the kiosk. The place was so packed people were hovering over existing customers. Some customers were just sitting there when they were already done and some had to be asked to leave. I understand both sides, perhaps it might have been better to implement a different approach such as separating the to-go lines and for stay customers. Maybe going the route with table service and taking reservations would have prevented all the negative reviews like Lysee or Grace Street so each customers have pleasant experience… If it’s just a quick coffee and tea place their current approach may work but with the products they are selling most people want to visit, sit, take pictures, etc. Just think it’s a missed...

I was extremely disappointed with my experience. The space felt overly cramped, with tables positioned just about a foot apart from each other. While I wasn’t expecting the relaxing, zen-like atmosphere of other establishments, the lack of comfort was noticeable.

The desserts were underwhelming, to say the least. The soufflé, while acceptable, was average at best. What truly disappointed me, however, was the traditional dessert set. While the presentation was visually appealing, with the tray (though awkwardly high when placed on a table), it did not represent Korean traditional desserts well. The items were extremely dry, and the Yakgwa—despite being a familiar and loved dessert—was one of the worst versions I’ve had. The inclusion of a Madeleine and Financier, while an interesting touch, were dense and unenjoyable.

The set also included a small booklet, which was a thoughtful addition, but it was poorly executed. It provided brief descriptions of the items but lacked pictures, making it difficult to identify the contents unless you were already familiar with them.

Despite spending over $75, none of my friends or I could bring ourselves to take more than one bite of each dessert. It was a disappointing...