When I have a lot to do and need to find a cafe to nest in for a couple of hours, I try to look for a laid back place where I can have a light meal, good coffee and maybe even a little dessert after. These are not exactly easy things to find all in one place and I’m actually quite picky on top of that. Thankfully Zera’s Cafe came to my rescue!
Actually what drew me in was their sign for homemade apple pie. Now I make a mean apple pie, so I was more than a bit curious to try some from a cafe that specializes in it. But first things first, lets talk about lunch!
The tortilla chicken wrap is heavenly and absolutely perfect for a light lunch. Usually store bought tortillas in Korea tend to be small, stiff and flavorless, so I tend to stay away from wraps in general. They are also almost always over priced and never really have much in them. So, I am glad to have finally found a place that knows what they’re doing. The wrap consists of a large piece of breaded seasoned chicken breast served with FRESH lettuce, basil, tomato, onion and sour cream all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. The chicken is so soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, it really makes the mouth water. It also comes with a side of crispy tostadas and sour cream for dipping all for only ₩6,o00. How awesome is that?!?
As a rule of thumb, I always order the milk tea the first time I go to a new cafe. I love milk tea, so I’m always on the look out for a place that can make it better than I do at home. What usually irks me about milk tea though is that at many places tea is usually served by the pot for about ₩6,000~ ₩9,000. This rarely applies to milk tea, so you end up spending what you would on a pot for only a cup. What a rip. I have had the luck of finding a few good places that serve milk tea by the pot and as luck would have it, Zera’s Cafe is now one of them! I can’t quite pinpoint what they use to make their milk tea apart from steamed milk and loose tea leaves, but I can tell you that it’s absolutely delightful. The flavor is perfect and doesn’t require any additional sweetener. It’s ₩6,000 for a pot which may seem quite pricey since it’s the same price as the food, but I promise you won’t be disappointed. Unfortunately, I’m so hooked on their milk tea that I haven’t really tried any of their other drinks. Someday I’ll get to that.
Now for the pie. Apple pie is their specialty and they serve two kinds: plain and caramel. They’re actually both pretty good, but anything that has caramel is number one in my book. You can also have it “a la mode” for and additional ₩1,000…. If you choose to go without, it still comes with a dollop of light whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon on the side. Honestly, I really have no complaints. The apples are soft, but not soggy. The cinnamon doesn’t overwhelm the natural sweetness of the apples and the crust is nice and flakey. I love pie crust… yum! At ₩6,000 a slice, I admit it is a bit overpriced but unless you want to make it yourself finding homemade apple pie in Korea isn’t easy.
The cafe itself is nice and cozy but very small, with only about seven tables. It can get very busy in the evening especially on weekends, so I really recommend going early in the afternoon. Zera’s Cafe is tucked away in one of Hongdae’s many winding alleyways, so be sure to take a good look at the map I made before you venture out on your pie quest. Hope you enjoyed this tasty update. Happy eating!
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