As its name suggests, cafe B-hind lies tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Hapjeong’s cafe street. At first glance, you may think it to be just another ordinary cafe, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Once inside, there’s an embracing laid back, somewhat vintage, musically themed atmosphere. This 13 year old cafe was created as a sort of haven for people to relax and study in. Additionally, the owners of the cafe are big music lovers, so they wanted to create a cafe that matched their passion. You are always guaranteed a wide mixed variety of music to listen to while enjoying your coffee.
I love the drinks here! While many cafes tend to ultimately blend together, with one caramel macchiato tasting no different from the last, cafe B-hind certainly breaks the mold. Not only are their basic coffees and teas distinguishable, but so are their more unusual drinks.
If you’re in the mood for something hot, you must try their Green Tea Cappuccino. Before the coffee is added, the green tea is properly stirred with a bamboo whisk until all the matcha powder is dissolved. This gives it a smooth, non-clumpy and evenly distributed flavor. It’s sheer caffeinated bliss!
With the weather warming up, you may be up for something a bit more refreshing. In this case I’d recommend the Iced Green Milk Tea; topped with red beans, whipped cream and strawberry shavings it is picture perfect, though it may come off a bit strange in concept. I was surprised to see the red beans, since they are usually only added to blended drinks, but it actually gave the tea a nice subtle hint of sweetness. It’s a pretty unique drink.
If you’re more of a play it safe kind of person, you can’t go wrong with their Strawberry Smoothie. My boyfriend really enjoyed this one. It was blended perfectly and topped with slices of strawberry to make a creamy blend of smoothie and milkshake. While I can’t say there was anything that stood out, it definitely did not disappoint.
I’d definitely have to say that cafe B-hind’s ultimate drawing point is their unique menu item, the Kiosque French Toast. This dish consists of a mini french toast loaf topped with an array of different toppings. The bread is grilled to perfection, making it nice and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. There is also a topping to satisfy anyone’s tastes, from those with a major sweet tooth like me to those who would rather not go on a sugar high, like my boyfriend.
Although the bread is prepared the same way for every dish, the toppings give each one their own unique flare. Since there are so many toppings to choose from, I decided to try and cover all my bases. The most popular dish is the Sugared Blueberry Kiosque French Toast. This is definitely one for the sugar lovers. While it is topped with a pile of fresh blueberries, it is also drizzled with a thick blueberry sauce and dusted with a light layer of powdered sugar. I loved it and it certainly isn’t hard to understand why it’s so popular.
If you want to take it down a notch, then I recommend the Sugared Apple Kiosque French Toast. I thought it would be just as sweet as the blueberry, but actually it was quite mild. The natural taste of the apples wasn’t overpowered by the addition of sugar and cinnamon. It reminded me of an apple pie.
Finally, there is the Ice Cream Kiosque French Toast. It’s simple and perfect, with nothing added to the toast except a heaping scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream sprinkled with almond slices and cinnamon. I think this was my favorite and with summer right around the corner, I’m sure I will be back for more.
According to store manager, it was a recipe developed by the former manager who had worked there for 8 years and eventually branched out to open his own cafe exclusively for this dish. Yes, it’s that good! Since he and the owners got along so well he had no problem sharing his recipe. Now the current manager has become a bit of a pro at preparing the dish himself.
With so many Kiosque French Toast variations and the cost ranging from ₩2,500~₩4,500, it’s hard not to try more than one. If you’re planning to stop by, the mornings are generally the least busy, so you’re almost always guaranteed a table. I have a feeling this definitely going to be my new favorite cafe. If you have the chance to stop by, it may very well become your favorite too. Happy eating!
