As someone who often travels solo to Korea, one of the most significant disadvantages is being unable to try multiple food variations at cafes. Sometimes, you just wish you could try a bit of everything. Well, Hanib Bagel has managed to do just that.
This bagel cafe in Seongsu offers small, bite-sized bagels in multiple variations, ranging from sweet to savoury. A tiny bagel can cost as little as 900won.
Bite-Sized Bagel Cafe in Seongsu
Located near Seoul Forest station, the cafe offers alfresco seating in its backyard and seats in the cafe itself. Because of its location, SM entertainment artist Taeyeon has visited the cafe previously!
The backyard was quite pretty during autumn, but we’re unsure how it would fare in colder weather.
How this place works: You simply pick up the bagels you want at the display counter, and the staff helps place them on plates for you. You can also order beverages over the counter.
There’s a self-heating corner if you wish to enjoy your bagels heated up.
Hanib Bagel Menu
From the display alone, there were over 15 variations of bite-sized bagels to choose from. These include savoury options like Pepperoni (2,500won), Everything Bagel (1,000won), Sesame (900won), Jalapeno (1,800won), and Wasabi Bacon (2,800won).
Sweet options include Honey Sweet Potato (2,500won), Ang Butter (2,800won), Honey Cream Cheese (2,800won), Apple Crumble (2,800won), and even Bakies (3,000won) – a hybrid between bagel and cookies.
For drinks, there are the usuals like Latte (5,000won), Vanilla Latte (5,500won), Matcha Latte (6,000won), and Strawberry Ade (6,000won). Decaffeine and oat milk options are also available.
Bite-Sized Bagel Review
I opted for the Salt Bagel (1,800won) inspired by the popular salt bread. It had a nice chewy texture, like the salt bread you try, with a nice crispy bottom. It might have been better if it was slightly more buttery, but it was still an enjoyable treat.
The Cream Cheese Green Onion Bagel (2,800won) looked similar to those Korean garlic buns, which were all the hype a few years back. It had a nice balance of flavours, the cream cheese went well with the green onion – a combination that always works in Korea.
I also opted for a sweet option, the Dubai Chocolate Bagel (5,500won). The small size really works for this flavour because I can never imagine finishing a full-sized Dubai Chocolate bagel. The bagel is coated in a nice layer of dark chocolate, with the iconic pistachio kunafe filling adding a nice layer of textural contrast.
I always imagined anything in Dubai Chocolate flavour to be excessively sweet, but this was right for me. The pistachio filling was nutty but not too sweet, and the bitterness of the dark chocolate balanced it out.
The flat white (5,000won) that I got, which only comes in an iced option, was nutty and creamy – pairing perfectly with the sweet bagel.
Cafe in Seongsu
I imagine Hanib Bagel to be the perfect cafe-hopping spot for solo travellers or anyone wanting to try multiple bagel variations without stressing the stomach. It’s also ideal for takeaways, so you can have a light breakfast before leaving your accommodation or just as a quick snack during the day.
Hanib Bagel (한입베이글)
서울 성동구 뚝섬로 317
317 Ttukseom-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Mon-Sun, 10am-8pm
Nearest Subway: Seoul Forest Station (Suin-Bundang Line), Exit 2
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*This was an independent review by MiddleClass
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