Osulloc is a Korean brand offering Jeju-produced tea leaves to the tea-loving community in Korea. 3 organic tea plantations across Jeju island produce tea leaves with different characters and flavours according to the climatic environment of the island
The first time I came across Osulloc was some tea bags from a colleague returning from a trip and I did not think much of it. The next time was when I visited Korea myself and visited their then outlets in Insadong and Dongdaemun which have closed down now. I absolutely loved their green tea cream spread which is a very delicious spread for bread and biscuits. This time around, I decided to visit one of their biggest outlet at the Amore Pacific building located above the Sinyongsan metro station. Walk towards the direction ( Exit 2) of the Amore Pacific building and you can find a direct connection to the basement of the building as pictured
The cafe is located on level 1 of the building ( street level) and there are 2 sides; one side is for casual walk-in customers and the other side is for high tea on a reservation basis only. The name with the number 1979 behind is the one for the high tea while the one without is the casual cafe. The deco is also largely different with the side for high tea filled with plush sofas and low tables and the casual side exuding a more minimalistic warm wooden atmosphere
Since we did not have prior reservations, we could only wait for a table at the casual cafe side although I would have loved to chill at the plush sofas. The cafe side is bright and airy and very spacious with a centre island where the orders are taken and collected. The cafe is fully self-serviced and most customers generally clear their own tables before leaving
Other than a cafe they have a few merchandise areas where you can buy their nicely packed tea leaves in loose and tea bag form as well as their tea-flavoured food items like the green tea spread I mentioned and matcha waffles and biscuits
We ordered a couple of their popular items; green tea smoothie, green tea latte, green tea roll cake, Halla mountain cake with green tea ( Special edition) as well as green tea ice cream with waffles. The drinks were creamy and thick with a strong matcha flavour, with the green tea latte having a slight bittersweet aftertaste. The smoothie was sweeter and thicker as well so it would be a good choice for those preferring a sweeter drink.
The cakes on the other hand were well-balanced without being overly sweet. The cream was very light with a nice milky flavour and when paired with the slightly bitter matcha flavour of the sponge cakes was fantastic. Personally, I liked the roll cake better than the Halla mountain cake as I found the chocolate layer not all that well matched with the rest of the flavours. Although the cream and the matcha are similar to the roll cake in flavours the cake is denser and heavier
My personal favourite is the croffles which were made fresh upon order, the smell is so heavenly I ordered this halfway through eating the cakes. I totally did not regret it as the croffles were warm and crispy with a buttery and flakey texture. The ice cream was soft and creamy with a strong matcha flavour and when paired with the drizzled green tea cream, there was a perfect harmony of buttery, matcha bittersweet and condensed milk sweetness all in one bite
Overall, I loved the atmosphere at the cafe as it was quiet and spacious and comfortable enough for you to chill and rest. While the side offering the high tea is posher, I did not regret it as I had some of the best matcha desserts
Address: South Korea, Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Hangang-daero, 100, 아모레퍼시픽 빌딩 1층
Operating hours: 10 am to 7 pm ( 11am on Sat and Sun)
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