I can't even remember when I last went to Sakkura Cafe in Hongdae, but it was several years ago... I remember they were semi-vegan friendly in that they had soy lattes and a vegan chickpea salad option, but not much other than that. The first time I went, I got super excited over their tofu cheesecake which I assumed was vegan but then later found out that it contained egg. :( I think that scarred me for a while. haha.
Anyway, I finally decided to revisit them (with some friends in tow) and was thrilled to see they have a new and improved menu, which is infinitely more vegan-friendly and very detailed about ingredients. They now clearly specify whether a dish has animal products and allow diners to customize dishes according to their dietary preferences/allergies.
Creamy vegetable soup, fresh salad with chickpeas, thin slices of natural yeast bread and a dollop of tofu spread (10,000 won).
The soup was quite filling with bits of potato and carrots. It definitely had a unique mild flavor which was beany yet potatoey at the same time. The chickpea salad was also quite lovely.
However the best thing on the plate was this herbed tofu spread which tasted like cream cheese.
So good.
Bread and vegetable soup set with homemade fig jam (6,500 won). I reckon this would be perfect for anyone just looking for a small snack.
Their fig jam was delicious. especially when paired with the vegan cream cheese from the first dish!
Olive oil vegetable pasta without the bacon that usually comes with it (10,000won).
We also ordered a soy latte. You can't tell from this photo, but underneath the foam, the soy milk was curdled due to the acidity of the coffee. I've had soy lattes there before and this was never a problem, but for some reason, this time, their latte was bland and unappetizing. :(
Finally, for dessert we shared a slice of their 'Apple with steamed grain cake'. I was expecting it to be like an apple pie, but it was definitely something else. The base 'crust' was made from chewy sticky rice, and then there was a thin layer of clementine preserves, a thicker layer of sweet red bean paste, and topped with cooked apples.
Although it was a bit lacking in flavor, it was still pretty good and definitely a healthier dessert. A unique, creative interpretation of an apple tart.
In the end, it was quite a tasty, healthy, "interesting" meal~ I really love their revamped menu and that they are so accommodating to vegans now. The cafe vibes are still as homey, chill and hipster as it was several years ago, so if you haven't been to Sukkara yet, I recommend making a visit. It's one of the few independent cafes in Hongdae that have endured all the steep competition over the years, and it's still going strong so props to them!
Website
Address, 1F Sanullim bldg. 327-9 Seogyo-dong Mapo-gu Seoul.
Tel, 02-334-5919.
Open, 11:00 am. Close, 12:00 am (L.O 11:00 pm).
Holiday, 3rd week Monday
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