With the smell of machinery and cut steel on a summer's day, I found myself wandering the streets of Mullae-dong. In the neighbourhood that is famed for the coexistence of old metal works and factories, with trendy cafes and restaurants, there is a red brick two story building. On the second floor of this building is the café and baking studio Baekya.
The café was a stark contrast to most of the area; not only was it one of the only two story buildings in the area, it was also bright and had a light feel.
The café had grey concrete floors and ceiling. The walls were off white with the upper part showing off concrete brick to give off an industrial feel. Metal frames and beams also added to the industrial feel matching the cafe's neighborhood,
However this was offset with deep coloured wood strongly featured in the space. Each of the doors and windows were framed in wood, and the ordering counter and cabinetry were also made of the same wood. Inside the café , the tables and chairs were also made of wood.
Decoration of the café was relatively simple with most of it coming from the building’s design and the furniture. However, café did have an orange and blue colour scheme that aimed to capture the essence of a summer day. Orange was in particular an accent colour, and was seen on labels, counter tops and window decals. This brightness and summer sunset feel gave a stark contrast to the dark gritty nature of the Mullae neighbourhood.
For the seating, there were a few seats inside the café that were for mostly twos, but there was a large glass table in the centre of the café. With a large circular light hanging from the ceiling, this table also acted as a centre piece for the café.
Although inside the café was somewhat sectioned off, it didn’t feel too cramped. This was because it had lot of windows that allowed natural light into the café, and showed off the view to make the space feel bigger. However the best seating was outside.
There was a covered outdoor seating area, as well as a rooftop. My friends and I sat outside. This gave us a great opportunity to have an expansive view of Mullae’s winding streets, all the while being shielded from the sun.
While the café did have tables that were ok for working, the café was more suited for leisure. The atmosphere of the café was relaxing and light and was great for socialising or taking time to take some rest.
For drinks, I got a milk tea, my friends got an ice americano and a latte and we shared a matcha and strawberry mon blanc cake. Both my friends said that their coffees were nice and were well brewed. The milk tea had a nice robust tea flavour and had a silky texture. But the hero was the cake. The three of us agreed that the cake was absolutely delicious. It was a multilayered cake strawberry cake with a matcha biscuit. It had layers of mousse like strawberry cream, sponge, strawberry jam and a matcha biscuit. Even with the amount of layers, they all tied in perfectly for a beautiful explosion of flavour.
Baekya is a light and airy cafe and bake studio. In dead beat terms this is a café that captures the essence of a beautiful sunset. Not only was the café a nice contrast to the area of Mullae, it feels like a break from the city. It’s a lovely place to enjoy a sunny afternoon, especially with a slice of cake.
Comments