Just above Yeonnamdong, in a quiet neighbourhood called Yeonhuidong, you can find one of my personal favourite cafes. Pouring Out is a medium sized café with a moody and sentimental feeling that is great day and night, but is especially beautiful on a winter evening.
Most of the interior is wooden; the floorboards, seating, tables, some of the walls, and the counter, are all wood, stained in a beautiful dark chocolate colour. There rest of the space is painted with an calming off white colour.
Decoration is quite sporadic and small, but adds to the cafe's charm. Notes and posters stuck on walls, lighting fixtures, small plants and flowers, books and records in small spaces; these create tender atmosphere. Yet interesting cut outs to the side of the café, most notably a small room really epitomises the feeling of being in a poet’s study.
Inside the café, the main seating is a single bar of wood along the wall of the café, and with low tables and stool chairs opposite. Each table is spaced out enough not to feel as if you’re intruding on other groups' space. There also is a higher communal table, that is more appropriate for working. While outside there is also a small space with seating.
Every time I come, I always get the cocoa, which is a hot or iced chocolate, depending on the season. The most recent time I came here, I had an iced chocolate. In both the iced and hot chocolate there is a little salt added, which brings out the sweetness and flavour of the chocolate. The strong but not sickening flavour makes it one of the best hot chocolates in Seoul, and also one of the cheapest.
I’ve also had the blueberry jam and cream cheese toast. While it’s nothing really special, it’s a classic combination with good jam to cream cheese ratio and is nice if you're feeling peckish.
While there are some hotspots to get pictures, because of the lighting, it’s difficult to get photos that truly capture the essence of the café. So this is a café that you must visit in person to genuinely appreciate the atmosphere. So in dead beat terms, if you want to escape the world a little bit, this dark and moody café is great to enjoy a nice drink, all while in a sentimental mood.
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