If you make your way to a quiet neighbourhood in between Namyeong and Hyochang Park stations, you will find a small but busy café.
On the second floor of a newly build building is Sick Cat Sign. The entrance, a small sliding glass door, let’s you see into almost whole of the small café. Although the café was small and out of the way, my friend and I had to wait to get in.
Inside the café, the walls and ceiling were made of light grey concrete sheets and the flooring was grey carpet. One wall of the café was almost floor to ceiling window, which let in a beautiful amount of natural sunlight. This also made the small café feel more open. The building opposite was a Hanok, a traditional Korean style house. The house’s picturesque tiled roof served to beautifully frame the otherwise urban view of the café.
Opposite the window, was the ordering counter which was made of wood. Behind the counter, alongside silver and wooden storage, were bright orange venetian blinds. This was not the only colour in the café. Bright pops of colour were present in all corners of the café. Turquoise coffee filters, yellow pot plants, blue stereos, and a myriad of colours in the posters made the space bright.
Although the café was small, it’s little details made it stand out. From whichever way you looked, there was something new to look at. On our table next to a pot plant, there was a cute little lego man and a stereo.
There was a music and pop culture theme to a lot of decoration. The cafe's name, Sick Cat Sign was a reference to the American sitcom Friends and pictures of the characters were everywhere. Stereos, record players and cassettes were also on display. Moreover, the music was notably great, with lots of 70s classics. There were also plants that added a natural feel to the space.
The seating in the café was for twos and threes. While the style of chair was different, most chairs were black and silver and the tables were white and black. While the table height and atmosphere was perfect for working, since there was waiting, it was probably better to keep it for socialising, especially on the weekends.
For drinks, I got a vanilla rooibos iced tea and my friend got an iced americano. We also shared a banana pudding. My friend said the coffee was deliciously brewed. The tea was cool and refreshing with a strong flavour but a little on the bitter side.
However, the banana pudding was the true winner of the day. It was a creamy and light pudding with layers of soft cake and fresh banana lathered in cream. Usually in Korea cream is artificial cream that has unnatural taste. However the cream they used here was fresh cream which tasted so much better. It was sprinkled with Biscoff biscuits which added a nice crunch to the otherwise soft dessert. It was really delicious.
Sick Cat Sign, while small, it’s a visual delight. In dead beat terms it’s a café where each part of it has something to catch your eye. Not only is the interior and atmosphere maintained so well, the deserts in particular are top notch. So for sure this café is worth the wait. If not for the interior, do it for the deserts.
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