If you want to eat ice cream in Korea, head to Hongdae — that’s where it’s at for frozen treats in Hongdae!

Text & Photos /By: A Newlywed in Korea

The commercial district around Hongik University (commonly known as Hongdae), famous for its art scene, gets packed with crowds every holiday. It's a hotspot for young people to hang out on dates and a must-visit area for tourists coming to Korea. In addition to its trendy shops and unique restaurants, summer brings a host of popular Korean ice cream brands setting up shop here. So, if you're an ice cream lover, a trip to Hongdae will let you sample almost all of Korea’s most popular ice creams right now.
BTW, while writing this ice cream article, your newlywed author ate nearly ten kinds of ice cream in one day — by the end, she was seriously sick of it. She recommends not trying more than two items from the list unless you’re sharing with lots of people.

▲ Hongik University (aka Hongdae) is Korea’s most prestigious art school, and its surrounding streets are covered in creative graffiti. Its unique art culture is a big hit with young people.
The following shops are ranked from most to least delicious based on the author’s personal taste.

Red Bean Ice Cream Bread – Seoul Lovers? Pyeongcheon-dong, Tea Eagle Nest
The red bean bread that caused long queues has expanded across Korea in just a few months. It's not only popular at busy subway stations and tourist spots, but also found in department stores — its fame is truly remarkable.

▲ Just after exiting Hongdae Station via the Airport Railroad line, you’ll see the queue for red bean bread. These freshly made breads have thin crusts and generous fillings, with red bean paste that includes walnuts.

▲ The shop offers a limited-edition summer red bean ice cream bread for 3,000 KRW.

▲ Its plump appearance resembles a red envelope bread, and it feels quite heavy even when just holding it.

▲ Inside is a combo of ice cream and red beans.
Before trying it, you might think it’s just frozen red bean bread — what’s so special? But once you take the first bite, the soft, thin crust gives way to fragrant vanilla ice cream and sweet red bean filling. It’s surprisingly delicious.

& Where to buy???
At Hongdae Station on the Airport Railroad Express, it’s on the right-hand side as you exit the gate. If you take Line 2 to Hongdae Station, follow the signs for the Airport Railroad and it’s on the left-hand side in front of the AREX gate.

Healthy and Wholesome Black Rice Ice Cream – SoBok

▲ SoBok, which just opened in Hongdae earlier this year, quickly became a favorite among young people and is now one of the go-to spots for queues in Hongdae.

▲ A serving of black rice ice cream costs 5,200 KRW.
Advocating natural wellness, SoBok stirs black rice and several types of grains together (similar to a traditional grain tea), then adds milk and makes it fresh every morning. This process results in a richer, sweeter taste. To highlight its healthy, natural flavor, they also mix in sweet pumpkin, dried persimmon, maltose (called “seutaep”), and rice cake. The texture is smooth and satisfying.

▲ The shop doesn’t just focus on healthy ice cream — even the cups used to serve it are made from eco-friendly, biodegradable cornstarch, emphasizing a simple and elegant green concept.

They only sell three items: ice cream for 5,200 KRW, snowflake-style shaved ice for 6,800 KRW, and nine pieces of mochi-like rice cake (called “magpie rice cake”) for 7,500 KRW. Among them, the magpie rice cake made with rice cake and bean powder has become especially popular during the season.

& Where to buy???
Address: 58, Gyeongui Jungangseo-gil (From Exit 9 of Hongdae Entrance Station on Line 2 or the Airport Railroad, walk toward the famous parking lot in Hongdae, near KT&G Sangsangmadang.)

Dreamy Macaron Ice Cream That Will Make You Happy – Foupie LaonD

▲ Located in a quiet alley just off the main drag in Hongdae, the specialty store for chocolates and macarons called LaonD offers a peaceful retreat. Its simple decor makes you feel as relaxed as if you were in your own garden.

▲ Chocolate high heels

▲ Chocolate handbags

▲ Chocolate shards in varying levels of purity.

▲ (Image from the internet) Shows freshly made chocolates and macarons arranged in jars, priced between 2,000 and 2,200 KRW each.

▲(Image from the internet) Starting from the top left, the macarons are black sesame, matcha, vanilla, and lemon.

▲The shop’s signature drink, Chocolate Espresso, lets you enjoy the bitterness of coffee along with the sweetness of chocolate.

▲The shop’s signature chocolate macaron ice cream, 4,500 KRW each.

▲The crispy waffle paired with sweet and rich chocolate ice cream even won me over—even though I’m not usually a big chocolate fan. No wonder they say desserts bring happiness; this one was not only satisfying to the taste buds but also lifted my mood completely.

&Where to buy???
Address: 395-84, Seobyeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Take Exit 3 of Hoehyeon Station on Subway Line 2, turn left at the first alley, walk straight, then turn right to find the shop inside the alley.

Strawberry milk shaved ice reminiscent of first love—peony

▲The shop originally only sold cakes, but later opened a café in the basement next door in response to customer demand, offering in-house cakes, coffee, and seasonal shaved ice series.

▲Every time I passed by, I was always intimidated by the long queue spilling onto the street—wondering just how good this place could be?! One day when the line wasn’t too long, I waited about half an hour and finally got to try it.

Because the basement has poor lighting, the photos didn’t turn out well and couldn’t capture the deliciousness of the food, so the following images are all from the internet.

▲Strawberry milk shaved ice (name?), 8,000 KRW per serving, slightly tart strawberries drizzled over milk-based shaved ice, offering a sweet and sour taste that recreates the sweetness of first love.

▲Soft and silky strawberry cake.

▲The shop also offers an afternoon tea set that combines shaved ice and cake.

&Where to buy???
Address: [Korean address] (53 [Korean address])
Shop website: http://blog.naver.com/peonysdream

Creating the world’s only unique custom chocolate popsicles—peony Ma Crème

▲The newly opened Ma Crème in Hongdae features a refreshing green exterior that looks especially vibrant.

▲ Ma Crème offers customizable popsicles where you can choose your preferred flavors and toppings, which are then handcrafted by professional staff.

▲The first step is to go to the counter and select your desired popsicle flavor.

▲The second step is to choose the outer shell of the popsicle, available in either white or dark chocolate.

▲Select the toppings you’d like sprinkled on the popsicle, with various nuts to choose from.

▲The staff will use a cocktail-like cup to sprinkle your chosen toppings onto the popsicle.

▲Finally, add your selected sauce.

▲A customized popsicle based on your preferences, 4,900 KRW each.

Although you can enjoy the fun of creating your own personalized flavor, you have to consider flavor pairings when choosing the taste and toppings—don’t end up like us, finding it overly sweet by the end.

&Where to buy???
You can find the shop mentioned above at Zhaofu Ice Cream (located diagonally across from peony).

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