Café of the week: Hongdae Bear
This small and somewhat unassuming café, located a hop, skip and jump from Xintiandi, has worked its way into our affections with its unique take on coffee and waffles. Named after the Hongdae neighbourhood in Seoul – with Korean and Singaporean management – the place exudes cool and relaxed Korean vibes (they’ll even let you leaf through their back issues of Monocle while you wait).
The Black Bear coffee (42RMB) is a highlight, with ground Arabica coffee beans from Brazil and Guatemala, mixed with creamy imported Yonsei milk. The coffee is topped with an unexpected grind of black pepper, which sounds like it should be awful, but works surprisingly well, adding a fragrant nose to the cup and giving the brew an occasional burst of spice that helps cut through the rich milk.
To eat, the waffles offer a variety of fun, unique flavours and toppings (from 53-58RMB). There are tofu waffles, cheese and jalapeño waffles, and a ‘Korean army stew hotpot-inspired waffle’.
For those wary of mixing waffles with tofu or cheese, opt for the signature Hongdae (53RMB), which dishes up four light and fluffy segments served with a sprinkle of candied nuts. The waffle – made to order without butter and cooked at 220 degrees Celsius – is a lovely mint-green colour from pandan and is the perfect balance of both fluffy and crisp. It’s tasty on its own, and enhanced when mixed with the sides of pandan paste and rich, organic honey.
Hongdae Bear keeps offerings simple, but handcrafts everything to perfection. This cute little store offers a nice alternative to the bigger chains you’ll find around Xintiandi, and manages to do so at reasonable prices with loveable flair.
Hongdae Bear is at 349 Zizhong Lu, near Madang Lu, Huangpu district.
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