Sorry for the absence, folks! I’ve been down and out with a nasty bug and had no energy to eat, create or blog. Well, I mean, I could eat… I didn’t want to die.
But, I found the most amazing information on Facebook while I was sick. There is now a truly beautiful cupcake store opened fifteen minutes from my apartment. A DANGEROUS fifteen minutes from my apartment. And these weren’t some god awful, dry Korean cupcakes…this was a American franchise called Gigi’s that started in Nashville, TN. The American South! Where they know how to make desserts the right way! The one place in the world where they have been taught since birth how to whip sugar and butter into something magical every single time.
I practically floated into the store my expectations were so high.
The store is, of course, adorable in all pink and cupcake decor. There are a few places to sit but most people were taking their dreamy cakes to go. They have several flavors that don’t seem to change (which, believe me, is ok). The list includes:
- Turtle
- Tiramisu
- Double Stuff
- Champagne
- Lemon Dream Supreme
- Turtle Supreme
- Wedding Cake
- White Midnight Magic
- Miss Princess
- Mocachino
- Midnight Magic
- Mocachino Supreme
I bit into just the frosting first. I usually don’t have a problem with Korean cupcake frosting but there was something much different with these. The taste took me home, to the last time I had a decent cupcake. It was so buttery, smooth and so sweet. Then I bit into the turtle cupcake and nearly teared up. It was perfect. It wasn’t dry like all the other cupcakes I’ve had in Korea, it was perfectly moist and sweet. I’ve tried many Korean cupcakes trying to find one that seemed right…none were. None. They were all tasteless and dry. There is never enough butter or sugar to make them taste right. (Sorry Korea, you know I love you but, you don’t know how to make cupcakes yet.) This place is the real deal. I can only hope they stay true to the recipes and not fusion-ize it. That would be a sad day in cupcake land. It’s so funny how easily it is to take for granted something as simple as a cupcake.
Just go. You’ll probably see me there in the corner quietly stuffing my face.
Cupcakes range from 4-6,000 won (WORTH it!)
Hours: Sunday – Thursday (11am-10pm) Friday – Saturday (11am-11pm)
Phone: 02-2038-3070
Address: 814-6 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul or Starplex, 438 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Directions: Gigi’s is behind the Starplex building in the same area as the Sweetruck and New York Hot Dogs. It’s at the intersection of Gangnam-daero 102-gil and Teheran-ro 1-gil.
Une Peach 