The hype: Make Seoul Garden Cool Again—is exactly what Two Hana wants to do. After having pioneered Korean dining in the F&B industry, the group steps out in a younger, fresher direction with a new cafe concept that marries Korean and Western cuisines, in a full menu of creative fusion dishes and cafe-quality drinks.
The vibe: Against all our better judgement, we admit: The place is highly instagrammable. Clean decor, a pastel colour palette and pops of teal and pink furniture make the cafe an instant hit with millennials (and even some office folk). Two Hana opens from 8am so you can even grab your morning cuppa.
The food: Two Hana’s cutesy interior belies the impression that cafes are incapable of offering both quality drinks and food. You’ll be spoilt for choice at the full selection of Korean-Western creations ranging from light bites to proper mains. Order the Kimchi Mac and Cheese ($9 for five pieces) that comes with a side of spicy Two Hana chili sauce, and the Korean Cauliflower Fritters ($9), deceptively deep-fried in Tempura batter, to start.
A must-try main is the Striploin Bap ($13), which cheekily elevates the classic bimbimbap with a poached egg and medium rare striploin slices; tender and hearty. In keeping with the “twist on a classic” theme, the Korean Seafood Ciopinno ($12) is another explosive favorite—creamy seafood tomato soup with your choice of soft rolls filled with kimchi and cheese to dunk, or a full tube of soft tofu so you can enjoy it budae jiggae style.
For dessert, expect nothing less than prettily plated sweets. Either of the waffles is great—the Strawberry Waffles with Honey Citron Ice Cream ($9) are just a touch sweeter than the tart Apple Caramel Waffles with Doenjang Caramel Ice Cream ($9). But we’d choose to end our meal with the Hojicha Pudding ($5), a creamy Hojicha mousse served with pound cake and fruits that we can still taste today.
The drinks: It’s been a while since we came across a cafe with ridiculously good drinks, and Two Hana has many. You can’t go wrong with a coffee ($5), made here with Carmelo blend from Allpress; or an aromatic Passionfruit Green Tea ($5) or Lavender and Peach Tea ($5) for the tea-drinkers. Still, Two Hana’s star beverages are their downright ostentatious iced latte creations, which come topped with whipped cream, rice crispies, and a soft bungeoppang (Korean fish-shaped pastry). Both the Iced Matcha Latte ($6) and Iced Hojicha Latte ($6) are just the right amount of sweet, though it was the easy-drinking former that surprised us matcha-haters.
Why you’ll be back: There’s something comforting about going back to the food places that shaped your childhood—even if this time, there are no shared grills and troughs of uncooked meat in sight. Two Hana packages the subtle nostalgia of your Seoul Garden days into elaborate, trendy beverages and dishes that taste, surprisingly, just as good as they look. And really, we can’t fault anyone for trying to stay relevant.
