Nasania
Written and photographed by Adam Travis
It’s Saturday morning and after pulling ourselves out of bed, we hop on the bus. We step off and make our way away from the bustling main road down a quiet street to find a café named Nasania. The sign out front, basking in bright sunlight, tells us it’s “a nice corner of the world to be happy in.” The cozy, eight-table, white-walled café is decorated with dream catchers, plants, colorful cushions, twinkling strings of lights, and a surfboard in the corner.
Stepping through the front door, we’re greeted by the chef with a cheery “Long time no see,” though our sole visit had been five months prior. We take our seats and begin leafing through the three-page menu. The chef calls out to ask if we are vegetarian and offers some all-veggie variations on menu items, as well as her personal favorites.
Nasania’s menu is focused on brunch, sweets, and European-influenced dishes like lasagna and gambas al ajilo – shrimp fried in oil with chili flakes. Though the menu may seem small, a scroll through social media reveals a diverse set of specials and seasonal variations on menu staples. Worth noting for the dinner crowd is the bring-your-own-wine option, subject to a 5,000-won corkage fee. Fixed to the front of the menu is a small card telling us about the morning’s specials: mushroom cheese Benedict and 1 + 1 (buy one get one free) strawberry ades.
Though it’s late enough to be lunch, we opt for the brunch menu. With Hollandaise sauce on my mind and a craving for bacon, I choose the classic eggs Benedict. It seems to be a dish frequently featured on the café’s social media, so I’ve been eager to try their take on it. My companion opts for the chef-recommended Persian omelet: two eggs cooked in a deep pan with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, onion, and cumin served with toast.
While we wait for our food, our strawberry ades arrive. The drinks taste light and sweet with just a little pulp from the strawberries. We sip our drinks and relax into our seats as the chef prepares our food in the open kitchen behind the counter.
With a few dings, a clatter of pans, and a shuffle of footsteps, our food arrives. The eggs Benedict are good – the eggs have been poached well and the bacon is exactly what my taste buds have been looking for, but an un-toasted English muffin keeps it from really hitting the spot.
But the Persian omelet is something else. Good food is sometimes more about a feeling than posh ingredients or precise technique. Though the omelet was gorgeous to look at, it was the eyes-closed, chew-it-slow reaction that leaves me wishing I’d ordered it, too. Soft, runny egg; bright, flavorful tomatoes; and a little punch of cumin make this dish the clear winner of brunch. My only recommendation would be to order another side of toast – you’ll want it to mop up every last drop.
We wrap things up with a slice of the daily cake: chocolate meringue. The dense, almost fudgy cake is topped with a chocolate meringue almost as thick as the cake itself. Some might prefer a softer or spongier cake, but the balance of textures seems just right. The cake is chock-full of flavor, too. Not too sweet, and very, very chocolatey. By the last bite, I was full.
Nasania’s greatest strength must be its distinct personality. Amongst the legions of anonymous, minimalist cafés and shops, Nasania and its cozy, eclectic space feel indisputably authentic and human. And dishes like their Persian omelet that effortlessly sweep you off your feet make it hard to stay away from the café for too long.
We pay up and are on our way – about an hour and change after stepping through the front door. On a slower afternoon with a bigger appetite, it would be easy to spend much more time in this happy little corner of the world.
Nasania 나자니아
Address: 8 Hoeseo-ro 12-beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju 광주 남구 회서로12번길 8
Telephone: 010-9305-3835
Opening Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenneristhechef / Instagram: _nasania
The Author
Adam Travis is an English teacher in Gwangju. Adam is originally from New Brunswick, Canada, and can usually be found behind a camera when he’s not in front of a classroom.