Gosari: A Cozy Corner in Downtown Gwangju

By Jo Lezada ||

Gosari is one of the coffee shops that caught my eye last November at Dongmyeong- dong’s Coffee Walk. What piqued my interest at the time was the pastry they featured at the event: a heart-shaped marshmallow cake. Never had I heard of such a thing in all my thirteen years of living here in Gwangju, so I just had to search out their establishment and experience the café for myself.

Near the back gate of the Asia Culture Center was where the café resided, perched on the third floor of an aging building. The first time I visited was at around two in the afternoon; almost all of the seats were filled, giving me a good idea of the coffee shop’s reputation.

As for the place itself, it reminded me of that one, cute pension house my family stayed at on a vacation trip seven years ago. The café’s interior was modest, the decorations were minimal, which I personally wasn’t used to, but the place grew on me as soon as I realized the ambience was just right for reading and studying. Most of the seats were by the windows, overlooking Dongmyeong-dong and adding to the coziness of the place. With the limited seating, it wasn’t too noisy even at its busiest.

Now, on to the main attraction: my thoughts on the marshmallow cake. Contrary to my presumption, the cake was not made entirely of marshmallow, which may be good news for some of you. It was a fluffy chocolate cake coated with a thin marshmallow layer, topped with just enough coconut shavings for added texture – and it was delicious! The chocolate cake itself was not too sweet, and every bite felt like eating an edible pillow of sorts, a small delight to experience. I will say it is a little on the pricier side at 8,000 won, but if you have the means, I recommend it to experience a different texture from your standard cake.

Overall, my time at Gosari was pleasant. The minimal interior design helped me to focus better on my work and writing this article. I’m so happy I decided to check this place out. So, if you would like a smaller, cozier coffee shop where you can wind down, look out the window, study, read a book, or all of these things, Gosari may be just the place for you.

GOSARI / 고사리

• Hours: 12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m.
• Address: 3rd floor, 8-1 Dongmyeong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju / 광주 동구 동명로 8-1 (3층)
• Phone: 0503-7153-7905

Cover Photo: A serving of iced vanilla latte and Gosari’s signature marshmallow cake. (Jo Lezada)