Seoul has Hungarian dessert cafe
Cafe Gerbeaud Seoul opened at the Lotte Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, in October last year. / Courtesy of Cafe Gerbeaud Seoul
Cafe Gerbeaud is 157 years old
By Rachel Lee
Cafe Gerbeaud offers the finest Eastern European desserts, but what makes this place special compared with the big coffee franchises is its rich heritage and history built up over 150 years.
Henrik Kugler — the third descendant of a confectionery dynasty — established the cafe in Budapest, Hungary, in 1858.
It became famous for its Chinese and Russian teas and the best ice-cream in Budapest, making it a favorite haunt of the aristocracy. Kugler met Swiss confectioner Emil Gerbeaud in Paris in 1882 and teamed up, handing over the business to Gerbeaud in 1884.
‘Esterhazy Torte’
Some of the biggest names have patronized the cafe, including Queen Elizabeth of England, Princess Diana, pianist Franz Liszt and Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, who praised it as a “Hungarian Jewel.”
Hungarian managing director Katalin Pinter, who also operates award-winning restaurant Onyx in Budapest, runs the cafe.
“It took a considerable amount of time and effort for me to persuade the head office because they’d never really been interested in franchise business,” said Oh Jin-wan, 49, Gerbeaud Seoul CEO. The Korean branch, launched last October, is the world’s third Gerbeaud after Japan.
“The Japanese store in Tokyo is an exceptional case. They opened the cafe as part of an exchange between the two countries, whereas I started this business from scratch, all by myself,” the CEO added.
Gerbeaud, at the Lotte Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, has a cult following.
“Customers have told me that we offer something unique from other dessert cafes,” Oh said. “For example, these cakes, ‘Gerbeaud Select’ and ‘Esterhazy Torte,’ made of multiple layers, were invented to make it easier for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, who visited Gerbeaud every day, to carry it home safely because layers hold the shape, even on the move.”
The menu has four types of cakes with a scoop of ice cream, three Kehelys, or sundaes, and beverages including “kooler,” or fruit juice, coffee and tea. Prices range from 8,000 to 18,000 won.