Passion 5 Serves Delicate Desserts
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
A glassy black building with flower-shaped inside, Passion 5 is a luxurious dessert place located in Hannam-dong. Except for a black board with silhouettes of desserts, the place does not look like a cafe or bakery. However, when you step in, a dessert paradise is spread before you.
Passion 5 is an ambitious project of the SPC group, a food specialty group which includes Paris Croissant, Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts. Italian architect Marco Lucchi designed the eye-catching building and some 36 chefs make delicious desserts.
Aiming to be a ``dessert gallery,'' the place is divided into four sections ― Cafe, Bakery, Patisserie and Chocolatier. Drinks and some desserts, like marron cup dessert and tomato jelly, are available at the cafe while you can choose anything from other sections and the serving staff will bring it to your table.
We tried three cakes from the patisserie section. The pink-colored ``Rose C'est La Vie'' (6,000 won) is very unique. In between two large sized rose flavored macarons, is a custard and strawberry cream filling. Outside is decorated with strawberries and fresh cream. Though the macarons are more crunchy than chewy, it blends with the not-too-sweet fillings inside it.
The ``Mont Blanc'' (5,000 won) looks like the mountain, though made of chestnuts. The name of the cake obviously comes from its resemblance and appearance to Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. On a flaky base, two chestnuts are hidden in whipped cream and covered with thin threads of chestnut cream. The sweet flavor of chestnut was tempting enough.
The pyramid-shaped ``Magic'' (5,000 won) looks grand. A strawberry is placed on top while a whole almond is stuck in the middle of the cake with a backdrop of crunchy biscuit. Strawberry mousse is inside the velvety chocolate mousse pyramid.
Puddings (2,700 won) are another specialty of Passion 5. They are made from fresh milk, cream and organic sugar. It comes in royal plain, white cafe and other seasonal flavors such as chocolate or pumpkin.
The royal plain pudding was soft and creamy while rich in vanilla flavor. Caramel syrup placed on the bottom balances the pudding with a slightly bitter taste. The pudding is served in a glass bottle and if you return 12 bottles, you can receive a complimentary pudding.
The drink menu at the cafe includes coffee, black tea, green tea, fruit juice, which cost 4,000-10,000 won. They also serve sorbet in tomato, grape and citron flavor and gelato in chocolate, vanilla and jasmine (5,000 won for two scoops).
The cool and sweet grapeade (10,000 won) is expensive but worth of it. Green grape puree and pulp mixed with soda water and a grape sorbet afloat, this certainly is a refreshing treat.
The bakery is full of savory looking breads and sandwiches and the chocolate boutique showcases an array of jewel-like delicate handmade chocolates and variety of jams. Various slices of cake and whole cakes and pies are also available at the patisserie.
Passion 5 is located near Hanganjin Station on Subway Line 6, Exit 3. Just go straight for about 200 meters. It is directly across from the entrance to the Samsung Museum of Art Leeum. Call (02) 2071-9505 for detailed information.