Banana Tree (flower pot desserts), Garosugil

Do you ever get uncontrollable urges to guzzle down enormous amounts of sugar? I know I do, and as a girl I like to blame it on PMS. Completely justifiable, right? Excuses or not though, if you've got cravings for sugar that simply must be satiated, then the lovely Banana Tree in Sinsa-dong might just be the place for you.

Banana Tree is famous for several sweet things: cotton candy lattes, flower pot tiramisu, and flower pot bingsu (Korean shaved ice dessert). While I can't speak for the lattes or bingsu as I haven't tried them yet, I can say that the flower pot tiramisu is enough to zap several cavities into your sweet tooth. And, exactly as the name suggests, it comes served in a flower pot complete with dirt, pebbles, and pretty blossoms sprouting out the top. Dessert that looks fabulous AND tastes great? Win-win!

Americano coffee, 4,000 won & "flower paap", 5,800 won

Dirt never tasted so good. :3

So what's the secret to making delicious dirt? Why, ground up chocolate cookie crumbs, of course! Also, depending on which flavour you choose (banana, strawberry, blueberry, or espresso), you can either have the rich flavour of coffee permeating your taste buds, or delicious little chunks of fruit to chew on in the centre.

Deliciously soft, fluffy, and creamy. 

And sweet. Did I mention sweet? XD 

Besides the food, another appealing aspect of the cafe is its layout and decoration. It's quite a small place with only four or five tables, which makes for a very cosy atmosphere.

If you can't get a seat, you can still get the flower pot tiramisu to take away. ^^

The decorations scattered about are quite quirky as well, and a lot of fun to look at.

Price-wise, the menu is a bit expensive, but I think it's understandable considering that the cafe is located in Sinsa-dong. Gotta love those Gangnam prices, eh?

English menu also available in-store ^^

If you're a cheapo like me, coming here every single day probably wouldn't be feasible, but I definitely wouldn't mind visiting from time to time on account of its gorgeous desserts and lovely atmosphere. :D



Banana Tree, Garosugil
Hours: 11am - 8:30pm, Mon - Fri; 11am - 2pm, Sat; closed on Sunday
Address: 서울시 강남구 신사동 526 (526 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
Directions: From Sinsa Station exit 8, make a U-turn and take the first right, or come out exit 7 and take the first left. Follow this road for about 5 minutes and it will eventually curve towards the right. Keep following the curve and look out for Banana Tree on your right.

*Note: Banana Tree also has other branches in Itaewon and near Konkuk University.

On A Stick (by Molly's Pops), Garosugil

I scream, you scream, we all scream for.... alcomoholic ice pops?! >:D

Not too long ago, I posted about  Molly's Pops in Hongdae, a quaint little store that sells handmade ice cream in all kinds of quirky flavours, including alcoholic ones. As it turns out, Molly's now has a second branch called 'On A Stick', located in Sinsadong's Garosugil. This is fabulous news for ice cream aficionados on the south side, as you now no longer need to journey all the way over to Hongdae for all your kooky flavoured ice cream fixes.

On A Stick is a tad more expensive than the Hongdae store (4,000 won per ice cream, as opposed to 3,500 won.. Gangnam prices, eh?) but it appears to have more alcoholic varieties available, alongside a whole host of other tempting, fruity flavours. These were on offer when I last visited:

Bear in mind that flavours do get rotated and some are phased out while new ones are introduced, just like at the Hongdae store. So, what was there that day may not be there on another day and vice versa.

Flavours tried so far:

Grapefruit champagne, made with real grapefruit pulp.

Deliciously fruity and refreshing.

Guiness beer flavour, rum & raisin flavour

Rum & raisin was awesome and not overly sweet like it usually is at other places. Guiness beer was like a gobstopper with multiple layers -- at first bite it tasted kind of chocolaty, then it started to taste malty, then towards the end the bitterness kicked in.. It was great, and I don't even like beer. Hah!

If you're looking for a quick fix sugar rush and ice cream just isn't enough, perhaps some ice cream macarons will get your juices going:

Various flavours, 4,500 won each

There are also some fancy drinks to be had including Kahlua affogatos and cocktail floats:

Like the Hongdae branch, On A Stick is quite small and only has a few tables but this makes it feel cosy and the decor is quite chic at the same time.

They've also got a cool superheroes theme going and you can purchase some odds and ends like mugs and notebooks.

 

With summer bearing down on us now, I'm preeeeetty sure I'll be back soon to gobble down more of these delectable ice creams! >:D

On A Stick (by Molly's Pops), Garosugil

Hours: 12pm - 10pm

Address: 서울시 강남구 신사동 520-8 (520-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

Website: http://www.onastick.co.kr

Directions: From Sinsa Station, exit 8 take the second left and head straight until you reach a T-junction. Turn right, then take the first left and keep going straight for about 2 minutes. On A Stick will be on your left.