Guhwangjakmul’s chestnut cheesecake is the clearest reason this Mangwon dessert cafe keeps appearing in Seoul food recommendations. The cafe is known for desserts built around humble root-crop and harvest ingredients, with chestnut cheesecake standing beside sweet potato cheesecake, mugwort sweets, and other cafe-friendly plates.
If you found the cafe while searching for Mangwon Croissant, the connection makes sense: DiningCode classifies Guhwangjakmul as a Mangwon-dong croissant and cafe spot, while other listings and magazine features frame it more broadly as a dessert cafe at Seoul Mapo-gu, Donggyo-ro 27-8.1 The more specific story, though, is the chestnut cheesecake: a dessert repeatedly singled out by Korean lifestyle outlets and local place pages.
Guhwangjakmul Chestnut Cheesecake, in Context

Guhwangjakmul, whose name refers to traditional staple or famine-relief crops, opened attention around a dessert idea that feels both nostalgic and cafe-ready. ELLE Korea introduced it in 2022 as a new Mangridan-gil spot serving desserts made with these ingredients, and noted that it is the second shop from Milwoo, an Incheon cake shop.2 GQ Korea also reported in 2022 that Incheon’s Milwoo opened a second store in Mangwon-dong under the name Guhwangjakmul, listing cakes, scones, cookies, panini, and sandwiches among its offerings.3
That origin matters because the chestnut cheesecake is not presented as a random seasonal special in the available sources. It appears as one of the cafe’s representative or popular menu items. GQ Korea named chestnut cheesecake and gogumi cheesecake as signature items, while ELLE Korea described the chestnut cheesecake and gogumi cheesecake as popular choices.32 In other words, the cake sits near the center of the cafe’s identity, not just at the edge of the menu.
The dessert also fits the cafe’s broader theme. Cosmopolitan’s 2025 feature introduced Guhwangjakmul as a Mangwon-dong dessert and brunch cafe centered on ingredients such as mugwort, chestnut, and sweet potato. In that same context, it recommended chestnut cheesecake made with savory, nutty cheese and chestnut, along with mugwort injeolmi tiramisu.4 For readers who like Korean-style cafe desserts that lean earthy rather than simply sugary, that combination explains much of the appeal.
What the Sources Say About the Cake
The most consistent fact across the available material is simple: the chestnut cheesecake is famous or representative at Guhwangjakmul. Triple’s place listing describes the cafe as a dessert cafe at Seoul Mapo-gu, Donggyo-ro 27-8 and says its chestnut cheesecake topped with cream and nuts is well known.5 That detail gives the cake a clearer shape: not only chestnut and cheese, but also cream and nut garnish.
DiningCode adds a more review-oriented snapshot. Its page classifies Guhwangjakmul as a Mangwon-dong croissant and cafe restaurant, and a listed February 27, 2026 visit review includes an order of two iced Americanos, chestnut cheesecake, and small potato bacon soup. The same review records the chestnut cheesecake price as 9,500 won and mentions chestnut flavor, chocolate and cookie-like texture, and a whipped-cream combination.1 Because that is a review detail rather than an official menu notice, it is best read as one documented visit rather than a permanent guarantee.
Still, the descriptions line up around a dessert that is richer than a plain cheesecake. The available sources point to chestnut, cheese, cream, nuts, and textural elements, while the cafe’s surrounding menu suggests a place that does not separate sweets from light meals. Cosmopolitan mentions eggplant panini, small potato soup, and peanut pumpkin soup alongside its dessert recommendations.4 GQ Korea’s older description also includes panini and sandwiches, so the cafe has been framed as more than a cake counter from early coverage onward.3
That makes Guhwangjakmul useful for different kinds of cafe plans. You might be looking for a dessert-first stop, a coffee-and-cake pairing, or a place where someone can order something savory while another person focuses on cake. The sources do not provide a complete current menu, so it is safest to treat the named dishes as reported highlights rather than a full list.
Location, Hours, and Planning Notes
Guhwangjakmul is listed at Seoul Mapo-gu, Donggyo-ro 27-8 by Triple and Tabling, with ELLE Korea specifying the first floor in its 2022 article.562 For planning, Tabling’s store page classifies it as a dessert cafe and lists the operating hours as 11:00 to 18:30 on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with regular closures every Tuesday and Wednesday.6 GQ Korea’s 2022 article listed earlier hours of 11:00 to 18:00 with the same Tuesday and Wednesday closures, so the Tabling listing is the more useful source for the currently presented schedule in the provided material.36
Tabling also tags the shop with coffee, cake, dessert, reservations available, and takeout.6 Those tags are helpful because Guhwangjakmul is not described only as a dine-in dessert destination. If you are planning around the chestnut cheesecake specifically, availability can still depend on the day, because the sources do not state daily stock levels or reservation rules for individual menu items.

The reason Guhwangjakmul’s chestnut cheesecake stands out is not one dramatic claim, but a steady pattern across listings and lifestyle coverage. Since 2022, the cafe has been tied to Milwoo’s expansion into Mangwon-dong, a root-crop dessert concept, and representative cakes led by chestnut cheesecake and sweet potato cheesecake. For anyone mapping out a Mangwon cafe stop, this is the source-backed angle to remember: Guhwangjakmul is a dessert cafe where the chestnut cheesecake is part of the main identity, not a side note.
References
- 구황작물 – 망원동 크로와상, 카페 맛집 (DiningCode)
- 와인엔 정어리 플래터, 커피엔 구황작물 디저트! 독특한 조합의 연남·합정·망원 #신상맛집 3 (ELLE Korea, 2022-09-20)
- 지역 제패하고 서울로 올라온 카페 4 (GQ Korea, 2022-09-06)
- 서울 구황작물 디저트 맛집 추천 │ 사직동·이태원·망원동 카페에서 즐기는 쑥·밤·고구마 디저트 (COSMOPOLITAN via Daum, 2025-09-29)
- 구황작물 (Triple)
- 구황작물 – 테이블링 (Tabling)