Early this year, while checking Instagram, I saw some Maison M’O desserts posted by the owner of Old Croissant Factory. They looked seriously high-level, so I searched on a hunch and found it was by Naebang Station, not hard to get to at all. I am the kind of person who cannot stand not knowing, so I went the very next day at lunchtime.

The front entrance

I heard the interior was done by the same person who did Angel’s Share, the whisky bar in Yeonnam-dong. So it has a somewhat similar feel. You cannot really see it from outside, but there is a small cafe space too, so you can eat in. The work area looked spacious and comfortable as well.

Financier sample

I tried it and it was delicious. Just as expected.

About the shop

They are Pierre Hermé alumni. I really love Pierre Hermé, so my hopes were high.

Pithiviers

You can tell just by looking that the level is very high.

Cakes

They look top-notch.

Cakes

The cheesecake fraise banana looked so good that I bought one that day. Tasting it, it really was Pierre Hermé style.

Baked goods

Unexpectedly, the madeleine glacée was delicious. This place seems to be good at using citron in its desserts.

For those who want the details, here you go. And they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I tweeted the desserts I bought that day and it got retweeted like crazy. After that it became hard to buy their desserts. As someone active on social media, it is quite a dilemma.

This is from my next visit.

Cakes

That day they had their signature cake, the Mont Blanc M’O, so I bought one, and it was seriously delicious. The meringue, which felt like crumbling snow, matched the name Mont Blanc perfectly. I never thought I could eat a dessert with a story like this in Korea.

Kouglof

A sweet bread. Not cheap, but for this kind of taste you have to give them credit.

Cookies

There were so many kinds. There was so much I wanted to try that I never quite got around to the cookies.

Yogurt and granola

Got this as a sample. Seemed to be Pierre Hermé style.

Drinks menu

It has probably expanded a bit by now.

Dacquoise

I never expected this level.. the soft biscuit and the citron peel go together really well.

After I introduced it on Twitter it got retweeted massively, and it even got to the point where the day’s cakes were all sold out by 2 or 3 in the afternoon. That was not what I was hoping for when I tweeted, but either way, watching it become famous and establish itself so quickly was fascinating. There must be a lot of dessert fans in Korea. I hope they keep doing well.

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