On May 20th, a cafe alley near Pusan National University (PNU) was crowded with the 2030 young generation on weekdays. Some cafes and restaurants renovated old houses along the alley of about 160m, creating a unique atmosphere against the center of PNU. The customers who took up at the outdoor terrace could not stop taking pictures of coffees and croffles on the table with the view of the cafe. A party who took egg tart and tea were looking for a suitable seat away from the already full seat outdoor terrace.

It brought a new sensation to the commercial area near PNU, which stagnated in the aftermath of COVID-19. The alley along Geumjeong-ro 52, behind Jangjeon-jeil Church, leading to Jogae-banjang, is the rising spot. This place, where cafes, craft shops, and restaurants have opened up one by one since 2018, has become the “hottest” market near PNU since social distancing was lifted. This area is at the peak of word-of-mouth with the 2030 generation on social media and Internet community sites. It is worthy of being called Buridan-gil in the case of a cafe alley near PNU, as the Jeonridan-gil (called by combining Jeonpo-dong and Gyeongridan-gil) which was attached along the cafe alley in Jeonpo-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan.

An anonymous cafe manager in this alley welcomed this appearance of an excellent market and said, “Buridan-gil is just starting. The famous cafes in Yeonnam-dong in Seoul and Jeonridan-gil have come down in fashion, and now this alley seems to be the turn. This place was a residential area where detached houses were built in the past. One day, a cafe that converted houses in this residential area emerged, and now shops have explosively flown into this place.”

“DIFFERENT DAYS” with special coffees

There are various cafes along Buridan-gil, with unique desserts, fresh coffee, and unusual interiors, so the young generation is constantly visiting here. 

"DIFFERENT DAYS” is a cafe that is has still stayed since cafes were built in Buridan-gil. The regulars of this cafe have often visited for four years since its opening in 2018. The biggest reason customers are constantly here is that this cafe specializes in “Hand-drip Light Roasting,” although it operates as a variety of cultural life spaces, such as small exhibitions and film festivals. “Light Roasting” refers to the way coffee cherry is roasted without heat as much as possible to extract all the distinct flavors of coffee cherry in a cup of coffee. It takes a short time to roast, so it makes the flavor of the coffee cherry strong. It is not easy to find cafes specializing only in light roasting, so those who want to feel a unique coffee taste can enjoy this place.

“Haruna” which opened the morning up

It is not too much to say that the morning of Buridan-gil starts with the brunch which Haruna prepares. The main menu is a “signature salad” with basil pastes, freshly baked baguettes, green grapes, bell tomatoes, arugula, and raw mozzarella cheese, along with granola cranberry almonds and truffle powder. Exotic desserts such as “terrine” mainly made of chocolate, are also popular. Especially, “Cheese Terrine” tastes sweet and succulent, and the cheese flavor is impressive.

The Top of Croffle, “CAFE.MEAN”

“CAFE.MEAN” is famous for its “croffles”, which combine the advantages of croissants and waffles. This dessert, which is baked like waffles with croissant dough, is made at the same time as ordered, so its taste and texture are plentiful. The representative menu “Brown Cheese” is a combination of brown cheese, croffle with ice cream, and maple syrup. If you put brown cheese on a croffle and eat it with sweet maple syrup, you can feel sweet and salty at once. Brown cheese is made with cream after caramelization, a work that boosts sweetness, for a long time, and is deeply caramel-scented and is popular with croffle lovers.

The Best Egg tarts, “Etalee”

“Etalee” attracts attention with the egg tart of a lumpy filling such as soft tofu. In addition to the original egg tart, there are all sorts of egg tarts, including cheese, matcha cheese, chocolate cheese, pecan, walnut, matcha, and ganache. In particular, chocolate cheese tart is a special menu of this shop, which is a good combination of soft cheese and sweet chocolate, sold in limited quantities. Matcha cheese tart tastes like creamy cheese, adding bitter matcha flavor so that customers can feel the rich matcha and plain cheese together. If you want to try it out, hurry up a little bit. That’s because these tarts are often sold out when the sun goes down.

Unique Interior Design, “CAFE BYOON”

“CAFE BYOON” is the most scene-stealing place at the entrance of Buridan-gil. The features of this cafe are interior design with various atmospheres where a general house was renovated. Visitors can feel the different moods whenever they visit several times that feels different every time, so this cafe is famous among the 2030 generation who like to take photos. In the middle of Buridan-gil, four cherry trees are planted in the cafe garden, which are spectacular in spring. The front of the bar table on the second floor is full of glass, in harmony with the outside garden landscape.

The most popular menu is “Half n Half”. It is a coffee mixed with milk, espresso, and special cream. People can customize the amount of sugar and taste different flavors every time, controlling the amount of cream.

Those who visited Buridan-gil responded well to this alley. Koo Hui-Jung (21, Dept. of Media & Communications) said, “We often come over to Buridan-gil as many unique and pretty cafes as Jeonridan-gil or Jeonpo café street. I hope this alley is continuously boosted.” Additionally, Lee Chae-Ah (21, Dept. of Media & Communications) said, “I introduced Buridan-gil to my friends who traveled to Busan from other cities.”

Kim Ho-Seok, the cafe owner of “DIFFERENT DAYS),” said, “The cafe alley was able to grow thanks to a lot of interests of many people over four years. I will continue to make Buridan-gil near PNU more famous.”

Reporter Yoon Seo-Jin & Hong Yun-Woo

Translated by Park Yeon-Hee