[REVIEW] Visit Korea VIP Invitation Tour Day 2: A Visit to Super Junior Sungmin’s Wiki Café

If you’ve read my past posts, you’ll know that I’m crazy over cafes. For me, there’s unique joy in discovering an interesting new place to hang out, where you can listen to music or read a good book or chat with friends while drinking your favorite coffee, frappe or tea. That’s why I’m so glad this tour allowed me to visit several cafes in Seoul, and luckily, our next destination is one place crossed out in my Korea bucket list.

Now, one of the reasons why I (along with my sister) became a huge Hallyu fangirl is Kpop group Super Junior (the real Kings of Hallyu in my opinion :)). If you’re a fan too, you’d probably know the cafes owned by the members’ families, and how they are a popular destination for fangirls wanting to give gifts and letters to their idols, or even meeting the members themselves and their families in person. Hence, I was so excited when I learned that part of our itinerary is to visit Wiki Café (위키카페), which is owned by Super Junior Lee Sungmin’s mom.

Photo credit: www.wikicafe.net

Sitting at a high spot in Sagan-dong, one of the neighborhoods in the area of Samcheongdong (along with Anguk-dong, Sogyeok-dong, and Hwa-dong), Wiki Café offers a great view of Gyeongbokgung Palace and the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Although the café can be seen from the main road, the actual entrance can be reached after passing through some interesting museums, art galleries, and Hanok houses scattered around Samcheongdong’s alleys. There are directional signs that help visitors find their way though, so it should be easy to find.

Here are some of the buildings and landmarks we saw on the way to Wiki Cafe:

The Hakgojae Gallery is well known for its elegant and classic Korean architecture infused with a refined modern structure.

The Hakgojae Gallery actively introduces Korean artists into the international art world by hosting various joint exhibitions with various foreign artists. Info source: english.visitseoul.net

The National Folk Museum of Korea is located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace and presents over 4,000 historical artifacts that were used in the daily lives of ordinary Koreans. (info source: visitkorea.or.kr)

세 움 Art Space and Gallery

The café has 2 floors, a veranda, and a roof deck. The lower floor consists of a photo op wall, an exhibit area for all things related to Sungmin, an office area, and a washroom. The 2nd floor is the main café area that has the counter and the entrance to the roof deck.

Panoramic view of the facade of Wiki Cafe's 1st floor :)

Saw this flower wreath from Elfs! [Super Junior fans are known as ELFs, which stand for Ever Lasting Friends]

Since Sungmin is currently in the army, of course, I didn’t expect to see him at the café. But I met someone who’s as charming and has the same good looks too—his younger brother, Lee Sungjin^^. When we arrived at the café, I immediately saw him getting some fan letters from the mailbox at the exhibit area. I had a hint of who he was, but wasn’t quite sure as he left right away, probably because the other participants have arrived beforehand and are about to take their orders upstairs.

Messages from Sungmin's fans. Next time, I'll make sure to leave a note :)

Since Sungmin is in the army, this photo op wall is a good alternative to take a pic with him:)

The ambience at the 2nd floor is very cozy and relaxed. The place is small with a contemporary and youthful vibe to it. It’s the kind of place I’d choose to study or work on a project on a weekend, and I really like the area near the windows, and the veranda, because of the scenic view that instantly greets you. And of course, you can see Sungmin’s handsome face all over the place. No wonder it’s a huge hit among fans. This place may be like a shrine to them, which they visit whenever they miss their idol or whenever they want to hang out with other fans.

Wefie with the English Team members^^ Vera eonnie is in the background so we're complete  (LOL, my face is so huge!):)

After we settled to our seats, the girls started lining up to choose their orders and they all asked Sungjin if he’s Sungmin’s brother. That’s when I confirmed my hint was correct. When it was my turn, I asked him if it’s true he studied in the Philippines, and he said yes and mentioned that it was in Ortigas. I told him that’s where I was working at that time, and he smiled. Too bad I wasn’t there yet at the time he studied there.

Sungjin at the counter, surrounded by Japanese team members :)

Here’s my detailed review of Wiki Cafe in Samcheongdong:

Food: 8 ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕

I wasn’t able to try the pastries, but the drink I ordered, a Blueberry Latte is pretty good.

Blueberry Latte made by Sungjin :)

Those cakes certainly look yummy!

I saw pictures of food they serve online and they look really delectable. They even share the recipes, so if you’re curious of the types of food they serve, you can check their website first before going to the café. Most of the food offered there are light meals though, so don’t expect something as heavy as a rice dish or pasta :)

Eat your hearts out for this collection of food photos from Wikicafe.net

Ambience: 9  ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕

As mentioned, the place is cute, cozy and relaxing, and a perfect destination for students especially for Sungmin biased Elfs :) Non-fans may not be able to relate as much though, so I’m not giving it a perfect score.

Super cute collection of gifts from fans. From artworks, stuff toys, and photo collages, Elfs really do know how to show their love for their idol.

Nice sketch of Sungmin, right? And oh, there's a handful of fan letters too :)

Photos of Super Junior members were hung on the windows. This made me miss them more.

I really like this super cute Super Junior polymer clay chibis! I saw a similar one in Mouse Rabbit and I wonder if they're done by the same person/same group of fans...

I noticed this huge piano, and wondered if Sungmin ever played this for his fans.

Of all of Sungmin's photos in the cafe, this one's my favorite. He is so handsome here, right?

This cute door decorated with potted plants can be found along the staircase going to the 2nd floor.

Saw these little cuties just as I got to the 2nd floor. This entire cafe is filled with cute stuff, which definitely reflects the personality of aegyo prince, Lee Sungmin.

Don't you just want to stay in that area and hug one of those pillows?

Can you recognize anyone from this photo wall? I'm guessing they're messages of support from Sungmin's friends for his mom's new cafe.

Do you recognize anyone from these photos?

The fans must miss Sungmin so much, and in this place, they somehow feel his presence. Looking forward to your return, Sungmin-ah!

The wonderful view from the veranda :) 

Value for money: 8  ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕

Here are some of the photos that I got from the Wiki Cafe website:

This is the roof deck, which we weren't able to see when we were there. Nice view right?

This is another view of the veranda/terrace.

I noticed the furnitures here are different from the ones we saw, but this is the area just after the staircase, near the entrance to the veranda :)

This is the front lawn that greets you just after the main entrance. I think the chairs and big umbrella were removed when we were there.

I wasn't able to explore this part of the cafe but this seems to be at the 1st floor so I'm guessing this is somewhere at the back. 

This is the photo wall right after the staircase.

A view of the counter and photo wall from the veranda.

With ample lighting, cream colored walls and wooden furniture, the cafe offers a relaxing ambience.

Their price range is as follows:

• Coffee (Hot or iced)- KRW 3,500- 5000
• Tea (Hot or iced)- KRW 4,000-5,000
• Ade & Juice- KRW 4,200- 5,000
• Other beverages (mostly lattes)- KRW 4,000-4700
• Alcoholic beverages- KRW 5100-5800
• Cakes- KRW 1,500-5,500
• Bread- KRW 6,500
• Ice Flakes- KRW 6,000- 6,500

Comparing it with other cafes in Seoul that I’ve been into, this is on the affordable side, and with good food and drinks, it’s a good deal already. I guess, most of their customers are young fans and students, so they tried to price it as low as they can, which is a good thing.

I bought a tumbler though as a souvenir for my sister, which is priced at KRW 21,000 won. I thought it was really cute but quite expensive (LOL! That’s PHP 840), because I bought an equally cute tumbler at Yesung’s Mouse Rabbit Café in 2013 at only KRW 16,000. But hey, that was 2013, and Starbucks here in Manila have tumblers that are way more expensive, right?

Accessibility: 8 ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕

Since you have to go through some alleys, there may be a tendency of getting lost, so pay close attention to the signages. ^^

When you see this signage, you're close to the alley where you should make a turn

This is the alley to Wiki Cafe, and we saw these Hanoks along the way.

There's a cute Wiki Cafe mural near the actual entrance.

And there, you've arrived at your destination!

Service: 10 ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕

It’s definitely a perfect score. Sungjin was soooo accommodating, and sweet. He had photo ops with each one of us, even though he’s busy at the counter. I’m sure any fan would be flattered that her idol’s brother, who is equally cute and charming, is serving her coffee. So, 10+++ for your excellent fan service Sungjin-ah! He was definitely the star of that afternoon :)

Sungjin was quite shy but he's so humble and courteous, he even bowed in front of everyone when we asked him for photo ops.

Here's one aegyo [Korean word that means cute, funny, or innocent] pose for all of us! ^^

And here's my turn to pose with him^^

And of course, I'll never leave Wiki Cafe without a selfie with Sungjin!^^

Will I go back to this place? : Yes, I promised my sister I will take her there!

Overall, Wiki Cafe is a good hangout place because of the relaxing and modern ambience.

See you again, Wiki Cafe!

PROS:

Good drinks, great ambience, moderate prices, and excellent service

CONS:

Accessible but with tendencies of getting lost

Other important details about Wiki Cafe:

Operating Hours: 

Monday-Sunday, 10:30am-9:00pm

How to get there?

[Subway]

From Line 3 at Anguk station exit 1, turn right and go straight. Turn right again in front of GMA Gallery and walk straight. Turn right at Gallery ON and go forward. Turn left in front of a white building and walk straight until you reach Wiki Cafe.

Address:

서울시 종로구 사간동 51번지

51 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Phone: +82-2-720-9073

Nearby Attractions:

• National Museum of Contemporary Art
• Gyeongbokgung Palace

For inquiries, you may check out the following sites:

Official website: http://www.wikicafe.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wikicafe/

Instagram: @wikicafe_samcheongdong

Kakaotalk: @wikicafe

~~~

If you want to know other places we visited during this trip, you can check out the following related blog posts:

Visit Korea VIP Member Invitation Tour
Slow Park (Samcheongdong)
Omoni Saengson (Insadong)
Kondae Common Ground

Dore Dore Cafe (Common Ground)

Hello Kitty Cafe

Trick Eye Museum

Nature Kitchen

Many thanks again to Korea Tourism Organization for making this trip, the Visit Korea VIP Member Invitation Tour, possible. You can check out the KTO official website and follow their accounts on Facebook and Twitter for the details on tour sites and packages, as well as helpful tips on travelling to Korea.

For Filipinos, follow Korea Tourism Organization Manila at Facebook, Twitter, and KakaoTalk (@ktomanila) for the latest updates on Korea tourism, events, tour packages and promos. :)