Summer 2020. Seven years ago, Eun Jung Shin, a young pastry chef, left her native South Korea for France. There, she met Julien Sebbag, a self-taught chef at the helm of Créatures, Forest, and Micho. A friendship and a professional collaboration blossomed. Shin designed the dessert menu for the Tortuga restaurant and for other establishments where Sebbag worked. At Créatures, she had free rein to create based on the seasonality of the ingredients and her own inspiration.
But the adventure doesn't end there. The two friends have embarked on a new venture: Café Shin. This new establishment not only strengthens the large family of Parisian cafés, but is also a true homage to South Korea, the home of coffee shops – its capital is estimated to have around 20,000 of them, open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. A veritable institution, then, located in the 10th arrondissement.
For those with a sweet tooth, cookies, fruit financiers, or matcha fondant are a must. At breakfast time, you can opt for the "croffle," a buttery, freshly waffled croissant served with slivered almonds, seasonal fruit, and a scoop of ice cream. Around lunchtime, kimbap, available in three versions, is the perfect choice: vegetarian with omelet or mushrooms, spicy with tuna gochujang (Korean sweet chili), or the traditional chicken with miso doenjang.
As for drinks, the classics like the Americano, cappuccino, latte, and flat white will be available. But there will also be plenty of creative options, such as specialty coffees like these different lattes: the goguma ( made without coffee) with purple sweet potato, the dalgona with a creamy coffee emulsion, or the heukimja, a coffee blended with black sesame cream.
In addition to being the new go-to spot for discerning palates, Café Shin will also charm design and architecture enthusiasts. And for good reason: its interior was conceived by the renowned Uchronia collective. Inspired by hanoks , traditional Korean houses, the architecture and design agency also chose to combine modern and unique materials, such as hammered metal and light wood, with handmade washi paper from Japan. Another architectural element borrowed from the Land of the Morning Calm is the jjimjilbang, a traditional South Korean bathhouse. An evocation of this ablution space can be found at the heart of the establishment, in the form of a small, intimate, tiled alcove. In short, as you've probably gathered, Café Shin is the ideal place for anyone wanting to experience South Korea without impacting their carbon footprint or the cost of airfare.
SHIN CAFE
47, RUE DES PETITES-ÉCURIES, PARIS 10e
