Cafe HwaSan Brings Korean Flavors to American Brunch

Fans of Korean food can meet fans of brunch at this unassuming cafe at 2001 Coit Road in Plano. Cafe HwaSan opened its doors in early 2022 and serves a tasty menu of Korean coffee, toasts and breakfast. If you ever want some eggs and toast but find your palate aching for something exotic, this might be your new favorite spot.

The unique fusion menu here begins with the drinks. Help yourself to one of the cream lattes, which come in Asian-inspired flavors like matcha, Injeolmi cheese and dirty almond. Cafe HwaSan’s signature lattes are blended with a foamy sweet cream, which makes them all the more light and fluffy. They’re rich enough to satisfy your palate but light enough not to fill you up. Trust us — you won’t want them to. The food menu here is even bigger.
Go for the Seoul egg ham toast ($9). The sandwich-like dish starts with two buttered slices of toast. In between, there’s a fluffy omelet,  hash browns, ham and American cheese. With a drizzle of sweet mayo and powdered sugar on top, the item weaves subtle Korean influences into typical American brunch ingredients.

The avocado toast kimchi ($15) is another example of the genius marriage between these cuisines. The dish starts out with a toasted piece of flaxseed bread topped with mashed avocado and roasted corn. What’s unique about Cafe HwaSan’s version is that this dish comes with a spread of pickled Korean radish.

The cafe sells other Korean foods like Korean tacos, rice bowls and noodles. The tteokbokki is a classic Korean dish here that merits a try. The popular street food comes with chewy rice cakes, fish cakes and noodles mixed into a rich gochujang sauce. Tteokbokki bowls range from $13 to $16, depending on toppings, and can be customized.
Should you find yourself missing the sugar-loaded foods of the American breakfast world, fear not. Cafe HwaSan has its fair share of options for the sweet-toothed brunch enthusiast. A must-try is the signature Korean croffle, a layered croissant pastry pressed into a waffle mold that comes in 12 different flavors ranging from the classic vanilla ice cream ($6) to the more exotic red bean ($8).

The tiramisu croffle ($7), perhaps the most popular here, comes topped with a dollop of sweet cheese-flavored cream. Sprinkled with cocoa powder and topped with a wafer stick, this is a great option for both your sweet tooth and your Instagram story.

Other sweet bakery items include the matcha brownie ($5), a classic brownie with an earthy matcha flavor baked throughout. The monkey bread ($5) is another new addition to the menu that comes with balls of biscuit dough coated in cinnamon sugar. Next time you find your mind in a tug-of-war between classic comfort foods or trying something new, check this spot out. You can have a little bit of both.