Photo credit: la.eater.com
Cafe Knotted, a beloved dessert cafe known for its cream doughnuts, has made its debut in the United States, opening its first location at Westfield Century City. Launched in Seoul in 2017, the cafe has grown to include several branches, including ones by Haeundae Beach in Busan and in Seoul’s Anguk neighborhood. The cafe has garnered attention not just for its delightful treats but also for its iconic mascot, Sugar Bear, a plush bear that features a cheerful smile on its stomach.
Cafe Knotted epitomizes the flourishing dessert cafe trend in South Korea, where aesthetically pleasing cafes serve visually striking pastries. These treats include unique items like cheese-shaped cheesecake and fluffy bread, with Cafe Knotted renowned particularly for its seasonal strawberry cream doughnut. This signature doughnut is expertly sliced open at the top, revealing a delicious filling made of sweet cream and strawberries. Customers can also choose from other tempting flavors, like kaya butter, milk cream, and chocolate. In addition to doughnuts, the menu features croissants, salt bread, and a variety of pastries, as well as an array of creative coffee and matcha beverages.
At the Century City location, Cafe Knotted has retained its innovative approach to café drinks, offering a variety of iced and cream-topped lattes in flavors such as chestnut tiramisu, corn cream, and banana. For matcha lovers, options include a classic matcha latte, a signature iced Knotted cream top matcha latte, and an iced strawberry cream top matcha latte. Traditional coffee lovers can enjoy drip coffee, Americanos, and vanilla lattes, along with a selection of hot and iced teas.
The bakery offerings at the Century City branch are extensive, with a lineup of cream-filled doughnuts featuring exciting flavors like Boston chocolate glazed, lemon curd, and raspberry. The Banana Kick doughnut is playfully sliced open and garnished with a fresh banana, while the strawberry cream option includes a swipe of fruit jam within. A unique tiramisu doughnut is topped with a toasted marshmallow finish. In addition to their doughnuts, the cafe provides a range of specialty croissants filled with ingredients like spinach and pepper, strawberries, chocolate, and almonds. Cookie enthusiasts can choose from flavors such as Mexican hot chocolate, gluten-free chocolate chip, and matcha white chocolate.
Cafe Knotted joins a growing list of South Korean establishments arriving in Los Angeles. Earlier in 2024, Camel Coffee opened in the Silver Lake area, while the spicy noodle chain Jjampong Zizon launched in Koreatown. Recently, in January 2025, Dam Sot, a pot rice chain from South Korea, opened its first U.S. location in Koreatown. The influx of these vibrant establishments is expected to continue, with GFFG Hospitality—the company behind Cafe Knotted—planning to introduce another Knotted location and a branch of Hojokban in LA’s Arts District later this year.
Source
la.eater.com