Restaurant Review: Wool Bean
October 19, 2017
An oasis of breakfast and quality coffee hidden in a corner of the Market World supermarket, Wool Bean provides a comforting brunch with its simple menu and a friendly face behind the counter.
Calling Wool Bean a restaurant is a stretch: it makes its home in a small stand inside a bustling Hannam grocery store. Despite being surrounded by unassuming plastic tables and chairs, Wool Bean stands out amongst the chaos of the store. The stand is elaborately decorated, with classy black counters, glittery Christmas lights, an intricately decorated chalk menu and leafy green plants placed in every corner.
Upon my visit, I was enthusiastically greeted by the cashier. Despite being the only staff member working the stand, she cheerfully described every item on the menu for my family. Only serving sandwiches, pancakes, bagels, salads and quesadillas as meals, the stand’s limited array of choices made ordering a Saturday morning breakfast easy.
On the other hand, there is an extensive spectrum of drinks to choose from. With fresh fruit juice, slushies, various teas and coffees, the stand is a beverage focused store. I ordered a rose tea for $2.50, while my parents had a regular House Coffee for $2 and a Caramel Macchiato for $3.
My family ended up ordering a blueberry bagel with cream cheese, a smoked ham and cheese sandwich and pancakes, for $5 each. Immediately after we ordered, our server began preparing our meal, pressing paninis for the sandwich and flipping pancakes. Despite having only one staff member, it only took a couple minutes to churn out our food.
The food was simple and perfect for a handmade weekend breakfast. The bagels’ crunchy shell with fresh blueberries paired well the cream cheese, and the two ginormous fluffy pancakes paired wonderfully with butter and syrup. I especially enjoyed the sandwich, as it was grilled similarly to a grilled cheese, and included layers of flavorful smoked ham, cheese, tomato and lettuce. The crispy toasted bread went well with the mustard slathered inside, as well as with the fresh ingredients inside.
The freshly brewed coffee also made a positive impression—neither of the coffees were overly sweet—unlike Starbucks’ sugar-loaded Caramel Macchiatos. The natural flavor of the coffee stood out and provided a warm caffeinated drink to our breakfast.
I was surprised when my rose tea arrived, as it looked like the store had simply thrown in a handful of dried roses into a cup of iced water. However, the drink was surprisingly fragrant, and tasted sweet, with a strong rose flavor. While a little too sweet for my liking, I enjoyed the unique rose scent from the drink and its creative presentation, as the petals floating on top of the drink made for an unusual drink.
Wool Bean is a lovely place to spend a weekend breakfast, with its friendly staff and classic breakfast foods. Although the meal itself wasn’t spectacular and there wasn’t anything particularly unique about it, the comfortable homemade vibe of the stand made for an enjoyable meal to spend time with family.
