Bakery Cafe Maum

Closed?
I was looking forward to coming to Maum on Buford Highway for the first time this past weekend, and found them closed by 8:00 p.m. on Saturday 1÷29÷11, four hours before the posted closing time. Plastic-​bagged phone books were left near the front door, often a sign that the place is shut down. (By this I mean no lights on, and no cars parked nearby.) Call ahead, so you don’t waste the trip. If the owner messages me, I will delete this review and check it out.

As far as setting goes, I think this Café Maum has the rest of the Korean bakeries beat. It’s a lovely, large open space that’s tastefully decorated in a relaxing kind of lodge-​y feeling with the beautiful long wooden tables, big comfy chairs next to a warm fireplace. It definitely can accomodate a large group as long as it’s not during the peak times. I’ve been there before for a game night with a group of 15 to 20 people.
As for the baked goods, delicious cookies, breads, cakes, pastries and yes the cappucino bread is as good as they say. One year, I got my coworkers small gift boxes from Café Maum and they were a hit, no complaints, lots of mmmm mmmm goood’s. I must say, I have never been there for brunch and sadly, I never got to try their patbingsu… will have to make a return trip next time I visit the ATL.

My friends and I ventured to Maum to study and ended up buying about a dozen breads/​pastries from their 40% off sections. Then we stayed and studied there until they were preparing to close. Having only tried their day old breads, I am still loving them. Definite must tries for carb junkies include: the cappuccino bread, bread with fresh cream and the curry bread. We also tried their bubble teas (but they were out of bubbles– -). They were okay; it was a little too sweet for my taste.
I will continue to go back on late nights for the free wifi, elegant décor and cappuccino bread.

I’m admittedly NOT a pastry lover. I could live until the end of my days without eating cakes and danishes, so I can’t really vouch for the quality of the snacks offered here. The boy seemed to enjoy what he picked out, devouring it almost faster than he could pull the wrapper off. No, instead I decided to go with a fruity beverage and wasn’t expecting the fresh mango/​pineapple blend that was given to me soon after. It was cool, creamy, delicious, tangy, and really hit the spot!
Service was incredibly friendly — I was here with a group of crafters working on making jewelry and the staff came over to see what we were doing and talk about things they make as well. Very sweet! I also love the free wi-​fi and the cozy little nooks to sit in and study, create, read, or chat with friends.
During the morning and lunch hours, they apparently have a buffet with a number of things to choose from. That’s probably more my speed, but unfortunately I came here around dinner time and they only have the pastries at that point.

Maum’s patbingsu (shaved ice) is way better than Suno’s. Maum adds more fruit and condensed milk than Suno. Plus, it’s a good value at $ 5.95 for the fresh fruit patbingsu.
I also tried the green tea bread and disliked it because it was too dry.
A lot of college and grad students like to study at Maum. I find myself randomly running into my friends from Emory and Georgia Tech here.

Really nice bakery/​café. There’s free Wi-​Fi and plenty of space to sit down and study.

There are (in my observance) 3 main coffee shops for predominantly Asians to hang out for a chat over coffee or to hook up on free WiFi while studying for an exam. 1) Mozart Bakery, 2) Maum, 3) White Windmill all off of Buford Hwy.
Maum had capture the heart of most Asians that live around the area for the past 3 years. Initially what brought people here is the nice décor, beautifully, elegantly decorated tasty desserts, a bit more different in drinks selections such as: smoothies, healthy drinks, and bubble teas. The coffee selections are not as broad than Mozart, but it was still quite acceptable.
The setting is quite clean and the décor is rather elegant — a much more updated décor than Mozart down the street. However, by comparison with White Windmill, it has lost it’s attraction. And the dime, dark wood setting seem a bit depressing for some reason…
Recently (a short few months now) they are now serving brunch and dinner (buffet style) at a decent fair price. I would assume it’s their comeback. After my recent few visits here to study, they’re still struggling to keep customers. Instead, they’re losing them to White Windmill…
So a word to the people who are looking for a more discreet coffee and dessert place. Perhaps Maum now fits what you’re looking for. There are not as much people gathering there for catch ups or to study. Thus, if you want to «just be» and «study» in peace, just come on by to Maum!
(An hr later…) Btw, as I’m sitting here studying away… I usually can zone out the background music, but for some reason I can’t seem to this time around… The music they’re playing seriously needs improvement… Perhaps that’s the reason why they have lost the vibe???
Now to White Windmill…

Fairly new to the neighborhood, Maum brought competition full-​force to other cafes on buford highway. The individual inlets had to be my favorite part of this location; they definitely enhanced the study atmosphere — along with free wifi, of course.
My favorite drink was the celery and melon juice — I can’t exactly recall the name of it, but it was an interesting taste. The sweetness of the melon balanced out the bitterness of the celery, and even if you’re not a fan of celery, this drink will make you think otherwise!

Great breads and other treats — fantastic ambience — coffee is so-​so (actually the coffee at most of these bakeries could be a lot better — must be a cultural thing). If you like Korean bakeries like White Windmill or Café Mozart, you’ll love this place. It can be inexpensive depending on what you buy — hard to leave without a couple of pastries though. They also have wi-​fi.

I went for their brunch special: $ 5.99 for a brunch buffet from 10am-2:30pm.
Before I go any further I would like to announce that they will be starting a dinner special too: $ 6.99 for a dinner buffet (not sure when it starts though).
My parents actually recommended this place to me, and I was not sure what to expect. Lots of good bread there (I am guessing leftovers, but they were still really soft and really good), salad, potatoes, vegetables, bulgogi, tofu, soup, and really good fried rice all for your enjoyment.
All I can say is that unlike many buffet places, the chef takes great care in preparing each dish. Even though buffets are usually quantity over quality, I found myself eating very slowly and enjoying each bite at Maum. The food is prepared with care from experienced hands, and it shows (I mean, look at how the fruit is cut!). There’s also an omelette section that rotates into a seafood pancake section depending on the date of visit. Soups change in and out, and I had a really good cream of mushroom today.
The décor is fresh and chic, good for a casual business lunch or even a date.
Great food at a great price. After visiting this place a couple more times, I might bump it up to 5 stars.

I am a big fan of Maum off of Buford Highway. I’ve been here several times.
First off one of the things you’ll notice about Maum is that it is nicely decorated and furnished. In the middle of it you’ll see a fireplace with two large square tables, plenty of booths, several 2 seater tables and a long table. This is a great place to take a date, study or hang out with friends.
For baked goods they have several goods. It’s Korean bakery but it’s very French influenced. The owners flew in a chef from Korea to run this bakery. I’ve tried the cream bread (a pastry roll with a very light-​sweet tasting cream), the cakes (I love the cakes here they are not overly sweet), and other sweets. Plenty of breads, rolls, and sweets to choose from.
They also have tea, coffee, fresh fruit juices, and Korean frozen yogurt.
Lot of things to check out. The workers are bi-​lingual. They speak Korean but also speak English as well. You should check it out!!!

Good place to study. Their recent decline in small cakes has discouraged me to visit for the cake selection. They used to have these great miniature slices and they went great with a cappuccino.
The coffee here is not always good. The espresso machine or the staff need a guide, it is extremely strong at times and then very light. I wish they would bring back the Tea Forte, it made coming here and doing light work on the laptop a treat!

This place is perfect for a cup of joe and the Sunday paper. They have an assortment of seating, i.e. semi-​private booths, tables with chairs and benches. We sat there for a couple of hours without interruption. They also have free Wi-​fi, so many of the customers brought their laptops.
The muffins and breads are delicious! The coffee was up to my standards.

Had no idea this place existed until one of my friends told me about it. I’m never on Buford Highway this far north of the perimeter. A nice little café/​bakery. Went here on a Sunday afternoon and the place was busy. Every booth was taken by people with laptops or with their books and notes out studying. Other tables were taken by larger groups of 6 or so. We sat at the 18 foot long wooden table. The inside is nice, very rustic, lots of wood, reminds me more of a ski lodge in Colorado than anything. I tried the sweet rice bun, walnut pie, and vanilla «Cool-​A-​Teers.» The bun and pie were OK, the vanilla drink was really good though. I got some other Korean bun to go. Cool meeting place.

This place is a really cute Korean bakery. The interior design is off the charts! It’s very cute and comfortable. I wish whoever designed it could do interior decorating for my whole house (but that might cost a fortune!)
The coffees and teas are pretty good. On par with Starbucks, I guess. They also have fruit smoothies and fresh juices (if I remember correctly) that I have yet to try, but look very delicious. The pat-​ping-​soo (shaved ice with sweet red bean and fruit) was great too.
Now, why did I only give 3 stars if the décor and drinks are so good? I’m not such a fan of their breads, which to me is the main reason for going to a Korean bakery. Maum is more expensive than Mozart bakery or Koryodang bakery, which are both right down the street. From my few visits I’ve found that Maum’s baked goods are lacking in selection and are usually a little more dried out than I like. The flavor just isn’t there either. Not that impressed. Nah, if I’m gonna stock up on (bread) and make it count, I’m gonna prefer to go somewhere else every time.

Awesome frozen yogurt. Cool décor. Excellent service.
I don’t really like their bread and cakes because this place is all about «health» and they use less sugar than other places, but if that’s your kind of thing then this is the bakery for you.
If I don’t order a frozen yogurt, I get one of those fruit smoothies– watermelon & strawberry flavor. The mango fruit smoothie is SUPER sweet, but not in a way that tickles my fancy.

If you love Korean pastries & breads … and you’re a bargain shopper like me – then come here after 10pm. All the pastries & breads are 50% off. I wish all the bakeries offered such a deal :) What do they do with all those unsold pastries anyway?
And yep, got my Yogur fix. Just like last time, same 4 toppings w/​o even asking. This time, I asked for their «frequent Yogur» card but apparently they ran out. I got their «frequent coffee» card and asked them to stamp that instead. Might as well, right? :)

I love the yogur at Maum! It is my favorite «yogur» type place in Atlanta. It comes with strawberry, kiwi, and peaches. You have to ask for the duk (rice cake) on it. My bf and I went to Maum this past Friday with some friends and we all got the yogur. We also went again on Sunday because we wanted the yogur. It is addicting. We shared a small cup but next time we will be getting the medium cup. I wish I had some now!
The atmosphere is also nice, but on Sundays after church, it is very crowded and loud. I don’t think the baked goods are as good as some of the other Korean bakeries. If you buy some goods as a gift, they box it up nicely for you. I also think the service was good.

Food (9.5/10)=I visited Maum for the first time during my most recent visit to Atlanta (July 2008). This place was recommended to me by my friends at Emory University. We ordered the «Green Tea Pot Bing Su,» «Chal-Kkea-Ppang”(“Chewy Sesame Bread»), and tea by «Tea Forte» and «Republic of Tea.» The Pot Bing Su was very good, and very well balanced in terms of the amount of shaved ice and the toppings. Unlike SunO, Maum also adds the topping ingredients at the bottom of the shaved ice. This makes this cold treat enjoyable to eat from the start to end (Refer to my review of SunO).
The «Chal-​Kkea-​Ppang» were fantastic! I always go for these everytime I’m at Korean bakery. Unlike other Korean bakeries (eg. Koryodang — also on Buford Hwy.) Maum also adds nuts (I can’t remember what kind of nuts though) inside their «Chal-​Kkea-​Ppang,» creating a play of textures — crunchy and chewy simultaneously. Damn, I should’ve bought some more before I left Atlanta =(
The two teas we ordered were clean and refreshing. I really like how Maum serves their tea by «Tea Forte.» The unique tea bag is placed in a glass tea pot and served with a matching glass tea cup and plate.
***check out my uploaded pics of the food and décor***
Ambiance (10/10)=The décor of this bakery/​café is beautiful. It has a clean yet rustic feel due to the wood, stone, and iron furniture. The desserts are beautifully displayed, and pastries/​breads are presented nicely in small baskets on two large tables. When purchasing these pastries/​buns, you get matching woven baskets to place your goodies in before heading to the cash register. The lighting is just right, and one can appreciate all the different lamps lighting this bakery/​café. The décor of this place was very well thought out (refer to Maum’s website, the section «about Maum»), and it’s probably the only bakery/​café that I am truly impressed with in terms of the ambiance. Every object in this bakery/​café (table, walls, food, plates, utensils, lights, etc.) compliments each other. And let’s not forget the tables/​chairs on the front patio, with their own unique set of lamps.
Service (7.0/10)=Service was standard here. Nothing special. It’s what I usually experience at any bakery/​café.
Overall opinion=The ONLY reason I’m giving this place four Unilocal stars is because I’ve only been to Maum once, and have only tried a small sample of what they have to offer (cakes, bread, pastries, chocolate, drinks). I really want to give this place five Unilocal stars, but I must stay true to my standards as a food critic. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to visit Maum again anytime soon since I ‘m not sure when I’ll make another visit to Atlanta. However, I would confidently recommend Maum to anyone who is looking for a beautiful place to relax and have a nice cup of coffee/​tea with dessert.

Maum is the new star rising among the Korean community as second option to Café Mozart. When I heard about this bakery, I was dying to try it! Don’t get me wrong, I love Café Mozart, but I wanted to try some place new. You know, something unusual and unexpected.
So I went and I’m glad I did. This is officially the cutest bakery in Georgia. This place has cozy feeling all over the place. Nice and relaxing music played on the background as I devoured my cake and drink. But I have to be honest. Café Mozart’s cake is bit better in my opinion. Café Mozart’s cake tends to be fluffy and light, like it literally melts in your mouth, whereas Maum was a bit heavier and dry. Nonetheless, Tara P. had the Green Tea Chiffon Cake, which was simply orgasmic. Not too strongly Green Tea flavored, but just right. For some reason, this cake was more moist than my cake (White Fresh Cream Cake).
Overall, Maum had more cake variety than Mozart. They were more decorative and colorful. One could make the cake as a home decoration piece rather than a food item; it’s that beautiful! So if you are trying to get an eye-​candy type of birthday cake, stop by here. Satisfaction guaranteed!