New KidultLand cafe brings playful taste of Korea to Leslieville
By JOSHUA McGINNIS
In Leslieville, a new café is blending playful nostalgia with traditional Korean street food and quality coffee.
KidultLand opened in May 2025, offering a welcoming space where childhood whimsy and contemporary flavours meet.
Located at 1091 Queen St. E., near Queen Street East and Pape Avenue, KidultLand is a family-owned and operated Korean café, run by Davin Park alongside his mother, EunJung Choi; his sister, Ellen Park; and his father and head chef, Kwanwoo Park.
The interior is filled with the scent of fresh cookies and rich coffee, served alongside De Mello coffee beans, a Korean-owned roaster. Nostalgic décor, including mini figures, Blythe dolls, and toys, fills the space, creating an atmosphere that invites customers to reconnect with their inner child.
“KidultLand, like most businesses, started with an idea,” said Park, who began developing the concept in 2024.
“The original vision came from my mother and her dream of owning a café. It took a year of refining a concept that captured the essence of play, creativity and nostalgia. After many name changes, we landed on ‘KidultLand.’ It’s a playful blend of the words ‘kid’ and ‘adult.’ The ‘land’ is inspired by my mother’s favourite story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In our version, Alice has grown up but still yearns to reconnect with her inner child. With that realization, she returns to Wonderland to create a café where everyone is welcome to do the same.”
What makes KidultLand stand out in Leslieville’s busy scene is the food. Alongside coffee and fresh-baked goods, head chef Kwanwoo Park prepares traditional Korean bunsik, a term for popular Korean street food.
“Compared to other local coffee shops in Leslieville, what makes our menu unique is the inclusion of bunsik alongside the usual coffee offerings,” explained Davin.
“Pronounced boon-sheek, it refers to quick and comforting Korean snacks. We serve dishes like odeng skewers, teokbokki, bibimbap, samgak gimbap and homemade banchan. If you’re new to these, that’s totally fine — we’re always happy to guide you through and explain what each one is about. Our goal is to make these traditional flavours approachable and fun, while offering another taste of Korea to the Leslieville community.”
Since opening, Park said balancing family and business has come with challenges, but also provides opportunities to grow closer.
“It’s definitely not easy. There’s no separation between family and business, which can bring a lot of challenges that are hard to navigate,” he said.
“But I like to see it as a way to grow and strengthen the bonds we already have. There are many moments when we disagree and have to compromise on business decisions, but at the end of the day, we’re all here to grow together as a family.”
KidultLand is preparing for its grand opening celebration on Saturday, June 28, where Davin’s brother and local musician Daniel Park and C. Y. Ing will perform live at the café from 1 to 4 p.m.
Looking ahead, the café plans to host a variety of events, including movie nights, card trading games such as Pokémon, crochet classes, and other family-friendly community activities.
“Every day feels different — whether it’s introducing someone to their first bingsu, helping a guest discover bunsik, or watching people light up when they walk through our doors,” said Davin.
“There’s something really special about creating an environment where both kids and adults can feel joy, comfort, and nostalgia at the same time. And being part of a family business means we get to build something meaningful together — and that makes all the hard work worth it.”
For more information on KidultLand and the upcoming grand opening celebrations this Saturday, please visit @kidultlandcafe on Instagram.
