Hearton Cake Hongdae: A Pigeon Birthday Cake Review 2026

As a self-proclaimed pioneer of the pigeon cake craze (or at least a huge fan!), I'm thrilled to share my review of receiving one of these iconic pigeon cakes.

I've always had a soft spot for pigeons.

While it's now illegal to feed them in public (with hefty fines of around ~$138!), I have fond childhood memories of sneaking rice from home to become the 'pigeon idol' at the park.

Honestly, pigeons are just adorable!

So, when the pigeon cake trend exploded recently, I was ecstatic. Then I stumbled upon this incredible pigeon cake someone ordered in Hongdae – I knew I had to have it!

When my friend asked what I wanted for my birthday, I didn't hesitate: the pigeon cake!

While many imitations have popped up, the original and undeniably best comes from @hearton.cake_official. Seriously, no other pigeon cake even comes close to their masterpiece.

Since the pigeon cake boom, Hearton Cake has been creating all sorts of bird-themed cakes – parrots, chickens, you name it! They truly are skilled artisans.

However, the price point is a bit steep.

I had no idea it would be quite so much, but my friend mentioned it was around ~$55!

My initial thought was, 'Could we make one ourselves?' But after carrying our pigeon cake (affectionately nicknamed 'Doolgi') around all day, its neck eventually snapped. The process of trying to fix its 'cervical fracture fixation & compression' (😂) made me fully understand why these cakes command such a price!

Anyway, to celebrate my birthday, we took our pigeon cake (aka 'Doolgi') on an adventure to Everland!

It was summer, so Caribbean Bay was a must. I have to admit, it felt like Everland is pouring all its energy into the theme park, while Caribbean Bay is showing its age a bit. It was still fun, but the 6 PM closing time, even before sunset, felt a little too early! Ugh.

2026 Caribbean Bay Ticket Discounts, Operating Hours, Reviews | Trip.com3ha.in

Seoul - Everland Shuttle Bus (Daesung Tour) - Klook3ha.in

Caribbean Bay has lockers for food and belongings before you enter, including refrigerated ones! We safely stowed Doolgi in a cold locker, enjoyed the water park, and then popped over to Everland for a bit.

"Look here, Doolgi!" I shouted, posing like a total attention-seeker in front of the Swing Spin ride (or some other spinning attraction!). Someone recognized our Doolgi and jokingly called it a 'lame pigeon' – I mean, it's not lame, but it still made me feel surprisingly proud!

After snapping some selfies with Doolgi, we hopped on the Everland Spin, then the Double Rock Spin.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I felt so dizzy and scared, my legs were shaking afterwards! Still, being upside down for a bit made me feel a little younger, haha.

Inside Everland, there's also a beautiful Rose Garden, where we took more selfies with Doolgi. Seriously, night photos at Everland turn out amazing!

The journey back was exhausting, but it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. We stayed until closing, and by the time we got back to Seoul, it was almost midnight – nowhere was open to eat!

To top it all off, Doolgi's head completely broke off, exhausted from all the travel!

We ended up at Haidilao Hot Pot, which is open until 5 AM, to have our birthday dinner. Walking into Haidilao in the early hours, without any wait, felt like a spontaneous trip to China, like we were in Shanghai!

Big shoutout to my friend who heroically reattached Doolgi's head – you're the best!

And this is just a magpie feather I found on the street.

Oh, and for my actual birthday, I was in Tokyo! Didn't see any pigeons there, but I guess I was the pigeon then (?).

Curious about my Tokyo birthday trip?

Wondering where to go for your birthday?

Tokyo Edition, Ginza Review & Special Offers, Tokyo 2026 | Trip.com3ha.in

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