Other than Jeju Island, Gangwon Province (강원도 Gangwon-do) is another popular destination where Koreans flock to during summer, as the general temperature is 6 degrees cooler compared to Seoul. One of the must-visit in Gangwon province would be Terra Rosa Cafe 테라로사 커피공장, where visitors can enjoy a “forest bath” together with quality coffee brews and perfectly baked goods!

Located right in the forest, this cafe is one of the biggest coffee brewers in Gangwon Province, with about 12 branches in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Busan and Jeju Island. It is also famed as one of the prettiest cafe in Gangwon Province. There’re indoor and terrace seating, a small bakery, a coffee roasting factory within the premise of the headquarter.

The cafe is extremely popular with the locals. It was a Monday afternoon with slight drizzling when I arrived and it was already packed with visitors. We decided to take the outdoor seat and ordered some coffee and cakes from the bakery. Since the cafe is located in the mountains the outdoor seats were quite cooling, it really lived up to the official Gangwon Tourism Organization’s campaign tagline: 6 degrees cooler during Summer.

My single origin Geisha Honduras El Puente (KRW 10,000)  was a beautiful brew brimming with a floral scent, sweetness from ripe melon and some refreshing orange peel aftertaste. One of the more complex and interesting coffee profile I have ever tasted.

Like many other indie cafes in Seoul, Terra Rosa produce fresh bakeries to go with their coffee. One of the head-turners was Mr. Lemington, a chocolate cake originated from Australia. The moist chocolate cake is coated with shaved coconut, the sweetness from the dark chocolate matches so well with my Geisha coffee.

The artisan bread was fluffy and packed with cranberries and walnut. It was a very filling bread I must say, a great selection for sharing.

Writer’s Note: Terra Rosa Headquarter has moved to its current location in July 2017, which is right beside the old location. The new space is decorated with new bricks and surrounded by a chestnut forest. I’ve yet to visit this place ever since they moved, but below are some of the photos I’ve found online for your information. The cafe is *extremely* popular, so it might look slightly different due to the busy crowd. If you prefer a quieter coffee time, I would suggest visiting this place early in the morning on a weekday.

A post shared by ?슈앤블랑 _handmade (@pinkladyya) on Aug 29, 2017 at 6:51pm PDT

A post shared by 으니 (@eeennn2) on Aug 29, 2017 at 11:58am PDT

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Directions:

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Club Espresso is located in Buam-dong, one of the relatively-less-crowded-but-getting-popular-neighborhood (ugh!) in Seoul that offers high concentrations of quality food and coffee. Surrounded by impressive galleries, hidden restaurants, traditional teahouses and studios for many South Korean homegrown designers, Buam-dong makes a family and couple friendly location for a weekend outing.

I especially love the warmth of the wooden interior. It was a building made of red bricks, with rustic wooden furniture decorating the space. I love the wooden tables and chairs by the windows and the huge counter where visitors can sample different blends and single origin coffees before purchasing one that fits their taste and liking. The menu consists of three categories: drip coffee, single-origin espresso, and espresso variations, each category offer at least 5 different beans/beverages.

Up on the second floor of the café was a huge roasting area. Connecting the roasting room was a corridor, filled up with cupboards exhibiting a rich collection of barista tools and accessories any coffee fanatic would love spending hours exploring. I could vividly remember how delighted I was every time I swing open the wooden door and found the delicious smell of the coffee emanating from the bar.

Affogato (above). My personal favourite from Club Espresso. Creamy vanilla ice cream with two shots of vicious, dark espresso poured over. The chopped dark chocolate added a rich depth to the black intoxicating bitters. I love savouring these hot/cold, sweet/intense goodies –the most satisfying simple pleasure in life.

Iced Chocolano (below), another Club Espresso speciality coffee. It is a combination of rich chocolate, a luscious espresso shot and creamy whipped cream. Although we ordered the iced version, the drink was extremely potent — worth your daily calorie quota (once in a while!).

Club Espresso has been the place I constantly return to whenever I am in the area. I adored the tastefully decorated interior and personally felt it is what made the place stands out from the thousands of cafés out there. However, during my latest visit, I found the place has undergone some major renovations. They cleared all the woody interiors on the first floor and turned it into spacious, industrial settings. Obviously, they have remodelled the cafe into a trading friendly environment for coffee beans/ gadget buyers. Visitors may still take their coffee break at level two, which now serves as a seating hall.

All coffee including the eat-in orders is now served in takeaway cups. The espresso is still intact. My girlfriend and I had two servings each that afternoon. I am glad the coffee is of the same old good quality, but the experience of drinking my coffee from the impeccably presented, nicely warmed coffee cup and from a disposable coffee cup is just incomparable.

Doing away with the coffee cups is no doubt an economical and wiser business strategy, but something has gone missing. Substituting the finely chopped chocolate for chocolate fudge was another small disappointment after the renovation. I can’t help but miss the good old days. When I returned home that day, I scrolled down my Facebook timeline and found the photos I took on the very first time I visited the café with YJ and Mr Nice (It was in 2010!). I am glad the memories still echo in the time when things change very quickly.

Writer’s Note:  A café that impresses its visitors with the consistent good extractions in EACH cup of the espresso. They undoubtedly brew the best espresso in town, but I prefer the old Club Espresso, the red brick cottage that provides more than just a good cup of coffee.

Contact Details:

Club Espresso 클럽 에스프레소
서울시 종로구 부암동 257-1
257-1 Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Tel. +82-02-764-8719

Directions:

1. Coming out from Gyeongbok Palace Station (경복궁역) Exit No. 3, walk straight about 100 meters until you reach the 2nd  bus stop. (check the  board, it should indicate buses number 1020, 7022, 7212.)
2. Board any of the 3 buses above (1020, 7022, 7212) and alight at Buam-Dong Community Service Centre 부암동주민센터 [read: Bu-am-dong Ju-min Sen-toh]. The bus journey is roughly about 10 mins. a total 6 stops (including destination stop) before alighting.
3. After alighting from the bus, try to locate this particular cafe, by walking towards the direction your bus had come from.
4. You’ll see this particular building below after 30-40 seconds of walking towards the direction where you came from before alighting from the bus.

5. That’s your destination! Enjoy your good cup of coffee!

Being an avid coffee drinker, tracking down a solid cuppa is like an everyday routine for me. Coffee Arco is on the list of the better finds I encounter along the trendy streets of Garosugil. A roastery itself, Arco’s in-house roaster is around every day to take care of the beans that go to your cup. Serving aromatic and perhaps, the most interesting speciality coffee, Arco is one of my usual coffee stops when I am at Garosugil.  

Coffee Arco serves a variety of coffee, from the single origin to different seasonal house blends. You’ll find standard espresso varieties including Espresso, Latte, Flat White, Americano,  etc. on their drinks list. Pretty common, but the surprise comes from the second page of their menu.

They serve drip coffee, coffee cocktails (sweet!) and their speciality coffee from the “Arco Story Coffee” range. Sorry dear readers, although I have been to Arco for at least 5 times, I have never ordered anything else other than Shakerato, and the addictive Orange Latte from their “Arco Story Coffee” range. Another interesting drink I noticed during my latest visit was Lady Latte. A coffee cocktail made of Kahlua, Baileys, Frangelico & Espresso — most excellent coffee combination imaginable! I am going to order this on my next trip.

Orange Latte — An Arco signature drink made with homemade orange syrup and espresso. I have to admit I was quite hesitant during my first encounter. I find the slice of fresh orange was floating on the dense latte form in my cup quite dubious. However, the drink was certainly a cuppa to be remembered: Rich and dense latte form, strong and thick espresso with a nice hint of zesty orange flavour at the background. Certainly a beautiful way to wake up the senses in the morning.

On various occasions, I happened to be at Garosugil in the early morning, and the first thing I would do was to head down to Arco and indulge in their signature latte. I am not a latte fan nor I love any milk infused drink, but I always make sure I don’t miss the good ones, Arco’s Orange Latte is one of them.

Shakerato. [Read: Sha- K – rato] One of the trending espresso-based iced coffee in South Korea. It is an espresso drink infused with syrup and then shaken with ice. A drink perfect for summer. If you are not a fan of Ice Americano, this is what you probably will like. The sweet flavour at the front of the pallet with a slightly dry, dark chocolate aroma was a pure luxury.

Writer’s Note: A cafe at Gangnam that offers various interesting (and good) espresso drinks. If you like coffee cocktails, Arco is a must visit. Just in case you’re interested, their roasted blends are available for sale too.

Contact Details:

Coffee Arco 커피 아르꼬
519-17, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul.
서울시 강남구 신사동 519-17
Tel. 070-8777-0316

Directions:

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Backed by its rich history backdated to 1971, Dok-dabang witnesses the development of South Korea and how the landscape of Sinchon had evolved since the 70s. It is not restricted to those who wants to study. They have a huge common area separated from the study area, catering couples or small group visitors who prefer a relatively quiet place to chit chat and relax.

The cafe offers a gracefully rustic, library-like ambience. The wooden tiles, ceiling-tall wooden shelves, wood patio doors with gold linings and classical music loops softly at the background; all sums up to this academically friendly, nostalgic hideout for visitors.

The overall atmosphere feels more like a home library to me. With the perfect lighting coming in from the huge glass windows at daytime, it is no wonder a popular study cafe among Yonsei students.

Up there on the mezzanine floor has one of the greatest sunset views in Sinchon. If you are planning a romantic date night, this is a perfect place to bring your significant other to wind down before heading off to dinner!

The strictly-no-talking reading room: Dok-bang.

Now this place feels more like real study room, with personal study lamp equipped with every single seat. It looks like a good place for some serious study, no? One strategy that Dok-dabang managed to capture its visitors is their refill policy. You can have a coffee refill once for every drink you purchase. A Good deal isn’t it ; )The cafe also has two private meeting room for hourly rental to cater different needs.

Now talking about the food and drinks here at Dok-Dabang:

Latte, Americano, Irish Coffee, Mulled Wine, etc. I have never ordered anything that disappoints me here at the cafe. Their coffee beans are of the top notch quality one can find in any coffee speciality cafe. If you’re unsure what to order, try the Dabang Coffee (Check picture somewhere at beginning of the post), a milk coffee using their speciality blend as the base. ( 3 words to describe the froth? Rich, smooth and velvety, very good!) Okay, that is 4..5 words! lol

Affogato (please refer to picture waaayyyyy above) was a piece of art itself. I did not expect affogato to look THAT pretty! The sun-dried orange chips and the strong espresso blends so well together. A delightful, must-eat dessert in Dok-dabang.

They serve good pastries and cakes to go down with your drinks. This layered hazelnut cake is one of my favourites. I can’t remember the name of the cake, but the rich, nutty hazelnut aroma was lovely.

Last but not least, if you visit the cafe in the Summer, here is what you should not miss out: The Melon Shaved Ice (Melon Bingsu!). It is a melon flavored shaved ice with melon balls and a scoop of ice-cream. This seasonal dessert is very popular here. Sometimes you might need to wait up to 20 minutes for it — I’d say it is well worth the wait. Look at the bowl made of melon, instantly Instagram-worthy already! ; D

Writer’s Note:

Highly recommended! Hands Down!!! Just bring one or two of your favourite books, or your laptop and spend half a day away in this beautiful cafe. It is a gracefully rustic cafe with good coffee, delicious cakes, and beautiful scenery. Remember to check out their outdoor terrace as well! You get the hustle and bustle view of the Sinchon Rotary area on one side, and the Yonsei University campus on the other side. Simply alluring.

Contact Details:

독수리다방 Dok-dabang
Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Changcheon-dong, 31-4 Dok-suri Building (독수리빌딩), level 8.
서울시 서대문구 창천동 31-4 독수리빌딩8층
Tel. 02-363-1222

 Directions:

It looked quite far away from the station but trust me, it will not take more than 10 mins by walk. It is super easy to find as well!
1. Come out from Sinchon Station (line no.2) Exit no.3
2. Go all the way down the road.(towards Yonsei University Main Gate). Until you see Holly’s Coffee, a coffee chain brand with red signboard.
3. The cafe is located in the building right after Holly’s, building entrance look like this:

5. Go into the entrance, take the lift that goes to the 8th floor. There are two lifts, but only one goes to the 8th floor. (I think it is the right-hand side one)

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Seoul is never short of cafes. But cafes that capture its visitor’s heart don’t come common. Recently, I found a quaint little independent cafe hidden off a narrow alleyway at Euljiro. Brimming with the glorious bits and pieces of heritage and personalities, the cafe is as mysterious and enchanting as the femme fatale in the old Shanghai movies, keeping me going back for more.

Tucked away in the narrow alleyway nearest to Euljiro 3-ga station, Coffee Hanyak-Bang 커피한약방 offers a unique kind of experience with its Chinese décor, old Shanghai nostalgic ambience and a sense of intimacy, a true hidden oriental gem in downtown Seoul.

I do not intend to sound exaggerated, but the cafe is really well hidden behind the old shop houses along Exit no. 1 of Euljiro 3-ga station. It took me some time to finally locate it — back in this dark and narrow alley unfit for vehicles. Seriously, nobody would even think of the existence of such beauty at the back of this alleyway.

Stepping into the cafe was like entering a movie set by the highly acclaimed and renowned Chinese movie director Wong Kar-wai. Each and every corner of the cafe were tastefully arranged with antique furnitures. According to the owner of the cafe, the furnitures including the Chinese medicine cabinet, carved flower bar and coffee making table, ceiling lamps and chairs are all exquisitely flown from China.

“Hanyak-Bang” is the romanization version of  “한약방”, which means traditional Korean medicine room. The cafe was named after “Korean Medicine Room”, as the owner hopes to brew each and every cup of coffee just like how earnestly people brew traditional medicine centuries ago – Thick,  strong and pungent.

A huge patch of steel frame can be seen on the ceiling right above the counter, probably a result of crumbling cement — this little imperfection of the building has transformed into a piece of art during the renovation. I think this is another great location for some oriental beauty photo shoot or Wong Kar-wai movie inspired pre-wedding photo shoot, no?

Their menu at the bar, made of an old piece of wood.

Coffee wise, they have the normal hand drip coffee (KRW3,500) , special hand drip coffee (KRW4,000), which you can choose the origin of your coffee beans from the list they have. Other than hand-drips, they have Latte (KRW3,800), Cappuccino (KRW3,800), Caramel Latte (KRW4,000), Vanilla Latte (KRW4,000), Maple Latte sounds yummy! (KRW4,000), Mocca Latte (KRW4,000), Espresso (KRW3,000), Affogato another all time favourite of mine (KRW4,000), Espresso Con Panna (KRW4,000) and Dutch Coffee (KRW5,000).

Not a fan of caffeine? Here are some of their non-caffeinated drinks:
Fresh fruit juice KRW 4,000
Wine Ade KRW5,000
Fruit Tea KRW4,000
Hot Chocolate KRW 3,500
Iced Chocolate KRW3,500
Milk KRW2,500
Soda KRW3,000
Organic Flower Tea KRW4,000
5 Grains Latte  KRW 5,000

They do not serve meals, but they have sandwiches, cakes, cookies and chocolates to go with your drinks. I am more interested in their seasonal menu, which includes cup-Bingsu (shaved ice) and Sangria in summer and Glühwein (aka Vin Chaud or mulled wine) in the winter.

I ordered a “Special Filter” coffee on my very first visit and came back to my temporary seat, which the owner sets up using an antique stool and a chair. It is very nice for him to accommodate me despite having a full house at his cafe. It was interesting to sit right in front of the counter. No one would reject a great chance to observe how their cuppa was made, isn’t it?

Barista Yongbin Go, who worked with coffee every day for the past 4 years.

As I was taking photos at the seat, the owner came with a piece of chocolate truffles. “a small token of apology” he said, just because I had to take that temporary seat. Awwwww…. such a sweet gesture. ^^

They use single origins for their hand-drips. Hot water was slowly poured over the aromatic ground, water percolates through the filter, producing these dark, full bodied fluid — Here come my Hand-drip Special 필터스패셜 with Kenya Beans. As expected, it captured the strong and rich flavour of the beans, with smooth, dry finishing — exactly what I like. (Kenya beans can’t possibly go wrong in any case), but I prefer it thicker. Well, my bad, I should inform the barista about my personal preference beforehand, but the coffee was great nonetheless.

Interested to find out more about the cafe, I went on my 2nd excursion to the cafe to try out their non-hand drip coffee. It was 330pm in the afternoon and I knew I needed something sweet to perk me up– Espresso Con Panna, perfect for a cloudy afternoon like today. Topped with the soft and creamy whipped cream, this baby was served in a glass wine for an elegant touch. As expected, the sweetness of the cream balanced out the natural bitterness from the espresso, leaving an aromatic and smooth touch on your tongue, a dreamy marriage of espresso and the dense whipped cream.

It is also a cafe that roast their own beans manually — roasting their own coffee beans guarantee freshness. Typically, the aroma of a roasted coffee beans would fade after 5 days, and the overall cup quality would drop in 10 days. (So now you know how old your coffee sold at BIG brands and chain coffee stores actually is.) It is also cheaper by roasting their own beans manually so that customers can enjoy good quality coffee at a lower price!

The house pet is a parrot (?) befitting the overall oriental atmosphere of the cafe. No idea what breed is that but it is Über cute! Point your camera towards him and he’ll come closer to you and strike a pose for your camera.

Writer’s Note: A small cafe with quaint atmosphere very suitable for dating, gathering or even quality time alone. The settings are just oh-so-Wong Kar Wai movie, suitable for couple/pre-wedding photo shoot. Best of all, they serve good coffee in pocket friendly price tags. One black coffee costs KRW3,500 here and I am sure you’ll need to add one or two more bucks for the same thing at the coffee chains down the street. Life is too short, and there are so many things an independent cafe can offer that the international coffee chains seem to neglect. It is time we take a closer look at these independent/ indie cafes around us.

Have you been to any independent cafes in Seoul? What are your best “Hidden” cafes in Seoul? I am interested to know more about them ; )

Contact Details:

Coffee Hanyak-Bang 커피한약방
서울시 중구 을지로2가 101-34
Tel. 070-4148-4242
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-10pm, Saturday 11am-9pm. Close on Sunday.

Direction:

1. Coming out from Euljiro 3-ga Station, exit no. 1. You’ll see shop houses at your right hand side.

2. Walk down the street, until you see the first junction, turn right. The construction site will be at your left hand side. Continue to walk down the street, where you’ll see this ginseng chicken restaurant at your right hand side.

3. The cafe is located at the back alley right beside the ginseng chicken soup.

I was with the two coffee experts hailed from Singapore one fine winter afternoon at Garosugil so we decided to visit Ikovox Coffee, a cafe that roast it’s own beans. The entrance was brimming with that lovely scent of freshly roasted coffee before we stepped into the cafe.

The interior of the cafe was simple, not overly adorned but furnished with taste and comfort in mind. It was pretty quiet in the cafe for a Friday afternoon. We decided on espresso — A very tricky drink for the barista, but a relatively easy drink for consumers to identify if the beans and the technique are good.

Ikovox’s espresso — Look at the golden fluid. Thick, smooth, foamy and dark crema was a visual beauty. Inhaling the deep, rich aroma just got me feverish. All I wanted to do was to just shut up, drink my coffee and embrace the moment. The moment of strong, rich and aromatic fluid running down my throat. The aftertaste lingers — so sensational, so good!

Cafes are everywhere in Seoul but roasters are relatively rare. More importantly, Ikovox’s coffee are made of freshly roasted beans everyday. Pricing are about the same as any franchise coffee you can get around in Seoul, but TWO shots of espresso are added to every single cup of coffee here in Ikovox — Now you know where to get stronger coffee at usual price at Garosugil.

My Verdict: It is hard to come out with a fair judgement since we only tried their espresso. However straight espresso is difficult to make, not to mention maintaining the consistency, so I guess this cafe is a keeper for future visit. Since coffee is their main focus, there isn’t many choice for food. Limited slices of carrot cakes and caramel chocolate cakes were available at the counter. Oh well, I am not complaining. Good coffee is the only thing a cafe is qualified as a good cafe afterall. ; D

Contact Details:

Ikovox Coffee 이코복스 커피 (가로수길점)
Apgujung-ro 10 gil-37, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
서울시 강남구 압구정로 10길 37.
Tel. 02-545-2010

Directions:

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