The South Korean Coffee Shop Experience - Seoul and Beyond

Asia is best known for its teas, but there is a whole other world of epicurean fun waiting for coffee lovers. South Koreans love their coffee; according to one study there are more than three hundred thousand coffee vending machines in Korea. For those who want a more sophisticated taste, Korea's coffeehouses are brewing up a storm.

In Gunsan City, one of the most popular java spots is Bucks Coffee and Beer. It has a very familiar green logo, but is definitely not connected to a corporate coffee purveyor. Bucks is independent and proud of it. They do indeed serve coffee AND beer, an odd combination. Bucks is famous in the area for their giant projection screen, showing popular American and Korean films all day long. The Korean films are subtitled, so westerners can follow along as they get their coffee buzz going.

Further north, you can get an excellent espresso in the sit-down resturant Blue Opera, located just outside Osan Air Base in Songtan City, also known as Pyeontaek. Blue Opera is in the Shinjang outdoor shopping mall, and is distinguished by some unusual sculpture of strange creatures that grimace at passersby from their perch over the entrance.

Closer to Seoul you will find roadside stops featuring Maxwell House coffee bars. It's strange to encounter a booth bearing the Maxwell House name but copyright laws in Korea are much different than in the west, and in some cases the owners simple appropriate a logo and color scheme that is popular in the area.

In Seoul there are many places to choose from. There are Italian-style coffee shops such as Pascucci, which serves an excellent caramel cappuccino. Pasucci also serves an excellent three-layer cake that should not be missed, sinfully rich and made with real cream. This coffee shop features four floors including a smoking section with a fabulous view of the area around the Insadon-il district.

In the Itaewon district there are many coffee shops to choose from, but the best include Hello Beans, which features excellent lattes and incredibly rich tiramasu that should be tasted to be believed. The straight espresso is excellent and for your non-coffee drinking companions, Hello Beans offers hot chocolates and cold tea drinks as well. Hello Beans has the best reading material of all the coffee shops in Seoul, featuring the hilariously titled Korean Tattler magazine, plus an array of French fashion mags and film journals.

Another good bet is a quirky little 'grab-and-go' place called Indy Coffee, advertising "Indy Coffee, Indy Sand" which refers to their selection of sandwiches. This is a good bet if you are on the go and trying to get a java jolt in a hurry. Further down the way in Itaewon you can also find a good cup of joe at Sandpresso, which is has a similar selection of sandwiches and other snacks.

Of course, there is always Starbucks for the less adventurous coffee lover, and the Starbucks in Itaewon is a beautiful affair with multiple stories and a fabulous view of the shopping street. You can do a lot worse in South Korea, especially with the canned coffees sold in street side vending machines.

Coffee lovers in South Korea will NOT be doing without. There are so many tasty alternatives to choose from, and once hooked, a traveler will probably want to sample them all. Tea may be the beverage of choice through much of Asia, but the South Koreans know their coffee and brew it quite well. From espresso to iced lattes, it's a part of the Korean experience you won't want to miss.