95. – 99. Mango Six, Cofy Plz, I *Heart* Coffee, Coffeemama, Dal.Komm Coffee

95. Mango Six Coffee & Dessert (Gimhae) I first saw this somewhere in Gwangan, Busan, about two years ago. They had a self-serve froyo station, akin to those that were exploding all over the U.S. a few years ago. I wonder if that’s still a thing over there.

96. Cofy Plz (Jangsan, Busan). It was closed when this photo was taken, but I was assured it’s still open.

97. I *Heart* Coffee (Samgye-dong, Gimhae). Yeah, we kind of figured that out already.

98. Coffeemama (Gimhae). If you get a hot coffee, can you call it a “Hot Mama”? Will anyone understand the joke? This is another chain. It seems like almost every business is a chain of some kind in Korea. Either that, or standalone businesses give their facades the look of a chain, I guess to imply stability? Not sure. Anyway, I also saw a location in Busan.

99. Dal.komm Coffee (Gwangan, Busan). I have seen this brand in several locations throughout Busan, including the Busan Station area. Their website gives no indication as to what the hell dal.komm actually means.

88. – 94. Fall In Coffee, Yoger Presso, ToPresso, Cafe Droptop, Coffine Gurunaru, Alice2046, good & goods

I have heard stories, anecdotal mostly, how even the scent of coffee can cause one great need to have a poo. Does this happen to you? Because, I also read recently that one of the sneaky causes of constipation can be drinking too much coffee.

Here are some coffee shops in Korea that have English that may raise an eyebrow or two, causing several heads to be scratched in the process.

88. Fall In Coffee (Gimhae). I have seen “fall in”… so many times in Korea, that it’s pretty obvious that a less-than-correct (at least to us. I understand how malleable language is and how one established way is not the only way. So shut up) interpretation took hold a while ago (the king remains “You are falling in coffee scent” in Nampo-dong. I really need to get back there!). This shop, which I have heard is pretty decent, just sounds like its advocating something potentially painful.

89. Yoger Presso (Naeoedong, Gimhae). This is a chain I have seen pretty frequently throughout both Gimhae and Busan, and I am sure it’s nationwide. And, I get the allure of Portmanteau. But, while I get that “presso” is for “espresso,” what the hell is “Yoger” for? Yogurt? It’s also yet another time I have seen “393th” amidst the Korean writing. Let’s ignore the “th,” native English speakers. What does this number mean?

90. ToPresso (Dongsang-dong, Gimhae). And, here’s the other.

91. Cafe Droptop (Yulha Cafe Street, Jangyu, Gimhae). This is one of those, like Cafe Cantata, that I first saw in convenience stores. Wait, it’s a shop too? Which came first, the chicken or the caffeinated egg?

92. Coffine Gurunaru (Dalmaji Hill, Busan). What the hell is “coffine?” Is it actually not a coffee shop at all? Am I being trolled? I should probably go inside to investigate. Or, not.

93. Alice2046 (Gwangan, Busan). Who is Alice? Why 2046? Is this the coffee of the future? To be fair, it’s a decent cafe, with a lovely view of the water. It’s also a TIME MACHINE.

94. good & goods (Samgye-dong, Gimhae). But, does it suck?

83. – 86. Aco Coffee, Caffe Tiamo, Caffe Primo, Coffee of Dream

Do you know what I drank this morning? Coffee. And then, I had coffee.

83. Aco-Coffee (Gimhae). Can anyone tell me what the “aco” in Aco-Coffee is supposed to mean?

84. Caffe Tiamo (Gimhae). When businesses in Korea aren’t ganking on French themes, they’re ganking elsewhere around the world.

85. Caffe Primo (Gwangan, Busan). This caffe’s brunch has been highly recommended among the foreigner crowd.

86. Coffee of Dream (Jangsan, Busan). Coffee of… Dream? I can only choose one? Hardly seems fair.

77. – 82. Cafe Icebean, Essentia, Pasta Farm, Eat, Coffee & Mobile, Take Out Coffee

Here are some more “not just coffee” entries. Whether it’s a bakery, dessert cafe, or even an eyeglass shop (or, an excellent flower shop), it seems everyone thinks they need to have coffee in the mix if they want to survive. That includes…

77. Cafe Icebean (Samgye, Gimhae). This chain, in addition to coffee, offers patbingsu desserts. But this particular location is across from the excellent Mint Bloom, so I could not care less.

78. Essentia. It’s not just a coffee shop, but also a “breadcafe” and a coffee “hagwon” (the Korean word for private school). Located in Samgye, Gimhae.

79. Pasta Farm: Fresh Pasta a& Coffee. Located in Gwangan, Busan, this clearly is mostly a restaurant specializing in pasta. So, why does it also have to have “coffee” in its title? Because coffee rules Korea, that’s why. Note, there is another “A Twosome Place” location in the same building. Also in the same building is…

80. Eat, the Original Coffee & Simply Food.

81. Coffee & Mobile Free Cafe, in Jangsan, Busan. “Free Cafe”? Does that mean I can leave my wallet at home? Also, am I the only one who thinks their sign looks like the Arm & Hammer logo?

82. a “Take Out” coffee shop (the turquoise part) located in another cell phone shop, one street over from “Coffee & Mobile” in Jangsan, Busan.

76. Mint Bloom Flower Cafe, Gimhae (Review)

In the highly, highly saturated Korea coffee shop game, it’s important to have a good product and an interesting concept–unfortunately, brand recognition doesn’t hurt, either–if you want to have any chance of lasting more than six months. There’s just so much.

Fortunately Mint Bloom Flower Cafe (Samgye-dong, Gimhae, 055-339-4919) has at least two of those essentials.

Located in Samgye-dong, Gimhae, the first thing I noticed when walking into this spacious cafe was the scent.

Fresh flowers.

Plants and flowers on display (and on sale) at Mint Bloom Flower Cafe.

The combination of flowers, plants and that peat moss scent that gives flower shops an unmistakable perfume is absolutely pleasant in a cafe setting. Kim Seoung Ja appears to have taken her skills as a florist (you can view some of her work on Instagram) and, combined with the tested (many would say over-tested) cafe concept, merged the two into what seems like such an obvious (but grossly underrepresented) combination: a flower shop and coffee shop in one.

Bouquets kept cool alongside a shelf full of vases to display your new flowers at home.

Cappuccino (4,000 won) and a cookie (2,000 won) at Mint Bloom Flower Cafe.

Prices are about what you expect in Korea. Instead of an Americano (3,500 won for hot, 4,000 won for iced), I ordered a Cappuccino (4,000 won) and cranberry and chocolate cookie (2,000 won) that, despite looking very homemade, had a packet of silica gel inside to keep it fresh. Then again, this being a florist, freshness measures such as silica packets may be par for the course.

While 4,000 won is rising precipitously into “too expensive” territory, I am more than willing to pay a bit extra if I’m getting a good product. And finally, after how many cups of watery Americanos, burnt Cappuccinos and boring Lattes I cannot count, I can unreservedly say this was a very good cup of coffee (the cookie was just OK). Given how much attention the place spends on the floral side of things, it would have been forgiven if the coffee side was average. But, I left very happy.

Hard at work.

While I have been writing this, a few customers have come and gone. Not all of them came for coffee. Which, is important to note. Mint Bloom Flower Cafe has a diversified product on offer. Granted, the cost for all these plants has to be expensive. The space is large and in an up-and-coming (read: probably expensive) section of the city, easily accessible by lightrail. And the Cappuccino I was sold tasted good enough, and took enough time, to indicate that they are not interested in shoving cheap diarrhea down our throats as quickly as possible. But, judging from the steady flow of traffic, it all seems to be paying off.

I guess there’s still a little blood left in this coffee-colored stone, after all. And it smells like flowers.

Some pretty stuff!

“Flower class” held at Mint Bloom.

Mint Bloom is located near the Presbyterian University Busan-Gimhae Lightrail stop, in Samgye-dong, Gimhae.

73. – 75. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, T&T’s Party Coffee & Cocktail, Cafe Adam’s

One friend commented on my mission to log “All the Coffee in Korea” as trying to count every grain of sand on the beach. Actually, he said this would be harder.

73. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Gwangan, Busan). Started in the United States in the early 1960s, the brand expanded globally starting in the late 1990s when two brothers from Singapore bought the company. It’s now in over 20 countries in Asia, including South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Saudi Arabia, as well as in Germany, Egypt and Colombia. This photo was taken outside their Gwangan location. However, I have visited their location in Seomyeon (Busan’s largest, most recognizable downtown), within walking distance to the subway. My experience wasn’t great, as the coffee was over 4,000 won (not sure exact price, it’s been awhile), and this particular cafe was crammed butts-t-nuts with tables, for maximum occupancy. Congestedly, it was.

74. T&T Party Coffee & Cocktail (Haeundae, Busan). This cafe on wheels is a prime example of coffee’s stranglehold on the populace. Located within walking distance of Korea’s most famous beach, Haeundae, this truck sells mostly bagged, alcoholic concoctions (drinking in public is legal in South Korea), meant to be enjoyed by tourists moving from bar to bar back to the beach or their hostel. It’s the majority of the menu, but there’s also coffee. Which, I suppose works. If this thing is in operation at 4 a.m., it might be nice to get a cuppa to perk you up enough to last until the sunrise.

75. Cafe Adam’s (Centum City, Busan). “Slow tables make you sweet.” Who is Adam? Is he a real person? Is this a foreign-owned establishment? Is it owned by a Korean who adopted a western name? I pass this every time I take the intercity bus from Busan back to Gimhae, but happened to walk past it last weekend while Wart and I were taking a very long stroll back to her apartment in Jangsan.

All the Coffee in Korea (An Evolving List, Updated 10/19/16)

Would you like a little T’aegukki with your coffee?

How much is “All the Coffee in Korea” anyway? That answer, to anyone who has walked this country’s occasionally wide, but often narrow streets, is about as obvious as a large, hairy, broad-shouldered waygookin is in a sea of small, curious hangookin children.

A lot (just in case the comment above didn’t make a lot of sense).

Below you will find the evolving (but, by no means conclusive, exhausting or complete… yet) list of places that sell coffee in South Korea. What businesses does that include, exactly? There’s coffee at GS25 and 7-Eleven. Will they be on the list? Probably not, unless they start employing honest-to-goodness baristas. Which I’m not counting out.

(Please keep in mind that this is not necessarily a review portal. There are some reviews here (“Random Weekly Reviews,” in fact), but it’s mostly as a log of every different coffee shop brand that exists in Korea. So, for example, if I list a Starbucks location in Gimhae (which, I do), I am not saying come to Gimhae because this location is great. I just happened to take a photo of a Starbucks in Gimhae. And since I am only listing coffee shop brands once, that’s the last time I’ll write about it (unless it isn’t).)

Here are some (arbitrary) rules for how a business makes the cut. Don’t see a shop on the list that you think absolutely should be there? Let me know in the comments!

And finally… why the hell am I doing this?

1. Coffee Walk Vol. 2 (Gimhae)
2. Bergamo (Gimhae)
3. Audrey Hepburn Cafe (Gimhae) (Random Weekly Review)
4. Gentle Coffee (Gimhae)
5. Starbucks Coffee (Gimhae)
6. Black Keys (Gimhae)
7. Cafe Do (Gimhae)
8. Cafe Friends (Gimhae)
9. Imperial Coffee (Gimhae)
10. Coffee Tree (Gimhae)
11. Let it be (Gimhae)
12. Angel-in-us (Gimhae)
13. Tom N Toms (Gimhae)
14. Ediya (Gimhae)
15. Dunkin’ Donuts (Gimhae)
16. Caffe Bene (Busan)
17. Caffe Yam (Busan)
18. Cafe Aslan (Busan)
19. Nudge 5 (Busan)
20. Cafe Sweet Coax (Gimhae)
21. Cafe Tirol (Gimhae)
22. The Caffe (Gimhae)
23. Yellow Coffee (Gimhae)
24. L’Revelry (Gimhae) (Random Weekly Review)
25. Caffe Pascucci (Busan)
26. Hands Coffee (Busan)
27. Coffeesmith (Busan)
28. Cafe Nada (Busan)
29. Babeans (Busan)
30. NY Hotdog & Coffee (Gimhae)
31. Waffle & Caffe (Gimhae)
32. Cupcake & Coffee (Busan)
33. Cafe Dou (Busan)
34. Ruban Coffeebible (Busan)
35. Green Bean (Gimhae)
36. Cafe Byul (Gimhae)
37. Nidor Coffee (Gimhae)
38. Coffee # (Gimhae)
39. Na-neun Coffee (Busan)
40. Cafe Corea (Busan)
41. Best Beans (Busan)
42. Cafe Cantata (Busan)
43. BC800 (Gimhae)
44. Caffe D’Ate (Gimhae)
45. Monorail Coffee (Gimhae)
46. Dahlia Dolci (Gimhae)
47. Makimaki Roasters (Gimhae)
48. Grangba (Gimhae)
49. Chung Choon Cafe (Gimhae)
50. Blue Windmill Cafe & Bakery (Gimhae)
51. Irang (Busan)
52. The Venti (Busan)
53. Caffe E Cibo (Busan)
54. Crema (Busan)
55. Cafe Ever (Gimhae) (Random Weekly Review)
56. Cafe Beato (Gimhae)
57. Mins Coffee (Gimhae)
58. Capia (Gimhae)
59. Jajeongo Poong Gyong (Gimhae)
60. Paris Baguette (Gimhae)
61. Tous les Jours (Gimhae)
62. T-World Cafe (Gimhae)
63. Davich Cafe & Caffe (Gimhae)
64. Isaac Toast & Coffee (Gimhae)
65. Dongnae Coffee Shop (Gimhae)
66. Manna Dream (Gimhae)
67. Funny Salon (Gimhae)
68. Happy Coffee (Gimhae)
69. Hollys Coffee (Busan)
70. Caffe One+One (Busan)
71. A Twosome Place (Gimhae)
72. 261 Street (Gimhae)
73. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Busan)
74. T&T’s Party Coffee & Cocktail (Busan)
75. Cafe Adam’s (Busan)
76. Mint Bloom Flower Cafe (Gimhae) (Random Weekly Review)
77. Cafe Icebean (Gimhae)
78. Essentia (Gimhae)
79. Pasta Farm (Busan)
80. Eat (Busan)
81. Coffee & Mobile (Busan)
82. Take Out Coffee (Busan)
83. Aco Coffee (Gimhae)
84. Caffe Tiamo (Gimhae)
85. Caffe Primo (Busan)
86. Coffee of Dream (Busan)
87. Lemon Tree Cafe (Yulha) (Random Weekly Review)
88. Fall In Coffee (Gimhae)
89. Yoger Presso (Gimhae)
90. ToPresso (Gimhae)
91. Cafe Droptop (Jangyu)
92. Coffine Gurunaru (Busan)
93. Alice 2046 (Busan)
94. Good & Goods (Gimhae)

60. – 64. Paris Baguette, Tous les Jours, T-World Cafe, Davich Cafe & Caffe, Issac Toast & Coffee

These are the “not just coffee” entries that, nonetheless, must be mentioned. Why? Well, because they sell coffee, dagnabbit.

I have established some (arbitrary) rules for when a business gets on the list. There is no need to artificially inflate the numbers. As a commenter noted in a recent post: “I have never seen so many coffee shops in my life.”

1. If the business has coffee in its name, it goes in, sight-unseen.
2. If the business has cafe or caffe (or both!) in its name, it gets a better look at and often will go in. There are occasionally bars (called “hofs,” pronounced “hopeu” and taken from the German “hofbrauhaus”) that also are called cafes and thus are not included.
3. If the business is referred to as something else, like a “dessert cafe (a la the awkwardly-named “To the Different”),” it gets a cursory glance. If there are any prominent advertisements for coffee, it’s in. If there is a struggle to find coffee as a primary product, I’ll look further. If it’s still a struggle, I won’t include it.
4. No place will be included more than once. That means since I have already included “Gentle Coffee,” I won’t include it again if what I think is a stand-alone shop (although Korean companies both small and large have a tendency to fully-embrace a “chain store” aesthetic. Perhaps its believed to be a sign of strength and success?) gets another location somewhere else. I might reconsider revisiting a shop for a “Random Weekly Review” if something compels me (like a reader request, for instance).

And now, onto the show!

60. Paris Baguette. The big daddy of exported Korean food-based brands. I remember a location in a Korean-themed strip mall in Edison, NJ, which also included a Korean meat buffet and Jjimjilbang (which employees at the Korean Supermarket there, H-Mart, said had been “Coming Soon” for over two years). And, let’s not forget the whole thing about opening a location in the super-touristy center of Paris. Recently, they began heavily promoting their “Cafe Adagio” brand of Rainforest Alliance-approved coffees. Which, frankly, taste just as average as what they were selling before. And employees are still usually confused if you ask for cold milk.

61. Tous les Jours. The other big bakery chain that doesn’t seem to get as much love as PB. There were one of these in that same Edison, NJ Korean-themed strip mall. Except it was inside the H-Mart. The PB was a standalone. I had a cup of Americano at a location near one of my schools recently, two-shot. And, I have to say, I thought it was pretty decent stuff.

62. T-World Cafe. Anyone loosely familiar with things in Korea might recognize T-World as a cellular provider. Yes, they are. And, yes, they also have coffee (apparently it’s “healing coffee”) in some of their shop locations. No place is sacrosanct.

63. Davich Cafe & Caffe. If cellular carriers can have coffee shops, why not eyeglass shops? It only makes sense. These two kids, whom I imagine were there because their parents were getting glasses and not because the food and coffee here is just so much better than Paris Baguette, had a good laugh with me as I took their picture at this location (which is across the street from T-World Cafe).

64. Isaac Toast & Coffee. Toast sandwiches (primarily egg and shredded cabbage, a sweet barbecue sauce and often cheese and ham) used to be big, big, big in Korea in the 2000s. You can still find them in plenty of places, including here in the ethnically and culturally diverse section of Gimhae known by expats as “Shinae” (downtown). However, when coffee took off in Korea, what was considered the most widely-recognized Toast shop added coffee to the mix. You can see the prominent advertising for the shop’s caffeinated indulgences above.

55. Cafe Ever, Gimhae (Review)

Am I the only person who thinks this cafe’s logo looks like the place would be a ski lodge in a 1980s movie about the K12?

Cafe Ever. Go that way really fast. If an Americano gets in your way, ask for milk (and possibly get confused looks from the baristas).

I had been curious about Cafe Ever, in Gimhae, for a while. Long before deciding I would attempting to record every coffee shop in Korea here (and on my Facebook page, yow!), I had been struck by this building’s logo, which seemed inappropriate and out of time.

Employees have a chat.

The burlap coffee sacks as lampshades is a nice touch.

There is a lot of room for people to gather.

What I found inside was a very ample cafe, with seating for about 75 patrons. There is a play area for mothers and their children (but, no fathers, apparently. This is a cafe in 1980s Aspen, as well as 1950s America. Catty!), as well as music that’s not too loud (unlike Audrey Hepburn Cafe) as to be distracting, and not prudish enough that you can still hear classy English lyrics in Korean songs that include, “I don’t give a shit about your stupid heart.”

There is even upstairs, and outdoor seating available.

I ordered an Americano for 3,900 won (a little pricey, considering the superior cup at Starbucks costs about as much). Like most cafes in Korea, asking for a “two shot” of espresso does not cost additional. Also–and forgive my terrible Korean language skills–it appears that a “takeout” cup of Americano is only 2,500 won. Other menu items include your standard cappuccinos and Lattes, as well as fresh-made juices and dessert sets that include bingsu’s (Korea’s famous shaved ice treat) and fresh-made waffle dishes.

You don’t say?

At 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon, business was steady, as well (unlike L’Revelry, which was so quiet the employee had not bothered turning on background music or the AC until I walked in). This could be attributed to the time I went, the location of the cafe, the quality and reputation of the product, or a combination of all of these. My Americano was certainly decent (if a little bitter. Which is why I often ask for milk, but many Korean cafes are confused by this request, thinking I’m asking for a latte, so I’ll occasionally not bother). But, it did not blow my socks off. That said, I will definitely visit again. It’s conveniently-located within walking distance from either the Presbyterian University or Yeonji Park Busan-Gimhae Lightrail stops, and near other attractions such as the beautiful Yeonji Park. And it looks like I could probably get a nice dessert package for a reasonable (for Korean cafes) price (one such set included four waffles and two Americanos for 14,000 won).

Just don’t go french frying when you should have pizza’d. If you do that, well, you know.