"Coffee is Getting Better Here" Top 5 Page for this destination South Korea Local Custom Tip by jburron

When I first came to Seoul a few years ago there were only a few Starbucks..usually downtown and in the tony areas near top universities (especially Ewha Women's University). Now they are all over the place...well almost. You still have to hunt a bit, but it's easier than before.

You'll also find many competitors as well. Ediya Espresso, 101 Sweet Buns (more than just coffee) and The Coffee Bean franchises are popping up as well. Then there are the mobile cafes--basically trucks that have been fitted with little barista stands and usually found near the parks and other high-density locations on a nice day. From these places (and major hotels) you can expect a good/great cup of joe.

But in offices it's hit and miss (usually miss-by-a-mile). Many Korean offices use the Maxim pre-mixed varieties. Mostly it's Maxim Mocha Gold which is basically a stick full of (i) freeze-dried/instant coffee, (ii) coffee-mate/powdered cream and (iii) sugar (no chocolate...so it's not like a mocha from Starbucks). There are also decaf and no cream varieties, but the Mocha Gold is the norm. (They don't have any real cream or milk in the office.)

If you ask for brewed coffee in an office or at a home you'll probably find it has 2 traits we don't see often in the West: it's (a) extremely HOT and (b) unbelieveably weak. I have no idea why, but this is how Koreans make it.

My advice: get used to Maxim, ask for a juice or green tea instead (the tea will be extrememly HOT as well) or order water (see my tips on water as well).

• Written Apr 18, 2004
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