Koffee & Kpop

The following entry was taken from my review of my summer vacation 2021 to Jeju. I decided to upload it as its own entry to keep my Blue Bottle cafe reviews consistent.

After visiting the Manjanggul cave, we went to visit the recently opened Blue Bottle, located in the middle of nowhere. Having just opened on the 30th of July, there was still a queue and we had a lot of confusion about where to stand, as the information was not explained very well in English. A couple in front of us turned around and showed us their phone, asking if we had made a reservation. When we nodded our heads, they showed us how to make a reservation on an iPad that was on the other side of the line we were waiting in. Our wait from that point on was half an hour, but it would have been much longer had that couple not taken pity on the foreigners who had no idea what they were doing, so thank you kind souls!

According to Blue Bottle’s website:

Set among the pine trees, mountains and ambling coastline of Jeju Island in South Korea, our cafe was created to harmonize with the philosophy and natural beauty of its unique location. 

We welcome guests into the cafe with Jung-nang poles at the entrance, a traditional method of communication used by neighbors on the island to share their comings and goings. The shape reverberates throughout the furniture design and structural layout of the cafe. The cafe’s interior mimics the omnipresent graphite stone on the island, while the eco-friendly resin flooring was made with glass waste collected from the local coast. And our large windows, low-lying espresso bar, and seating area allow for an openness and kinship with baristas, patrons, and nature alike.

Despite the long wait to enter the cafe, we were able to get seats after about ten minutes. Blue Bottle is an excellent example of why cafes shouldn’t have wifi–if there were people camping out all day, sales would suffer and people would get annoyed at the lack of available seating. Without wifi, people come in, have a drink, and then leave, creating a much-needed turnover. But I digress.

Blue Bottles everywhere are all the same and yet all different. As each cafe is designed for the space in which it exists, this Blue Bottle had a beautiful open window into the Jeju countryside and a barn-like structure with a high, triangular ceiling fit with strips of lighting. All of the chairs and tables were that recognizable light wood, and there was built-in cabinetry under all of the display shelves.

I ordered an iced mocha with oat milk, a blueberry fizz, and a piece of chocolate pound cake as they were sold out of the liege waffle. Mary ordered the lemon yuzu fizz and a scone. I assisted a woman behind us who basically asked what all the fuss was about and what she should order. I sincerely hope her drinks lived up to the Blue Bottle name and was worth her wait.

I also bought two bags of the Jeju Blend coffee, which has notes of mandarin orange, rose, and caramel. I am excited to try it!