Koffee & Kpop

I was super excited to see that Intelligentsia Coffee had opened their first Korean store in the Jongno district of Seoul. While I personally haven’t had any of their coffee, their reputation is favorable, with their sourcing of coffee beans directly from growers as well as a successful bid to unionize several of their Chicago locations.

As one of my friends put it, “They really studied the [Korean] culture” and incorporated that into their store layout, which resembles a modern hanok. There are more traditional Korean seating arrangements (by which I mean floor seating where one is expected to take off their shoes) than regular cafe tables, and the entrance itself is a beautiful carved wooden gate which makes one feel like they’re entering a Joseon Dynasty era palace–and incidentally, Gyeongbokgung Palace is several minutes around the corner.

It’s a spacious store that wasn’t too busy when we arrived, but it was difficult finding a space for all 6 of us. There are some canoodling spots, as well as a long table for people to work at with outlets built-in. The espresso bar is actually built a little lower than the rest of the cafe, and the ceiling above is made of glass that has white curtains, allowing some natural light in for the baristas.

The menu is partly in English, with Korean translations of the names underneath. Initially, the barista spoke Korean to my friend but quickly switched to a near-fluent English. While I was ordering, he asked me where we came from and I had to briefly explain that we were actually from all different countries but we met on a facebook group that lead to the creation of a KakaoTalk chat for coffee lovers. We come from different backgrounds, have been in Korea for different lengths of time, but all share a love of coffee.

I ordered an oat milk cortado. Cortados are not very common in Korea, and I was pleased it was part of the menu here. My friend ordered an iced decaf americano and had me taste it and it tasted very watered down–not bad, just kind of flavorless. (She promises she’ll come back when she can handle caffeine but this was our second cafe of the day and it was getting late.) I also had the fig financier, which was nice.

There is a variety of merchandise and coffee available for sale, but I found the coffee on the expensive side. (12 oz/320 grams of a seasonal blend for 42,000 won or $30, as compared to $24 in the US. For reference, I usually buy 200grams for anywhere between 15,000 to 25,000 won.) All the cups were cute and if I were (seriously) collecting mugs here in Korea, I probably would have bought a diner mug.

They have a chai latte, as well as a matcha latte and a few other signature drinks, including the Black Cat Fizz, which I’m assuming is espresso and tonic water with orange bitters. Unlike every other Korean cafe, there are no ades on the menu, so if you’re looking for a decaf option, the decaf espresso is your only option, possibly along with the C.C.L. which seems to be a chocolate latte with no espresso. If you’re looking for a nice single cup of coffee, move over Hario v60–these guys brew using Aeropress, a style I personally have never used before but suddenly feel the urge to learn and master.

Overall, I found it to be a really inviting cafe and one I can see myself hanging out at reading a book or studying. Another location will be opening in Myeong Dong soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Instagram: @intelligentsiakorea