Coffee Kitchen • 커피키핀

Started my second day in Busan with brunch at Coffee Kitchen (해운대 커피 키친). I was originally going to have lunch at Yeije (예이제), a Korean restaurant that is located on the second floor of the same building as Coffee Kitchen, and have dessert after lunch at the cafe. But apparently, Yeije didn't accept one person seating (I assume all their menu is for a minimum of two people seatings) so I thought since I'm already here, might as well just get brunch at the cafe.

The cafe's pretty nice and spacious. They have indoor and outdoor seating area with plenty of chairs and tables. It was a weekday so the place wasn't too busy and relatively quite. I ordered one of their brunch set and it was delicious. Nicely seasoned salad, runny yolk on the sunny side up egg, crispy bacon, fried sausage, and buttery mini croissants—everything was cooked perfectly. It was truly a great way to start the day.

p.s: For this trip, I actually got lots of restaurant and cafe recommendations from my friend Sally J. Shim, who lived in Busan for a couple of years (and she still goes back and forth from Seoul once in a while these days). She's also recently started a new instagram account, @sallyjshimtravelogue, where she shares her favorite places in the cities she's been to. So definitely check her accounts out! And special thanks for Sally for giving me all the recs! :)

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Stumptown Coffee Roasters Garosu-Gil • 스텀프타운 커피 로스터스

I first heard about Stumptown Coffee Roasters (스텀프타운 커피 로스터스) after I moved to Seattle. Just like I associate Blue Bottle Coffee with San Francisco, I associate Stumptown Coffee with Puget Sound and Portland. I'm not necessarily saying that those brands are the best brands in those two cities (they might as well be, but what do I, a non-coffee drinker, know. really), but more because of my friends and the people that I met in those two cities just happened to named those brands as their favorite coffee to drink. Seeing the brand in Seoul, this time in Garosu-gil (가로수길) to be exact, gave me a sense of familiar feeling and reminded me of the time I spent in Seattle. Funny sometimes when I realized the things that I associate with a certain period of my life seemed so small and unimportant back then, but now, they could mean hundreds of memories.

I didn't know when this place was open in Garosu-gil, but I'm guessing not too long ago since I didn't remember seeing it there last summer. I was actually talking about Stumptown Coffee beans with a friend of mine a couple of days before and was telling him that he should try their coffee beans because it's pretty well-known in Portland. And whaddaya know. A couple of days later, I just happened to pass by this place when I was exploring Garosu-gil. Since I'm already there, I thought I would buy a bag of their coffee beans and give it to my friend to try. There was some kind of discount going on I think, cos I get a small discount and a free bottle of cold-brew coffee.

A little about the place, the coffee stand is actually in the same building as the Official Holiday by Koon store. It has a small outdoor seating area, which is pretty nice and cozy I would say. I didn't get to browse around the store other than the Stumptown's corner, but I would definitely go back and check out the store and maybe have a cup of tea and sit around for a bit.

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Update:

This cafe is now closed.

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Sightglass Coffee

Up to this point, I have posted many posts about cafes that I've visited in the past. And if you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I'm no food or coffee experts by any means. Most of writings involved the description of the place and whether or not I enjoyed their food or drinks. Some common things about the places I've shared are: first, they are usually nicely designed or cozy spaces and/or, second, they have great selections of tea, non-coffee drinks, or hot chocolate. So with that said, to make it a little bit interesting, from now on I think I'll try to share a little story about interesting things I saw or experienced during my visit or maybe just something random about me to mix it up a little ;)

I've never been a big on breakfast kinda person. I don't really get hungry when I wake up, not 'til a couple of hours later anyway, so breakfast is not something that is mandatory for me. But when I'm in the mood for breakfast, there are certain things that I enjoyed the most during these morning meals. A cup of rich but not-too-sweet hot chocolate with a perfectly baked pain au chocolat on a warm spring morning is one of them. And Sightglass Coffee actually serves that combo. I had a really pleasant morning hanging out with my mom at this place, eating pastries, people watching, and enjoying the warm sunlight that came through the window next to where we're sitting. If their famous coffee selections doesn't really convince you to check this place out, maybe their beautiful floor tiles will ;) 

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Blue Bottle Coffee Co. Oakland

Blue Bottle Coffee is one of the most well know coffee in San Francisco. Having Oakland as the location for their headquarter and for being known for their excellent coffee, it's not surprising that they are pretty popular in this hipster town. I've seen their products here and there, spread across different locations in the Bay Area, but never actually go to their coffee shop.

And so, my mom and I decided to check the place out during one of our outings. We went to the Webster Street location in Oakland. They decided to use a restored brick warehouse and converted it to a cafe with an on-site roastery. The place was pretty busy when I was there. Half of the people coming in were grabbing their take-out coffees and pastries, and the other half stayed in the cafe to do meetings, work, or reading. Per usual, I tried their hot chocolate and decided to try their waffle as well. The hot chocolate runs a little bit on the bitter side, which I don't mind, and the waffle was delicious. The space has plenty of lights, high ceilings, marble tables, and tiled floors. Perfect space for a working, chllin' or if you want to get that perfect hipster shot of your coffee ;)

p.s: currently editing my cafe hopping pics when I was in San Francisco. More coffee shop posts coming up soon.

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Ikovox Coffee

A strong smell of coffee immediately greeted me as soon as I stepped into this place. I guess it's a good thing since it is a coffee shop after all. Went to Ikovox Coffee (이코복스) in Itaewon (이태원) by the recommendation of Soozee, who said they have good coffee and good vibes here, which were true. The space is small, a little dark with hints of afternoon light coming through the windows here and there. Two gentlemen talking in the middle of the room, another gentleman was sitting on the counter waiting for his order, and the one that we sat next to was working on his laptop. I think this is a good place to chill, catch up with friends, or simply to read a book. Although when we were about to leave, the place suddenly got really busy, people were waiting for tables and looking for empty chairs. I think it's a weekend thing.

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