Coffee Shops

There are soooooooooo many coffee shops over here! Koreans are crazy about their coffee shops! Unlike cafe or coffee shops in the U.S., few here open before 10am. Weird, no? Well, not if you consider most Koreans work hard into the night so it seems coffee shops are particularly popular after... dinner, meaning *after* 7pm at night!

Some are chains, some aren't... 

There are American ones:  Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme...

European-sounding ones:  Paris Baguette, Tous les Jours, Cafe Pascucci, Cafe Bene...

Other chains:  Angel-in-us Coffee, A Twosome Place, 7th Heaven, Holly Coffee, Bean Cafe...

Are these chains?:  Cafe Friend, TalkHolics, Beans and Books, Art Cafe, Hello Kitty Cafe...

Gallery Cafe

Close by, I like to support two that aren't chains:  Soul In, and the new Gallery Cafe.

Most offer fresh fruit smoothies (during the summer) with just fruit and ice, no sugar or anything else added! Smoothie flavors:  kiwi, mango, watermelon, strawberry, green melon,and my favorite:  Persimmon!

Many offer lattes:  green tea latte, sweet potato latte, brown sesame seed latte, and my new favorite:  honey-ginseng latte!

Waffle with fruit and ice cream!

Most of course offer the regulars:  Americano, Cafe Latte, Cappaccino, etcetera.

As for a "hot chocolate," sometimes it's called a "Choco Latte," and sometimes a "Hot choco."

Also curious - most do *not* have soy options. Most of the drinks here are made with milk! Koreans love milk it seems. There's even a soda-pop made of milk called, "Milkis" as in Milk + kiss. It's delicious I must admit!

Anyway, back to coffee, I asked my Korean friend why there are so many coffee shops. He said, matter-of-factly, Korean women LOVE their coffee! Hm... I can see how Korean women drive the market... But also, it must be something to do with the fact that sugar is so addicting and most of the drinks at coffee shops are *far* from sugar-free or low on sugar! 

Why then are coffee shops open so late?!? One of my favorite local coffee shops doesn't open until 10am, regardless of what day of the week it is! But it's open until 10pm and I see people in there ordering caffeinated beverages at 9pm at night! Well, it goes back to the Korean way of life - up all night, and up early too! Go go go! After being in the hot humid air in the summer, I too felt like rushing into whichever closest shop just to feel cool air and most likely it'd be a coffee shop, and of course a dripping wet cool ice coffee looks appealing to anyone on a sticky sweaty summer day! Now of course, after being outside in the frigid humid winter air, I want to rush in for a nice warm "noke-cha latte" (or Green Tea Latte).

It seems there are several reasons that coffee shops are popular:  the sugar, the air conditioning / heating, the way of life here- requiring one to do all things fast- and maybe the desire to be seen chillin in a coffee shop sippin a drink. Or maybe it's the need for a relaxing calm or cool atmosphere, away from the sounds of the street noise, and in an environment made with love and care.

"...There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."