Jeju Life » Coffee Shops

Coffee at Daum café, Jeju, South Korea

Jenie Hahn — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:16:24 +0000

Even Jeju’s treasured Dolharubang is down with Daum | Credit: Jenie Hahn

Delicious coffee and free Wi-Fi in futuristic setting
Story and photos by Jenie Hahn

You might be familiar with the name ‘Daum’ which is one of the leading internet portal sites in Korea. Its headquarters are in Seoul but its research media center is right here on Jeju, home to about 200 employees. At Daum café, located inside the media center, you can use your laptop for an unlimited time to access the internet, while sipping a cup of delicious Italian coffee and browsing through the latest bestsellers (Korean only). Unobtrusive electric outlets are scattered around the floor to power your machine too.

Since opening in February 2006 it has been welcoming a select number of people who are privy to this hideaway café. At first glance, one might not realize that the building houses some of the most successful communications projects in Korea, from Agora to TV Pot, a video file-searching site and “Blogger News,” a citizen journalism service. However, upon entering the 13,223 square meter building you’ll be greeted with a sleek cafe and an internet booth, in which employees chat over coffee. Befitting its hi-tech facility, there is also a Wii set up right in the front lounge and anyone who is game enough can have a go at it. You are allowed to roam around freely within the café on the first floor but need to be an employee or form a group of 10 or more for a visitor tour to enter the inner part of the building.

There is one major drawback however: no public transportation to the location is available. Therefore private arrangements are a must. The headquarters is located on the Jeongsil Road (a road between Sinjeju and Jeju National University). See map for details.

The Daum café is worth a visit to hang out with friends or on your own just for the whole experience.

The cozy cafe | Credit: Jenie Hahn

View Larger Map

OZB offers coffee for the connoisseur, Jeju, South Korea

Brian Miller — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 12:57:52 +0000

Seogwipo bean master roasts his own premium coffee
Story and photos by Brian Miller

Take your pick at OZB | Credit: Brian Miller

One great thing about living on Jeju is the absolute abundance of coffee shops. But you may often find yourself trying to find a shop that breaks the mold, a shop that offers its customers more than just the average cappuccino or Americano. If you want more from a cup of coffee than just a caffeine buzz then you’ll want to check out OZB in Seogwipo.

OZB offers a wide array of premium coffees imported from around the world. Coffee roaster Choi Ji Sik imports beans from Kenya, Honduras, Ecuador, Nepal, Ethiopia, Columbia, Tanzania, Brazil, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, El Salvador, Hawaii, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, India and Indonesia. Twice a week he painstakingly picks the best beans from each batch and roasts them at his shop. He also posts a calendar at the front of the shop with his roasting schedule, which details which beans he intends to roast on what days.

Gourmet coffee can run 10,000 won per cup

The coffee runs a bit more expensive than other shops on the island but most find it well worth the higher cost for a drip-brewed cup of quality Joe. My personal favorite is the Kenya AA, which goes for 4,000 won a cup. But if you’re a true coffee connoisseur in search of only the finest coffee, then maybe a cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain (10,000 won) or Nepal Mount Everest (7,000 won) will satisfy. Beyond the drip coffee, OZB also offers the standard fare — Americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, Dutch coffee, frappes, affogatos and so on. All sell at prices typical of coffee shops around Jeju. And if you want to take any of that great coffee home and brew it yourself, OZB sells 50, 100 and 200 gram packages of each of the coffees roasted at the shop. The cost

Customer, Erin Williams, looks on
Credit: Brian Miller

for each package varies by brand, but 50 grams generally goes for 5,000 won, 100 grams will go for around 8,000 and 200 grams for 15,000.

Coffee-making classes offered weekly

Choi takes incredible care with every cup he brews. It’s a surprisingly time consuming affair, in which he applies a great deal of precision to the measuring of water temperatures, the soaking of coffee grounds, and the warming of coffee cups. Watching him do it is kind of like watching a scientist in a lab or an artist painting at his canvas. Choi gives lessons on the finer points of making coffee, in a free 2-hour class held every Tuesday by appointment. Just let him know what time works best for you, and he’ll show you all the secrets to creating a great cup of drip coffee.

The only downside of OZB is the atmosphere, which is a jumble of competing styles and probably in need of a makeover. But what will keep you coming back is the incredible coffee, which is truly some of the best on the island.

You’ll find OZB right next door to E Mart in Seogwipo, just behind the GS25, near the World Cup Stadium.

Choi Ji Sik crafts a cup (left) while barrels of coffee await brewing | Credit: Brian Miller

Cheju National University life, Jeju, South Korea

Katarina Kuruc — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:31:16 +0000

On May 27th, 1952 Cheju Provinical Junior College was established. This institution would later (March 1, 1962) become what it is known today as Cheju National University. Cheju National University boasts three qualities as its primary principles: Truth, Justice and Creativity, all of which combine together to form the university’s motto of “Explore the Universe and Its Creation.” Aside from being Korea’s 5th largest university, with a student population of 10,673, Cheju National also includes 9 colleges, 11 faculties, 24 major options, a university hospital, 46 departments with 10 department groups and 2,525 annual available admission positions (http://www.cheju.ac.kr:8080/eng/status/sta02.jsp). That’s not too shabby considering the school has only been around for less than 60 years.

Apart from the obvious educational aspects, the university is actually a great place to hang out and spend the day. The campus is both beautiful and GREEN, and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes to enjoy a meal or a cup of tea. Every year, in-and-around the school’s anniversary, all the university departments collaborate together and put on an incredible three-day festival filled with live music, food, activities and drinks. As a matter of fact, last year’s festival included performances by the nationally acclaimed and talented K-pop singer IVY!

Using the library

For the more academically-minded, however, the school also includes two libraries, both of which contain a large selection of foreign books and international journals. The Central University Library, which is located just behind the Foreign Language Institute on top of the hill, has an entire floor, the third floor to be precise, of English language text books, classic novels and other reading material. The Central Library features a total of 750,000 books, multimedia materials, degree theses, and domestic and international journals. On the other side of the campus, the University Journal Reference Library’s 2nd floor has a plethora of international journals and reference material in various languages; it is located next to the Law School, right by the main University Gate. Although a person can only obtain a library card if they are a student or faculty member, the library does not discriminate between guests and everyone is more than welcome to browse and read all materials within its confines. A further plus is the fact that both libraries are quiet and offer cheap photocopy services.

At the heart of the university resides the University Student Center, which has two convenient and cheap restaurants, a book store, a snack and stationary shop and a surplus of space for anyone and everyone to hang out and chill. The campus of Cheju National University really does have something for everyone. Whether you just want to sit, relax and enjoy a cup of something cool or warm in one of the on-campus cafes, have a picnic among the many cherry blossom trees that dot the campus or put your thinking cap on in one of the libraries, CNU is a great place to spend a day.

Top 10 Eats and Treats at CNU
1. Ti-Amo Café (great gelatos and organic tea selection)
2. Café Trotoni
3. Hobong Food (quick and convenient)
4. Kim Bap Heaven
5. One
6. Barunsaenghwal Sandwiches
7. Gimgane
8. Kyungheu Ho Joung
9. Nine
10. The Organic Food Restaurant

Services at CNU
1. Post Office
2. Free Clinic and Pharmancy
3. Nong Hyup Bank (full-service bank)
4. A shoe repair guy (he can be found in the student center and fixes any kind of shoes while you wait!)
5. Foreign Language Center offers English, German, Chinese and Spanish language courses for both students and the general public.

Useful websites:
1. http://www.cheju.ac.kr:8080/eng/main_new.jsp
2. http://www.cheju.ac.kr:8080/eng/life/03.jsp
3. http://fli.cheju.ac.kr/ (Korean Only)

View Larger Map

Vetro Coffee, Seogwipo, Jeju, South Korea

David Holmes — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:50:56 +0000

In 1732 the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach was quoted as saying: “Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!” If a picture is worth a thousand words then that sentence must be the literary equivalent of a photo exhibit. Coffee is many things to many people, but for this reporter, it is an important and necessary daily ritual. For me, coffee is more than just a drink: it is my own quiet cup of solstice amongst the chaos that is an English teacher’s lifestyle. That being said, when I am not preparing my own cup of percolated pleasure, I buy it in the downtown section of “High Five” city (Seogwipo) at Vetro Coffee. A place that is as much about the atmosphere as it is about the superb selection of cafe noirs.

A background to Vetro

Vetro, meaning Windows in Italian, came into being 8 years ago. At that time, there were only a handful of coffee shops in the south side vicinity offering a truly western attempt at coffee brewing. The shop is a small and charming place with a truly welcoming atmosphere. The proprietor of the cafe is Joongki Jeon and to say he is affable would be an understatement. I have known Jeon for almost two years and understand him to be an extremely cordial and engaging host amongst the foreigner community. Vetro Coffee literally is the “place where everybody knows your name”. Jeon, takes a vested interest in his customers and knows the majority of them on a first name basis. In addition, he also speaks English, Korean, and Japanese, making for some rather interesting cross language and cross-cultural discussions.

Aside from this, however, Jeon is an accomplished barrista offering an excellent variant of a dark and robust flavoured Arabian bean. Furthermore, unlike the majority of coffee shops on Jeju, Jeon actually roasts his own coffee beans, taking the time and care to hand prepare each and every one. Having some personal experience in this area, I can assure you that this process is a lot more complicated then it sounds. There is a fine juggling act between under and over roasting a bean to maximize its flavor potential.

Making the perfect cup

In the world of coffee, there are ultimately five factors which dictate the terms involved in producing a full-bodied and flavour optimized cup: cultivating, roasting, grinding, brewing and intuitive/artistic flair. One could have all of the key ingredients but lack the intuitive and artistic feeling required to make a decent cup. To quote an old Korean proverb: “The best cook comes from the tip of the finger.” In other words, the simple act of following a coffee recipe does not guarantee optimal taste. One must understand both the characteristics of the materials and possess the ability to synergize their attributes. At Vetro coffee this is something that is always taken into account with each and every cup. At the end of the day, a cup of coffee is only as good as the barrista who brews it, and it is the humble opinion of this reporter that Vetro boasts the finest barrista on Jeju.

Vetro Coffee is located on the main shopping street in Seogwipo, across Baskin Robins and a Nonghyup Bank.

View Larger Map