(1) gwan-ak gu
Best known for its landmark – Seoul National University – which is often considered the most prestigious academic powerhouse in Korea, Gwan-ak is statistically the youngest area in Seoul. It is home to countless university students, young professionals, and newlywed couples looking for affordable housing and education in the midst of a decades-long housing crisis in Seoul.
What Gwan-ak is not usually known for, is its vibrant and competitive coffee scene. Aside from two-dollar iced americanos for sophomores suffering from mental breakdowns, Gwan-ak also offers a decent range of choice for coffee snobs sniffing around for an overpriced cup of specialty brew. Its younger population and lower rent rates make Gwan-ak an attractive base for small independent businesses, each of them with distinct characteristics to win the delicate little hearts of coffee aficionados.
In this post, I will (quite literally) walk you through my carefully hand-picked list of the best coffee shops nestled in the Gwan-ak area. One thing you should know about this list is that it will not offer you with much spatial diversity – in fact, most cafes in the list will be in walking distance to one another. This is mostly due to my chronic lack of exercise, which just means that I hate walking long distances out of my barely established comfort zone. You shalt not despair, however, since I have lived in Gwan-ak for nearly five years and I can swear on my expired renter’s agreement that the cafes on my list are indeed the best ones in the area. Enough of my unhealthy lifestyle and financial instability – let’s dive straight into the list.
# I.Deal
My memories of I.DEAL COFFEE is a jumbled mess of faded photos, constant rumbling noises of the roasting machine mixed into the classic hip-hop mixtape, and a refreshing coldness of an iced brew. Hiding in a small one-way alley, this coffee shop hits just the right spot between its Australian influence and Korean roots. The owner started his coffee journey in Australia, but came back to Korea to open his own cafe that incorporates his Australian experience and personal style. In fact, I.DEAL is one of the very few cafes in Seoul where the menu does not have “Iced Americano” ludicrously plastered all over the front page. Instead of the Korean classic, the owner will offer you a cup of long black, an Aussie cousin of americanos.
In addition to long blacks and flat whites, I.DEAL also offers you a carefully curated list of specialty beans. The most recent selection, if I remember correctly, featured beans from Costa Rica, India, Columbia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Most beans are roasted medium-light to bring out the distinct flavors of each varietal. While the roast level is slightly darker than what the typical light-roast enthusiast would expect, I personally believe the crispness and the vividness of the whole flavor profile makes it worth the risk. If a little note below the sample beans, handwritten by the owner himself, reads “lychee, jasmine, and green grape”, you are going to taste those lychee, jasmine, and green grape. This clarity of flavor is what brought me back to I.DEAL countless times, looking for a bright refreshment on a hot summer day or a subtle heat on a chilly afternoon.
Honestly I can go on for another whole day how and why I.DEAL is one of my favorite places in the entire city. But I also feel obligated to let you know that there is one grave problem with this otherwise lovely coffee shop – the restroom. Every time I try to sit down and enjoy myself at I.DEAL, I always find myself dreading to go to the restroom. While I can bear the stuffy smell of cigarette and the lack of hand soap on the sink, I have to fear for my dear life whenever I should use the pit toilet. If you are not the biggest fan of the Korean pit toilets (I certainly am not), just don’t forget to settle your personal business elsewhere.
Aside from the restroom situation, I.DEAL offers you a wonderful package deal of good coffee, stylish music, and cozy space. I highly recommend checking it out if you happen to be in the area, and even if your itinerary does not necessarily takes you to the area, I would dare say that I.DEAL COFFEE is a destination worth visiting on its own.
# Ahnmill
If you like your music less funky and your desk more spacious than what I.DEAL has to offer, Ahnmill should be your next destination. A massive glass door at the entrance gazes right upon the bustling street of Nakseong-dae area, while the indoor space maintains a careful, almost fragile, silence. The scent of an incense stick, together with an overwhelmingly calm soundtrack, immediately hits your senses as you walk towards the counter. The entire background is painted jet black. As you reasonably feel intimidated by the atmosphere, the barista greets you with the most professional yet heartwarming smile on their face.
Ahnmill is not your typical local coffee shop. Every inch of the space is meticulously designed for the best possible experience of their branding value, which is providing you with the moment of semblance and tranquility in the midst of a busy day. (Apparently that is what their name literally means in Sino-Korean.) Everything you experience in this space – the smell, the sound, even that small smile from your barista – is a result of a painstaking process of brand design.
Enough about the brand and more about coffee. Ahnmill positions itself as one of the most prominent suppliers of specialty coffee in the area. Therefore, they always have in stock a decent selection of high-quality specialty beans from different regions. Normally they have a fixed list of beans on the menu, but the list may differ from time to time depending on what the situation is like in the market. One thing that you really want to look out for is their monthly coffee selection, a special bean that is selected to represent the climate and the mood of that particular month. I have seen high-quality geisha on the monthly coffee list multiple times with a reasonable price of 10,000 won (approximately $7), so you may not want to skip on their special monthly deal.
Another thing you want to know about Ahnmill is that even their coffees are specifically designed to be a part of your brand experience. And I am not talking about the fancy names given to each bean. I am talking about the overall flavor profile. Ahnmill roasts their coffee light and fragrant, but you should be able to feel a strong touch of herby notes that is, in my opinion, common to all beans roasted by Ahnmill. A tinge of herb is certainly not a bad thing, and I do not have anything against it, since the herbal flavor somehow fits the vibe of the entire place perfectly. Still, when I am tasting one of their brews that are on the fruitier side, I sometimes wonder if the herbal touch was necessary. Furthermore, you should note that their brews are on the weaker side, which to some people may taste watery or thin. The weak brew really helps bring out the subtler flavors of herbs and flowers, but can be quite underwhelming when it comes to bolder, more ambitious brews.
Ahnmill’s coffee may not hit the right spot with every coffee afficionado in town. However, you should remember that what Ahnmill aims to offer is a package deal of crafted atmosphere, specialty coffee, and top-tier service. I’ve had multiple friends telling me that Ahnmill’s specialty brews are too herby and water for their liking, but none of them told me that they did not enjoy the time they spent at the coffee shop. And if you are not a coffee drinker, you are in for a even bigger treat, since their non-coffee menu is an creative collection of Korean-inspired flavors that not only taste exceptional but also leaves you with a instagram-worthy photos.
# Hyunsang roasters
Hyunsang Roasters is a much-welcomed new addition to the Gwan-ak specialty coffee scene. Size smaller than my old studio apartment, Hyunsang offers the largest variety of methods to brew your own cup of coffee. Once you’ve chosen the beans on the list, you can also choose the dripper with which the barista will brew your coffee. Currently there are three options; Hario V60, Origami, and Chemex. Each dripper will bring about a miniscule but noticeable change to the flavor profile of your cup. Alternating between three different drippers, you have access to a much wider range of flavors than you often do in most specialty coffee shops. You can also try out the same beans in the form of espresso-based drinks, which is very unusual in specialty coffee shops. You rarely find an espresso brewed with a high-quality geisha bean, even if you are at a coffee shop that does serve the bean as a pour over. So if you are a curious home brewer trying to decide which method of brewing suits your personal taste best, Hyunsang is definitely the place to go in Gwan-ak.
To be honest, I myself do not have much information on this coffee shop yet. It has been open for less than a month, which barely gives me time to visit the shop multiple times and see what they have to offer. What I can tell you for sure, however, is that they are obsessed with coffee. And I do not say this lightly – the owner is so passionate about the coffee that he brews, he will talk about it for hours given the chance. Such passion, at least for me, is always a good sign when you are looking for a good specialty coffee shop. While I am terribly saddened that I had to leave Seoul before I had the opportunity to watch this small local roastery bloom into success, I am also extremely glad that there are still people in my old neighborhood keeping the culture and the community alive.
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