Comments on: Foul Coffee? Not So, Seth!

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:25:35 +0000

Haha, we were talking about the coffee that comes out of dispensers, but thanks for the recommendation!

By: Seouleats

Seouleats — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:04:06 +0000

Are we talking about Standing Coffee in Gyeongnidan? That place is alright and they give you extra espresso shots for free! Oh, and you get get vodka, if you are looking for a Russian Coffee^^

Annamatic…good call.

By: annamatic

annamatic — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:32:32 +0000

I think of Maxim more as a high sugar content energy drink than as coffee, so it’s not really fair to lump that in with coffee drinking habits in Korea. My general rule of thumb in Seoul is to resist ordering coffee from any place that also serves beer and wine, and/or decorates with flowery print upholstered furniture… Those are sure signs of undrinkable coffee.

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:52:23 +0000

We’ll have to dissagree slightly . . . first, Seoul and the surrounding environs are home to nearly half the population of Korea at this point, and even outside the Seoul/Gyeonggi area, cities dominate. And most big cities (and even small ones) do in fact play host to Starbucks, Hollys, Coffee Bean, Ediya, and countless independent coffee shops. Real coffee is now widely available at a range of prices no matter where you live. It doesn’t have to do with being young and single and in Seoul anymore. These people may be major consumers, but they’re hardly the only ones. Yes, there’s a question of affluence, but Starbucks here is at the TOP of the price range, not the middle, and lots of places have better coffee for less. The fact that Dunkin’ Donuts put their first roastery in Asia here, and promises that all the coffee they use was roasted less than seven days ago means something significant. The fact that Starbucks and other chains keep expanding means something significant, too. (The fact that there’s a Statler and Waldorf-esque pair of 할아버지 every day in the 명동점 may mean something, too, but we’re not quite sure what . . .)
This isn’t to say that Maxim and its ilk may not still make up the bulk of what’s consumed in Korea. We wouldn’t be surprised if pound for pound the powdered stuff was holding its own, if for no other reason than it tends to be an office staple. But, we don’t think that it’s a fair or useful point of comparison, which is how Seth was using it. Most Koreans don’t really think of it as coffee – it’s just fuel.

By: carol

carol — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:28:29 +0000

first i should say that i’m totally addicted to maxim instant coffee since moving to korea.

but second i would have to say that starbucks and other high-end coffees are popular in korea… to a certain cross-section of the population. i think if you were to look at total coffee consumed, and by who, you’d still find that the vast majority of koreans (we’re talking old folks, those who don’t live in seoul, those who can’t afford a 4,000 won cup of plain coffee) DO meet their coffee needs with maxim. if you’re young, single and have the money to do so, it’s a different story.

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:24:07 +0000

p.s. besides, “standing coffee” ain’t that bad for what it is. Many a happy moment we’ve spent with that little paper cup in hand. Nevertheless, not the coffee of preference for most anymore, and definitely not a fair comparison.

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:22:26 +0000

Again, Fatman has to disagree . . . Seoulites especially spend countless hours and won on high end coffee, and the masses by and large are mad for Starbucks and Coffee Bean and the local roastery. Koreans have moved way, waaaaaaaaay beyond “standing coffee” in the past few years, and we would venture a good Korean hand-drip against, say, an under-brewed Japanese can coffee or an over-sweetened Thai style coffee most days of the week. The mass here has class, Seth!

By: Seth

Seth — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:14:48 +0000

It is possible that the horror of the machine coffee skewed Korea’s ranking a bit. There are indeed some mighty fine local coffee shops, particularly in Seoul. However, in my post I’m referring more to how coffee is drunk by the masses, on a daily basis, and yes, I would take street Indian coffee, with it’s fresh milk and sugar high, over most Korean coffee.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:55:23 +0000

I did a series about coffee a couple years ago. I’m sure the posts are outdated, but I still frequent a couple of these shops:

http://seoulsteves.com/2007/10/31/big-coffee-news-fresh-roasted-coffee-at-cafe-classico/

http://seoulsteves.com/2007/10/09/coffee-news-roasters-in-korea/

http://seoulsteves.com/2007/09/17/seouls-top-coffee-shops/

(a bunch of comments chiming in with their favorite places)

http://seoulsteves.com/2007/06/20/for-coffee-lovers-booya/

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:20:51 +0000

We know where you’re talking about, and are hoping to make it the first one up as a review! Or you could do it for us . . .?