It's a cold winter here in Namwon. This weekend was about -14 Celsius and it snowed. I've mostly been at home and just enjoying my free time doing whatever my heart desires. I haven't felt this rejuvenated since arriving to Korea. It's what home should feel like... peaceful, relaxing, rejuvenating, inwardly not desiring to be anywhere else but in the very moment.
Namwon is a quaint, little city but its smallness allows for more opportunity to build relationships with the community and local shop owners. If you know me, I love coffee and have been familiarizing myself with different coffee shops. I like the non-big-chain, independent type cafes because there's a personality and story behind each one. Since I'm a curious person, I ask a lot of questions regarding their business and naturally their ideas as well as passions are revealed in our conversations. Namwon's cafe owners are absolutely enjoyable people to converse with, each of them unique from one another as with their shops. So, without further ado, I must express my gratitude for the exquisite cafes in Namwon. Here are some that delight my heart:
First Bean: This is a fairly new cafe and a lot of youngsters go here. They do delicious brunch food (mushroom cream soup and squid-ink bread - yum), coffee, tea, and smoothies. Oh, and they got beer too. They also have an herb garden on the rooftop and use the herbs in their dishes. I like going here with friends for hangouts because of the lively atmosphere.
산들: Sandeul: This is my go-to spot. They pride themselves in their commitment to serving organic Ethiopian coffee beans and using only the freshest ingredients in their menu. They're located in a Korean traditional-style building, so that's a plus. If their tiramisu cake and coffee manifested themselves into a human male, he would definitely be 'bae'. Also, the indie music playlist and cozy-folksy ambiance make Sandeul so delightful. Study time, journaling, and creativity can easily flow out in its pleasant environment. #cafegoals
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Meet my friend & Sandeul's Manager. He taught Korean Literature before becoming an avid barista. His son owns Sandeul ;)
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Cafe Jari: This is the first cafe in Korea I've been to, so it holds a special place in my heart. The lighting is bright and the decor is cutesy-homey. The owner sells handmade items such as fabric-coasters, seat cushions, and bags. She adorns her cafe with her handmade items. If I spend over two hours at here, the owner usually treats me with something sweet with a huge dollop of whipped cream atop. I need to visit the dentist ASAP now that I'm writing and thinking about this...
팟: Pat Cafe: Not only do they serve drinks, dessert, but they also have a solid menu of Korean-Thai fusion food. The building's architecture is very traditional and old-fashioned like Sandeul.In front, they grow their own herbs, including my beloved cilantro. I think the owner knows me as the 'cilantro girl' who can eat three portions of their raw cilantro side dish. #yolo
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| Job & Patrick (Il Soo) |
Cafe Lotus: When I think of Cafe Lotus, my heart immediately warms because of the couple who owns this cafe. They are just so sweet and genuine. It's always an amusing time communicating with them due to our language barrier, but we all do our best in conversing with one another. The wife never fails to greet me with her radiant smile and double-hand wave (very Korean). From what I understand, they roast their own coffee beans and sell a home-recipe cake. It's 50% cream, but I'm perfectly okay with that! The first week they launched their dessert menu, they let me try their chocolate truffles and cake on the house. Gosh, how they quickly got me addicted ...
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Job doing his thang. |
And that's it for now on some of the cafes here in Namwon! I will be traveling to Vietnam in roughly two weeks for vacation, so I'll check out some cafes there. Can't wait. Until then, take care and thanks for reading.
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*** Pictures are a little off-centered. Kind of annoying and can't figure out why they appear like that. Oh well.
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