Center Coffee (seoulforest store)
Center Coffee Seoul (Seoul-forest store), owned and operated by the famous roaster and British barista champion Park Sang-ho, is where I visited today.
The cafe, which was converted from a residence, is almost unnoticeable because it does not have a visible sign.
Since Seongsu-dong is a very populated area, there are numerous cafes. Center Coffee and Lowkey are two cafes that come to mind if I'm asked for recommendations.
Center coffee may be found a short distance from the local parking lot, in the direction of Seoul Forest.
Inside
Two baristas were working to make coffee, One barista specialized in espresso drinks, while the other in brewing.
The sunshine at the station (bar table) next to the entrance is fantastic. Around five or six tables are on the ground floor. Only a few people show up during the week, but on the weekends, the place is packed.
Menu
Brewing coffee can be found on top. Since it is a cafe with its roaster, the beans used for brewing change according to the season.
The currently prepared beans are as follows
- Ethiopia Sidama Natural
- Costa Rica Villasachi Honey Process
- Costa Rica Geisha Honey Process
- Washed Guatemalan Geisha
- Christmas blend (Unspecialty collaboration beans)
Espresso-based beverages are also offered and the price for decaf is the same. Milk drinks are also available as an alternative to coffee, however, there are not many options to choose from.
I made a few visits to Center Coffee in 2017 and 2018.
Coffee and watermelon juice was all I drank back then... I had no idea that Center Coffee would eventually become so well-known for its coffee. We can see from the menu that they mainly focus on coffee at the moment.
Next door, what was once a French bakery, is now a Pizza house. At the time we walked over from the bakery to the Center Coffee and enjoyed our desserts.
Ethiopia Sidama Natural 6,500 / Latte 6,000
Ethiopia Sidama Natural
Coffee from Ethiopia's Sinama Natural Brewing was great. A cup with just the right amount of sweetness and a reasonable amount of acidity. Silky smoothness could be experienced in the mouth.
Because of its clean taste and satisfying acidity, the coffee tasted excellent. Especially, I enjoyed the finish with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Tasting note: "At first, you'll notice the peach flavor, but as it cools, the tropical flavors will become more prominent."
Latte
The sweetness seems more prominent than the nutty flavor.
The Geisha Gang, CEO Park Sang-ho
Check out YouTube if you want to know why CEO Park Sang-ho is called Geisha Gang.
CEO Park Sang-ho has a very unusual background.
After moving to England at an early age, he eventually became a British citizen. In London, he started as a cafe manager before deciding to switch careers and become a coffee roaster instead.
While working in the roasting industry, he won a Barista competition in Britain. Inspired by his success, he returned to Korea and opened his café.
In the interview, you can learn about CEO Park Sang-ho's mindset.
Floor 2
With a clear view of Seoul Forest, the upper level is good for relaxing throughout the summer. The window is a bright spot, but the breeze can blow in uninvited, so bring some warm clothing with you.
Coffee Beans
Six varieties of coffee beans are roasted and displayed on the first-floor wall as of January 2023. There are 4 distinct types of coffee beans, plus decaf and a blend.
Center Coffee x Unspecialty
There are additional coffee beans produced in partnership with Anstar, who runs the YouTube channel "Unspecialty"
Merchandise
How about getting some wonderful coffee to go and spending some time in the nearby Seoul Forest?
Address : 28-11 Seoulsup 2(i)-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul OPEN GOOGLE MAP
Phone : +82-0507-1448-2017
Operation Hours : Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 - 21:00 (Monday closed)
Website : centercoffee.co.kr
Instagram : @centercoffee
Source : https://blog.naver.com/forma2013/222982703745
Writer : forma2013
Special thanks to forma2013
center coffee seoul seongsu roastery