The Little Differences: Coffee

*It's been awhile since I've posted. I've lived in Korea for about two months, and one problem is that much of what was new and trivial is now mundane. So if there's something you want to know about Korea or about my life, leave me a comment here or on facebook. =) *

As a general rule of thumb, there is a serious lack of good coffee here.

I don't mean you can't get a venti-frappucino-type of drink. I mean coffee. Real coffee. Black coffee. You're pretty much limited to:
- "Cafe Americano", where you pay $3 for a really small and bad americano.
- Overpriced sugary drinks like fraps, mochas, etc.

I had heard about this before coming here, so in a panic I bought a big bag of Starbucks Via. I thought, Hey, it's better than nothing, right?

Two months later and I still have a whole lot of via left. What's changed?
Well, for one thing, I'm drinking a lot less coffee. Maybe one or two mini-cups a week. The other reason is that my work has a coffee machine, where I can get a decent espresso, mix it with hot water, and have a decent (free) cup of coffee when I need it most.

There is one huge caveat to all of this: You CAN find good coffee in Korea. You just need to know where to look!
1. Dunkin Donuts. Serves DD coffee ( so I'm told - I actually haven't gone to one yet, not with all of these awesome pastries at other places to draw me in)
2. Expensive Drip coffee. At places like Paris Croissant. While it is decent, it's also about $5. Not exactly screaming for repeat business.
3. McDonald's. Serves McD's coffee. I'm not nearly as big of a fan of it here as I was a supporter in America.
4. Onnuri Church's cafe. Good, solid, black coffee for $1. Best value by far. Drawback: You can only get it in Seobingo.
5. Caribou Coffee. Last and most prominent. I literally yelped when I saw this. Unfortunately, there are only a few locations in Seoul, as far as I know. But the one in Sinchon was excellent. Even though it was late afternoon, I had to get a cup and it was everything that I could hope for. (Caribou is my favorite coffee place in America, too).

Mostly, though, I'm drinking a LOT of water these days. =)