Nakhasan Coffee has an ideal business strategy of pursuing the premium quality of independent cafes while offering a kind of diversity that franchise businesses have. Barista Lee Hoon, who has worked at Hell Cafe Spiritus in Ichon-dong, presents a menu composed of items he’s most confident with. Along with the basic Americano, Lee offers his newly developed menu using milk, which is his forte. For example, Nakhasan Slushie, a combination of sweetened milk slushie and espresso, has a salty, savory cheese flavor that lingers in your mouth for a while. It is oddly familiar yet new. Nakhasan Blood uses tomatoes as an ingredient, inspired by the cocktail Bloody Mary.

Coffees with steamed milk can have different flavors depending on the temperature of the milk or the steaming process. If you try a cup of warm Flat White brewed in the shop by Lee, you could buy a Caramel Latte Bottle or Caffe Mocha Bottle on the way out. You can either drink the bottled beverage right away, or keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The latter will make sure that the milk and other ingredients in the drink blend better, resulting in an unforgettable taste. We also recommend you try tasting the handmade scone that is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Although we’ve only covered drinks and foods sold at Nakhasan, the place is full of visually-pleasing elements including its tables, Arabia Finland vintage chinas, and colorful posters.
Address 25 Hangang-daero 46-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone +82-10-5898-7705
Hours 11:00-19:00, Closed on Sunday
Instagram www.instagram.com/nakhasan.coffee

There is no store sign that says its name, but it is not difficult to locate Fav. Step out of Exit No. 4 at Samgakji Station and in less than 10 seconds, you reach Fav. White walls and black table sets filling the space create a chic vibe. Behind the sky blue-colored kitchen bar stands the CEO and chef of Fav, Gregory Park, who also serves as a sommelier. The natural wine bar got its name from the word ‘favorite’ indicating the owner’s determination that he will live a life doing what he likes the most. Having trained at Le Cordon Bleu, worked at a French bistro, and fell for craft beer, Park has finally settled down in the natural wine industry. He fell in love with natural wine while spending three years working at one of the few natural wine bars in Korea, before it became a trend.

Dreaming of ‘an ordinary wine bar that opens everyday,’ Park greets his customers as he manages the work of many by himself. His favorite task and also what he’s most skilled at is recommending wine to his customers. When someone asks for his advice, he brings out 4-5 bottles of wine and gives a thorough briefing on them, no matter how busy he is at the bar. His enthusiasm must have been felt by the customers. His tables are always full, just half a year into the business.
Address 159-1 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Hours 18:00-00:00
Instagram www.instagram.com/favmeansfavorite

If you are unsure about joining the long waiting line in front of Lao Piak Mangwon branch or if you’re particularly fond of natural wine, head over to Lao Piak’s Sinyongsan branch. Lao Piak is one of the rare Laos food-specializing restaurants, and Sinyongsan is where the second store is.  It sets itself apart from the Mangwon branch by focusing on the pairing of natural wine with Laos cuisine. Larb pa salmon with traditional Laos sauce and beef tendon noodles are exclusive to Sinyongsan branch and can be enjoyed with natural wine.

Being geographically close to Thailand and Vietnam, Laos food is similar to theirs as well. We recommend that you try khao piak(chicken rice noodle soup). It uses fresh noodles that could be categorized as in between udon and jjolmyeon. If you like spicy food, you can add chili sauce to your khao piak. Mouth-wateringly sweet and sour Laos green papaya salad, tam mua, also blends well with natural wine.
Address 16 Hangang-daero 46-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone +82-2-749-3008
Hours 11:30-22:00(Break time 15:00-17:00)

If you’ve gone on a food trip, you probably will visit Sinyongsan just to check out Quartz Coffee. All the more so if you like Caffe Latte. Quartz Coffee’s signature Quartz Latte uses milk that has gone through five hours of condensation. The processed milk naturally tastes sweet and salty without any additives. At Quartz, cane sugar syrup is added in the milk to maximize savoriness. Quartz Latte with a rich flavor and aroma and Quartz Mocha mixing the condensed milk with dark chocolate and coffee cream are so good that they will soon be recurring images in your head, especially around 4 o’clock in the afternoon when your blood sugar level likely hits the bottom.

Quartz Coffee is operated by barista Ryu Youn-joo and roaster Park Min-kyeong. Ryu is the first-ever woman to win the Korean National Barista Championship. She has been in the coffee industry for 13 years. The Yonglidan-gil cafe is the first Quartz Coffee location which serves as an antenna shop. With a roasting room in one corner, Ryu and Park have supplied coffee beans to other businesses for four years. The open-concept interior was created by removing high tables so that they can interact with the customers. Don’t be surprised if they ask what you think of their coffee.
Address 158 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone +82-70-4187-4188
Hours 10:00-18:00, Closed on Sunday
Instagram www.instagram.com/______quartz

Yonglidan-gil begins where Amorepacific Headquarters stands. With seven basement floors and 22 above ground level, the recently-completed architecture provides office space for some 7,000 workers. There are also an art museum, restaurants, and cafes that attract the general public. The first-floor art museum particularly contributed to the public’s renewed interest in Yonglidan-gil. Starting with ‘APMA, The Beginning’ exhibition featuring its collection, held in 2018 before the building opening, the museum has since highlighted diverse art genres and eras through exhibitions on painting, installation, photography, and media art.

In June 2019, the museum successfully hosted the first Asian solo exhibition of world-renowned contemporary artist Barbara Kruger.  The Amorepacific Museum of Art, which is now considered a reliable art gallery that is also public-friendly, aims to be an ‘open space to discover beauty in everyday life.’ If you get to see an exhibition at APMA, you can also visit the library right next to the museum and refer to art brochures there to enjoy the afterglow of the show.
Address 100 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone +82-2-6040-2345
Hours 10:00-18:00, Closed on Monday
Homepage apma.amorepacific.com

If you come across an exotic store that gives off a Southeast Asian vibe while walking along Yonglidan-gil, chances are you are standing in front of Hieutu. Hieutu is one of the most popular restaurants in Yonglidan-gil, and it specializes in Vietnamese cuisine, as can be expected from the red writing of ‘Pho’ on the signboard in front of the restaurant. The two-story restaurant is full of local accessories and props from Vietnam. Even its blue plastic tables and red chairs were brought in from Vietnam. A glass filled with ice is served with beer, making you feel like you’re sitting in a local Vietnamese diner.

Hieutu creates authentic Vietnamse flavors but also offers unique recipes. Hieutu rice noodle soup is its signature dish serving seafood such as shrimp, squid, and mussel cooked with lemongrass, lime leaf, and basil. It is quite spicy but also addictive thanks to its strong flavor. Hieutu’s fried chicken dish using chicken necks marinated with coconut for a day is popular as well. For meal options, bun thit nuong combining seasoned pork, fresh vegetables, Southeast Asian herbs, and rice noodles with the classic nuoc mam fish sauce is recommended.
Address 6 Hangang-daero 40ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone +82-2-794-0526
Hours Mon-Fri 11:30-22:00(Break time 15:00-17:30), Sat-Sun 11:30-21:00 (Break time 15:00-17:00)
Instagram www.instagram.com/hieutu_seoul

Wine Belly is one of the several wine-related shops that recently opened in and around Samgakji Station. If you walk down a narrow aisle of stairs at a red brick building and pass a thick metal door in the basement, you arrive at Wine Belly which greets you with its whimsical logo featuring a pink pig inside a wine glass. The secretive hangout is actually a bottle shop that opened in October 2019. The space is limited but it offers a wide range of selection including commercial and natural wines. The inventory features 200 bottles proven to be popular.

Bottles displayed on the wall each have a number, which is actually the price. It’s the shop’s way of encouraging customers to look around without pressure. You can sample the wine before purchasing it, and all bottles are kept cool so that you can enjoy your purchase as soon as possible. Considering the shop wants to be a customer-friendly place, the interior design is stylish like a boutique store. You can open the wine bought at Wine Belly to drink at brunch restaurant Vert on the first floor of the same building.
Address B1, 9 Hangang-daero 62da-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone +82-10-8511-8847
Hours Tue-Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 11:00-17:00, Closed on Monday
Instagram www.instagram.com/winebelly_stuffed