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C Korea’s capital, has reached 18,000 — making as a third space for people to escape from guarded preserve of the elite. This, and Korea’s Min-Ji shared, “I think that people have a

The number of cafés in Seoul, South
PERFORMANCE BOOSTER it the city with the highest number of cafés ment dwellings and offices, individual may go some way in explaining the ever in- ment makes them need a lot of caffeine to
SOUTH KOREA
heavy workload and this working environ-
growing prosperity and disposable incomes,
their highly standardized, cube-like apart-
boost their performances. In my opinion,
creasing popularity of coffee and cafés. More-
per capita in the world, far outstripping the
specialty cafés now lead the way with new
home of Starbucks and San Francisco. Not
types of spaces. While this is not particu-
people enjoy talking and need “a café”
over, as reported by JoongAng Ilbo, average
only have Koreans embraced café culture,
where they can meet someone to talk with.”
larly unusual, space comes at a premium
work week in South Korea is 53 hours. As
they have gone out of their way to distinguish
in downtown Seoul, where average living
space per household is just over 62 square
themselves. In such a crowded market, there
meters. Thus, many cafés take great care
are bold concept cafés, and dog, cat and
in their design and create loft-style spaces.
raccoon cafés. There are florists that serve
But consumers will also travel long-dis-
coffee, cafés with DJs, cafés with artwork,
cafés in former warehouses and factories
— and all serve a combination of self-roast-
ularly Instagrammable.
Korean coffee style is more focused on
ed beans, unusual non-coffee alternatives
body and sweetness in filter coffee. People
and a plethora of cakes. Even the smallest
love coffee with creams and milk. Flat white
units have their own roasting machines or tances, especially to cafés that are partic-
even coffee roasting/frying pens. Some and einspänner have been the top coffee trend
people have a café on the side of their full- for several years. And recently, “DALGONA
time jobs. coffee” broke the internet with its beautiful
Cafés play an important role in the recipe videos and pictures in Instagram.
social lives of Koreans. While Americans, According to Min-Ji, barista trainer and a
Europeans and Australians tend to spend KNBC barista sensory judge, Dalgona coffee
more time in their homes with their loved revokes childhood memories for South Ko-
ones, Koreans often opt to go out to cafés reans. “It is a kind of latte with the sugar
to socialize, not only during the day, but candy on top. ‘Dalgona’ is the name of the
HONG KONG
also at night. As a result, most cafés stay sugar candy made with sugar and baking
open until 10-11pm and are full of people soda and kids really like to eat it. ” Coffee
drinking coffee after dinner. Following has been part of Korean culture since the
Starbucks’ successful penetration of the late-19th century, but for decades it repre-
Korean market approximately 20 years ago sented Westernisation and was a closely
Everyone knows Hong Kong for its lemon tea). Another very famous local
picturesque views and skyscrapers. Here, coffee drink is the Yuan Yang, that means
coffee is second to tea or milk tea as the coffee with tea. That drink can be hot or
most popular beverage. In Hong Kong the cold. The ratio of tea and coffee is varied
demand and competition for coffee can from café to café, depending on the secret
MELTING CUP OF CULTURES
evidently be seen as Starbucks and Pacif- recipes of the bar managers.
ic Coffee compete for prime real estate. As Clive Chan, CEO of Hiang Kie
However, there has also been a rise in Coffee Group, shared, “Food culture
boutique coffee shops, who’s passion for evolves and develops through time. As
coffee and desire to have an impact on long as it is a good beverage, people would
society is deeply integrated into their love it and integrate with lot of local ele-
business. ments into the drinks. As long as you treat
Being a famous international hub, it as people’s lifestyle, there would be a
Hong Kong integrated coffee into its busy good reason for us to preserve and enjoy
and bustling lifestyle with the help of it with friends.” Yuan Yang is a typical
evaporated milk or canned sweetened example of coffee but with a local tea
milk. Baristas at local cafés can serve you twist. As Asia has always been famous for
any kind of coffee any time you want. If tea and coffee has been seen as a Western
you are open to something exotic or nov- drink, there is no better drink to represent
el, you may try to order the Lemon Coffee Hong Kong, the mix of East and West, than
(similar concept of Hong Kong style Yuan Yang.

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