Where to eat in Korea: Joseph's Coffee

One of the advantages of visiting a country where you know some of the locals is that you can visit places that you might otherwise miss. On our family vacation to Korea, we spent time with my wife's brother and his wife. They live in Seoul and took us to a wonderful, little coffee house named Joseph's Coffee.

Coffee, coffee everywhere
In Korea, it is very expensive to buy a house or rent an apartment. Thus many young people live with their parents much longer than in "America," the term for the United States. When people want to date, they must go out. There are coffee shops on every corner. Especially in the evenings and on weekends there is an endless stream of young couples in love, walking close and hold hands.

Joseph's Coffee House
This small coffee shop is located on a small side street on a mountainous area, but still in the middle of Seoul. With over 10 million inhabitants, Seoul has a large footprint (approximately 300 square miles).

This small restaurant probably seats around 75 customers. The building was once a house. When you drive in and park in the garage, you feel as though you are pulling into someone's house. The views are spectacular as you can see downtown Seoul. As the sun fades into night, the lights of the city create a romantic backdrop.

Patbingsu
We went to Joseph's Coffee House, not for the coffee, but for patbingsu, a traditional dessert. At its simplest, patbingsu consists of shaved ice and sweetened azuki beans. However, there are endless variations. Earlier in the week my daughter ate patbingsu which was mixed with fresh fruits. At Joseph's, the patbingsu included the aforementioned shaved ice and azuki beans as well as pieces of rice cake and topped with ice cream.

In the photo strip above: my daughter posing at the entrance, black milk tea, patbingsu, cookie selection accompanying our coffee and tea.