Coffee

In the Haebangchon neighborhood,there are three and a half coffee shops that I know of. There may be more, but these are the ones I am familiar with.

Paris Baguette. This one is the half because it's a bakery which also serves as a coffee shop. I'm not particularly fond of Paris baguette. There coffee is alright, and they have some decent items, but in my opinion TousLeJours has much better food. The ham/cheese croissants at Paris Baguette are alright, but they would be better without the syrup they add.

score: 2/5

NesCafe
This is a decent place on the main HBC strip near Phillies. The coffee is pretty good, and the foods are decent. Prices are reasonable, and the staff is friendly. They lose a couple of points, though for two reasons. The first is that the drip coffee is pretty limited and usually weak. I personally enjoy a really dark roast. The second is the size. The place is just too damn small. There are about three tables, and while there are chairs outside, there isn't a table outside. So, if you want to sit down for some coffee and a muffin for breakfast, you better hope that no one else is there.

score: 3/5

Latte King

There are several people I know who frequent this establishment, but I'm not quite sure why. They have the standard espresso drinks, but no drip coffee that I am aware of. They have a couple of menu items, but they're pretty spartan. You can get a bagel and cream cheese, but the cream cheese comes in a little plastic package, and you have to apply it yourself. The prices here are the same as the other coffee shops in the neighborhood, but you don't get as much for your money. The atmosphere is nice, however. The chairs are also pretty comfortable.

score: 2/5

JeJe

This is my personal favorite in the neighborhood. It is right across the street from Latte King and just up the road from Kobawoo superstore. It is the newest of the coffee shops in the area that I know of. This place is fairly large in comparison to the other places and has a great selection. They have all of the regular espresso drinks, a great breakfast bagel and a few other food items. There is a computer you can use while waiting for your order, as well as some books and magazines. What puts this place above the rest, though is their drip coffee. They have several types you can choose from, and they do the hand drip method. My only issue with this place is the temperature of their hot drinks. They're just too damned hot. If you are having your coffee there, it will take what seems like ages for the coffee to cool down to a drinkable level. If it were a few degrees cooler, the coffee would taste better(not burned) and one could drink it in a reasonable amount of time.

score: 4/5