Seoul

Standard Coffee Bar – not so standard after all

Right after some light disappointment of Thesis not offering pour-over at all anymore (see: Thesis – pour-over: not available), I (also emotionally) moved on to Standard Coffee Bar right next door (willing to compromise, too).

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Naver maps link: Standard Coffee Bar
Google maps:

The location is very cool and a bit more intimate than some of the gigantic neighbors around Coffee Hill in Gangnam, but still stretches over 3 floors and includes some nice outdoor areas (covered against cold and rain during winter).

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The English menu is too generic (Kenya, Ethiopia, etc.), but the Korean version actually is a lot more detailed and helpful:

I went for ‘Kenya’ a.k.a. Thiriku AA (Link to much more details on this specific coffee). The barista used a scale for the beans and a timer, but as in many cases here in Korea no scale for the water (which takes away precision, but also immersion brewers are much more forgiving than their p(o)urist colleagues).

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They used to do ‘pure’ pour-over here (and still have a lot of retired Kalita Waves standing around), but now they moved to Clevers for full immersion brewing: “it gives a better aroma”, I am told by the barista. I know there’s some discussion if that is true, and I want to believe that the choice of coffee does have a say on the choice of tool (but to each her/his own). An interesting discussion about that on reddit: Full immersion vs pour-over (reddit link).

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Result (apart from me being happy): A very smooth, sweet pour (or immerse?); I want to claim I tasted berries (but that sounds too pro). The place is clearly focused on good coffee and hanging out to enjoy it. Despite the ‘alternative’ brewing style: highly recommended.

Update: watch this cool walk-to and walk-through of Standard Coffee Bar at 7 Seasons Style

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