One of the tips that Jeon Jooyeon – the World Barista Champion 2019 – had given us, was to stop by BlackUp while in Busan. So we did.

They are at this point a small chain, with 7 locations across Korea and 3 of those in Busan. We went to the one near Haeundae Beach.

Naver maps link: 블랙업커피 해운대
부산 해운대구 중동2로 16

Google maps:

Against our expectations on a weekend morning the place was not busy at all. Located in what feels like a hotel lobby but is just the ground floor of an office building.

The setup looks nice but is also nothing really special. Next to the modern bar there are a lot of tables to enjoy your coffee.

Their specialty is a really odd but fairly tasty sea salt foam latte. But their pour over was up to standards, too.

For preparation, all components and the filter were rinsed and the barista was firmly in charge of scale and timer as well to make sure brews are consistent.

The Ethiopian Uraga Raro Boda was very rich, with a fat syrupy whine note.

BlackUp Coffee is worth a visit, even more so as this part of Busan has very limited alternatives.