KierstenBrick Bean Coffee Roasters in South Korea is part of the well-known Blue Crystal Village. It is one of many cafes in the village but Brick Bean stands out for its specialty coffee and gorgeous interior.
Address
47-3 Tangjeongmyeon-ro 8beon-gil, Asan, South Korea
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Cloud chocolat
You Should Know
The CEO of Brick Bean has competed and placed at barista national championships.
About Brick Bean Coffee Roasters, South Korea
If you are a coffee connoisseur, you NEED to go to Brick Bean Coffee Roasters. It’s a relatively new cafe that was opened in January 2020 by barista Ingyu Hwang. Brick Bean is part of the popular Blue Crystal Village, a Mediterranean style village in Asan.
Ingyu knows his coffee. He holds a certified coffee diploma thrugh the Specialty Coffee Association and has competed in national barista championships in Korea. Hwang placed 4th in 2018 and 2nd in 2019 at the KCIGS championships.
Layout
Brick Bean has a gorgeous modern vibe and is surprisingly spacious inside. You can enter from either side of the building. In the back (what I thought of as the back) is a nice outdoor patio area with tables and umbrellas.
Inside, the register and bar line the wall in an “L” shape. They are emphasized by the deep emerald green accent wall and built in shelving that showcases the owners barista hardware.
The deep green and dark wood perfectly complement the white of the ceiling and tables, so it still feels very open and airy in there.
To stick with the bold, dark accents, they had a custom espresso machine designed let me tell you, it is worth it. I would put this in my kitchen in a heartbeat.
Aside from the bar, the cafe is a large open space with seating. A bar height seating island divides the space subtly.
The back of the cafe has larger tables with bench seating perfect for a group. One of the coolest features is on the back wall. They project old movies on to the wall!
It can be hard to see when it’s sunny, but they’re open until 10p so stay until dark to enjoy coffee and a show! You can definitely tell that each detail of Brick Bean was carefully designed to be beautiful and welcoming.
Menu
The Brick Bean menu is simple but delicious. Of course they have drip coffee, freshly ground and brewed by pour over every time. They also have espresso beverages, cold brew, and tea. I got a standard hazelnut latte which was wonderful. My only small complaint was that they did not have any non-dairy milk options.
My husband opted for the Cloud Chocolat, one of their two signature beverages, and WOW!
This is served in a wine glass and topped with what tasted like a chocolate toffee crisp. It tasted like an iced mocha but richer and with shaved chocolate. The cold foam on top was light and sweet. This absolutely tasted as good as it looks.
The other signature drink is similar, but is not chocolate flavored. You get the glass of milk/foam and the espresso shots come separate for you to pour on top which is a FANTASTIC Instagram moment.
For later in the evening (or brunch, you do you), they also serve coffee cocktails!
Food
We didn’t try any food on this trip, but all the food we saw looked amazing! Each pastry seems to get the same amount of care and attention to detail as the coffee. There are tarts, cakes, cookies, and muffins that are fresh and (I’m sure) delicious!
I immediately loved Brick Bean because of how pretty it is, but they’re not just a pretty face. It was so cool to see and taste the level of care and love that Ingyu Hwang has put into this cafe. If you’re planning a trip to Blue Crystal Village, make sure Brick Bean is on your itinerary.
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