Suwon café for a parents' date: anaerobic hand drip, Jung Ji-young

What kind of café is Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung?

Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung (정지영커피로스터즈 신풍점) is a newly opened café in Haenggung-dong, a spacious, tranquil space that blends vintage and modern touches. After a meal at Raw Five, we dropped in and enjoyed Colombian and Ethiopian drip coffee with excellent acidity, at a sunny window seat overlooking the Hwaseong Haenggung alleys.

We left our kid at daycare for a bit, so my wife and I finally got a peaceful date on Haenggung-gil, just the two of us. Life is busy with childcare every day, and I wish we had relaxed, happy days like this more often. Please don't get me wrong, though. Having a kid makes us happy in many more ways.

After a happy lunch at Raw Five, we headed to Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung, the brand-new café in Haenggung-dong, for a relaxing cup. Actually, when I visited the Uiwang Lotte Outlet branch before, the coffee was so good that I promised myself to visit the Haenggung-dong main branch or another Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters nearby properly next time. Then I heard the Sinpung branch had just opened, so I went without hesitation.

To get straight to the point: both the atmosphere and the clean taste of the coffee were more satisfying than I expected.

Where do you park at Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung?

Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung has no private parking lot, so if you drive, a nearby public lot is the most realistic option. Honestly, that's true of almost every café and restaurant in Haenggung-dong.

Seongyeong Library lot and Jangan-dong public lot

Both lots are very popular. To park without waiting, get there before 11 a.m. on weekdays or before 10 a.m. on weekends. I arrived around 11 a.m. on a weekday and still waited almost 20 minutes to park.

Sinpung-dong public lot

It's free, but the odds of getting a spot are about lottery level, so it's easier on your mind not to hope. I once won that parking lottery, so I tried again, and of course there was no space.

The Sinpung branch is about a 5-minute walk from the Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters main branch, a perfect distance for strolling through the Haenggung-dong alleys on the way.

What are the interior and seating like?

The café uses the entire second floor of the building, and it's as big as a large café, with vintage charm and clean modern interiors. When you reach the second-floor entrance, a brush-calligraphy sign reading "Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters" catches your eye, and it got me excited even before going in.

The moment I stepped inside, I couldn't help exclaiming. The cozy, tranquil mood with vintage feel and clean modern interior fit together so well that I fell for it at first sight. That may sound long-winded, but it's exactly the right description.

My wife and I both loved it the second we opened the door, saying we'd picked the perfect café today. It's a single floor on the 2nd level, but it's very wide and open, easily large enough to call a big café.

I hesitated over which of the many seats to take, then settled at a window seat where warm sunlight pours in and you can see the Haenggung-dong alley scenery at a glance. There are outlets along the window seats, and I noticed guests working or studying on laptops. It's literally a great café for studying in Haenggung-dong.

My wife and I had brought books to read at the café, but once we sat in such a nice space, we focused on resting and watching the alley instead of opening them. Where else can you find a café overlooking such a quiet alley?

How is the hand drip coffee? (Colombia & Ethiopia)

At Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung, we ordered the Ethiopia Momora Natural G1 (₩7,500) and the Colombia El Paraiso double anaerobic Lychee Peach (₩8,500) hand drips, and both had a pleasant, clean acidity. Having come to Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters, famous for its coffee, we couldn't skip trying it properly, and we chose drip coffee to fully enjoy the flavor of classic coffee.

• Ethiopia Momora Natural G1 (Hand Drip): ₩7,500 (my wife's pick)
• Colombia El Paraiso double anaerobic Lychee Peach (Hand Drip): ₩8,500 (my pick)

We'd eaten so much at Raw Five before visiting that, sadly, we couldn't order desserts like the French toast or tiramisu. Still, the charm of the space and the rich coffee aroma were enough that we didn't miss dessert at all.

The hand drip comes in a pot

The drip coffee comes in its own pot, and you pour it into your cup little by little yourself. Oh... it feels somehow more special than getting it in a cup. It's a small thing, but I liked doing something myself. Come to think of it, I used to brew drip coffee at home all the time, and now I've gotten lazy.

Each pot gave well over one cup, nearly a cup and a half, which I liked even more. I'm no expert, but the moment I swallowed the first sip, I heard myself say, "Yep, delicious!" Lately I care about acidity when choosing coffee, and that acidity spread out pleasantly and cleanly.

My wife, who is picky about coffee, tasted it and loved it too. If you're a coffee fan, I strongly recommend trying the Ethiopia Momora Natural G1 that my wife picked.

A relaxed view of the Haenggung-dong alley from the window

Just sitting quietly at the window seat at Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung and looking out at the Haenggung-dong alley was deeply healing. Under a high, clear sky without a single cloud, couples walking hand in hand, a baby and parents passing by holding hands, foreign tourists, even an elderly couple on a leisurely stroll: the variety of people was so beautiful.

Looking at the alley from inside the café with soft music playing, I felt the stress of daily life melt away. We chatted quietly and spent about 1.5 hours simply enjoying the coffee and the space itself. Sometimes I even closed my eyes and just listened to the music.

How much are the beans and drip bags?

Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung sells coffee beans for ₩18,000 to ₩22,000 and drip bag boxes for ₩15,000. As we left, the coffee was so good that I debated for a long while whether to buy beans to brew at home.

• Ethiopia: ₩22,000
• Decaf: ₩21,000
• Guatemala: ₩20,000
• Dark (blend): ₩18,000

The beans aren't exactly cheap, but after drinking the coffee in the shop, you can accept it as a reasonable price.

The drip bag box, an easy way to enjoy the coffee, has a lovely illustration of the tranquil scenery of Suwon Hwaseong on the front, so it looks good as a Suwon travel souvenir or a gift for friends. The price is a reasonable ₩15,000.

If you're looking for a nice date spot or excellent hand drip coffee in Haenggung-dong, be sure to visit Jung Ji-young Coffee Roasters Sinpung.