Aewol container café for drip coffee: Boy Who Swallowed the Universe

A place for coffee and vintage shopping in Aewol

Boy Who Swallowed the Universe (우주를 삼킨 소년) is a café on Yongheung 7-gil in Aewol, Jeju, where you can drink drip coffee while browsing vintage clothes and small goods. While traveling around beautiful Aewol, I was looking for somewhere to have a cold coffee and truly relax, and I found a space with a very unique feel.

I visited Boy Who Swallowed the Universe, where you can sip coffee while seeing vintage clothes full of the charm of the years and cute little props all at once.

• Address: 1st floor, 22 Yongheung 7-gil, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju, South Korea
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Closed: every Wednesday
• Parking available

What do the exterior and atmosphere look like?

Boy Who Swallowed the Universe sits in a quiet, peaceful neighborhood in Aewol, and its exterior is a stylish large container building. The moment I arrived along the alley, I felt calm and relaxed. The container building catches your eye from far away. Step inside and a warm, fresh world opens up in front of you, a charming twist from the outside.

As soon as you walk in, the high ceiling and wide open space bring peace to the mind, and the lush, varied plants, the vintage clothes that have soaked up long years, and the sentimental props all blend together without any awkwardness. It's impressive.

In every corner you can feel the owner's firm taste and careful touch, so much that it almost feels like stepping into a small botanical garden or a neatly arranged gallery.

How do you choose the drip coffee beans?

The drip coffee at Boy Who Swallowed the Universe comes in three kinds of beans, and you can smell each one in the glass jars in front of the order counter before choosing. The appeal here isn't just the sights. It's a proper Aewol café for drip coffee, and I loved the thoughtful system that lets you sniff each bean yourself and carefully pick the one that suits your taste. After ordering, I wandered slowly around the space and enjoyed the pleasures of Jeju vintage shop shopping.

What does the vintage shop at Boy Who Swallowed the Universe sell?

The vintage area is pleasantly tidy, with no odd smell and no clutter, so it's easy to see everything at a glance. Honestly, some vintage stores have that particular musty smell or are so disorganized that it's hard to pick things out, but here the interior was so fresh and neat that the title "vintage shop" almost doesn't fit.

The clothes on the hangers were neatly sorted, and the display isn't limited to clothing: rare tableware that carries its age beautifully, stylish picture frames, vintage lamps with a distinctive mood, and all sorts of other props fill the space, so there's plenty to look at.

Looking at the analog-feeling props, worn by someone's hands over so many years, one by one, I lost track of time and fell for their charm.

Can you buy the plants in the shop too?

The indoor plants on display at Boy Who Swallowed the Universe each have a price tag on the pot, so if you like one, you can buy it. The placement of the plants, adding freshness around the space, is a masterstroke. The green leaves make a curious contrast with the vintage furniture and props and breathe life into the room. Looking closely, each pot had a tiny price tag, so these are items to take home, not just admire.

Taking home a little green life as a houseplant or a souvenir of your Jeju trip would be a meaningful purchase.

How does the drip coffee taste at the window table?

In the middle of Boy Who Swallowed the Universe there is a large, roomy table, and from the seat you can see the view through the big windows. After looking around, I sat down at the wide, airy table in the middle of the shop.

The table itself is big, so it's great for relaxing, and above all the view through the huge window from the seat is moving. It's very Jeju, and as pretty as a picture in a frame.

With warm sunlight streaming through the window, I took a sip of the fragrant drip coffee, and the nutty, clean flavor filling my mouth was excellent.

Who is Boy Who Swallowed the Universe recommended for?

If you're traveling in Aewol, Jeju, and want to enjoy non-cliché, soulful Jeju vintage shopping and deeply flavored Aewol café drip coffee at the same time, I think Boy Who Swallowed the Universe would be a perfect spot.

For quiet reflection, or for picking out unusual props and chatting with someone dear to you, I can't think of a nicer space. So if any of the following sounds like you, do visit Boy Who Swallowed the Universe in Aewol.

• Anyone who wants to enjoy Aewol café drip coffee
• Anyone who wants to enjoy Jeju vintage shopping among a wide variety of props
• Anyone who wants a time of full relaxation in a spacious, pleasant place