AK Plaza Suwon café for low-acid latte by the window: Jeong Ji-young

What kind of café is Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters?

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters (정지영커피로스터즈) is apparently a local coffee brand that everyone in Suwon already knows. Once I got to Suwon, one café kept catching my eye. There were Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters branches in so many alleys and hotspots.

I like to think of myself as a bit of a Seoul city slicker (?) who knows every trendy café brand, but I had honestly never heard of this one, so it was a fresh shock! As a blogger, I couldn't let that slide, so I decided the grand finale of this Suwon tour had to be Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon.

Location and hours of Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon is at 924 Deogyeong-daero, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, on the 3rd floor of AK Plaza, in front of the escalator. It is a 10-minute walk from Exit 5 of Suwon Station, and it is open every day from 10:30 to 20:00. It is closed on department store holidays, and parking is available.

The café sits right in front of the escalator on the 3rd floor of AK Plaza Suwon, so it was very easy to find. Standalone shops have their own charm, but being inside a department store means parking is easy and getting there is simple, which I think is the best part. Above all, it's a perfect spot to slip in and rest when your legs hurt after shopping around that huge store.

Menu and prices at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon

We ordered three things at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon: an iced Americano, an iced café latte and a salt bread, ₩16,000 in total.

• Iced Americano ₩5,500
• Iced café latte ₩6,500
• Salt bread ₩4,000
• Total ₩16,000

There's a wide range of coffee, and cakes and desserts too. My eyes went wild. Luckily I had just eaten a really big meal, so I kept my head and held back. Otherwise I would have picked out several desserts on the spot, which would have been genuinely dangerous.

They sell coffee beans and goods too

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon also sells a variety of coffee beans and goods. After ordering I looked around the shop, and browsing while the drinks were being made was quite fun.

Missing out on the seasonal Summer Latte

The seasonal "Summer Latte" was posted on the wall by the counter. After browsing for ages I finished ordering with "Of course, an iced latte is the way to go after a meal~", and only afterwards did I notice the Summer Latte right there on the counter wall. It looked like it had ice cream on top, and I thought, oh no.

"Ahh, I should have ordered that..." The regret hit me. If I visit again, it's Summer Latte for sure! It said seasonal menu, so it won't be gone by then, right? T_T

Seating and atmosphere at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon

One whole side of the café is a huge window, so even indoors it feels open. We took the bar seats by the window, and even though we were inside, it felt wide open, almost like being outdoors, with nothing stuffy about it.

Sitting in the cool breeze of the air conditioning, quietly watching the scenery pass by outside the window, it felt like a true paradise, nothing less.

Our drinks and salt bread, picked up ourselves when the buzzer went off.

How does the coffee taste? Is it acidic?

The iced Americano and iced latte at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon were not strongly acidic, but rich and nutty. The iced café latte in particular wasn't watery at all; it was very deep and nutty, nuttiness itself.

I took a sip of the iced Americano and iced latte, which look refreshing just sitting there, and oh! This is totally my style, haha! I don't like strongly acidic coffee, and this was exactly my taste.

To be honest, whenever I go to a café I always put in just one shot to keep it light, and I drink lattes more for the milk than the coffee, a typical "I-don't-know-coffee person." Even so, the latte here suited my palate and tasted great. A certified coffee spot!

The salt bread was my companion's

The salt bread (₩4,000) was for my companion, who fell in love with the first salt bread they tried at Ulsan Grand Park, haha. Personally I'm not a big salt bread fan, but it seemed to suit my companion's taste. They ate the whole thing alone, hahaha.

Is Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon worth a return visit?

My first visit to Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon was more satisfying than I expected. It's inside AK Plaza Suwon so parking is convenient, the coffee quality is high, and it has the full trio: good-looking desserts and an open big-window view.

If you're looking for a great café like this, I highly recommend Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon! When I'm back, I'll make a point of coming for the Summer Latte, a self-paid revisit for sure!