Coconut vs black sesame latte at a Nowon Lotte café: Jeong Ji-young

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters in the Nowon Lotte food hall

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters, Lotte Department Store Nowon is a café on basement level 1 of the food hall at Lotte Department Store Nowon. Since the food court was renovated, a lot of new shops have moved in. Brands that used to be found only at the flagship store or in Jamsil are now popping up in Nowon one by one, which makes browsing around pretty fun.

This time I visited one of the cafés I'd been curious about — Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters, Lotte Department Store Nowon.

It's known as a coffee brand that started in Suwon, and now it's here in Nowon Lotte too. I tried two cups — the signature coconut latte and the black sesame latte.

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters, Lotte Department Store Nowon

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters had a bit of a different vibe from your typical franchise café. The store itself was clean, and the menu wasn't just Americanos and basic lattes — the signature drinks really stood out.

The coconut latte in particular seemed to be the star menu item, so it looks like a good pick for first-timers. They also seem to use several types of beans — Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala — so there's a real focus on the coffee flavor itself.

What does the signature coconut latte (7,000 won) taste like?

Signature coconut latte, ₩7,000

First up was the signature coconut latte at ₩7,000. The creamy foam catches your eye right away. You'd expect a coconut drink to have a really strong scent, but it's actually much smoother than you'd think. I drank it without stirring at first, and instead of the coconut aroma hitting hard, it was subtle. That's not to say there's no coconut presence — you can definitely taste that nutty, sweet coconut character, but the overall flavor felt pretty smoothly balanced.

I remember drinking Southeast Asian-style coconut coffee before and finding the sweetness and coconut flavor pretty intense, but this coconut latte at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters was much easier to drink. When I stirred it all together halfway through, the coffee and coconut flavors blended more naturally.

There was still a good amount of foam left until the very end, so it stayed smooth right to the last sip. If you prefer a soft, signature latte over something overly sweet and intense, this one should suit you well.

Black sesame latte (6,800 won): how it differs from Toenmaru's black sesame coffee

Black sesame latte, ₩6,800

Personally, the menu item that surprised me by sticking in my memory was the black sesame latte at ₩6,800. When you say black sesame latte, Toemaru Coffee in Gangneung is usually the first thing that comes to mind. I ordered this one with Toemaru in mind too, but it turned out to go in a pretty different direction.

While Toemaru's black sesame coffee is sweet with a strong presence of soft foam, Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters' black sesame latte feels more centered on the coffee itself. You first notice the nutty flavor and aroma of black sesame, and then a strong, distinct coffee taste rises up behind it. So rather than feeling like a simple sweet black sesame drink, it felt more like drinking nutty black sesame and strong coffee together.

Personally, that's exactly what I found appealing about it. The black sesame flavor doesn't cover up the coffee — both flavors stay alive together — so coffee lovers could find this black sesame latte quite satisfying too.

Coconut latte or black sesame latte: which one to order

If you had to pick just one of the two

Both the coconut latte and black sesame latte had a clear personality of their own. If you want something smooth, sweet, and easy to drink, I'd recommend the coconut latte; if you want a nutty flavor plus a strong coffee taste, go for the black sesame latte.

Having tried both together, I was surprised that the black sesame latte was the one that stuck with me a bit more. The coffee flavor was stronger than I expected, so it didn't feel like just a dessert drink.

Planning a coffee stop at Lotte Department Store Nowon

Looking for a good café at Nowon Lotte Department Store

If you're shopping at Nowon Lotte Department Store and looking for a coffee spot, Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters is worth stopping by. It has signature drinks that are a bit different from what you'd usually find at a franchise café, so there's fun in discovering something new.

If it's your first visit, I'd definitely recommend trying either the coconut latte or the black sesame latte. If you like smooth drinks, go coconut latte; if you like a strong coffee flavor, go black sesame latte.

Next time I go back, I'd like to try the black sesame latte again. If you're looking for a good café at Nowon Lotte Department Store, add it as a coffee stop after your meal.