Nowon Lotte café with no-ice milk tea, coconut drink: Jeong Ji-young

Finding somewhere new to explore every weekend is honestly such a treat, and this time I heard about a super hot new café called Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters opening on the basement floor of Lotte Department Store Nowon, so I rushed over. It's a brand famous in its own right, so I had high expectations even before it opened, and visiting in person, it really didn't disappoint — such an appealing space.

I usually love hunting down sweet drinks or special coffee, and at this new store I found menu items that perfectly hit my taste, so I wanted to leave a very honest review.

Where is Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon?

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters, Lotte Department Store Nowon, is on the basement 1 floor of Lotte Department Store Nowon, right near the escalator by the food court. The biggest perk is that since it's inside a department store, you don't have to worry about parking or the weather.

Head down to the food court area on B1 of Lotte Department Store Nowon and you'll easily spot the clean, stylish sign right near the escalator. The sleek logo catches your eye the moment you get off the escalator, so even first-timers won't get lost at all.

Since you can just drop by whenever the department store is open, it's the perfect spot to stop by before or after shopping for a refreshing cup of coffee.

Being inside the department store also makes it a solid option for an indoor date course, and it's easy to pop in anytime while shopping with friends or a partner. The layout inside isn't complicated either, so it was really comfortable to sit and stay a while.

How do you get the opening discount and the cold brew 2+1 deal?

To celebrate its opening, Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon is offering 20% off all drinks for anyone who shows a receipt or payment record from the B1 food court. The showcase also had cold brew bottles, and for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) they were running a cold brew 2+1 promotion too.

They're running a pretty bold discount promotion to mark the opening, so the timing to visit was perfect. Getting a whopping 20% off all drinks made it feel like you'd be missing out if you didn't go. The value for money got so much better, making it a great time to enjoy delicious drinks without any burden.

Looking around the showcase, I noticed neatly sealed cold brew bottle products on display. They're the type you can just add water to at home or the office, so for anyone who loves coffee, they seemed great to stock in the fridge for an easy home café experience anytime.

With a solid deal like cold brew 2+1, I thought it'd also make a great gift for friends or something to keep for yourself. The store display itself was so neatly arranged that browsing was fun on its own, and if you want a good deal, I'd definitely recommend not missing this opening promotion period. The product packaging on display was pretty too, so it kept catching my eye.

What's on the menu at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon?

The menu board at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon is neatly divided into just the essentials: espresso-based coffee, non-coffee, and hand drip. It wasn't overly complicated, so choosing a drink was much easier.

From basic coffee to non-coffee and fragrant hand drip, everything is prepared so you can choose based on your taste. Since I'm a bit sensitive to caffeine, I picked carefully from the non-coffee section.

Once you place your order, the staff member makes the drink right in front of you, and every hand movement showed such professional, skilled technique that it was fun to watch while waiting.

You can also buy merch and coffee beans

On a shelf on one side of the store, there's a variety of hats and merch carrying Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters' unique identity, along with freshly roasted coffee beans.

Browsing the stylishly designed merch, I could barely resist the urge to buy everything — I wanted it all. Like the witty phrase 'NO COFFEE NO WORKEE,' it really resonated with how caffeine is more than just a drink for office workers — it's essential fuel in daily life. The merch quality looked great too, so I kept browsing.

How did the milk tea and coconut drink taste?

The milk tea at Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon, ordered without ice, came in a container filled to the brim, and it tasted rich and smooth too. Today's number one, though, was the coconut drink, which brought back memories of Vietnamese coconut coffee.

After a short wait, my order finally arrived, and the visuals alone were enough to grab my full attention. I chose the no-ice option for the milk tea, and I loved how generously full it was. The taste wasn't watery at all — rich yet smooth, and it went down beautifully.

And if I had to pick the number one item I tried today, it's this coconut drink, no question. It had that irresistible flavor that instantly brought back the coconut coffee I loved drinking while traveling in Vietnam — smooth, rich coconut milk layered underneath and a sweet, flavorful cream layer on top, making it perfect visually too.

When you gently stir the top and bottom together with a straw and take a sip, an exotic sweetness and rich flavor spread all through your mouth, like you've briefly traveled to Southeast Asia.

Is there dessert? Would I go back?

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon is still in its early days, so unfortunately the dessert menu is still being prepared, they told me. If they eventually start selling bakery items or desserts, I can confidently say I'd want to come back 200%.

If you're shopping near Nowon Station and craving something sweet, or just want a good drink to reset your mood, this is a place I'd definitely recommend stopping by! The drinks are generously sized and taste great, so I think I'll be coming back here often.