A Cafe Worthy of Your Time

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Thirty-two hours into writing a short story my brains froze up, literally they went numb. There were zero thoughts coming into my head this is when I decided not to stay in the apartment any longer. Grabbing my computer, notepad and satchel, I flung on my blue winter jacket, a pair of jeans and headed out the door. Destination unknown I wandered across the street into Heyri Art Valley. With numerous choices, I walked past Quilt Café, ducking past Agora Museum, wandering past Frog Café, down the road I went kicking pebbles thinking of nothing in search of a café for a cup of tea. Twenty minutes later I had passed every café within the middle of Heyri. Soon, I found myself near the courtyard surrounding the iLikeDalki kids playground. Noticing for the first time there were many shops below the guesthouses I recalled someone once informing me of a Panini shop near here, now where was it exactly?

Deciding I hadn’t enough luck at this point of finding an open coffee shop and those shops being in the direction to start heading back to the apartment since I was now becoming cold and distraught I walked fifty yards across the stark white ground. Nearing the building a small woman passed me holding a magnificent hot chocolate with a strapping mound of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top. Spotting her my heart began to flutter, she smiled, I smiled, we smiled and I continue walking now knowing I was closing in on what my cold body desired.

Nearing the shops I spotted two galleries, a bakery and a café. Finally a café with people and an open sign just than I realized there were two, two coffee shops, which one had the woman come out of? Which one held the desirable whipped creamed cup of hot chocolate? Not knowing which one to choose I stood on the sidewalk gazing right then left frozen in the place I stood. What was I to do? Then as if a call from above came a woman stepped out of the café called Luna: Euli, instantly spotting me, probably because of the icicles forming on my chin, she invited me in.

Instantly upon entering the shop, I noticed two hand stitched quilts resting on a fold out stool for those who needed warmth. Followed by an antique sewing machine used for promotional cards. Standing or sitting on top were five plastic dolls with extremely bright colored clothes and sets of overly large eyes starring into space. Glancing around the shop the collection of dolls grew in numbers and sizes. Each one dressed in a distinct style from a variety of eras gone by. Books about dolls are scattered on tables and shelves like “The Doll and the Kitten,” or “Dolls and Doll Houses.”

Mellow sounds of Beethoven’s classics strum and hop across the small space as Euli asks why I was standing on the curb? I explain, how I was searching for a place to sit and write notes on my short story, that I am a writer in search of places to write from which are not my home because I need to get out of my apartment here and there. “You are more than welcome to come here and sit. Write. We are always open and we are very new. Our shop is quiet during the week. Not so much on the weekend.”

We speak about her café, and about Dutch Coffee. She explains the procedure to me and offers me a small cup of espresso. Noticing the price on the counter I am extremely thankful for this opportunity to taste something different and unique. Pulling a bottle from the refrigerator, she pops the top and pulls out a small glass. Lifting the glass she notices a spot on the edge and sets it aside picking up a different glass. I wouldn’t mind but she insists on serving it in an absolutely clean glass. Pouring the dark liquid into the glass I am surprised by the thin rich deep caramel color resting on top of a dark thick brown. It instantly reminds of a finely poured pint of Guinness with the thin strain of amber color at the bottom of the pint alerting the drinker to the cleanliness of the system lines. Only thing is this is in the reverse with the light liquid on top.

Taking the small cup, I thank Euli, as she explains to me she has moved back to South Korea from a 10-year hiatus in Singapore. Her friend Luna and her decided to open this small café because no one in Heyri specializes in true Dutch Coffee. We talk about various topics as time slowly slips past. After two sips she asks, “what do you think?” Words normally flow straight out my mouth are unable to, they sit on the tip of my tongue, as does this mellow light caramel taste. “It’s like a fine wine. I am surprised by the taste. It’s amazing the contrast between what I know coffee to be and the essence of this vibrant bittersweet taste.” She smiles, then hands me a chocolate truffle, “take a bite of the truffle, then a small sip of the coffee. Let the two sit on your tongue before chewing the truffle.” I do as instructed, biting into the dark chocolate truffle, holding it to the inside of my cheek and pulling a small sip. Letting the two meld together inside my mouth an intense sensation unfolds as a gigantic grin purses my lips. I cannot believe the intensity of the coffee. “This type of coffee is best if consumed within three months of it being processed. This bottle here was made on February 6th about a month ago. Do you like?” she asks in a subtle tone. Like, wow, like is not even a word I would comprehend with this. This is far beyond like, this is extraordinarily delicious times a hundred, I think to myself as I check my watch. Ooops, I’ve been standing here talking about coffee for the last hour and a half. “Euli, thank you. Thank you for the taste of Dutch Coffee and thank you for talking to me about your new café, but I must go now,” I said to her then I moved towards the door.

That was two weeks ago. Today, I decided at 3:35pm to leave my apartment because the sunshine was belting my face throughout the midday hours and I really needed to get out and enjoy the warm sunshine we were having. Packing up my bag, I decided at the last moment to grab my computer and headed for the door. On my walk through English Village, I spotted a couple of friends stopping in the sun for a brief talk. Eventually, I made my way to the back gate, talking to the guards about a package I am waiting on from back home before heading over to Heyri. I wandered into gate number nine with the intention of enjoying the sunshine then returning to Luna: Euli for a cupcake and a Dutch Coffee. By the time I reached the lake, the warm sunshine was pushing me towards sitting outside at several café’s I had come across but with the thought of Dutch Coffee at the back of my mind, I continued onward past the Chocolate Design Gallery, over the hill next to SOSO Café, down past Sunnie International until I reached the guesthouses nearing Luna: Euli.

Before entering the shop, I paused to take a couple of exterior photographs then entered the shop this time without an invitation. Looking around no one was inside and I thought to myself, ironic, it feels much the same. Moving over to the counter the sounds of Mozart filled the air as I scanned the menu. Coming downstairs a woman spotted me saying “ahn-yen-ha-say-o (hello)” then yelling something up the stairs. Twelve seconds later Euli descended the stairs with a smile on her face the same as the day we first met. “Welcome back. How are you today?” “I am doing really well and you?” “We are doing good. Are you looking for a place to write again?” she inquired. “Actually, no. Today, I am looking for a place to review. I am writing reviews for a guy named Daniel Gray. He owns a website called Seoul Eats. And he has asked me to review café’s.” “Oh, I told Luna about when you had come here the first time and that someone would be writing about her soon enough. She laughed. She said ‘no one would write about me.’ And now here you are,” she smiled. “What would you like to try? We have Kopa-Tarik. This is condensed milk with Dutch Coffee or we have Teh-Tarik, the same but with tea. Or we have these variations or regular like you had last time,” she inquired. “Well, actually, I was hoping for an Affogatto because I love ice cream. And your Dutch Coffee with ice cream would definitely be terrific.” “It would but the ice cream is upstairs and it is very hard and would take a while before we could serve this to you.” Stating matter of factlly persuading me to choose something different. “Okay, I trust you, why don’t you serve me what you would like and I will drink that. Plus I would like to try one of your cupcakes. What flavor cupcakes do you have?” “We have Tiramisu made with the Dutch Coffee, Espresso and Green Tea made with Japanese Green Tea. Which flavor do you like?” “Personally, I like them all but I really love Green Tea.” “Okay, one green tea cupcake, and a Kopa-Tarik please take a seat, you can write whenever you like here.”

Instead I set my satchel and sweater down, pulling out my camera snapping off images inside the coffee shop. Moving around the twenty-by-thirty room I photograph some of the dolls faces, the three-rung chemist set for distilling coffee, a shelf of books with MC Escher, Japanese prints and Eugene Atget. Moving towards the table with my bag, I sit down next to a display of Polaroid cameras and books about photography. Pulling out my computer Euli walks over setting down a tray with the Kopa-Tarik, a green tea cupcake and the Tiramisu cupcake, too. “This one is for your wife,” she smiles pointing to the Tiramisu. “I’m sure this will entire her to come here even more so now,” I reply explaining how I spoke highly about their coffee shop from the last time I had dropped by so unexpectedly.

Again, thanking Euli for her hospitality, I paid my tab of 10,500 won and departed out the door after sitting in her café meeting her artist neighbors, her business partner Luna, Luna’s husband Seong Min, and several other friends who stopped by during my visit. One of the fascinating things I learned during this visit is all the furniture was designed by Luna and manufactured by her husband’s architectural firm located in Beopheung-ri. Luna: Euli is a small coffee shop with a tiny menu nevertheless they have an abundance of character confined inside this delightful café. With open arms and warm hearts this joyful café is one experience not to miss during your next visit to Heyri Art Valley.

This review has been influenced by the following delicious menu items.

Green Tea Cup Cake – It’s a cup cake right? This is no ordinary cup cake. Each bite bursts with green tea flavor from behind the flour base melting across the tongue. Its warmth snuggled inside the moist interior. The secret I am told is using Japanese green tea powder called Matcha.

Dutch Coffee on Ice – served in a small wine glass with four round cubes of ice. At first taste Dutch coffee is bitter on the tongue but it could be the taste of other flavors in the mouth. Sip, swish, swallow then repeat. Now on your third sip of this rich brewed concoction you should be able to find its true depths hidden deep inside the prolonged brewing process. Each 1,000 ml is filtered through a chemists set consisting of a glass funnel where the water is poured inside, a coffee ground beaker holding the coffee, then it drips down inside a five-layered corkscrew tube until it finally drizzles into a 2,000ml beaker. The entire process takes 16-hours.

After sixteen hours of brewing I am informed it is best to wait a week until it has been completely chilled. Once chilled all the way through this is when the coffee is at its optimal point. There are three ways to enjoy this delicate coffee.
1) Poured straight into a small glass espresso cup
2) Poured over ice cubes in a tiny port glass
3) Heated in a cup inside a boiling vat of water then served in a mug

Luna: Euli
Café in Heyri Art Valley
Tel. [phone]
Open 11:00 am to 8:00 pm

Short List of Menu Items

Kopi-Tarik condensed milk from Vietnam with Dutch Coffee 6,000 won

Green, or English Breakfast Tea 1-pot 6,500 won

Cup Cakes – Tirimasu, Green, Chocolate, Vanilla 4,000 4-pk 15,500 6-pk 23,000

Dutch Coffee – Dark 5,000 * Light 6,000 * 1,000ml Bottle 26,000
Variations – Mocha, Americano, Latte, Affogato 6,000

All Coffee’s and Teas can be ordered for Take Out. Take Out, prices are discounted 500 won, minimum.

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Photos

Kaya Toast
Two lightly toasted pieces of bread, jam and butter.