Cafe In Roasting House – Good Coffee in Taehwa Dong

When it comes to coffee, I don’t mess around. It has become more of an obsession than an addiction. Part of that obsession is locating good cafes in Ulsan. These are the ones that not only make a great cup of coffee but provide a great experience as well. This is a difficult challenge in Korea, especially in Ulsan.

What sets Cafe In apart from your usual “coffee prince wanna-be cafes” is the fact that this is a gorgeous cafe that serves a really good cup of coffee and is open late.  12 am is late for most cafes with the exception of the chain cafes like Angel-in-us which are starting to open 24 hours a day.

I had driven past this location a number of times and it’s large windows  always drew my attention. It also just looks like a proper cafe and thus, peaked my obsession.

Upon entering the cafe I was impressed with the design. It was comfortable and bright with out that “we bought this all from a catalog” feel or the dreaded “we are trying to be too hip” feel. It just felt nice and there is no other way to put it.

As I ordered I was greeted warmly by the owner and barista, Seo Sang-wook (서상욱) who spoke perfect English. As I got my cup of single origin Ethiopia Yirgacheffe I realized that I could spend hours at this cafe. Sitting by the window I inspected the interesting ceiling arrangement. Warm lights mixed with books hung from the ceiling. My coffee was delicious and came in a good-sized cup. It was around 5,000 won. I know that is pricey but what came next surprised me. They offered a second beverage for free. From the looks of things, this goes for the other (cheaper) beverages as well.

The best way to test a baristas’ worth is to taste their espresso. You are looking for complexity here. I prefer a syrupy body with bright sweet notes. Sang-wook’s (free) espresso blew me away. It was amazing! It was well made and you could taste the quality that he puts into his beans.

All of the beans are roasted regularly in the cafe and are available for purchase. While the prices for his beans is a bit more expensive than other shops, after trying your first cup you’ll probably forgive him as they are that good. I will post a full price list as I don’t have the exact price at this moment but they were about 20,000 won for 250 g. After putting them through my rancilio today, I could immediately taste the difference. He also recommended that I return next week as he is roasting one variety of a “Cup of Excellence” coffee, which is a premium coffee and is exceptionally good. There is also a decent selection of black tea on his menu as well, if you are not a coffee drinker.

All in all, Cafe In has everything that I want in a cafe. The owner’s English will make even the newest resident of Ulsan feel comfortable. His coffee will keep you coming back for more.

To Get There:

Taxi: Tell the taxi driver “Dong-Gang Byeongwan ahp” and get out by the emergency room entrance. The cafe is next door on the second floor.

Bus: Take buses  103  104 114 123 133 203 233 317 327 402 413 421 421(지원) 422 426 433 442 704 708 708(지원) 718 728 802 802(지원) 807 817

and get off at “Dong-Gang byeongwan Ahp” walk past the hospital heading toward Shinae and it is next to the emergency room

Address in Korean: 울산 중구 태화동 110번지 (동강병원 옆)

Phone: 070-4154-3036