Cafe Kozy

On my first day in Korea I awoke early. My head was still on USA time.  My new apartment had only the barest of essentials the hagwon owner was kind enough to stock fresh for me, but it had nothing like breakfast – at least as what I understood the word to mean. So, at the crack of dawn I wandered out in search of a coffee and some breakfast.   There were no coffee shops at all. Although some of the places looked like restaurants, none were  open at that hour. Not even a store was open, nor would they be for several more hours.

That wasn’t so long ago in Ulsan.  Since those dark days a lot has change.  These days you can find a coffee shop just about anywhere. But until now, there hasn’t been a restaurant that is both open in the morning and serves breakfast. And specifically, an American breakfast. That all changed with this week’s grand opening of Cafe Kozy in GuYeong-li.

The owners, two brothers named JinBo and InBo, have set up shop in GuYeongLi with an eye for cozy and a taste of home. The interior has brightly colored furniture and multiple nooks and crannies in which you and your friends can sequesters yourselves for a just a cup of coffee, a lite lunch or a full blown American combo brunch set.  A mini loft upstairs is perfect for hiding from the world.

When I first heard about Cafe Kozy’s opening, and that it would have an American breakfast menu I was very intrigued.  I had visions of a Waffle House or Denny’s where a guy could load up on his required daily supplement of grease after a hard night of drinking and carousing.  Cafe Kozy isn’t the greasy spoon kind of breakfast Americans may be familiar with, but it’ll do.

After deliberating on the menu for some time, I settled for the American (naturally) Brunch combo. The menu also included Belgium waffles and French crepes but I was going native.  Bacon and eggs with hash browns, french toast, coffee and, since it was brunch, a salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and scoop of ice cream for dessert.  Although the french toast didn’t have any maple syrup, it was great – a big thick fluffy slice of toast sprinkled with powdered sugar.   Otherwise, it was a fine meal and likely just the first of many more to come.

When you come to Cafe Kozy, unless you read Korean, ask for a menu which has English.  The two owners, by the way, speak English very well.  If you want to learn Korean, Cafe Kozy’s menu is a great one for learning – everything is English but phonetically spelled out in Hangeul.

I was very surprised by the number of customers. Even though the restaurant had only opened the day before there were scads of little mommies with toddlers in tow having lunch and coffee.  I hope that’s a good sign and this restaurant florishes. Seems like a few really nice places to eat in GuYeong-li have not been successful.  Being  the last outpost of Ulsan before Eonyang the neighborhood is anything but centrally located.  Two great places,  “It’s Burger” and “Belle di Notte”, closed up shop there. As a matter of fact, the last place that even served breakfast (special request only) before was in GuYeong-li – “It’s Burger” had a semi-regular Saturday breakfast that was fun.  Maybe it’s time to revive that tradition at Cafe Kozy?

When I visited Cafe Kozy it was still February and a bit chilly. However, given warmer weather, Cafe Kozy’s front looks to be able to accomodate a table or two for a little outdoor dining – another item that was non-existent just a few years ago in Ulsan.

 

Although GuYeongLi might be a bit out the way for some,  it’s worth the distance just for the bacon. It’s very easy to find. Coming from Mugeodong, take the first bridge across the Taewha River to GuYeong-li. At the first traffic light at the end of the bridge, go straight 100 meters. You’ll see Cafe Kozy, with it’s large white sign on dark wood on your right. Cafe Kozy is open daily from 8:00am to 11:00pm.