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By jasonteale, August 20, 2010 10:26 pm

Since Martin’s post about Bean Stock Coffee, I decided to share some brewing secrets that I have learned over the years. If you are going to drop good money on good coffee, you might as well brew properly. For those who buy coffee at Home Plus (that has probably been here as long as I have) and use a 20,000 won coffee maker and would feel that this is too much preparation for a good cup of joe, stop reading. For the those who spend money on good coffee and want to extract the best flavours out of their beans; continue.

Coffee is like photography in many ways. You must control a lot of variables in order to achieve something that is wonderful. Just like the point-and-shoot cameras, cheap coffee makers will give you something that resembles coffee but is far from great. Careful attention to the details will produce a great cup of coffee in less time than you think.

For this article, I am not going to go into the hardcore amounts and measurements, I will leave that to the coffee aficionados to seek out on the internet. What I am going to tell you about today is where and how you, the Ulsanite who wants great coffee and does not want to spend millions of won on a machine or spend 6,000 to 8,000 won on a “single” cup of coffee, can make are great cup of coffee at home.

The Tools

These days, Home Plus and Lotte Mart will carry everything that you need to make great coffee (minus the beans, please don’t buy them there…. please). What you are going to need is a metal pot for pouring with a thin spout. I bought mine from Lotte Mart for 15,000 won. Next you will need a graduated carafe (coffee pot) to make sure you get the right amount of brewed coffee. Again, you can pick these up for around 15,000 to 18,000 won at both Lotte Mart or Home Plus.

For this demonstration, I will be using a Hario V60 dripper (Thing that sits on top of the coffee pot and holds the filter). They cost about 8,490 at Home Plus and are well worth the money. The Jung-gu Home Plus will carry everything you need minus the pouring pot. The V60 filters are cheap and run about 2,500 won. Now that you have all of that, it is time to get to the brewing stage.

Fold along the the seam to insure a good fit

The first thing to do is get all of your tools ready. Take your unbleached cone filter and fold along the seam. This will make it fit better into the dripper. In order to lessen the flavour change caused from a drop in temperature, preheat you carafe and rinse your filter.

Preheat

Water

Heat your water until just off boiling. This should be around 90 degrees Celsius but usually just wait about 10 seconds before you pour. This is crucial because water that is too hot can actually scold the coffee giving that bitter sort-of McDonalds Coffee taste.

Grinds

Add your grinds to the filter. Use a about 2 tbsp (17 g) for about 200 ml (8 oz) of water. For this coffee I am using some Guatemala that I picked up from Beans Bins in Mugeo-Dong. I think it was about 8,000 per 100 g, which is not too bad. They also post their roast dates, so be sure to get the freshest beans roasted within the last 2 weeks for optimum flavour.

Extraction

Now, pout a small amount of water into the centre. Not too much that it comes out the bottom, but just enough to coat the grounds. This is the pre-infusion stage. Wait about 30 seconds before you start to pour. When you being your pour, start from the centre and spiral outwards using a thin steady stream. This process should take about 2.5 minutes. you don’t have to time it just make sure that you remove the dripper when the coffee reaches 200 ml.

make a steady stream starting from the centre

Enjoyment

Preheat a coffee cup and give the coffee a few moments to settle and rest. Dump out the water and exchange for some perfectly prepared coffee that won’t cost you 6,000 won per cup. This may seem excessive but trust me, once you taste the difference, you will never go back. For about 40,000 won altogether, you can have the best brewing method in the city and not have to pay the insane prices for “pour-over” coffee again.

Notes

I chose the V60 because of its ease of use. Some of the other drippers with the flat bottom may take a little more time and it gets a little finicky with the grinds. I also chose this over the French Press because the V60 yields a cleaner cup in the end. I like the French Press method as it is close to the flavour extracted during cuppings but it also yields a slight murky or muddy cup. Perhaps, I will detail how to brew with a French Press if there is enough response.

For about 30,000 won, you can pick up an ice coffee maker with the same V60 filter and dripper  set-up that makes an excellent cold beverage on a hot day. These can be purchased off of Gmarket and I would highly recommend it if you like iced coffee. You will have to use a little bit more coffee to stop from over extracting but there are tons of useful videos on You Tube to show you how to get it right.

Grinding at home is the best, but only if you use a burr grinder. These grinders can found at both Lotte Department Store and Hyundai Department Store. They however, are fairly pricey and it is just easier to get them ground at the store. Just keep in mind that once you grind, the coffee will go stale quite quickly. keep you coffee in an air-tight container and do not store in the fringe or freezer unless you want kimchi flavoured coffee. Just keep it in a cool dark place away from things like garlic or kimchi because the coffee will absorb the flavours.

With that being said enjoy your coffee and if you have any questions about where to get the equipment or problems brewing don’t be afraid to drop a line here.

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By Martin Rehder, August 17, 2010 8:23 pm

I love a good play on words. Bean Stock, however, is no laughing matter. This coffeeshop-cum-speciality bean store is true to its name and is as serious about coffee as one can get.

Although it once was a coffee shop, complete with comfortable chairs, excellent sound system and countless CDs and vinyl albums of classical music and jazz, it now is a coffee bean supply store where one can purchase the finest of beans prepared with a master’s loving care.

Bean stock is only open from 10am to 3pm daily. The shop is tucked away in a non-descript building near SaveZone on the 2nd floor with nothing but a small weather-worn sign to announce it’s presence. But don’t let those facts dissuade you. The store has been in business since 1996 and that longevity, despite the lack of advertising and brief daily business hours is a testament to the enormous success of the proprietor and the power of word of mouth.

Barrels of raw coffee beans from around the world

From the moment we entered Bean Stock, my senses were awash in coffee par excellence. The aroma of freshly roasting beans permeates the air while barrels of raw beans fill a corner of the shop. Along one wall, a vast library of music still exists to provide soothing sounds for the multitude of customers sipping coffee and chatting, now no more than ghosts and  faded memories. Another wall is littered with art, art books, antique coffee cups, pots, spoons and other accoutrements of a by-gone age.  Thick cushioned chairs and wide comfortable tables that once filled the room are pushed to one side as if moving day were approaching. This was once a stylish coffee shop with none of the chrome and glass and hurried barristas of today’s modern coffee houses. Instead, Bean Stock is place to buy beans for your own cup at home.  Ah, but if that were all it was, I’d be doing the shop a great disservice.

Bean Stock is one man’s tribute to the art of fine coffee.

Having found that there is a market in Ulsan for the raw materials for home brew, the owner, henceforth known as “The Coffee Guru,” has scaled back his enterprise to simply importing beans from around the world, roasting them in his hand-made roaster and either selling them over the counter or via home delivery.  But like any true artist, he delights in explaining how he creates his work. Moreover, he’ll offer free cups of coffee to prospective customers, detailing the steps in preparation, the origin of the beans and qualities one should consider in tasting the various varieties. In fact, if you wish to learn to be a barrista yourself, he offers free lessons, although you should have a basic understanding of Korean. He can write and speak English but explaining the finer points will be best in Korean.

The Coffee Guru scrutinizes each batch of roasted beans by hand

Defective beans, which are flat or damaged are removed. Peaberries, the less flavorful beans from the outer limb of the tree are also discarded.

My friend, Jared, and I drank a couple of cups of coffee while he went about his business of roasting, labelling and prepping his deliveries. I was astounded at the level of attention and care he gives, painstakingly inspecting by hand a sifter of roasted beans for imperfections and undesirable beans. This is not a high volume shop, I realized, but one in which each purchase contains the absolute best product, lovingly prepared and packaged.

The Coffee Guru prepares cups of coffee for us - paper filters are no good, he explains. Ladies nylons are best for filtering

While making the cups for Jared and myself, I was struck by the beauty of being able to work at an unhurried pace in order to produce the best possible cup of joe. This man’s world provided an alluring glimpse of a slower time in comparison to my own world, so often tempered by rapid fire agendas, cluttered with instant messages, emails and the entire internet in the palm of my hand.

In between cups, he changed bean varieties, carefully rinsing and drying his nylon filter and  washing his drip pot. He even checked the mineral level in his filtered water, insuring that our cups held the finest possible taste – no, that’s wrong. It was beyond mere taste – it was experience.  In fact, I had some trouble in categorizing this shop. I questioned myself as to whether this article belonged in our restaurant guide, for it is surely no restaurant, or even a coffee shop. Should I place it in the Culture section? For this is truly as much about the Art of Coffee and one man’s Quest for Excellence as it is about consuming coffee. In the end, the restaurant guide won out, because, like Foreigner Town, sometimes the best restaurant is your very own kitchen.

The handmade gas-fired roaster slowly turned while we sipped.

I have to admit my surprise, when after several years in a land where instant give-it-to-me-now coffee is nearly everywhere, that there is a place for coffee aficionados who want to brew their own cup at home. My only previous experience with Korean stores and beans was at the expensive departments stores with mass-produced brands. Even Costco, which has a larger selection of real coffee than I’d seen in stores is mostly Starbucks corporate McCoffee.

Bean Stock carries coffee from nearly two dozen regions around the world. Here one can find Ethiopian Sidamo, organic Kenyan, Tanzanian, Sulawesi Toraja, organic Bali, Colombian, organic Mexican and many others.   When you buy, he’ll give you a sealed pack with the origin of the beans, the roasting level (dark, french, etc.) and the roast date.   I bought a pack of the Sumatran Mandheling and it’s fabulous. It won’t be my last purchase.

To find Bean Stock, make your way to SaveZone department store in Samsandong. If you stand in front of SaveZone turn 180 degrees and walk one block south. Take the next left and Bean Stock will be on the 2nd floor on your left in a no-name building, hiding where only those in-the-know can find it.

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By Martin Rehder, August 5, 2010 7:06 pm

You wont find a Korean or English spelling of the name

If you’re keen for a bit of Fukuoka but don’t have the time or cash to get there, you might be able to satisfy your palate with a trip to Wakuwaku. Tucked away and nearly hidden in a 2nd floor loft in Samsandong, Wakuwaku has some tasty delicacies that, while somewhat Korean-ized, are delicious and reminiscent of Japan.

Yakatori and grilled vegetables

We had the “set” meal, which consisted of Fukuoka-style ramen along with a large assortment of yakatori (grilled chicken skewers),  grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus, tomatoes and quail eggs. I personally love just about any grilled food, but wrap something in bacon (even if it is simply Korean-style samgyeopsal) and throw it over a fire and I’m in heaven.

The ramen was awesome and I felt as if I were back in Fukuoka slurping up noodles with bits of fatty pork.  Wakuwaku has a nice touch for their Korean customers and have bottles of 고추가루 (crushed red pepper) on each table, but they are thoughtful enough of their style and motif to at least provide it in Japanese brand shakers.

For my money, though, the best part of the meal was the draft Asahi beer, which was as smooth and creamy as a baby’s bottom. It was a big part of most of their clienteles’ drinking as well, as the glassed flowed continuously from the tap and the mini-kegs were changed frequently.

If you don’t read Korean and can’t speak it well enough to order, you might want to visit this place with a Korean friend. Their menus are only in Korean and their staff (from my experience) spoke little or no English. Still it was a great find and a welcome diversion from the usual selection of restaurants in Ulsan.

To find WakuWaku in Samsandong, walk along the street behind Lotte Department Store. With Lotte on your left and Starbucks on your right, take the next right turn. When you are below Namaskar Indian Restaurant on the 2nd floor, turn left. WakuWaku will be about 25m up the street, on the right on the 2nd floor

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By Martin Rehder, July 29, 2010 1:43 am

Some say the best restaurant is your very own kitchen.

Foreigner Town is no restaurant, but has an amazing amount of essentials for those that have a few culinary skills and a wish to eat at home. No bigger than a bedroom, Foreigner Town makes up in variety what it lacks in space.  On the mere dozen or so shelves in this small store one can find such rarities as taco shells, fajita seasoning, oatmeal, chick peas, ripe olives, and literally dozens of others ingredients not available anywhere else in Ulsan.  Don’t look for ready-to-eat meals but rather the fixins to make Thai, Vietnamese, Phillipine, Mexican or Indian cuisines.  My favorites are the spice packets, which when combined with a few fresh vegetables and some dead animal make an exceptional meal of Khao Phat, Chicken Tikki Marsala, Red curry or even Thom Yom soup.  Indeed, the spices, likely the most populous of the store’s miniature sections, hail from many parts of the world although Asian cuisines are the most predominant. The freezer also holds surprises as one can find leg of lamb and other cuts of meats unheard of in typical Korean grocery stores.

You won’t find items in bulk, nor will you find fresh fruits and vegetables. And, in truth, the prices are a little spendy. But if you’re in the mood for food that just can’t be found in any restaurant in Ulsan and are in the mood to do some cooking, this is the place to start.

Foreigner Town is easy to find. From Lotte Department store in Samsandong, walk past the local bus terminal and also the express bus terminal.  Keep walking one more block and you’ll see Foreigner Town across the street. Happy Cooking!

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By jasonteale, July 18, 2010 7:57 am

Over the past little while I have had the please of talking to the guys that run the new cafe “Is Coffee” in Samsan-Dong. Located just down from the old Its Burger location, it is a quaint and stylish little cafe.

If you are looking for a quiet and wired cafe to catch up on some emails Is Coffee is your place. Unlike the surrounding cafes that I have written about in the Samsan area, this little cafe is not only comfortable but friendly as well.

One of the more attractive features of this cafe is the large windows on the front. With the face lift that the “new downtown” area has received in the last little while, this location is perfect for people watching.

The Is Coffee menu is simple and that is what I like about it. They are not trying to cover up bad coffee by giving you a stale waffle topped with 2 lbs. of whipped cream and red beans. Their baristas are certified knowledgeable.

As for the coffee, it is all roasted in Korea and fresh. I tried an espresso and a latte. Their beverages are single shots and pretty tasty. Their espresso was good with a syrupy texture and good crema.

What attracted me most about this cafe was the friendly staff and the stylish interior. The  cafe gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings but most of the time is pretty quiet making it the perfect place to go and chill. It also lacks the pretentious attitude that some of the other cafes have. Is Coffee is a relaxing cafe with great music as well.

Directions:

Starting at McDonald’s, walk towards Cow 9 Bar and you will come across a break in the buildings in that block. It will be on your left.

Look for the Muse’e Hair building, Is Coffee is next to the Beautiplex on the corner.

Tel: 052-267-0268

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By Martin Rehder, July 15, 2010 8:54 pm

Looking for authentic Italian Pizza? Well, this being Korea, that’s a tough order. But Bocca Della Verita in Mugeodong is likely the best and most authentic you’ll find in Ulsan.

Located just across from Ulsan University on the 2nd floor above the taxi stand, it’s actually easier to find by smell than sight. Walk with 15 meters of the restaurant and your nose will lead you right to it. I was meeting a friend there and as I walked toward the taxi stand from the university cross-walk I knew two things: a) I was getting  very close and b) lunch was going to be fabulous. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of fresh pizza being baked. My mouth began to water with each step closer to the restaurant.

Complete with a real brick oven, the pizzas come out crispy and flaky. Although I’d prefer my crust just a tad thicker, the taste and consistency is everything one could want in a pizza and has none of the bread-y blandness of a typical franchise or delivery pizzeria.

We ordered the Gorgonzola pizza – a cheese and fresh garlic white pizza with a small side dish of honey for dipping. I was skeptical of the honey, but it was truly delicious and a wonderful combination with the smooth, flavorful cheese and pungent garlic. An awesome choice.

Gorgonzola Pizza

We also ordered the Diavola pizza, a tomato sauce and pepperoni pizza with bell peppers. No imitation pepperoni on this pie – it was the real thing. The cheese was as it should be – smooth and stringy when pulled from a hot pie. This pizza has just a hint of red pepper, which one must come to expect in Korea. It was the only thing that detracted from the otherwise completely authentic Italian style pizza. Our pizzas were 12,000 won each – more expensive than a delivery or pick up pizza joint, but then those aren’t real pizza joints in my book – those are just gut bombs on a motorbike.

Diavola Pizza

The two proprietors, a husband and wife team, were very pleasant and can speak a moderate amount of English – at least sufficient for ordering for most people here. Legend has it that the husband spent time studying his craft in Italy and then brought back his knowledge to make  his own pizzeria.

The pasta menu looked plentiful and I now have cravings to go back and try several. A few guests at the table adjacent to us had a helping of red sauce with clams over spaghetti that looked awesome.

If you’re looking for a quick delivery of cheap fast-food pizza at home this is NOT the place. This is strictly a sit-down restaurant and is worth every won you’ll pay for their (nearly) authentic style and taste.

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By Martin Rehder, June 6, 2010 7:46 pm

If you’re looking for Japanese style sushi with just a dash of Korean, DaBu is the place. Situated in Samsandong, DaBu is the businessman’s (read expense account) sushi restaurant. The menu is more of an “A Course” ” Course” or “C course style” rather than piece-meal ordering by the type of fish. I was fortunate enough to go with my wife and one of her friends whose husband is an oil man. He spends 10 months of the year in Saudi Arabia working natural gas production and 2 months a year back here in Korea. Needless to say he carries a fat wallet and large expense account.

Our dinner hosts had already arranged reservations for the six of us, something that is highly recommended on busy weekend nights, or holidays which is when we attended.  We had a cozy room to ourselves, adorned with faux Japanese Samurai memorabilia. I checked out the Samurai sword displayed on the mantel and was disappointed to find it was only a wooden replica.

The food, however, was anything but replica. The chefs are certified sushi chefs and artfully arranged the dishes that were brought in in course after course. A salad course was first followed by the sashimi trays. The sashimi trays offered delicious slices of fish, shell fish and even the dreaded “Sea Penis.” Being the polite guest that I am, I ate some of  everything, even the Sea Penis which had the consistency of tire rubber but almost no taste. We were pleased that the restaurant offered by Korean style and Japanese style seasoning sauces. I am a fan of soy and wasabi while she loves the gochujang red sauce.

We ate far more than any human needs, but the courses kept coming as if they were feeding an army. Our dinner partners also kept ordering sake, which helped to wash down the food and increase my appetite. Perhaps because of the course and its price, perhaps we we ordered several bottles of beer and sake the staff brought in several trays of “service” – dishes not normally on the menu but are given as extras. Lobster sashimi was a service item as was a tray of 초밥 which is the typical slices of fish on a pat of rice one would find in a sushi bar. Topping off the meal was a course of soup laden with large hunks of whitefish followed by fresh fruit.

I was truly stuffed by the end of the meal, but kept “tasting” the various trays that were brought out. None of us wanted to offend the staff by not eating what they so lovingly prepared.

By the time we left, I was very appreciative of the proxy driver whose office is directly below the restaurant. No waiting, we just informed the man of our need for a driver and we were off.

Lobster sashimi. Very small, but unbelievably tender and delicious.

Swordfish sauted in a soy-ginger sauce, tempura and fried fatty underbellies.

A mixed seafood pate on the right and in the upper left are Sea Penis, thankfully twisted to look not quite so...penis-y

To find DaBu, the simplest directions are to follow the south side Taewha River eastward. Go past the road to Lotte department store and the bus terminal and follow the signs for Ulsan Station.  Dabu is on the left on the corner at the first light.

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By jasonteale, May 30, 2010 3:53 pm

Legend has there is a pizza out there…. One pizza with fresh toppings, no corn, no sweet potato, and nothing melted into the crust that should still be swimming in the sea. We are going to try and find the best pizza in town, but we need your help to guide us there. In the comments section below, please list your favorite pizza and pizza place. We’ll try and make it down there  to review it.

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By jasonteale, May 30, 2010 6:58 am

Great design, slow service.

I first heard of Beansbins Coffee in a Korean Coffee Guide to Seoul called “Hip Cafe” It was one of those places that I put on my list to check out. It looked cool and had beans for sale, I guess bins of them, hence the title. I was shocked and a little happy to see a hip cafe like that come to Ulsan, especially in the Babo Sa-geo-ri area. The cafe is enormous and extremely well designed. It has everything you’d want in a cafe, except for one glaring detail, the staff.

After running a cafe in one of the most caffeinated cities in the world, if there is one thing I know, it is how to get coffee out to the customer. Unfortunately, on my first few visits to Beans Bins, I found the staff to be a bit confused and the service extremely slow. During a meeting for the up coming Inferno, we found ourselves waiting almost an hour for some drinks. That was probably a mistake and that happens sometimes but when I looked at the staff organization, there were huge faults. There were 5 staff members behind the bar but only two doing actual work.

At any rate, I found their espresso to be lively and their beans to be fresh. Most of the time I pick a bag of their Yirgacheffe and am usually pleased with the flavours. The rest of the cafe is par for the course for Korean cafes and nothing really noteworthy to mention. If you have time to kill and want a great place to hang out and chill while you wait for your coffee, Beans Bins is your place.

Located at the end of Babo Sa-geo-ri in Mugeo Dong. It is located on the same street as “Cream Beer” and “3 Pigs” both favorites of the Ulsan Online staff. There is a decent internet connection and larger tables can be found on the 3rd floor.

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By Amanda Dickson, May 18, 2010 11:10 am

If cheap Italian food is what you’re craving then Pasta Buono in Mugeodong is the place to go. It is located on the main walking street, across from the university, in Mugeodong and situated between Purple Haze and Coldstone. Instead of the fake plastic food outside each restaurant indicating only some of the food the restaurant serves, this place has a sign that most foreigners are more familiar with.

They have a nice selection of clam pasta dishes which are Vongole Spaghetti, Vongole Cream Spaghetti, Vongole Cream Bulgogi Spaghetti, Vongole Bulgogi Spaghetti, Vongole Chicken Cream Spaghetti, and Seafood Cream Spaghetti. Vongole doesn’t seem to be in short supply at this restaurant. For those red sauce spaghetti lovers, they have Seafood Tomato Spaghetti, Chicken Tomato Spaghetti, Bacon Tomato Spaghetti, and Chicken Tomato Hot Spaghetti. No Italian restaurant would be complete without pizza (but don’t expect anything Western about these pizzas) so to satisfy that craving patrons can order Potato Chicken Bulgogi Pizza, King Crab Seafood Pizza, King Crab Salad Pizza, Hot Chicken Bulgogi Pizza, and Sweet Bacon Pizza. For those wishing to watch their figure, a couple of salads are also on the menu: King Crab Salad and Chicken Salad. Now you can imagine my surprise when I came across garlic bread on the menu! It looked so delicious on the menu and I have to admit I had rather high hopes when I ordered it.

So we ordered the Chicken Tomato Spaghetti, Bacon Tomato Spaghetti, and Garlic Bread. Surprisingly, drinks were free and after going to the pop dispenser (or coke dispenser in Oklahoma terms) and bringing back a very flat Pepsi, I can see why it was free. Blah! The food was decent, the sauce was very tomato-y and lacking in herbs but overall not bad. As far as the garlic bread goes, it was a flop. Maybe I was expecting too much but nonetheless I can’t think of one good thing to say about it other than it was crunchy. Basically is was thin, sweet, crunchy buttered toast. It’s something I probably wouldn’t order again, although on the way out the door, I was given a free coupon for an order of garlic bread. So maybe next time I’ll use it as a scooper as I shovel the pasta into my mouth.

As I mentioned before, the restaurant was cheap. The average cost of a plate of spaghetti was 6,000 won. So our total for lunch was only 13,000 won. Not too bad when you really have a craving for some spaghetti or are looking to take someone out on a cheap date. My ranking as far as decor, food, and price is 3.5 stars (out of 5). A big advantage to the location is that its close to Coldstone, so you can head over there afterward to satisfy your sweet tooth. Here are some pictures of the restaurant.