Lim Jong-ho Coffee

The shop is located inside a commercial building in front of an apartment complex in Samsong-dong. The buildings in the commercial district of this new city are almost all rectangular, about three stories high, and as monotonous as the apartments themselves. People find comfort in monotony; our brains don't issue alarms where there's no change. Inside, the shop is entirely wood-paneled and a bit dim. The store isn't very large, with only four or five tables, but the partitioned roasting room in the back is quite spacious. It seems to be used not only for roasting but also as a training center, as there are tables and plenty of extra space. Outside, I noticed a wooden sign that reads 'Coffee Bon Barista Academy.' Lim Jong-ho Coffee also has a branch in Paju and specializes in specialty coffee. Even on Chuseok morning, the shop is full of people. I see everything from large families to a grandmother who came alone, and middle-aged couples. It's a glimpse into a changing aspect of Chuseok. A single female barista is busy by herself. There are six types of beans, displayed in glass jars for customers to smell. I ordered the 'Colombia El Paraiso Lychee,' a coffee with more flavor notes than body or nuttiness. A savory aroma wafts from inside the shop, perhaps from baking cookies. Sitting on a chair in front of the shop, I gaze at a sliver of blue sky between the apartments and commercial buildings. The clear sky enhances the taste of the coffee. Sunlight streams into my transparent plastic coffee cup, illuminating the coffee before it, along with its aroma, seemed to drift away. Lim Jong-ho Coffee in Samsong-dong, Goyang-si, is where one can enjoy specialty coffee.