Label Coffee Roasters

The shop is located on the commercial street in front of Unju Elementary School, north of Yangjae Station. If you walk a little along the sloping alley leading north, just before the pedestrian overpass, you'll see an unassuming coffee shop with a wooden deck. The 10-pyeong (approx. 350 sq ft) store, neither large nor small, features several substantial grinders on the bar table. To the left are various types of beans for sale, and to the right are two small roasting machines.

Inside, there are several long, black tables, and the walls and ceiling are dark grey. There's nothing that really stands out as interior decor.

There are two baristas, a man and a woman. The male barista primarily handles roasting and drip coffee.

I thought the roasting machines seemed small for the amount of beans stacked in one corner. Indeed, it turns out that the main roasting operations take place at a factory beyond Eungwang Girls' High School, and this location serves as a showroom for bean sales. They've been operating this showroom for about four years.

For my coffee, I ordered a Costa Rica anaerobic fermented bean. It's said to have acidity and a hint of wine flavor. For iced coffee, the first sip best reveals the bean's characteristics. The acidity isn't strong, and while I'm not sure if it's a wine flavor, I can taste a variety of aromas. On a slightly heavy day like today, with rain falling, this kind of taste is quite pleasant.

The second order was a warm Peru La Piedra Natural. The coffee cup was jade-colored and narrowed towards the top, giving it a unique feel. From the dark, abyssal-like extract, a fine mist, like the soul of coffee, rises. I tried to capture it in a photo, but it didn't convey the same feeling.

The coffee was said to have a slight acidity and a berry aroma. It felt like the inherent bitterness of the coffee perfectly balanced the sweetness and sourness at its core. The barista mentioned that the recently imported Peruvian beans were good, and indeed, the beans were excellent, but the barista's skill also played a significant role.

My uplifted mood from the Costa Rican beans earlier felt a bit calmer.

Right in front of me, a group of people were engrossed in a business discussion for a while before they left. Across the way, middle-aged neighborhood women are happily chatting about their daily lives. Next to them, two young men are silently engrossed in their smartphones.

The surrounding stories and scenery melt into the coffee I'm drinking, creating its unique flavor. What would coffee taste like if it didn't converse with the world? Coffee is communication, coffee is connection, and coffee is a mirror reflecting the world.

This is Label Coffee Roasters, Yangjae Station, capturing the neighborhood in a cup of coffee.