Behind the Scenes: Capturing South Korea's Unique Themed Coffee Shops on Day One of My Travel Documentary
A narrow street lined by traditional houses called Hanoks in Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul, South Korea. In the distance is Namsan Tower, and the modern megacity. Photo © Scott Ramsey.
The first day of filming had arrived, and I was up early in the megacity they call Seoul in South Korea. My cameras were ready, I had a plan for the day, and I was raring to go.
I was eager to get started, and with patience not being one of my strong points, I decided to hit the ground running and planned to cover three stories in one day!
It was going to be a busy day, but with the help of my local guide and fixer, Jimmy, I had high hopes.
Here's a photo of Jimmy, a Korean fixer and travel guide, who was a fantastic help to me whilst I filmed my travel documentary in Seoul, South Korea. Photo © Scott Ramsey.
Jimmy was a great find and a real help during the first couple of days of my trip. He lives in Seoul, is married and has a daughter. They are both lovely, and I met them both when we handed back the family car he'd used to drive me around for the day in.
He speaks Korean and English and also works as a tour guide, so he knows all the best places to visit. I found him via a service called With Locals, which I highly recommend if you enjoy exploring a city with a truly local guide. That reminds me, I must leave a review for him! With Locals - Local Travel Guides
So nice and early, Jimmy picked me up from outside my hotel, and we drove a short distance out of the city to Ganghwa or Ganghwado Island, the fifth largest island in Korea and a well-known place for its chic cafes. My first story, you guessed it, was about coffee, something very close to my own heart, and in particular, to find out more about South Korean's love of it and their unique cafe culture. Now I love coffee, but the South Koreans take it to the next level! A Hyundai Research Institute study discovered that a South Korean drinks 353 cups per year, more than double the global average. Although the rest of the world is probably catching up fast since this research was released, I know that in my home town in West Sussex, England, that's definitely true.
Want to know more about South Korean’s love of coffee? Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee traces the history of coffee in Korea in this interesting article - Love At First Sip A History Of Coffee In Korea.
A black cat walks along a narrow street lined by traditional houses called Hanoks in Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul, South Korea. Photo © Scott Ramsey
You'll remember from my previous post Battling Self-Doubt Whilst Filming a Travel Documentary that I not only talked about Imposter Syndrome but also discussed how necessary preparation and planning are on a film documentary project like this. And being true to my word, I had already spent significant time working on this coffee-related story idea before leaving England.
But sometimes things don't always go to plan!
I had researched, found and contacted numerous coffee shops and unique cafes in Seoul and the surrounding area, which looked and sounded great for my story. I found a poop-themed cafe in Instadong; yes, you read this right, at this unique South Korean cafe, they actually serve coffee and food in small toilet-shaped mugs and bowls! Ddong Cafe Seoul - The Poop Coffee Shop
Also, a unique animal cafe in Korea called Meerkat Friends that allows visitors to mingle with unusual furry pals like a few meerkats, an arctic fox, a genet, and even a raccoon. Meerkat Friends Seoul - Animal Cafe
And then there was the world's first 5G robot cafe in Gangnam, Seoul, which is entirely run by a robotic barista. Beat Cafe Seoul - Robot Coffee Shop
But my enquires came to no avail. Nothing, zilch! I received no replies, however hard I tried; I later found out it was because many cafes had either closed down or had not reopened after the pandemic.
I was particularly disappointed I couldn't arrange a visit and an interview with the owners of a camera-shaped coffee shop. It would have been great; oh well, I'll have to plan another visit to South Korea so I can visit.
Thankfully, and this is when a good local guide/fixer and or contact is often essential, Jimmy stepped in and could not only recommend some alternative cafes but also arrange a visit. Perfect.
So my first stop was the wonderfully unusual Amoene Cafe, an eccentric themed coffee shop and cafe, which features an upside-down house, tilted windows and doors and which generally leaves you feeling like you've entered Alice In Wonderland-themed dream-like state as you slurp their fantastic coffee. Amoene Cafe On Instagram
The Amoene Cafe is an eccentric themed coffee shop and cafe on Ganghwado Island, South Korea.
Next up, Joyang Bangjik (조양방직), The Factory Coffee Shop. Joyang Bangjik is an old textile factory that has been turned into a very cool cafe complex. It's genuinely a massive coffee shop full of memorabilia, antiques and collectables, a hoarder's paradise and a fantastic find. And it was here that I tried a Purple Sweet Potatoe Latte for the first time!
I also interviewed Jeno, a fellow coffee lover and customer who told me about his love of coffee and why Koreans love Sweet Potato.
As my search continued to discover some of South Korea's most unique coffee shops and find out why Koreans love coffee so much, I headed to Joyang Bangjik (조양방직), The Factory Coffee Shop. Joyang Bangjik is an old textile factory that has been turned into a very cool cafe complex.
Joyang Bangjik, The Factory Coffee Shop, is a themed coffee shop in South Korea. It's in an old textile factory full of memorabilia, antiques and collectables. And it was where I tried a unique drink called a Purple Sweet Potato Latte for the first time!
Whilst filming my travel documentary at Joyang Bangjik (The Factory Coffee Shop) on Ganghwa Island, South Korea. I interviewed fellow coffee lover Jeno, a Korean who almost loves coffee as much as I do.
So I guess the moral of this story is, sometimes in life (particularly when it comes to planning a film or photography assignment), it doesn't matter how much you try to prepare, organise or control a situation; you instead need to let it go, roll the dice and see how things turn out. Less is sometimes more, and all being well, it often works out just fine.
Till next time, keep exploring.
Fancy watching the entire first episode of my travel documentary around South Korea? Head over to my Youtube channel and watch My Camera And The Wonderful Episode 1 - A Travel Documentary And Photography Trip Across South Korea