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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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 Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:48 am Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
| If you want high prices, go to a hotel coffee shop. Heck, even a place on the Shinsegae food court floor is now charging 18,000won for a regular cup of coffee. And every time I've walked by, it's been packed. |
Holy crap! Seriously? 18,000 won for a cup of coffee?!?!?!
I've bought Tiffany diamonds, Mikimoto pearls, Rolex watches, and Mont Blanc pens without blinking an eye. But some of the prices at Korean department stores absolutely SHOCK me. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| climber159 wrote: |
| Good coffee it is not. Fancy, yes. Back in the US Dunkin' Donuts has the best coffee (straight-up black coffee, not one of the foofy drinks) for the money. In Korea I lost count of how many times I had to request that they NOT add water to the coffee. |
I've stopped ordering coffee here because, 95% of the time, what you get is black water. It's offensive to watch Dunkin' Donut employees pour you a cup of joe.
I switched to Lattes, but even then, about half the time I have to ask them to make it hotter.
The prices for "coffee" are through the roof, but people don't seem to think twice. I mean, up to 5000 won for a latte? Seriously?
I like the cheapy coffee shops that get subsidized in some of the department stores or grocery stores. 2500 latte.
I make coffee at home and it's a 1000 times better. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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To comment on the Starbucks Barista issue --- they do indeed know their stuff. Starbucks is a well run company that only hires on-the-ball people. And they get lots of training.
This isn't Dunkin' Donuts.
But Starbucks is just too expensive to visit regularly. |
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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Location: ples bilong me
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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| madoka wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
| Illysook wrote: |
I was a Barista at a Starbucks. |
With all due respect, saying you're a Barista at Starbucks is kind of like saying someone who flips burgers at McDonalds is a chef. |
I was shocked to learn how thick the training manual for Starbucks baristas is, not to mention the dice they have to master. You have to be fairly knowledgeable to work there. |
Perhaps I'm ignorant regarding barista training for Starbucks, but seriously, the only people who go to Starbucks back home are people who want to use their laptops, real coffee drinkers turn their noses up as they think it's American crap. From what I've experienced, Starbucks coffee is US style which I'm not a fan of as I'm not used to it. I read an article about how some Australians are setting up shop in NYC as many Americans vacation there and come back and missing the coffee there.
Regarding price, I don't think 5,000 won is MASSIVELY expensive, but it's about 1200 won more than what I'm used to, for coffee that's not to my taste but I'll hang in a coffee shop from time to time for something to do, but I'm not paying 10,000 ever again unless it's in some atmospheric street in Europe. |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Coffee shops in Korea are more about being a venue for people meeting to talk instead of brewing great java for morning coffee drinkers. It's over priced; not for the coffee quality, but simply for a nice classy place to sit down with a friend. The Holly's and most other coffee shops don't open until 9 or 10 in the morning so it's not a morning thing. When I go to Holly's at lunch for an over priced half sandwich, I'm usually the only customer, but when I walk by after 5, it's full of young couples talking over coffee. I sometimes eat that for lunch, because we have severely limited options with no Subway, Quizno's, McDonalds, and all the other over priced goodies you can find in Seoul. |
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Man on Street
Joined: 28 Aug 2010
Location: In the Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Kurtz wrote: |
| madoka wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
| Illysook wrote: |
I was a Barista at a Starbucks. |
With all due respect, saying you're a Barista at Starbucks is kind of like saying someone who flips burgers at McDonalds is a chef. |
I was shocked to learn how thick the training manual for Starbucks baristas is, not to mention the dice they have to master. You have to be fairly knowledgeable to work there. |
Perhaps I'm ignorant regarding barista training for Starbucks, but seriously, the only people who go to Starbucks back home are people who want to use their laptops, real coffee drinkers turn their noses up as they think it's American crap. |
Did you take a poll on real coffee drinkers, or is there a set of criteria that has been established to define a real coffee drinker? I suppose you have met the criteria and therefore put millions of people not using laptops to shame with your refined real taste. |
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Quack Addict
Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I would love a 7-11 that had a coffee bar. Now I just get 500 won shots of Milk Coffee on my way to the subway in the morning. |
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nobbyken
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Location: Yongin ^^
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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Takling with a class the other day about dream jobs, this girl said she wanted to be a 'barista'. I told her to study hard, as I thought she meant 'barrister'.
She then said coffee, I said you want to be a coffee girl? Don't study hard.
She said she wanted to make delicious coffee for customers.
Her dictionary was more up to date than mine, and she showed me barista as meaning one who makes coffee.
An americano has zero calories, as does an expresso. Best not to drink calories.
The other stuff, although I like it, it doesn't like me and my digestion. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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Illysook
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:26 am Post subject: |
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Training at Starbucks begins with a coffee tasting and then you have to learn the recipe to every drink and be able to make the drinks to a standard. The manager even weighs them. After that, they put you on the bar and you have to work up to a standard speed so that all customers get their drinks in 3 minutes or less no matter how complicated their drink order. After that you can become a certified barista. Then, it's up to you to seize whatever opportunities that you can to get more training. I completed a coffee passport and trained my palate pretty well. I also learned to roast the beans with a friend who worked at an independant shop.
My favorite coffee ever was an organic fair-trade Ethiopian Amaro from an independant roaster in Lancaster, Ohio. When I added a little milk, the flavor was reminiscent of strawberry shortcake. I've also had some very good coffees from Kenya and Latin America. I think that the Dunkin' Donuts coffee in America tastes like their donuts, which isn't bad, and when I went to Bali, I tried Kopi Luwak but since it smelled like cat poop, I couldn't recommend it. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| Is a building with coffices and apartments called a 'Cofficetel'? Double Konglishee. |
+ 1
Koreans and Japanese need to stop trying to be clever. The more they make Konglish and Japlish, the further they get from real English. These Konglish/Japlish terms just make them sound stupid and foolish. |
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Man on Street
Joined: 28 Aug 2010
Location: In the Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| Is a building with coffices and apartments called a 'Cofficetel'? Double Konglishee. |
+ 1
Koreans and Japanese need to stop trying to be clever. The more they make Konglish and Japlish, the further they get from real English. These Konglish/Japlish terms just make them sound stupid and foolish. |
Nah, I see it as fun and unique. I think they should use it as code to commit espionage with in western countries. |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Illysook wrote: |
Okay, when it comes to people who will drink that sugary instant crap that comes in a tube, I agree with you. But since you are one of those no-foam latte people, I have to tell you that your an idiot. A cappucino is espresso on the bottom, then steamed milk halfway up, the rest foam. A latte is espresso with steamed milk almost to the top then about 1/4 inch of foam to top it off. Baristas pride themselves in making rich tasty foam and when someone asks for "no foam" it's like a slap in the face. The foam is meant to be the good stuff. Kinda like whipped cream, only it's hot. |
The best coffee is one that the person drinking it likes. Do Baristas that pride themselves on their foaming abilities consider it a slap when some one asks for a black coffee? If some one doesn't want the foam then fine |
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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Location: ples bilong me
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Man on Street wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
| madoka wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
| Illysook wrote: |
I was a Barista at a Starbucks. |
With all due respect, saying you're a Barista at Starbucks is kind of like saying someone who flips burgers at McDonalds is a chef. |
I was shocked to learn how thick the training manual for Starbucks baristas is, not to mention the dice they have to master. You have to be fairly knowledgeable to work there. |
Perhaps I'm ignorant regarding barista training for Starbucks, but seriously, the only people who go to Starbucks back home are people who want to use their laptops, real coffee drinkers turn their noses up as they think it's American crap. |
Did you take a poll on real coffee drinkers, or is there a set of criteria that has been established to define a real coffee drinker? I suppose you have met the criteria and therefore put millions of people not using laptops to shame with your refined real taste. |
Starbucks is American style coffee. Many people who have never had it might not in fact like it. Starbucks coffee shops are large, you can sit in there all day and no one will tell you to move along as long as you drink one or two cups, hence it suits the look at me "i've got a laptop" crew.
People who get coffee culture and coffee don't go to Starbucks. Some people like me don't get red wine, so I couldn't really care what I drink or where I drink it.
Get it? |
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Man on Street
Joined: 28 Aug 2010
Location: In the Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Kurtz wrote: |
| Man on Street wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
| madoka wrote: |
| Kurtz wrote: |
| Illysook wrote: |
I was a Barista at a Starbucks. |
With all due respect, saying you're a Barista at Starbucks is kind of like saying someone who flips burgers at McDonalds is a chef. |
I was shocked to learn how thick the training manual for Starbucks baristas is, not to mention the dice they have to master. You have to be fairly knowledgeable to work there. |
Perhaps I'm ignorant regarding barista training for Starbucks, but seriously, the only people who go to Starbucks back home are people who want to use their laptops, real coffee drinkers turn their noses up as they think it's American crap. |
Did you take a poll on real coffee drinkers, or is there a set of criteria that has been established to define a real coffee drinker? I suppose you have met the criteria and therefore put millions of people not using laptops to shame with your refined real taste. |
Starbucks is American style coffee. Many people who have never had it might not in fact like it. Starbucks coffee shops are large, you can sit in there all day and no one will tell you to move along as long as you drink one or two cups, hence it suits the look at me "i've got a laptop" crew.
People who get coffee culture and coffee don't go to Starbucks. Some people like me don't get red wine, so I couldn't really care what I drink or where I drink it.
Get it? |
But what is there to get? Unless you are talking about image conscious individuals who feel that they have to be or act a certain way to fit into what they perceive as being a particular "culture." However, you go to a coffee shop and drink coffee, so what culture is there to describe? The quality of the coffee makes the culture? Hairy faced men and women in tattered and trendy thrift store clothing? Also, if a person uses a laptop in a coffee shop because they enjoy the peace and quiet along with coffee, does that make them intrusive Americans ignorant of the status quo, which in itself is a separate entity from the cultural status quo? Do they use laptops only because they want to be seen as laptop owners? Does having a laptop place one in an elitist position? It all seems so silly. |
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