Be Brave in Seogwipo: Ferrero Rocher Coffee
After a delicious meal, I wanted to spend the rest of the day relaxing, so I went looking for a cafe. I was in the mood for some unique coffee, and my search led me to a place called "Be Brave." It was written as a single word in Korean, so I wondered what it meant, but it's literally "Be Brave." The name sounds so resolute, like they really gritted their teeth when starting the business.
They sell a coffee called "Roche," and since it doesn't show up in online searches, it seems to be their own original menu item. It's a type of dirty coffee—espresso poured over milk—topped with nuts, making it look exactly like a melted Ferrero Rocher. That's my personal guess for where the name "Roche" comes from, though I'm probably wrong.
If you search for Be Brave, two locations pop up; this one is the branch. It opened later, and it looks like the owner really went all out on the interior design. The shop is spacious and clean, featuring warm wood tones. It has a sophisticated vibe that perfectly suits the neighborhood name, Sinseogwipo (New Seogwipo). With its high ceilings and unified color palette, the space is so beautiful they could almost charge an admission fee just to walk in. You could say there's no view to speak of, but the stunning interior more than makes up for it. They also have a spacious parking lot, making it very convenient to visit by car. It sits on a hill, so walking up there looks like it might be a bit of a workout.
I placed my order, opened my laptop to browse the internet for a bit, and soon my Roche coffee came out. The staff told me to drink it as is at first, and then stir it with a spoon once it's about half gone. However, since the portion size is pretty small, the order you drink it in doesn't seem to matter at all.
The flavor is truly something I've never experienced before. It has a strong sweetness, tasting more like chocolate than coffee, and thanks to the milk, it's incredibly smooth rather than harsh. It seems they were able to open a second branch and sell various merchandise all thanks to this one coffee, and tasting it makes me nod in agreement. Looking around, I even saw someone sitting alone with a stack of three empty coffee cups—there are all sorts of people here. If you find yourself needing a sweet treat in Seogwipo, I highly recommend it.
