The flaky layered shell of a Barista Kang egg tart

Barista Kang, Ansan — The Egg Tart I Keep Going Back For

Barista Kang is a small independent coffee house in Geongeon-dong, Ansan, a few minutes' walk from Banwol Station, and at this point I'm in there about twice a week. The egg tart is what keeps pulling me back, but the reason this one gets a Passport stamp is the bag of beans I brought back to the office.

They Roast It Right There

The roasting room is behind a glass wall off the main dining room, so while you're sitting with your coffee you can look over and see a few roasters, bins of green beans and all the ducting running up to the ceiling. Everything they serve is roasted in that room.

The glass-walled roasting room at Barista Kang in Ansan, with roasters, green bean bins and ducting

They take their brewing seriously too. Along the bar there's a row of pour-over stations and glass jars of the current beans with the origin and process written right on them in marker, Ethiopia Sidamo, a Costa Rica, a Brazil and a few others when I was there. You can get it as slow drip, pour over, espresso or pretty much any way you want it, and the hand drip comes in three tiers, basic at 5,000 won, special at 7,000 and premium at 10,000.

The bar at Barista Kang with pour-over stations and glass jars of beans labeled by origin in marker

The room itself is relaxed and a little lived in, with a mix of wooden chairs and tables, a couple of smaller side rooms, bookshelves full of old brewing gear and a serving robot that rolls around delivering orders. It feels like a neighborhood spot where the regulars all know each other, and I like that about it.

The Barista Kang dining room with wooden tables and the roasting room behind glass

The front counter at Barista Kang coffee house in Ansan

The Egg Tart

My favorite dessert in the world is baklava, so when I bit into this egg tart the first time I was done for. The shell is layer after layer of thin, crispy pastry that shatters and crumbles when you bite into it, the way baklava does, and then you hit the warm custard in the middle with the dark caramelized spots on top. It's the best egg tart I've ever had and the texture is exactly what I want out of a dessert.

Close-up of a Barista Kang egg tart showing flaky layered pastry and caramelized custard

A Barista Kang egg tart on a plate

They're 3,500 won each. They had a "new release" poster up for them when I first went, so they haven't been on the menu long, and I've been back for one about twice a week since. The first time I had it with an iced americano and it was a perfect pairing, the cold, clean coffee against the warm, buttery custard.

Overhead view of an egg tart with dark caramelized spots on the custard

A new release egg tart poster at Barista Kang

The Beans That Made Me Cry

The sign on the bar says whole beans start at 7,000 won for 100 grams. I bought 100 grams of their Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Koke Honey Natural, and it came to 9,000 won, which I guess is because it's one of their more premium lots. I didn't mind one bit. They also threw in a free americano when I bought the beans, which was a nice surprise.

A white Barista Kang coffee bag with the otter logo

They ground it for me for the espresso machine at the office, and it pulled one of the best shots of espresso I've ever had. It tasted like a third wave Geisha, and I don't say that lightly. The first latte I made with it actually made me cry, it was that good.

Espresso with thick crema pulled from Barista Kang Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Koke beans

The bag is simple, white with their otter logo and the coffee's name handwritten in marker in Korean and English, which fits how small and hands-on this place is.

Handwritten label on the Barista Kang bag reading Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Koke Honey Natural

Headed to Coex

When I was in buying the beans I noticed a poster for the Seoul Cafe Show at Coex up on the roasting room glass, so I asked if they'd have a booth there. They're not exhibiting this year, they're going to learn and check out what everyone else is doing. They were really friendly about it, and it says a lot about a shop that roasts this well that they're still going out to learn more.

A Seoul Cafe Show at Coex poster on the roasting room glass at Barista Kang

If You're in Ansan

  • The shop: Barista Kang (Baristakang), 107 Geongeon-ro, 1st floor, unit 102, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do. About a 5-minute walk from Banwol Station, Exit 1.
  • What to order: The egg tart, 3,500 won, with an iced americano.
  • Take home: Ask what's on the bar. Whole beans start at 7,000 won per 100 grams, and they'll grind them for your brewer. The Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Koke Honey Natural was 9,000 won for 100 grams.
  • For coffee people: Hand drip in three tiers, 5,000, 7,000 and 10,000 won.
  • Other stuff on the menu: Lots of waffles and croffles, plus patbingsu, which is shaved ice with sweet red beans.
  • Hours: Closed Tuesdays. The map app lists 12:30 to 22:00 the other days, but check before you go.
  • Parking: Only a couple of spaces next to the building. The map app recommends public parking near the station.

I'll keep going back for the egg tarts no matter what, but if you care about coffee, get some of whatever they just roasted and take it home with you.

— Jonathan

Dialed In Co. Coffee Passport, stamp no. 6 · Barista Kang · Ansan, South Korea

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