Living just steps away from 47th and Holly and driving past this establishment every day has had me eagerly anticipating the opening of this neighborhood coffee shop. After reading all the glowing reviews of Chef Keeyoung Kim's Westport restaurant, Chingu, - "the most exciting restaurant to open in KC in months," says Liz Cook - I really had higher expectations of what I would experience from Chingu coffee.
In the same Pitch review, Cook had hinted at "a coffee shop spin-off with Korean-influenced pastries." The recent success of local coffee shops that were designed to show off the culture of their owners led me to expect a Korean-themed coffee paradise on this little West Plaza corner. Nearby Café Corazón's menu and decor are completely influenced by Central and South American culture. Similarly, Cafe Cà Phê's menu and interior design make it impossible to ignore the cafe owner's Vietnamese heritage.
When I walked into Chingu Coffee this morning I was pleasantly surprised to find it packed. Every table in the coffee shop side of the establishment was full of patrons. Yet I was even more surprised and disappointed to find that the entire aesthetic is pleasantly....bland. It seems to be a trend lately that coffee be minimalist. Small menus, two or three syrup flavors, sparse Scandinavian-inspired interiors with pale wood, white walls, a plant or two, and zero clutter. This is all...fine. I don't mind it so much at Sway Coffee Roasters which rounds out the Scandinavian aesthetic with lots of comfy and varied seating options, but Chingu doesn't even offer that bit of respite.
Since it was a hot morning, I opted for an iced latte. The syrup flavors are few and uninspiring. I chose the most original of the bunch, the Lavender Vanilla. Lavender can sometimes be overpowering, but many local shops manage to do it right. The only size option for iced is a 16-ounce and I found the minimal ice and light-tasting espresso to be overwhelmed by milk and syrup making the drink overly sweet and barely tasting of coffee. I ended up going to work and adding a shot of Vietnamese coffee to my drink to try to balance it out.
I was surprised to find zero Korean influence here. Coffee in Korea is arguably more heavily entrenched in the culture than here in the States. The iced Americano is practically the national drink. And while it is heavily Americanized with Starbucks being the primary coffee brand on the scene, there is plenty of individuality to be found. I'm wondering, where's the sweet potato latte, the cinnamon cappuccino, the green tea frappuccino, the honey cheese bread or waffle, the Dalonga coffee!?
I did order an Orange Curd Danish. This was extremely tasty and worth a return visit. The donuts served are from Mr. D's. I didn't notice until I looked at my photos later that there was actually another danish with Korean flavors - a savory Kimchi Bacon Danish. The sign wasn't near the plate and I didn't realize that the pastries actually do have Korean influences. This is a step in the right direction, but I'm not sure why I would return here for coffee that's no different from what I can get from a dozen different shops in the area. Maybe I'll try something other than an iced latte and it will blow my mind, but I don't have high hopes at this point.
I noticed that Chingu has expanded back all the way to Bay Boy and there is now a Bay Boy dining room that is visible from Chingu. There is a half-wall divider between the coffee seating and the Bay Boy seating, but I imagine that coffee drinkers will overflow into that space. I would love to see some collaboration with a breakfast sandwich offering on Bay Boy bread or something of the like. But, Chef Kim, please put your influence on the drinks at Chingu and not just the pastries! Coffee lovers flock to Cafe Cà Phê and Café Corazón for a reason - and it's not because their coffee is the same as every other coffee in town! read more