Korean beverages on the streets of South Korea

Latte drinks at Hello Kitty Cafe

While walking on the streets of Seoul and Busan, I've encountered and tried many different beverages, whether sold in cafes or in convenience stores. In this post I'll document some of the beverages I've managed to try out during my trip back in November.

Caffe Bene's lime & mint drink, hot chocolate & strawberry smoothie

Drinks from cafes can be more attractive in their packaging and wide range of varieties to choose from, but they cost the most. A drink in a cafe can easily cost you from 6000 won to 8000 won (approximately RM18 to RM24) for a regular sized drink. But the ambience of cafes can be so cozy inviting, and proves to be a great pit stop when you are feeling cold while shopping on the streets.

Hollys Coffee's Iced Lemon Tea

Fret not as cold drinks are still served during the chilly autumn season. Since I don't fancy coffee and I'm stuck in a country that loves coffee, I had to resort to smoothies, teas or fruit juices. I did managed to survive without consuming coffee in South Korea (is that a feat?), but I can't really recommend good coffee joints for those of you who are planning to go on a trip there (sorry!).

Angel-in-us Coffee's ready made coffee sold in convenience stores

My travel partner bought an Angel-in-us Coffee's Caramel Macchiato from a convenience store for breakfast, and it was surprisingly cheap yet good. It only costs around 2000 to 3000 won yet it was satisfying good. This is a good alternative to those who want to drink coffee without racking a huge bill at a cafe.

Banana milk and Chocopie for breakfast

Another beverage I would love to introduce is the famous Binggrae banana milk! I had this for breakfast almost every morning since I loved them so much. It's available at most convenience stores at about 1500 won (approximately RM4.50) each, and I will buy them and store them in the refrigerator for my morning breakfast milk drink :)

Strawberry milk and Ottogi slimming cup noodle

They also have the strawberry version of the banana milk, but even though I'm a huge fan of strawberry milk, I still felt more drawn towards the banana milk. Psst... the Ottogi slimming cup noodle in the pic above is a good way to have breakfast to save more money on breakfast sets at cafes while keeping your calories in check since it's only 120kcal per cup!

Blueberry yogurt drink

Another great breakfast drink option is getting a yogurt drink. I got this blueberry yogurt drink at the local convenience store but it didn't taste sweet at all. I guess it's healthier than the sweetened yogurt drinks back home? But it probably isn't for everybody since it wasn't spectacular (according to my tastebuds, that is).

Maeil yogurt drink

If you are looking for a good yogurt drink, I'll recommend you to try Maeil's yogurt drink. It's sort of like Yakult, and it's great for your stomach. I had a bottle of Maeil yogurt drink while looking out to the sea on Haeundae beach.... ;)

Apple flavoured probiotics multifunction yogurt drink

If you are having a little trouble with your bowel movements, do try this apple flavoured probiotics multifunction yogurt drink. It's a great solution that helps you ease your bowels in no time.

Vita 500 drink endorsed by miss A's Suzy

I also had a great encounter with the Vita 500 drink. It's actually a vitamin C drink, I saw the ad on television while in the hotel. While out walking, one of my travel partners complained of a sore throat and wanted a cool drink. We teased her to try Vita 500 since we just saw the cute ad by miss A's Suzy. 

Surprisingly after she drank it she didn't complained much anymore. The sore throat went away the next day miraculously. Then when the same thing happened to me, I immediately looked for Vita 500 and drank a bottle. The next day the sore throat disappeared too! Yeay! :)

Etude House's Pink Pong collagen water

Just because I was in Etude House and was thirsty at that time, I bought a bottle of their Pink Pong collagen water to try. It has a peach flavour although it's like clear water. Not sure whether it does what it's supposed to since I only drank a bottle...

Daily C vitamin water: Skin Glow

A great thirst-quencher is the Daily C vitamin water. They have many variants and I tried the Skin Glow variant which has a slight citrus flavour. It's easy to find and I drank quite a number of different brands' vitamin water to quench my thirst while walking around the streets of Korea.

Pocari Sweat

Another thirst-quencher is Pocari Sweat, the local alternative to 100 Plus or 7Up Revive. It's an isotonic drink that will boost your energy and replenish your lost body fluids.

Brown rice tea drink

If you're looking for a drink with a more Korean 'feel', you can try the brown rice tea drink which is a more pungent drink compared to green tea. It has that burnt smell but it does not leave a bad aftertaste in your mouth. It's also an healthier alternative compared to many other sweetened drinks.

Mojito Lemon & Lime with Mint drink

Last but not least, I did try this great mojito drink which helped to soothe my sore throat before I had my dose of Vita 500. It's a sweet-sour drink with a minty aftertaste, which I think will be a great drink in the summer heat.

That's all for the beverages I had while on the streets of South Korea peeps! I hope you'll have your share of fun in exploring Korean beverages!

The author missed her breakfast drink of banana milk so badly she had to stock up on them from local supermarkets even when back home!

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