On a trip to the eastern coast of Korea near Goseong, I took a drive early one morning to Cheonggan beach. Just ten minute drive from Sokcho, at the furthest end of the small beach, is a light grey wall and behind it a small building of the same colour.
This small building is a small cafe named Tacit. The café is a minimalist style café with a pebbled courtyard in the front.
Inside the cafe was it's main area. It was a small space with a simple colour scheme of greys and black. It had polished concrete floors, walls painted in a light grey and metal accents beams painted in a slightly darker grey. Black added a depth to the space with tables and chairs topped in black. The space was very angular with lots of the furniture and building’s structure boasting cubic features.
In line with a minimalist take, decoration was simple and often served functional purposes. There was a small shelf that displayed a few books and a larger grey cabinet held a plant as well as water and glasses for customers. Within the café, this style was executed well. Yet the main reasons only light decoration was needed was because of the view.
The front of the café was completely opened by a large glass window. From here, you could look straight out to the sea in front of you.
In front of the café, there were light concrete walls that surrounded the front yard. In these walls, there was a break in the centre and side. This break beautifully framed the ocean and sky, like that of a perfectly proportioned painting.
Looking out onto the ocean from the café felt soothing and meditative. Plus, with relaxing ambient music played and the simple design of the space, the café felt even more peaceful.
The café had two main seating areas, one inside the café and one outside. Since inside the café was small, there were only a few tables and seats, as well as a long bench. Directly outside the café were a few other table and chairs for twos, while the main seating outside was a covered over area with concrete slabs for seats.
The outdoor area, while practical for adding more seats, definitely seemed like an afterthought. It wasn’t particularly comfortable and didn’t have the attention to detail as the rest of the space.
While inside was appropriate for working, the café felt wasted for having to work and rather felt better spent relaxing with loved ones or taking some healing time for yourself.
Turning to the menu, I ordered the apple milk tea, an iced americano and two financiers. The apple milk tea was milky and sweet. But rather than taste artificial, it had a good flavour profile. My friend said the americano was nicely brewed with a well-rounded taste.
The financiers were the best though. We got a classic one and a salted caramel one and they were absolutely delicious. Both were lovely and buttery. The salted caramel one was crispy on the outside but dense on the inside. They were one of the best financiers I’ve had.
Away almost in the middle of nowhere, Tacit is like a safe haven. In dead beat terms, if you need a peaceful escape, this is the café for you. From here, not only can you appreciate the beauty of the sea, you can also see minimal design at its finest. And just to top that off, you can get one of the best financiers around.
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