Cafe | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

If forced to compile a list of “The Best Things About Korea”, mine might look a little absurd. That’s because most of the best things here are a bizarre and fascinating variation of what is already familiar to life in Canada.

A perfect example of said “bizarre and fascinating variation” is the puppy cafe. Korea takes your daily caffeine habit to the next level, asking “why just drink your soy latte when you can drink your soy latte and THEN get your face licked by a bounding black lab?” An age old question, really.

A stroke of good fortune with my hagwon placed me in an apartment complex five minutes away from the Jangsan Puppy Cafe, otherwise known as Angel D.O.X. After 6 weeks in Busan, I figured it was time to take full advantage of my close proximity. Fuelled up from a Saturday morning of beach yoga and sundubu jigae, I headed to the Jangsan Puppy Cafe with Jess and Maddie, and our two friends, Maritza and Steph, who were visiting from Canada at the time.

The ground floor of Angel D.O.X. is a pet shop, equipped with everything a dog owner could possibly ever need and everything a prospective dog owner could ever want because THERE IS A GIANT GLASS WALL OF ADORABLE, TINY, YAWNING AND GENERALLY DERPY PUPPIES LINING THE FRONT OF THE STORE. After bowing to the cashier who graciously mopped our melted hearts off the floor, we ascended the flight of stairs on the left and were immediately greeted by a roaming black pup and an indifferent Siamese cat. Peering around the puppy gates, the five of us were thrilled to see a half dozen lapping dogs milling about the cafe’s open space. We knew we were among good, albeit furry, company.

Angel D.O.X. is a perfectly economical way to kill a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. The fare is 8,000 won (approximately $7.50CAD) to enter, and that includes a hot or cold drink of your choice, (they can make any espresso-based coffee, tea, etc.) an unlimited buffet of pastries and desserts, and the opportunity to play with approximately eight dogs. There is a sizable playpen where the dogs hang out with patrons (read: lovingly maul the patrons) and a half dozen picnic-style tables next to the large windows which offer a lot of natural light. There is even a sink to wash your hands in between playing with the dogs and eating your pastries, as well as a (likely suicidal) cat with dyed paws that struts around the cafe, hating life.

The best part about a visit to Angel D.O.X. is that there are no pesky poop bags, no groggy 3AM dog walks around your local eco-park, and no guilt for locking the poor canine in a cage when you just need a break after work. Puppy cafes are truly the best of both worlds. Note: I did, however, sit on the ground and slide my hand through a puddle of dog urine for a hot sec – truly the only downside of the entire visit. Accidents happen, people!

Beyond being cute and energetic and amazing, numerous studies have cited dogs as a form of stress relief. Dogs are basically furry angels, providing serotonin overdoses, one unhealthy world citizen at a time. Dogs do the body good, so what other reason do you need to walk, skip, or run down to your nearest puppy cafe?!

Directions
To get to the Jangsan Puppy Cafe take Line 2 (Green Line) on the Busan Subway to Jangsan Station (stop 201). Go out exit 3 and the cafe is directly across the street from Tous Les Jours.