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Taste The World's Blackest Coffee On The Lower East Side

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - On Manhattan's Lower East Side is Round K, an Asian-inspired coffee shop defined by eclectic décor and a one-of-a-kind philosophy.

Web Extra: NYC's Best Coffee Shops

"I didn't make a Korean coffee shop," founder OckHyeon Byeon said. "I made an American coffee shop themed [for] Korea . . . . It's a little bit rough, with a mixed culture, and it makes people confused. Through their confusion, they start an analysis: 'Why is that? How can I enjoy it?'"

The menu is as idiosyncratic as the space. The two top sellers are the egg coffee — made with a whole egg yolk cooked slowly in a double-shot of espresso — and a matte black latte, which gets its striking jet-black color from coconut ash and dark cocoa powder.

At Round K, Byeon looks to offer a sense of Korean culture before its modernization in the 1990s.

"In an old-fashioned Korean coffee shop like this, our main actor is the barista, the person who's standing [behind] the bar, " Byeon said.

"They're talking to customers: 'How are you? How's your day? What was your stress? What inspired you? Hey, other customer. This person has this kind of story. Are you interested [in] it?' So we link each other together. It's pretty much analog-style. Nowadays on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, people are finding each other through digital sites. But I want to create an analog world, an actual world, through people, link by link."

Round K
99 Allen Street
New York, NY 10002
(917) 475-1423

What's something few people know about but everybody should? Whatever it is, Elle McLogan is tracking it down on The Dig. Join her hunt for treasures hidden across our area. Follow Elle on Twitter and Instagram.

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