Looking for the best vegan food spots in Seoul? You’re in the right place.
We all know the link between our gut health and our skin, so today I will share a selection of amazing vegan restaurants and cafes; perfect for the animals and the planet, and also your skin and health!
While South Korea might be famous for Korean BBQ, there is a whole world of delicious vegan food to be discovered and enjoyed! In this blog I will share five recommendations for eateries in Seoul, covering a wide range of different categories you might be craving!
Categories include; café, traditional Korean food, bakery, fine-dining, temple food, and Korean street food/bunsik.
Appetite at the ready? Lets dive in!
Café
Plant Café (Itaewon, Yeonnam)
Plant Café is an OG in the vegan community in Korea. It’s famous for its global flavours, made with fresh and delicious house-made ingredients, as well as it’s amazing bakery and cake selection. Some stand out items on the menu include the Tofu Caesar Wrap (a Caesar salad inspired wrap, packed with fresh salad greens, onion rings, croutons, and tofu), the Hummus Squash Salad (fresh leafy greens, house-made hummus, and fresh squash and tomato topping), and a wide burger range – including a chilli cheeseburger!
Not only is the food delicious, but it’s perfect to stop for a snack or coffee break. All the smoothies, juices, and ades are home-made, and the cakes are baked fresh daily.
The café itself is also very instagrammable, both locations are filled with plants and warm lighting, not to mention the beautiful plating of the food and drinks.
Traditional Korean Food
Oh Se Gae Hyang (Insadong)
Oh Se Gae Hyang is the go-to place if you want to try traditional Korean food, but vegan. They serve everything from bibimbap to jjigae (stew), to Korean fried chicken. In fact, if you were ever curious about Korean BBQ, you can actually get a vegan version of it here! All meals come with a wide range of banchan (side dishes) in traditional Korean style, and cool barley tea. If traditional Korean flavors are what you’re after, this is the place to be. As an added bonus, you can also buy a small range of vegan groceries here, including noodles, sauces and snacks.
As well as the delicious food, the restaurant is located in Insadong, near Gyeongbokgung palace. This means the surrounding area is very historic. In keeping with this, the restaurant building is traditional hanok style, making the dining experience very aesthetically pleasing.
Bakery
The Bread Blue (Sinchon)
The Bread Blue is a cute bakery that sells a wide range of different breads, cakes, pastries and more! They have a vast range of vegan options to suit any taste. The sell western style bread, such as ciabatta, baguettes and sandwiches, but also sell Asian style breads like sweet red bean bread and classic soboro bread. They use healthy ingredients without any unnecessary additives, making it a healthy option for breakfast or a snack. On top of that, the packaging they use is eco-friendly and recyclable, so you can do take-out or delivery without a high amount of waste. As well as bread, they also have a good variety of drink options, such as coffees, teas, and smoothies.
The location is very peaceful, so it’s a popular spot for studying or reading a book as you enjoy your delicious vegan treats. Since it’s close to the trendy area of Sinchon and Hongdae, it’s a great place to stop for a break.
Fine-dining
Monk’s Butcher (Itaewon, Donsan)
Monk’s Butcher is where you go if you want an elegant, more fine dining experience. They serve a wide variety of elegantly plated vegan meals as well as a vegan wine and beer selection. Stand out options include the Orange Tofu Chicken and Mushroom Bourguignon. All the menu items at Monk’s Butcher are bold, experimental, and artistic, so you can often try flavors you never tried before. This makes the dining experience highly unique and memorable.
The restaurant is in a quiet area, with an interior that is industrial and moody, in a way that feels very atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing. As well as the restaurant, they also have a bar, so it’s also a great spot to go for a cosy drink.
Temple Food
Buddhist temple food in Korea is predominantly vegan and focuses on healthy nutritious meals that cause no waste, and also focus on local and in-season ingredients. Temple food is a practice in Korean Buddhism that has spanned 1,700 years, and influenced many of the Korean food we know today.
You can try Korean temple food in many of the Buddhist temples in Seoul during mealtimes, or also by doing a temple stay. If you’d like to try temple food in a more restaurant environment, there are several restaurants serving traditional temple food.
Balwoo Gongyang (Insadong) serves traditional temple foods with receipes passed down in Korean temples. The resturnats is being run by the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism, and aims to promote the culture of Korean temple food. Ps. It’s got a Michelin star.
Sanchon (Insadong) is run by a former monk who learnt to cook with living n the temple. The menu is omakase and includes fresh seasonal ingredients, a large variety of side-dishes, as well as live music and cultural education accompanying the meal.
Korean Street Food/Bunsik
Maru JaYeonSik Kimbap (Insadong)
Craving some Korean street food or bunsik? Maru JaYeonSik Kimbap serves all the favourites. The menu includes kimbap, bibimbap, tteokbokki, udon, “fish-cake” soup, dumplings, noodles, and more. Here you can enjoy the authentic flavor of Korean bunsik and street food in a relaxed and casual dining environment. It makes the perfect place to stop for lunch or a snack while on the go. The owners are also very kind and friendly, so you always get a great dining experience.
Since this restaurant is also in the busy streets of Insadong, once you’ve refuelled here, you can enjoy some of the great shopping and sightseeing in the area.
So there we have it! A quick-fire introduction to some of the best vegan food available in Seoul. This list is not exhaustive and there are loads more vegan spots you should visit, but hopefully these recommendations can come in handy when you are craving some delicious food!
Happy dining, and remember: Better Vegan For All 😊
Finding Vegan Delights in Seoul
Looking for the best vegan food spots in Seoul? You’re in the right place.
We all know the link between our gut health and our skin, so today I will share a selection of amazing vegan restaurants and cafes; perfect for the animals and the planet, and also your skin and health!
While South Korea might be famous for Korean BBQ, there is a whole world of delicious vegan food to be discovered and enjoyed! In this blog I will share five recommendations for eateries in Seoul, covering a wide range of different categories you might be craving!
Categories include; café, traditional Korean food, bakery, fine-dining, temple food, and Korean street food/bunsik.
Appetite at the ready? Lets dive in!
Café
Plant Café (Itaewon, Yeonnam)
Plant Café is an OG in the vegan community in Korea. It’s famous for its global flavours, made with fresh and delicious house-made ingredients, as well as it’s amazing bakery and cake selection. Some stand out items on the menu include the Tofu Caesar Wrap (a Caesar salad inspired wrap, packed with fresh salad greens, onion rings, croutons, and tofu), the Hummus Squash Salad (fresh leafy greens, house-made hummus, and fresh squash and tomato topping), and a wide burger range – including a chilli cheeseburger!
Not only is the food delicious, but it’s perfect to stop for a snack or coffee break. All the smoothies, juices, and ades are home-made, and the cakes are baked fresh daily.
The café itself is also very instagrammable, both locations are filled with plants and warm lighting, not to mention the beautiful plating of the food and drinks.
Traditional Korean Food
Oh Se Gae Hyang (Insadong)
Oh Se Gae Hyang is the go-to place if you want to try traditional Korean food, but vegan. They serve everything from bibimbap to jjigae (stew), to Korean fried chicken. In fact, if you were ever curious about Korean BBQ, you can actually get a vegan version of it here! All meals come with a wide range of banchan (side dishes) in traditional Korean style, and cool barley tea. If traditional Korean flavors are what you’re after, this is the place to be. As an added bonus, you can also buy a small range of vegan groceries here, including noodles, sauces and snacks.
As well as the delicious food, the restaurant is located in Insadong, near Gyeongbokgung palace. This means the surrounding area is very historic. In keeping with this, the restaurant building is traditional hanok style, making the dining experience very aesthetically pleasing.
Bakery
The Bread Blue (Sinchon)
The Bread Blue is a cute bakery that sells a wide range of different breads, cakes, pastries and more! They have a vast range of vegan options to suit any taste. The sell western style bread, such as ciabatta, baguettes and sandwiches, but also sell Asian style breads like sweet red bean bread and classic soboro bread. They use healthy ingredients without any unnecessary additives, making it a healthy option for breakfast or a snack. On top of that, the packaging they use is eco-friendly and recyclable, so you can do take-out or delivery without a high amount of waste. As well as bread, they also have a good variety of drink options, such as coffees, teas, and smoothies.
The location is very peaceful, so it’s a popular spot for studying or reading a book as you enjoy your delicious vegan treats. Since it’s close to the trendy area of Sinchon and Hongdae, it’s a great place to stop for a break.
Fine-dining
Monk’s Butcher (Itaewon, Donsan)
Monk’s Butcher is where you go if you want an elegant, more fine dining experience. They serve a wide variety of elegantly plated vegan meals as well as a vegan wine and beer selection. Stand out options include the Orange Tofu Chicken and Mushroom Bourguignon. All the menu items at Monk’s Butcher are bold, experimental, and artistic, so you can often try flavors you never tried before. This makes the dining experience highly unique and memorable.
The restaurant is in a quiet area, with an interior that is industrial and moody, in a way that feels very atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing. As well as the restaurant, they also have a bar, so it’s also a great spot to go for a cosy drink.
Temple Food
Buddhist temple food in Korea is predominantly vegan and focuses on healthy nutritious meals that cause no waste, and also focus on local and in-season ingredients. Temple food is a practice in Korean Buddhism that has spanned 1,700 years, and influenced many of the Korean food we know today.
You can try Korean temple food in many of the Buddhist temples in Seoul during mealtimes, or also by doing a temple stay. If you’d like to try temple food in a more restaurant environment, there are several restaurants serving traditional temple food.
Balwoo Gongyang (Insadong) serves traditional temple foods with receipes passed down in Korean temples. The resturnats is being run by the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism, and aims to promote the culture of Korean temple food. Ps. It’s got a Michelin star.
Sanchon (Insadong) is run by a former monk who learnt to cook with living n the temple. The menu is omakase and includes fresh seasonal ingredients, a large variety of side-dishes, as well as live music and cultural education accompanying the meal.
Korean Street Food/Bunsik
Maru JaYeonSik Kimbap (Insadong)
Craving some Korean street food or bunsik? Maru JaYeonSik Kimbap serves all the favourites. The menu includes kimbap, bibimbap, tteokbokki, udon, “fish-cake” soup, dumplings, noodles, and more. Here you can enjoy the authentic flavor of Korean bunsik and street food in a relaxed and casual dining environment. It makes the perfect place to stop for lunch or a snack while on the go. The owners are also very kind and friendly, so you always get a great dining experience.
Since this restaurant is also in the busy streets of Insadong, once you’ve refuelled here, you can enjoy some of the great shopping and sightseeing in the area.
So there we have it! A quick-fire introduction to some of the best vegan food available in Seoul. This list is not exhaustive and there are loads more vegan spots you should visit, but hopefully these recommendations can come in handy when you are craving some delicious food!
Happy dining, and remember: Better Vegan For All 😊