Vegetarian Food in South Korea (Seoul)
From all the things I’ve learned watching K-drama, like how to strike cute poses with little hearts to taking care of your skin, the most important lesson has been about the food. Koreans love to eat and drink. Also, the cuisine is perfect for those who love bold and spicy flavors and… meat! Unfortunately, it does not have a good reputation among vegetarians. The good news is that you can find vegetarian food in South Korea by some simple substitutions and omissions.
Here is our guide to eating vegetarian food in South Korea. In this post, I share some simple Korean dishes you can request at restaurants or make vegetarian fairly easily at your hotel. Over our one month stay, we were lucky to try out many Korean dishes however, the options are few and far in between, hence we opted to cook most of our meals at the Airbnb.
If you are vegetarian, we highly recommend staying at a place with a kitchen and also recommend staying either in Itaewon (near Plant Cafe and access to other vegetarian friendly cuisines) or in Insadong (near Osegye hyung for lip-smacking traditional vegetarian korean meals).
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Korean Vegetarian Dishes
Food being such an important part of ones day, I was determined to try vegetarian and vegan versions of authentic Korean dishes in this predominantly meat eating country. Settling for western food like pizza and fast food chains like Subway was not part of the plan. Thanks to my K-drama binges and a little research, I knew what food I could request to be made vegetarian.
KIMBAP (Korean Sushi)
The simplest and easiest meal you can ask for in almost any restaurant is Kimbap (Korean version of sushi) and ask them to skip the ham and crab stick. Voila! All you have left is a nice warm sushi roll with rice, spinach, capsicum (or green peppers as some may call it), carrots, pickled radish, eggs and burdock root seasoned with sesame oil and salt. Make sure you request a “Yachae kimbap” and tell them to skip the egg, crab stick, and ham!! You don’t want to be “meat surprised” like us.
Through our travels around the world, one of the biggest lessons we have learned is to be flexible and to practice acceptance. For more tips and recommendations on “How to Survive as a Vegetarian Traveler”, you can click on the link to read our post where we share our tips.
BIBIMBAP (Rice with mixed vegetables)
Bibimbap is literally rice mixed with vegetables! You get a yummy bowl of warm rice with seasoned spinach, soybean sprouts, stir-fried cucumbers and mushrooms and carrots. They drizzle sesame oil for flavor and serve it with a bowl of soup, kimchi, gochujang (the korean version of spicy ketchup) and bunchan (a bunch of sides). You have to check before you devour the sides as some of them will have fish sauce added (especially ask about the kimchi).
This is comfort food for us. Even in Merida, Mexico where there was not a single Indian restaurant for that one homey meal, we hopped over to our favorite Korean restaurant to indulge in a warm and spicy bowl of Bibimbap.
One side dish we were served looked like shredded radish, but when I was about to eat it, I saw two tiny eyes peering up at me. It was stir fired Anchovies. Yikes! Since then, I am very careful and smell test all the food before it enters my mouth. This nose is yet to betray me. But other than the sides, you can be sure the Yachae Bibimbap is completely vegan.
JAPCHAE (Stir Fried Glass Noodles)
Another winner is this stir fried glass noodles with mixed veggies and tofu topped with sesame seeds. It is made from Korean sweet potato starch also known as dangmyeon and usually mixed in with stir fried veggies like shitake mushrooms, spring onions, carrots and spinach flavored with garlic and soy sauce.
The noodles are thin and slightly chewy and slippery and often served with rice. I like to add a touch of gochujang. We made this in our Airbnb several times and needless to say, it is an all time favorite. If ordering at a restaurant, always tell them to skip the meat.
TTEOKBOKKI (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Cakes)
A very popular Korean street food that is spicy, sweet and chewy. You will see it almost everywhere on the streets in Seoul. I looked for vegetarian version but unfortunately, I couldn’t find any on the street as it typically contains fish cake or other sea food. The good news though is that it can be made vegetarian as the star of this dish is the round tubular rice cakes and gochujang sauce.
Smaller restaurants can easily make it for you by skipping the sea food addition and the anchovy broth. Just ask them to use water and throw in some veggies, scallions and cabbage. My dear friend in Merida, made this for us and I’ve been addicted to it ever since. She added strips of seitan instead of the fish cakes. Note: This dish is not for the weak hearted as it is pretty spicy. Indulge at your own risk ;).
PAJEON (Korean Savory Pancakes)
The evergreen Korean Pancake to the rescue. There are so many versions of this crispy pancake available on the streets in Seoul and small restaurants you are guaranteed to be satiated. This is also another dish my friend in Merida introduced me to. Served hot with a soy and chili dipping sauce with takes this dish to a whole new level of yumminess.
Some of my favorites are the ones made with loads of veggies, or just with scallions or potatoes or mung beans! And the best part, as long as you skip any meat additions, it can very easily be made vegetarian as it literally is a bunch of veggies, flour, salt that is pan-fried in oil and served with a dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is simple and made with soy sauce, vinegar and some simple spices added.
KONGGUKSU (Chilled Soy Milk Noodle Soup)
The first time we tried Kongguksu was on Jeju Island. Jeju Island is notoriously unfriendly for vegetarians. Despite saying we were 100% vegetarian, we would be meat surprised all the time! Thanks to the receptionist at our hotel who wrote down some key phrases in Korean for us to show at restaurants, we were able to get by.
I really liked Kongguksu, but Mr. Shroff was not a fan. It is served cold and hence perfect on a hot day. It’s a flavorful savory creamy soy milk based dish served with wheat noodles. Simple, refreshing and yummy! I would definitely try it if you find it.
HABAKJUK (Pumpkin Porridge)
We stumbled on this dish at a food court in Seoul Station when I was feeling a bit under the weather. The lady at the counter suggested I have Habakjuk and ensured that this dish had no meat or fish stock in it. It was perfect and just what I needed. Essentially, this is a simple porridge made with pumpkin and rice and flavored with some salt.
The food we tasted in Korea was incredible and all it took was some planning and treasured advice from our Facebook friends in Korea. We hope with this list you are able to enjoy some of the nations delicious food despite being vegan or vegetarian.
Vegan Restaurants
For more elaborate meals, we felt most comfortable having them in a vegetarian restaurant. Apps such as Happy Cow, Google Maps, and Trip Advisor are very useful for this. Also, some of the more uncommon methods are to search for local Facebook groups for vegetarians (we found this one for restaurants in Seoul), or ask your host/concierge if they have any recommendations. Here are couple restaurants that stood out.
Plant Cafe and Kitchen in Itaewon
This cute cafe in Itaewon stole our hearts from the day we arrived in Seoul. It is very close to the Itaewon train station and a 5 min walk from our Airbnb.
This 100% Plant-based restaurant serves many delicious meals, baked goods and fresh cold-pressed juices and power greens. Tanuj and I would make our runs here for green juice and the main bowls including the Sesame Peanut Soba Bowl and the Lentil Bowl. The mushroom burger was also delightful.
The ambiance is really nice with large sunlit windows and a brick wall. You could easily spend couple hours here sipping your coffee and making your way to some fine dessert.
Osegye Hyung in Insadong
For an amazing traditional Korean vegetarian dining experience a trip to Seoul would be incomplete without eating here. You will find classic dishes like the BBQ, Bibimbap, all kinds of stew (jiggae) and dumplings. The place has a relaxing atmosphere and just like most Asian restaurants, you take off your shoes at the entrance and sit on the floor.
Cafe Sukkara in Mapo-gu (walking distance from Hongdae)
This is a chic restaurant with a Japanese flair – serving a decent number of vegan options. The drinks are pretty unique and the food was simple yet flavorful. We had the vegetable stew served with sourdough bread and salad.
Korean Buddhist Temples
So it’s not a restaurant, but this couldn’t have been complete without documenting the delicious plant based temple food we had as a part of our half day stay at a Korean Buddhist temple. You can find similar food in and around many Korean buddhist temples. The food is simple, flavorful and generally served buffet style. We feel grateful that we were able to stay at a Korean Buddhist temple and savor authentic Korean temple food while learning and practicing Korean Buddhism.
Look out for signs like this around temples. You will definitely find several options. Buffet Style Full Plate and an empty stomach
DESSERT
South Korea is known for it’s cutesy style and you can see it in all the merchandise sold including the baked goods and dessert. You will find them on the street cafes and they are adorable to look at and taste even better.
The one dessert we can’t rave enough about is Bingsoo. A mouth watering shaved ice dessert like no other on this planet. I am not talking about the ones you get in America or on Juhu beach in Mumbai. Korean shaved ice is the godfather of shaved ice! Sweet toppings that can include the traditional pat (red bean), fruits, chopped fruit, chocolate chips and more. The thought of pat bingsoo makes my mouth water and heart yearn for a trip to Seoul once again.
Sulbing Desert Cafe
A Korean dessert cafe chain is scattered around the busy neighborhoods in Seoul and Jeju, that you will find no reason to say no to this gem of a place. Even the peak of winter will not stop you from having this heavenly goodness that is the bingsoo. Other than bingsoo, we tried the injeomi toast, tapioca bubble tea drinks and coffee. The menu and website is all in Korean but they have nice pictures by each that you can see to determine what is in it.
This cafe is often busy and crowded but you can spend the afternoons working and enjoying the cozy atmosphere here. “When in Seoul, you’ve gotta Sulbing!”. Note: If you are vegan, it may be harder to find something made without milk and eggs, but I do hope you find something here.
Special Mention
Cha Masineun Tteul in Bukchon-ro (Tea House in Bukchon Village)
We were walking around Bukchon Hanok Village and came across this gorgeous tea house at the corner of the street. The architecture and exterior decor immediately drew us in. As soon as you enter this traditional tea house, you start to relax. The soft music playing in the back ground combined with the atmosphere and serene views surrounding this place is very calming.
The options on the menu are several pages long and even as an avid tea drinker I was like a kid in a candy store. I had the jujube (date) tea and Tanuj had an Omija cha (tea). Both teas were delightful and I love how they served us a thermos of hot water so no matter how long you sit, every sips of tea is nice and hot. You can also get vegetarian snacks at the tea house.
If you want a traditional tea experience with good service and teas, this is the place to visit. It is unlike any tea experience I’ve had before.
Have you been to S. Korea or know of any other dishes that can easily be made vegetarian? Comment below and let us know.