Still think veganism is all just leaves? Here are six vegan restaurants in Seoul that are confidently proving that vegan and vegetarian cuisine can be just as colourful without the use of animal products!
1. Baidubu
Haebaek Village, a street lined with quirky bars and eateries, you’ll find Baidubu. This is a 100% vegan restaurant with tofu as the main ingredient. It’s not uncommon to find sandwiches that are halfway decent with the right veggies and condiments, but at Baidubu, you can’t go wrong with the creative flavors that come from the heart.
The signature dish, the Broccoli and Tofu Gangjeong Bowl, is oven-baked rather than deep-fried. The Baidubu Wrap is playful and appealing, with a spicy mayonnaise flavor that cuts through the mild ingredients. For vegans who don’t even eat eggs, the eggless egg sandwich dispels the notion that substitutes are tasteless. Baidubu is committed to zero waste and offers a 10% discount if you use a multi-serving container.
2. Chickpea
If you haven’t tried falafel and hummus yet, head to Chickpeace. Chick-fil-A offers vegan and non-vegan options based on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors. The accompanying bread pita is a great way to open up your pockets, fill them up, and take a bite. With branches in Shinsaewa and Seongsu, Myeongdong, Gangnam, Wangsimni, and Magok, it’s already a haven for vegans who often worry about where to grab a bite to eat.
📍📍Sinsa Branch, 69, Gangnam-daero 152-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
3. Perments
If you don’t want to venture into the bustling Triangle, head to the other side and you’ll find the laid-back streets of Shinsinsan. In between is the vegan kitchen and bar Perments. Once you step through the narrow doorway into the spacious, warm space, you’re immediately enchanted by the ambiance, proving that even a seemingly nice (?) vegan place can be cool.
There are three hummus and fermented noodle dishes, the best of which is the veggie & curry, which looks like a pizza with a generous dollop of olive oil. A variety of veggies, including tempeh and lotus root, are sautéed to perfection, with just the right amount of crunch and just the right amount of softness. Kombucha and natural wines are available to pair with the food, and the occasional DJ sessions and tasteful playlists from the music-minded staff are a bonus.
📍📍22, Hangangdae-ro 7-gil, Yongsan-gu
4. Balu Gongyang
We can’t talk about vegan cuisine without mentioning temple food. Regardless of the popularity of Chef’s Table’s monk Jeong Kwan-nim, it’s a meal you’ll want to return to often because it’s simply delicious. If you go to the neighborhoods of Jogyesa Temple and Insadong, there are several temple restaurants with their own history. Balgongyang is a restaurant run by the Jogye sect of Korean Buddhism. The food is delicious, but the table filled with a variety of side dishes is a great way to impress your foreign friends, and the somewhat unassuming setting makes for a meditative dining experience.
📍📍Jongno-gu Ujeongguk-ro 56
5. KUN
Qyun is located in between Hyo-dong and Cheonggwang. The neighborhood is quiet, and Qyun is in the middle of it, where people gather to wait to enter. At Kün, you can enjoy fragrant dishes that look and smell amazing among the dried vegetables laid out neatly. The ingredients for Kün’s dishes are available at the in-store grocery and at Kün’s Wednesday vegetable market. Kühn is currently taking a summer break, so you can’t dine at the restaurant, but the farmers’ market and fermentation workshops will be back soon.
📍17-2, Jahamun-ro 26-gil, Jongno-gu
6. Food Theses Maters
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Second, there’s Food Does Matter, which is vegan. They don’t use any butter, eggs, or milk. <It’s also a favorite among those who have mastered Seoul’s vegan scene, with experimental new dishes like creamed sesame noodles and capellini seaweed puree.
📍📍서초구 서초대로 55