Being vegan in Korea isn’t easy. Even kim chi contains some fish. The request for “no meat” is literally translated into “no beef.” The correct way to request things would be then to ask for “no beef, no fish, no pork, no chicken.” And to further clarify, “vegetables only.” Even then, there may be a sauce laced with fish or some non-vegan element.

I had a vegan visitor for the weekend. It isn’t impossible to be vegan in Seoul, but it takes some work (and a number of trips to Itaewon, the foreigner neighborhood).

Some Korean vegan staples

• Bibimbap (rice with vegetables, making sure there is no beef or other meat)
• Kim chi bokumpbap without pork and other meats (basically, fried rice)
• Naeng myun (cold noodles either in a clear broth or spicy broth)
• Kim chi mandoo (dumplings)
• Kim chi pajeon (pancakes)

Restaurant options

• Plant (Itaewon): Tiny little restaurant. The jackfruit tacos were unbelieveable. So flavorful. The falafel burger was also very good.

• Huggers (Itaewon): Yummy vegan burgers by a Venezuelan couple. The patties are made with rice, and the bread is excellent. We had the basil avocado version. They have delicious desserts as well.

• Hummus place (Itaewon)
• Western food like Italian can sometimes accommodate as well.

La piece de resistance

All capped with amazing drinks at Southside Parlour in Itaewon, the best mixed drinks in Seoul.