Vegan, Seoul

The single best vegan path in Korea.
Temple cuisine has been refined for 1,500+ years and is strictly plant-based by religious requirement.

No garlic, onion, leek, scallion or chive. believed to inflame desire.
So strict-temple cooking is also onion + garlic free, which most secular vegan cooking is not.

Each ingredient is used at its peak.
Menus shift monthly.

That visibility put Korean temple food on the global vegan map.

Around Insadong (next to Jogyesa, the main Buddhist temple) and Anguk Station.
A few in Bukchon and near Gwanghwamun.
Most need reservation.

The default base in stews, soups, even bibimbap.
Switching to vegetable stock requires a specific request.

"Vegan kimchi" or "백김치" (water kimchi without fish sauce) are alternatives.

In glass-noodle dishes (japchae) and on bibimbap.
Ask "no egg please".

Corn cheese, cheese ramen, cheese tteokbokki.

Vegan kimbap exists but you have to ask for "야채 김밥" (vegetable kimbap).

Strictly speaking not vegan; Korea uses a lot.

Plant-based but technically alcohol. flag if your version of vegan excludes that.

"I'm vegan." Say this first.
Then list specifics.

"No meat, fish, milk, egg please." Cover all bases.

"No anchovy stock either." The specific one most foreigners forget.

"Just vegetables please." Useful for banchan + bibimbap.

"Buddhist temple food." Use when asking for the cuisine type.

The Buddhist-temple-food cluster.
Jogyesa Temple is here.
Several specialist temple-cuisine restaurants, mostly reservation-required.

Modern vegan cafés, plant-based brunches, vegan bakeries.
Walking distance from Itaewon.
International expat-vegan crowd.

Student-priced vegan cafés, vegan bibimbap shops, vegan ramen.
Lower price point than Hannam.

Hipster vegan + plant-based brunch spots.
Walkable from Hongik Univ.

Indian + Middle Eastern restaurants serving vegetarian-default dishes.
Not vegan-certified but easy to order vegan.

Soy / oat / almond milk, vegan butter, plant-based protein.

Best for vegan-tagged delivery; 비건 (bee-geon) tag filters.

Larger branches stock plant milks + a few brands of vegan ice cream + "비건 인증" labeled items.

Have started carrying vegan kimbap + triangle-kimbap; check the wrapper for 비건.

Works well.
Cleaner than Google Maps for vegan venue search in Korea.

Specialist restaurants take 1-3 days notice.
Walk-in availability is rare.

30-50% cheaper than dinner at temple-food specialists.
Same kitchen.

Indian thali, Middle Eastern mezze (without meat), Italian pasta (verify no egg pasta), Korean japchae (verify no egg), bibimbap (specify no meat / no egg).

Almost always make 야채 (vegetable) kimbap; ₩3-4k, fast vegan lunch.
Specify no fish-cake (어묵) and no ham (햄).

Print or save a Korean note explaining your diet. show staff.
Less margin for misunderstanding.