Eating with Seoul: a vegans guide to surviving in South Korea.

It’s no secret that following a plant based diet in Korea hasn’t been the easiest of things. It’s the land of the meat eating, BBQ loving, fried chicken partying. Korea and ‘vegan’ do not usually come hand-in-hand; it was difficult and daunting arriving in a foreign country with this extra obstacle to overcome. But fear not my fellow vegan explorers – Korea is not a total meat frenzy. As I approach the one year mark, I’ve found some awesome vegan havens, some quirky alternatives to traditional cuisine and a few useful phrases – so here’s my guide for surviving in Korea on a plant based diet.  

There are more fried chicken stalls in South Korea, than Mc.Donald’s in the world.

Taking the  step to move to another country is a big decision; packing up your life and jumping on the airplane is thrilling and nerve-wracking. Similarly, making the decision to eliminate all animal products from your diet can also be thrilling and worrying, in a different way. But harmonising these can be an even bigger task.

As with every decision you make in life (certainly the long term ones) you need to find it within you to have the motivation, dedication and preparation to pull if off. And a move to Korea, as a vegan, tests your ability to do this.

Photo taken in Sattbar: a vegan eatery in Apgujeong.

First things first

Utilise Social Media. Facebook and Instagram will become a part of your daily routine; whether you’re keeping in touch with people from home or posting photos and stories of new experiences. But these networks are incredibly useful for finding helpful information and likeminded people. The Vegan Community in Korea is unique, friendly and my top survival tip.

Facebook; I am member of several Facebook groups targeted at vegans/vegetarians living in Korea. Foreigners and locals regularly post in the group and arrange meet-ups, so you can always find some helpful tips. The communities are best for locating places to eat, pictures of snacks and vegan things from supermarkets and upcoming events – such as the Seoul Vegan Festival. I have found that the members often have similar interests as myself and will post interesting information about non-vegan related things such as local events, crafts, yoga and classes.

Go to groups: 

1. Seoul Veggie Club (posts about vegan restaurants, recipes, and shopping)
2. Vegan Potluck  (they host monthly potlucks in Seoul restaurants and are a great opportunity to meet fellow vegans)
3. Vegan-ish in Korea (features about vegan/vegetarian menu options in restaurants that cater to all)

A few photos from the Seoul Vegan Festival (the next one is May 21st 2017)

Eat like a local

One of the best things about travel, is trying new foods that you cannot find back home. And food in Korea is bountiful – just about every other building is a restaurant and dotted in between are street food stalls.

“Oh you don’t eat meat?” *said with the pitiful head tilt*… “how about chicken?” a very normal reaction when you explain your decision. People often do not understand (some Koreans do not consider fish or chicken as meat) and make you feel as though you’re missing out. And at times, you will. You can’t have the famous Korean BBQ or join in with the party when locals share around fried chicken – but you can enjoy Korean food.

The kind of ironic thing about Korean food, is that a lot of it is vegetable based. I guess when it’s served next to pork, beef or chicken, it’s hard to imagine that it would be ok for a vegetarian. Some dishes will need to be tweaked a little so its useful to learn some of these  phrases for Korean vegans and vegetarians.

Go to food:

1. ‘Shabu Shabu Salad Bar‘. Shabu is Japanese style dish that consists of a hot pot of meat and veg – but as there is a stove in the middle of the table, you are left to your own devises and can opt to leave it out. In some Shabu restaurants there will be a salad bar offering a delicious and huge variety of fresh salads, rice, noodles, hot foods and fruits.
2. Korean Temple Food. Inherently vegetarian, you’ll always be able to find fresh, healthy, plant-based food at one of the Korean Buddhist Temples. There are also free cooking classes held on a Saturday at the Temple centre (Anguk Station; exit 1), where you can learn easy recipes and have lunch. This ancient cuisine is gaining traction and prominence  within western foodie circles.
3. Bibimbap. This staple dish in the Korean diet is found in most restaurants  (it can contain meat and eggs, so be sure to ask for it without; “gogi aniyo”). It is essentially a  hearty bowl full of fresh vegetables, rice and a hot chilli sauce.
4. Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Vietnamese food is some of my favourite cuisine and there are loads of restaurants in Korea which serve this dish. It’s a colourful wheel of vegetables and the idea is to create beautiful fresh spring rolls with the rice paper.

 

Bibimbap

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Shabu & Salad Bar

Shabu Shabu

 

The adventure of moving to Korea as a person who tends to avoid meat can be hard, but it will allow your creativity to flourish and push your patience – which for me is a good thing. It will also give you a fresh perspective on food from a country like no other. Although, I do miss the accessibility of vegan and vegetarian food in the UK, I do love the thrill of exploring a new culture during the process of hunting for my next meal.

As a way of giving back to the vegan community, who have helped me so much, I aim to share my experiences, reviews and new finds with you all – follow my journey on Instagram & Facebook.

Related posts:

Eating with Seoul: my top vegan restaurants in the city

Eating with Seoul:a vegan festival

A vegetarian in Mangwon; exploring Seoul’s new hipster hangout