Malaysian halal₩₩ItaewonDaily
Makan serves Malaysian and Indonesian halal-certified food on the Usadan-ro mosque strip of Itaewon, with nasi lemak, rendang and satay that draw a devout.
Signature: Nasi lemak, Rendang, Satay
Order: Nasi lemak: fragrant coconut rice with sambal, fried anchovies and hard-boiled egg, halal-certified and one of the most popular dishes in this part of Itaewon.
Tip: The area around Seoul Central Mosque is walkable from Itaewon Station; Makan is on the main food alley running up to the mosque.
Vegan Korean₩₩Jung-guDaily
Vegan Kitchen in Jung-gu serves Korean cuisine free of meat, fish and dairy in the temple food tradition, rated 4.5 stars across over 400 HappyCow reviews.
Signature: Korean vegan set, Temple food
Order: Vegan Korean set meal: the full spread of plant-based banchan with rice and a warming jjigae (stew) made without meat or fish stock.
Tip: Temple food avoids garlic and spring onions; ask whether the kitchen follows this convention or not before ordering.
Korean BBQ₩₩₩ItaewonWeekdays 11:30-15:00 and 17:00-22:00, weekends 11:30-22:00
Maple Tree House in Itaewon serves premium hanwoo (Korean beef) and Jeju black pork belly over charcoal in a polished room frequented by international guests.
Signature: Hanu sirloin, Jeju black pork belly
Order: Aged hanwoo sirloin, cooked tableside over charcoal and served with perilla wraps.
Tip: Arrive at opening on weekends to skip the queue; the staff will cook for you if you prefer.
Korean traditional₩₩Bukchon and SamcheongDaily 10:00-22:00
The most visited samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant in Seoul, set in a cluster of traditional hanok buildings near Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Signature: Samgyetang, Black chicken samgyetang
Order: Classic samgyetang: whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng root and garlic in clear medicinal broth.
Tip: Come at 10:00 on a weekday to walk straight in; the broth is identical morning and night.
Korean bibimbap₩₩InsadongDaily 11:00-15:00 and 17:30-21:00 (bibimbap until 15:00, kitchen break 15:30-17:30)
Insa Dodam is a renovated hanok off Insadong-gil that runs a lunch-only bibimbap programme, capping bowls per day to lock in same-morning vegetable delivery from contract farms.
Signature: Dodam bibimbap, Vegan bibimbap
Order: Dodam warm-steamed bibimbap: farm-direct vegetables on rice in the house build, mixed table-side with the kitchen's own gochujang.
Tip: Bibimbap is lunch-only; arrive before 14:00 to be sure of a dolsot order, and ask for the vegan build if you want the no-egg version.
North Korean₩₩₩Jung-guDaily 11:30-21:00
Open since 1946, Woo Lae Oak is Seoul's canonical address for Pyongyang-style naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), the broth made from hanwoo foreshank.
Signature: Pyongyang naengmyeon, Bulgogi
Order: Pyongyang naengmyeon: hand-pulled buckwheat noodles in cold hanwoo bone broth, served with braised beef slices.
Tip: The broth is clear and mild; if you want spice ask for bibim naengmyeon. Bulgogi is the other order.
