Vegan Kitchen is a vegan korean restaurant in Jung Gu, Seoul.
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 dishes: Korean vegan set, Temple food
Must 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.
Address: 21 Toegye-ro 20-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
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.
Family-run since 1953, Ojangdong serves Hamheung-style cold noodles: the noodles are made from potato starch and are notably chewier than Pyongyang-style.
Signature: Bibim naengmyeon, Mul naengmyeon
Order: Bibim naengmyeon: chewy starch noodles in a sweet-spicy sauce with cold beef slices and a halved boiled egg.
Tip: Cut the noodles with scissors if you prefer shorter strands; the kitchen leaves them long by tradition.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In the Michelin Guide and on 50Best Discovery, Byeokje Galbi has served premium charcoal-grilled hanwoo short ribs since 1986, handling its own butchery.
Signature: Charcoal galbi, Hanwoo ribeye
Order: Galbi (short ribs) over charcoal: the restaurant sources top 1% graded hanwoo, butchered in-house and cut to the bone.
Tip: Book the private room for groups; the galbi course includes side dishes and a naengmyeon to close.
Family-run since 1953, Ojangdong serves Hamheung-style cold noodles: the noodles are made from potato starch and are notably chewier than Pyongyang-style.
Signature: Bibim naengmyeon, Mul naengmyeon
Order: Bibim naengmyeon: chewy starch noodles in a sweet-spicy sauce with cold beef slices and a halved boiled egg.
Tip: Cut the noodles with scissors if you prefer shorter strands; the kitchen leaves them long by tradition.
