Check out Seoul’s flourishing plant-powered paradise.
BY JOCELYN TAN
Seoul’s culinary landscape has undergone a remarkable evolution in recent years. Typically dominated by meat-heavy fare, a wave of change has been seen through the streets, reshaping the way Seoulites approach food. The city’s range of vegetarian options has been expanding, including modern interpretations of plant-based gastronomy offered by acclaimed restaurants. Thanks to them, diners can savour a lot more of what nature has to offer.
Fine-dining fare
According to Légume’s Chef Si Woo Sung, “Only a decade ago, vegetarian/vegan diets were considered to be highly unfamiliar in South Korea. However, with the rapidly changing climate, a growing consciousness on animal rights and perhaps the heightened health awareness stemming from the pandemic, the vegetarian and vegan market in South Korea is growing in recent years.”
Légume, meaning vegetables in French, is a fine-dining restaurant (listed under Michelin Guide’s selection) featuring 100 percent plant-based cuisine and zero-waste recipes. Upcycled items — think eco-friendly plates crafted from coffee bean bags, coconut shells, and outer shells from the rice milling — are also used at the restaurant. Guests get to engage in an eco-conscious experience while savouring dishes that feature a diverse array of seasonal vegetables grown in South Korea.
The decision to create a plant-based restaurant stemmed from Chef Sung’s culinary past: “During my tenure as head chef at a Michelin two-starred restaurant, being reliant on animal-based ingredients left me feeling disheartened. However, an opportunity emerged to create a special course for vegetarian guests, and their enthusiastic reception filled me with profound inspiration. It was at that moment that I decided to delve into the art of crafting plant-based cuisine.”
Mushroom, a main course menu item at Légume, is one of the highlights here. Appealing to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian guests, the Ferula Oyster Mushroom comes with a juicy texture and hearty earthy flavours, achieved through a shiitake mushroom reduction sauce that’s brushed over the mushroom during the roasting process. The mushroom is paired with a zero-waste sauce, meticulously crafted from vegetable skins and fruit peels.
Plant-based restaurants aren’t just limited to chefs who open their own restaurants; it has become something that even major South Korean food conglomerates like Nongshim are dipping their toes into. The organisation, which is more notable for its instant noodle brand, Shin Ramyun, opened Forest Kitchen in 2022, the first restaurant to develop fine dining vegan in Seoul.
“Fine dining is usually associated with special occasions or meaningful days. If non-vegans understand veganism and visit on occasions when they want to make a special effort to think about the planet, even if it’s not every day, I believe that the domestic vegan market will naturally and maturely grow. To me, this is one of the reasons why Nongshim, as a leading food company, decided to create Forest Kitchen,” shares Jae Kyung Hwang, manager of the management information team at Nongshim.
Forest Kitchen, located in the buzzing Jamsil area, is most notable for its visually attractive vegetable-based creations garnished with flowers. To cater to both vegans and non-vegans, the restaurant puts a keen focus on researching ingredients, sauces, fermentation, and cooking techniques to enhance the flavours of plant-based dishes.
Casual nosh
Of course, there are many other relaxed vegetarian-friendly dining options for casual meet-ups with friends. One such spot is Base is Nice. Nestled in Mapo-gu, a quiet neighbourhood located in western Seoul on the northern bank of the Han River, vegetables are the main protagonists here. “I believe that a conscious approach to food has its limitations, so rather than restricting ingredients, I aim for a balanced diet with a high proportion of vegetables. Although vegetables are always present in Korean cuisine, they are not always the centre of attention, leading to a tendency not to research or consume them sufficiently,” says chef-owner Jin Ah Chang.
“We offer the most familiar food composition to Koreans. The base is rice, but instead of plain white rice, we use mixed grains with vegetable seasoning and toppings, making vegetable rice the main dish. This is complemented by vegetable dishes (grilled, seasoned, pickled) and vegetable soup, serving as side dishes,” she elaborates.
If you’re spoilt with options at Base is Nice, just note that its vegetable soup is one to shout about. A cross between a Korean ‘soup’ and ‘stew’, it’s made by slowly boiling at least five types of vegetables, before finely blending them. A magical dish where the flavours of the vegetables harmonise beautifully, it doesn’t contain butter or cream, giving it a clean and refreshing flavour.
No pain, no gain
On whether there were challenges setting up a vegetarian-friendly joint in Seoul, Chef Chang admits that they faced scepticism from those around them when they launched. Most questioned whether a restaurant without meat or seafood would succeed. ”However, as more people experienced the beauty and benefits of vegetables, we gained increasing interest and support, becoming a popular spot in Seoul, despite the abundance of restaurants of various genres.”
Sung adds that while plant-based restaurants often need to personally venture into rural regions far away from the city to establish direct connections with local producers to ensure the procurement of quality and unique ingredients, he notes that such restaurants are still relatively unexplored territory in Seoul, which presents a blue ocean opportunity. “We are currently witnessing significant interest in this plant-based area, anticipating substantial growth potential within the vegan/sustainability sectors.”
Adopting the plant-based life
Sung however thinks that the mainstream, vegetarian/vegan diets are still mainly limited to salads, temple dishes, or alternative meat burgers. “Widespread cultural and social biases against these limited options continue to deter many Koreans from adopting the plant-based diet and choosing to visit its related restaurants,” he says.
Eun Soo Jeong, a 25-year-old startup representative who chose to live a vegan lifestyle since 2020, however, observes that there has been a positive shift towards veganism in South Korea. “Three or four years ago, I would have been hesitant to ask my friends to go to a vegan restaurant, as the main motivations for going vegan were often linked to serious social issues topics like animal rights, feminism, and the climate crisis, so it felt a bit too heavy for non-vegans to approach. But now, the feeling of what it means to be ‘vegan’ is different. With the huge increase in vegan products, especially in the beauty and food markets, it’s seen as a cool and sustainable lifestyle,” he says.
Human rights manager Jun Hee Seo, 32, echoes similar sentiments. “I became pesco-vegan in 2021, and vegetarianism and veganism culture has become a lot more common recently, but mostly for women. For men, it is rare to find someone who is vegan or interested in veganism. However, I believe that our generation tends to care more about the environment than any other generation, and one of the ways is being vegan,” she shares.
Here to stay
Seoul’s vegetarian food scene doesn’t seem to be just a fad. According to Forest Kitchen’s chef de cuisine, Felix Youn: “Concerns about environmental pollution from greenhouse gas emissions have led to increased adoption of ESG management practices by companies in Korea, along with a growing number of people interested in the environment. Interest in personal diet and health has also increased, leading to more attention to vegetarianism and a growing vegan population.”
The magic of Seoul’s vegetarian options lies in their ability to cater to all desires, from quick and convenient meals to elegant, luxurious celebrations. This burgeoning movement not only offers delicious and healthy alternatives but also promotes a more sustainable food system. Fuelled by a passionate customer base, plant-based cuisine is weaving itself seamlessly into the fabric of Korean food culture, promising a vibrant and sustainable future.
