Osegyehyang (오세계향)

“Where can I eat vegan Korean food in Seoul?” This is the question I get asked most often from travelers coming to Seoul, and understandably so. Although there are tons of restaurants in Seoul everywhere you turn, a lot of Korean restaurants don’t offer vegan options, and a lot of Korean dishes can be difficult to “veganize” unless you are cooking it at home.

When I get asked this question, my answer is almost always the same “Osegyehyang” (오세계향). The reason why I so highly recommend this restaurant is because all of the dishes are 100 percent vegan, and they offer a lot of what I would consider to be “traditional Korean food”. The menu at Osegyehyang is quite large and offers food such as bibimbap (비빔밥), spicy tofu soup (순두부), dumplings (만두) , korean bbq, black bean noodles (자장면), and more!

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I have been to this restaurant a few times in the past, but this time, I decided to bring my boyfriend who is Korean (and non-vegan) to see what he thought of the food. Because he was so curious about the vegan “meat”, our order was quite heavy on the mock meat. We ordered Spicy Korean BBQ, dumplings, and a soy cutlet.

My boyfriend and I both agreed that the soy cutlet was our favorite. It was super crispy on the outside, and we loved the flavor of the sauce served with it.

The dumplings…well, they’re dumplings so for me, it’s a given that they are amazing. I was especially excited about the dumplings because vegan/vegetarian dumplings are much harder to come by in Seoul than I had thought!

Finally, we had kind of mixed feelings about the Korean BBQ. I personally enjoyed it. I liked the flavor, and thought it was delicious eaten in a lettuce wrap which is typical when eating Korean BBQ. However, my boyfriend wasn’t too fond of this dish. I’ve eaten plenty of mock meat over the years, and have become accustomed to the taste/texture of it, but I think it was a little bit unusual for my boyfriend who does not eat a lot of soy “meat”.

Overall, we both liked the food at Osegyehyang, and I think the environment of the restaurant is worth noting as well. Much like many traditional Korean restaurants, you sit on the floor to eat. Upon being seated, you are served warm tea which is a nice touch. Finally, the restaurant sells vegan groceries that you can take home to cook! I love coming here to stock up on vegan ramen, snacks, or soy meat.

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If you are coming to Korea (or are already here), give this restaurant a try and let me know what you think of it!! Click the image below to save it on Pinterest and add it to your itinerary in Seoul!

Information

LOCATION: Osegyehyang is located in Insadong. 14-5 Insadong 12-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

TRANSPORTATION: Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 6 – Go straight from the exit (west) 100 m and turn left onto Insadong-gil.
– Walk 160 m and turn left before Ssamzigil onto Insadong 12-gil. 
– Walk to the end of the alley (70 m).

WEBSITE: http://www.go5.co.kr/default/ HOURS: Mon-Fri 11:30AM-9:00PM (Break Time: 3:30PM-5:00) Sat-Sun 11:30AM-9:00PM (Break Time: 4:00PM-5:00PM) PHONE: 02-735-7171

Pro Tip: Insadong is such a fun area to explore! If you come to this restaurant to eat, make sure you check out the fun shopping street! It’s a great area to buy souvenirs or enjoy some traditional tea!