Food guide

Sweet pancake stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Iconic Korean street food.

Bibimbap without egg, without meat. Specifically request 비건 (vegan) at vegan-friendly cafes.

Vegan kimbap with tofu, pickled radish, spinach, and carrot — common at Lee Eun-ja Kimbap and vegan delis.

Steamed/fried dumplings with cabbage, glass noodles, and tofu. Confirm no pork.

Jeonju specialty — rice topped with seasoned bean sprouts. Naturally vegan.

Half-moon rice cakes filled with sesame, beans, or chestnut — eaten during Chuseok.

Honey-soaked deep-fried wheat cookie — a traditional sweet, plant-based.

Rice cake soup made with vegetable broth — Korean New Year's dish.

Seasoned spinach side — sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce. Standard banchan.

Mixed rice with seasonal vegetables, egg, and gochujang. Ask for "no meat" / "고기 빼주세요" — common and easy.

Korean seaweed rice rolls with vegetables and egg. Order without ham/tuna.

Spicy chewy rice cakes in red gochujang sauce. Confirm no fish cake (어묵) for strict veg.

Stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles with vegetables and egg. Sometimes contains beef — request veg.

Soft tofu stew. Veg version available — ask for vegetable broth (채수), no seafood/meat.

Korean scallion pancake with crispy edges. Veg-only version is common.

Hearty soybean paste stew with tofu and vegetables. Ask for vegetable broth — sometimes uses anchovy.

Cold soy-milk noodle soup — refreshing summer dish, naturally plant-protein.

Plain soft silken tofu served warm with soy sauce — comforting and clean.

Pan-fried savory pancakes with kimchi or vegetables, eaten on rainy days with makgeolli.

Shaved ice dessert with red bean, fruit, and condensed milk. Try Sulbing or chains in summer.

Classic shaved ice with sweet red bean, rice cakes, and condensed milk.

Walnut-shaped cakes filled with red bean and a walnut piece — popular highway/train snack.

Buddhist temple cuisine — no meat, no garlic, no onion. Try Balwoo Gongyang in Seoul (Michelin).

Grilled pork belly — Korea's social meal. Eaten wrapped in lettuce/perilla with garlic and ssamjang.

Marinated grilled beef, slightly sweet with soy and pear. The most beginner-friendly Korean dish.

Spicy kimchi stew with pork or tuna. A staple Korean comfort food, served bubbling hot.

Crispy double-fried chicken — try Yangnyeom (sweet-spicy), Soy garlic, or Honey butter. Pair with beer (chimaek).

Whole young chicken stuffed with ginseng, jujube, and rice. Eaten on hot summer days for stamina.

Cold buckwheat noodles in icy broth — Pyongyang style (mild) or Hamheung (spicy). Perfect for hot summers.

Marinated short ribs grilled at the table. Suwon galbi is the most famous regional version.

Spicy stir-fried chicken with cabbage, sweet potato, and rice cakes — Chuncheon specialty.

Army stew — kimchi, spam, sausage, ramen, and tofu. Born after Korean War, now a comfort classic.

Korean blood sausage stuffed with glass noodles. Common street/market food.

Slow-braised soy-sauce pig's feet, sliced thin — pairs with soju.

Boiled pork wrapped in cabbage with kimchi, garlic, and ssamjang.

Spicy soft tofu stew with clams and shrimp.

Knife-cut wheat noodles in clear anchovy/seafood broth. Comforting on cold days.

Korean-Chinese black bean noodles with pork. Ordered nationwide on moving day.

Spicy red seafood noodle soup with squid, mussels, and pork.

Korean-Chinese sweet & sour pork — crispy with a fruity sauce.

Grilled beef intestines — chewy, rich, an iconic local izakaya order.

Abalone porridge — Jeju specialty, gentle on the stomach.

Rice in hearty soup — pork (돼지국밥), beef (소고기국밥), or sundae versions. Busan classic.

Korean dumplings — pork-and-veg filling, steamed (찐만두), pan-fried, or in soup.

Korean-style raw fish, often with chogochujang dip. Try at Jagalchi (Busan) or Noryangjin (Seoul).

Spicy stir-fried squid with vegetables — a fiery rice companion.