While navigating often challenging feat of being a vegan in Korea, we found that Instagram was actually such a valuable resource in our hunt for food. While searching one day I came across so_iroum. Their feed boasts a beautiful range of lunches, cakes and pastries. Of course, I was immediately convinced.
Situated in the area of Insadong this place is perfect if you’re visiting Gyeongbokgung palace or the Bukchon Hanok village you can easily get here by foot. It’s situated down a beautiful little street lined with boutiques, coffee shops and we found an ecological supermarket a little further down too. If you visit in the spring you can see this street, like so many in South Korea lined with cherry blossoms. We visited by car. Was it convenient? Yes as we had to get to CVG cinema by 9:00 to watch Avenger End Game before seeing any spoilers…Was it practical? Noooo. Parking in Korea can be tricky to navigate at the best of the times. Without the language skills, we’re mostly hoping for the best and that when we leave somewhere we won’t be charged an outrageous some. We ASSUME that parking down this street is free…as we couldn’t see anywhere to pay, though it was tough to find a spot, and the side streets can be difficult to navigate. I’d recommend travelling by foot. ^^
Okay, so assuming you’ve made it to the restaurant now… let’s talk about the food!
The menu offered a couple of burgers, with a gluten-free option. Taco rice, more Korean style plates with vegetables and the option of tempeh or vegan meatballs. They offer hot and cold drinks (obviously) as well as a range of desserts. We ordered the grain patty burger. It comes without a bun and with the option of vegan cheese or regular cheese so if your a vegan make sure you request the right kinda cheese when ordering, and the Korean style veggie plate that came with two sets of veggies, one portion steamed and one cooked with soy. Both delish. Vegan meatballs, rice and a couple of sources and of course a few sides of radish. The food was nice and definitely taste…healthy. (after adding the image I remembered there was also a spoon of chocolate cream too.)
The food was certainly filling however, I am not the kinda person to ever skip on a chance to have vegan dessert. If you’re offering vegan cakes, I’m buying! I was disappointed to find that they had sold out of most of the delights I had seen on their Instagram however I was able to buy a custard tart. It was only small, but the perfect size if you just want an after lunch treat. The pasty was impressive, not dry and a lovely way to end our visit.
The cafe was small but very clean with cosy minimal design. It’s definitely somewhere