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← Food guide ☏
Food guide

South Korea food guide for Indian families: vegetarian, Jain and what to eat

Written by The Trip Keeper team Content updated 30 Oct 2026 Facts last checked 30 Oct 2026
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The short answer

Korea needs more planning than Southeast Asia, but it is very doable. Everyday Korean cooking leans on meat and fish broth, and even kimchi usually contains fish sauce - so say your needs clearly and learn one Korean sentence. The ace for vegetarian and Jain families is temple food (sachal eumsik): Korea's Buddhist temple cuisine uses no meat and no garlic or onion at all, and temple-food restaurants are now common. Seoul's Itaewon and Gangnam areas have Indian restaurants for a fully familiar meal.

Vegetarian-friendlinessManageableOur editorial view
Jain food possibleWith effortOur editorial view
The one phrase to learn저는 채식주의자입니다jeoneun chaesikjuuijaimnida · I am a vegetarian. VisitKorea advises telling servers clearly and in detail, because everyday Korean cooking uses meat and fish broth and few restaurants have separate vegetarian menus.
Indian restaurants in main tourist areasYes

Local dishes

Bibimbap 비빔밥

Can be made vegetarian Jain with changes

Korea's famous mixed rice bowl: rice topped with seasoned vegetables, gochujang chilli paste and sesame oil, mixed at the table. Most menus add meat and a fried egg on top - ask to leave both off.

Watch out for: Say "without meat and egg" when ordering; the vegetable base itself is plant-based.

Kimchi 김치

Can be made vegetarian Jain with changes

The national side dish of fermented cabbage, served with almost every meal. The catch: standard kimchi is seasoned with fish sauce or salted shrimp.

Watch out for: Standard kimchi is not vegetarian. Ask for baek kimchi (white kimchi, no chilli or fish sauce) or temple-style kimchi, which avoids fish products and garlic.

Temple food (sachal eumsik) 사찰음식

Vegan Jain-friendly

Korea's Buddhist temple cuisine: no meat, no fish, and no garlic or onion (allium is avoided by monks), yet deeply flavourful - seasonal vegetables, tofu, mushroom and temple kimchi. Now served in dedicated restaurants, not only temples.

Watch out for: The single best option for vegetarian and Jain families in Korea; book ahead for the well-known Seoul temples and restaurants.

Yachae gimbap 야채김밥

Can be made vegetarian Not Jain

Seaweed rice rolls, Korea's everyday picnic food. The "yachae" (vegetable) version centres on carrot, burdock, spinach and pickled radish.

Watch out for: Even vegetable gimbap can include ham, egg or crab stick depending on the shop - confirm before ordering.

Kongguksu 콩국수

Vegetarian Jain with changes

A summer favourite: wheat noodles in a cold, creamy soup of ground soybeans, often topped with cucumber.

Watch out for: Egg sometimes appears as a garnish - ask for it without.

Beoseot jeon (mushroom pancake) 버섯전

Can be made vegetarian Not Jain

Korean pancakes come in vegetarian forms: beoseot jeon (mushroom), gamja jeon (potato) and chaeso jeon (mixed vegetable), crisped in a pan and dipped in soy sauce.

Watch out for: Some batters use egg, and pajeon contains green onion - Jain families should choose mushroom or potato versions.

Japchae 잡채

Can be made vegetarian Jain with changes

Sweet potato glass noodles stir-fried with spinach, carrot, mushroom and onion in sesame oil and soy sauce - a celebration dish.

Watch out for: Restaurant versions often include beef; ask for the vegetable version.

Tteokbokki 떡볶이

Can be made vegetarian Not Jain

Chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce - Korea's favourite street snack, sold at stalls everywhere.

Watch out for: Standard versions include fish cakes (eomuk); ask for it without, and note the sauce can be very spicy for children.

Samgyeopsal (Korean BBQ) 삼겹살

Not vegetarian Not Jain

The famous grilled pork belly, cooked at the table and wrapped in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang paste - the social heart of Korean dining.

Watch out for: Not vegetarian; vegetarian family members can load up on the free banchan side dishes (checking kimchi) and rice.

Hotteok 호떡

Vegetarian Jain-friendly

A winter street snack: a griddled wheat pancake with a molten filling of brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.

Watch out for: Generally a safe sweet; very hot filling straight off the griddle - let it cool for children.

How to order vegetarian

Show these lines to the staff. Say them aloud if you like.

Vegetarian
저는 채식주의자입니다
Say it: jeoneun chaesikjuuijaimnida

I am a vegetarian. VisitKorea recommends saying your diet clearly in advance; follow up by naming what you do not eat.

Vegetarian
저는 고기를 먹지 않습니다
Say it: jeoneun gogireul meokji anseumnida

I do not eat meat. Use it together with the vegetarian line - and for strict vegetarians, ask about fish sauce in kimchi and broths too.

Jain (no onion, no garlic)
저는 계란을 먹지 않습니다
Say it: jeoneun gyeraneul meokji anseumnida

I do not eat eggs. Useful when ordering bibimbap, jeon pancakes and kongguksu. For no garlic and onion, a temple-food restaurant is the easier answer than explaining.

About Jain food

Garlic and onion are everywhere in Korean cooking - in kimchi, marinades and pastes. The exception is temple food (sachal eumsik), which avoids allium entirely, so temple-food restaurants are the most comfortable Jain meal in Korea. Otherwise state needs clearly and keep it simple: rice, plain tofu dishes (confirm no salted shrimp), fruit and bread.

Backup plans

  • Learn one Korean line: jeoneun chaesikjuuijaimnida (I am a vegetarian)
  • Try a temple-food restaurant: no meat, no garlic, no onion
  • Indian restaurants in Seoul (Itaewon, Gangnam) and Busan for a familiar meal
  • Snacks from home for KTX day trips: theplas, khakhra, roasted chana

For parents and seniors

For parents: rice comes with every meal, tofu and vegetable pancakes are mild and familiar-feeling, temple food is gentle and plant-based, and Indian restaurants in Seoul (Itaewon, Gangnam) and Busan give a fully familiar meal when needed.

Trips to South Korea

We have no open trip to South Korea right now. Tell us your dates and we will help you find one.

Quick questions

Is South Korea hard for vegetarians?

It needs planning but is very doable. Everyday Korean cooking uses meat and fish broths and few restaurants have vegetarian menus, so state your needs clearly. But vegetarian restaurants and cafes are rising every year, temple food is fully plant-based, and dishes like bibimbap adapt easily if you ask for no meat and egg.

Is kimchi vegetarian?

Usually not. Standard kimchi is seasoned with fish sauce, salted shrimp or meat broth. The vegetarian options are baek kimchi (white kimchi) and temple-style kimchi, which skips both fish products and garlic.

Can a Jain family manage in South Korea?

With effort, yes. Garlic and onion run through kimchi, marinades and pastes. The comfortable answer is temple food (sachal eumsik), Korea's Buddhist cuisine that avoids allium entirely; temple-food restaurants are the easiest Jain meal in the country. Otherwise keep orders simple and state needs clearly.

Is food in South Korea halal?

Not by default, but Muslim travellers are catered for: Seoul's Itaewon district around the central mosque has halal restaurants, and the Korea Tourism Organization certifies Muslim-friendly restaurants. Outside Seoul and Busan, halal options thin out quickly.

Are there Indian restaurants in South Korea?

Yes. Seoul has Indian restaurants in Itaewon and Gangnam (including vegetarian-friendly ones), and Busan has a few as well - handy for a familiar meal between sightseeing days.

What should we try first?

A vegetable bibimbap (no meat, no egg), a temple-food set meal, tteokbokki rice cakes from a street stall (no fish cakes for vegetarians), and a hotteok fresh off the griddle in winter.

Sources

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