Where To Find The Best Vegetarian Food in Busan

Before visiting, I had heard that Busan isn’t as vegan or vegetarian-friendly as Seoul and so I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t have high expectations. I had read that Korea is a challenging country to visit if you don’t eat meat and fish. Friends of mine who’d lived here years ago told me how hard it was to socialise as vegetarians; both eventually gave up and went back to eating meat just to be part of the dining culture. 

So yes, my expectations were low.

But Busan surprised me. Pleasantly so. 

While it’s true that vegetarian and vegan food can be challenging to find here, there are actually some brilliant spots if you know where to look. A growing number of restaurants are becoming more accommodating – you just have to do a little research, or ask.

Here are the best restaurants to find vegetarian food in Busan, including a couple of absolute gems I discovered.

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The best vegetarian friendly restaurants in Busan

Tae Tae Tae

Let’s start strong. Tae Tae Tae is the place to be in Seomyeon – a modern Asian fusion restaurant with neon lights, great vibes, and (best of all) an entirely separate vegan menu. I loved that I didn’t have to play the guessing game with ingredients or try to tweak dishes.

We found ourselves there on a Friday night; which happened to be our first night in Busan, and honestly – it raised the bar for the rest of the trip.

On recommendation, we ordered a trio of their best selling dishes; eggplant chips in a chilli caramel sauce (absolutely sensational, trust me), the fried cauliflower in a rib sauce and the Sichuan knife cut noodles.

Now, I wouldn’t ordinarily order aubergine unless it was the only vegetarian option available to me – I’m not a fan. I could see that the people on either side of us had both ordered it and I had to admit it looked great.

Two friendly Korean women seated next to us made us try some of theirs before we ordered, and it tasted as great as it looked.

We also order the fried ice cream to share, but weren’t hugely impressed with it – so I’d recommend swerving the desserts.

Fun fact – ‘Tae Tae Tae’ actually means ‘eat eat eat’ backwards! Brilliant, right?

Location: 22-9 Seojeon-ro 10beon-gil, Busanjin District, Busan

Or Whatever

Or Whatever is a cafe where Australian style brunch meets Scandi interior design of my dreams. It is one of those cafes that instantly makes you want to redecorate your home – the perfect spot for brunch, whether you’re a vegan or not.

The veggie bowl was truly my idea of heaven in a bowl – al dente grilled courgette, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and lotus root over a silky hummus with two slices of toasted sourdough.

My perfect meal – it gave me Bali vibes (hands down, the best destination for vegan food, in my opinion).

We also shared the obligatory avocado on toast to share which was really excellent. Jass opted for the chicken salad which he really enjoyed.

The cafe is small and there was a constant stream of people coming and going, with a few waiting. Service is a little slow here, it took about half an hour for our food to be made – though it was busy and the food excellent, so I’ll let that one slide.

Before leaving, I grabbed an oat milk piccolo to go – and in true Australian style, the coffee was spot on. Worth the wait, worth the hype.

Location: jeonpodaero, 186 33 / 1 beon-gil, Busanjin District, Busan

Mipo Yeokjeon Garak Guksu 미포역전가락국수 

If you’re after proper local, no-frills Korean comfort food, this one’s for you. We randomly found this spot on Naver Maps.

Mipo Yeokjeon Garak Guksu is a family-run restaurant near Haeundae Beach, and while it’s not exclusively vegan, they’re incredibly accommodating.

The staff spoke enough English to ask what kind of vegetarian I was (which is always appreciated). They wanted to know whether I ate eggs, fish or dairy, just to make sure. The terms vegan and vegetarian are often interchangeable across Asia, so it’s great that they check.

We ordered veggie kimbap (my absolute favourite), tteokbokki and spicy vegetarian noodles.

Everything was delicious – the kind of honest, hearty food that doesn’t need fancy presentation to shine. There’s a self-service station for pickles, kimchi, and water – simple, unfussy, and absolutely perfect.

I love discovering these hidden gems, particularly to find there are so many veggie options available for me.

Location: 7 Dalmaji-gil 62beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Beconfi (called Bikongpi on Google)

Beconfi was an unexpected find when walking around Seomyeon looking for somewhere vegan friendly that was open early on a Sunday morning. Most cafes across South Korea don’t open until 10 or 11am as locals tend to eat breakfast at home.

I went for the cheese and courgette sandwich that had caught my eye in the display cabinet, and then, because I’m obsessed with açai bowls, I ordered an one for dessert. Both were excellent. The sandwich was comfortingly carby and full of flavour, and the açaí bowl hit that sweet spot – literally, with a side of brain freeze.

The cool cafe has such a great atmosphere: communal tables, laptops everywhere, plants for sale in one corner, posters advertising the hatha yoga classes they run in another. It’s got that effortlessly hipster vibe that I can never resist. I could have happily stayed there all afternoon.

Location: Busan, Busanjin District, Jeonpo-daero, 234 2 층

오굳띵 Ohh! Goodthing

Ohh! Goodthing is a fully plant-based cafe located in the Seomyeon district best known for its desserts. They serve sandwiches too and the service here is incredibly friendly.

The menu is small, so when I say sandwiches, I mean they literally serve two. So we ordered one each to share! 

The ‘no egg’ sandwich is scrambled tofu and I can confidently say that is the best scrambled tofu I have ever eaten. It tasted just like scrambled egg, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re eating the real deal.

The mushroom sandwich was equally delicious, with cooked enoki mushrooms, basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Both sandwiches are spot on.

We went here for dinner after spending the afternoon at Gamcheon Culture Village, not realising how limited the savoury menu is – however, this place is best suited for brunch or lunch.

The real star of the show for me was the bingsu. Bingsu (빙수) is a popular Korean dessert made of finely shaved ice, typically from frozen milk, topped with sweet ingredients of your choice. 

The toppings here are seasonal and I tried the pistachio and fig version, made with soy milk, and it was heavenly. I was lucky enough to go back into the kitchen to watch Hira, our waitress, prepare it in the kitchen. 

My only regret? Ordering the small portion to share. 

This was the best bingsu I ate throughout my time in South Korea.

Location: Busan, Busanjin District, Jeonpo-daero 246beon-gil, 14 1층

More vegetarian food in Busan for next time

There are plenty of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Busan I didn’t get to try – so here’s a list for next time (and maybe yours too):

• Vegenarang – all vegan restaurant in Busan, serving temple style food.
• Soban Vegan – a home-cooking style vegan restaurant run by a Korean grandma – so you know the food will be excellent.
• Home Bistro – a vegan restaurant, with a full wine bar, craft beer, coffee and spirits.
• Sulgodang – a modern Korean restaurant with vegan and vegetarian options available.

If you are near Haeundae Beach, the streets are lined with Indian restaurants which is always a go-to cuisine for an accidentally vegan or vegetarian meal. There are so many restaurants in the area to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice.

If you are visiting Seoul, you will be spoilt for choice with the amount of veggie food you can eat, including street food!

Being vegan or vegetarian in Busan isn’t as challenging as I had envisaged, but instead, I was blown away by all the great restaurants I discovered during my time there. There are so many more to discover and I feel as though I just scratched the surface, so I can’t wait to go back and try more.

Vegan and vegetarian food tours in Busan

There are no vegan and vegetarian food tours in Busan, but you can take a vegan cooking class to learn the art of traditional Korean cuisine, taking home some recipes for you to enjoy.

You can also participate in a Korean radish kimchi making class, which is right up my street. If you haven’t tried Korean pickles, you are missing out!