Last Updated on August 17, 2017 by Christine Kaaloa
What does a vegetarian do when they find Loving Hut vegetarian restaurants in Korea? They fall to their knees and thank the Korean Christian god!
A block and a half away from Kyodae subway stop and the Daegu National Education University, there it was– my first vegan restaurant in Daegu, Korea.
Loving Hut : Vegetarian restaurants in Korea
Entering the restaurant, it looked like spotless cafe. There was a cashier up front and white tables sprawled through the room. The atmosphere was bright, light and it felt healthy vs. the musky earthy scents you smell when you enter a Korean restaurant.
The Loving Hut restaurant is part of an international chain with locations in the U.S. around the world. It was founded by followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai, an advocate for vegetarian living.
The Loving Hut is actually a vegan restaurant and they have menus in English with pictures too! To look at a menu with both, pictures and dishes without veggie restrictions is enough to make you jump up and down and squeal like a little boy with excitement. I foresaw our year together like a marriage filled with healthy, tasty, vegetarian food. Life felt whole again.
I immediately posted this find to the Happy Cow online restaurant guide.
Loving Hut has a vegetarian menu that is Korean-influenced
While I might easily have found vegetarian curried dishes at an Indian restaurant, the Loving Hut offers a small menu of Korean/Asian tofu, soy protein dishes and noodle dishes, such as Doenjang jigae (bean curd soup), Bibimbap, Jajangmyeon (Korean black noodled dish), Soon Doo bu jigae (spicy tofu soup), along with the standard sushi, veggie burger, salad and fries.
The foods are delicious and cheap with many dishes ranging from $3-5.
Soon Doo bu jigae (Spicy tofu stew) was something I had craved, but haven’t been able to have since I arrived into Korea, for one simple fact- I didn’t know what restaurants to look to to find it.
The dumplings and spring rolls were scrumptious enough to melt in my mouth and make me feel like all those long weeks of starvation were worth my wait.
While the restaurant decor lends itself to a stark white kitchen cafe that may look less than exciting, the food more than makes up for it.
You can buy vegetarian/soy products and frozen foods at Loving Hut
Vegetarian recipe books and soy protein packages are available for purchase there also. I like buying the frozen chicken nuggets and cooking them for dinner time.
Information
There’s two restaurants in Daegu, a few in Seoul (one in Itaewon, although that’s expensive) and Jeonju. Check the website for the locations, but there’s several.
Loving Hut (website)
1794-7, Daemyeong 2-dong
Daegu Nam-gu, Daegu South Korea
Phone: 053-622-7230
Price: $3-8 Cash only.
Food: Vegan-friendly, Korean, Asian, Western, Take-out
Hours of Operation: 10:30 AM ~ 8:30 PM ( First & third Sunday Closed)
Getting there: Take the Daegu National Education University subway stop and get off. Look for the exit that’s going to Daegu National Education University. It’s 2-3 blocks from the subway and you take a left. The restaurant is towards the end of the block, not far from the university gates.
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13 Comments.
Is the Jajangmyeon vegetarian too?
No, it usually contains seafood. You’ll have to be specific about what you want in it. I got resistance once when I asked to have tofu as a substitute. There are more variations in this dish if you go to California or New York City, ie. some places actually have a vegetarian version. One of the more traditional jajangmyeon meat is cuttlefish based on my memories.
[…] I was too chicken to gamble. Then, I was floored to find my favorite kimbap restaurant food, the soft spicy tofu soup ( aka soon dubu jigae) was $12! While Red House Honolulu is a cute K-pop cafe, my pocket probably […]
[…] [Reply]Christine Ka'aloa Reply:January 11th, 2011 at 1:09 am@koreanschooled: Ha ha.. thanks for sharing your find and thanks for posting your blog post on the Loving Hut. I discovered them too and then posted their restaurant on Happy Cow! Whether you’r vegan, veggie or meat, the restaurant is still good. I actually like their Kimchi jigae. I go to the one at the National University of Education stop. I currently have some of their soy chicken nuggets and mushrooms. Now they also have some great jerky’s. Total lifesaver! My blog is https://grrrltraveler.com/2010/03/loving-hut-vegan/. […]
just found this blog – nice one!..I’ve been here since 2007 and pretty strict vege in Busan. I can confirm there is a bunch of amazing vege restaurants on Jeju island – I think you need to read korean to find them tho..I went to at least 3 or 4 (all non Loving Hut) and they served traditional hanshik vege style (the best K-vege food in my opinion) .. its frustrating to know there are many good places that us foreigners completely miss out on cos they’re not advertised…
@Duncan: I couldn’t agree with you more– I’m sure there’s a wealth we miss out on due to a lack of understanding the culture and language. I’m totally blown away that you were able to find veggie restaurants on Jeju. It was starvation island for me. I spent most of my time seeking out Emarts; everything seemed to be either, in Korean or seafood joints! Were the veg places mostly in the downtown area? As for “hanshik” style, I’m not familiar with it. What is it?
OMG A VEGAN RESTAURANT!!!! I will definitely making a trip here!!
@Samantha: Remember, there’s a whole chain in Korea!
The Loving Hut in Jeju City closed down about a month ago….
@TT: Oh no! I actually wish I knew there was a Loving Hut in Jeju. I had difficulty finding food, but I was also on the opposite side of the island vs the city side.
We were only in Busan 2 days and we ate at Loving Hut there twice. Loved that place – cheap, yummy and all veggie.
thanks for your information, i love it
Ooo, it’s by the National University of Education?? I just found out I have to go back there to sign extra pages of my contract. Ugh. At least I can check out this restaurant while I’m there! Let me know if you have to go back, or if you ever want to meet for dinner there 🙂