Panchan (side dishes), soups, vegetable dishes, traditional music & dance. Vegan except for a lassi drink. Started by a former monk. In Insadong area, mid way between the two ends of Insadong St, in a small street in between Insadong 8-Gil and Insadong 6-Gil adjacent to Insadong-gil. 고풍스럽고 자연친화적인 인테리어가 특색있는 한옥 구조의 사찰음식 전문점입니다. 온돌방에서 식사가 가능하며, 식사로 한정식 코스요리가 제공됩니다. 저녁에는 한국 전통 음악과 춤 공연을 즐길 수 있습니다. 가격은 점심코스 33,000원, 저녁코스 45,000원 입니다(17년 3월 기준). Open Mon-Sun 11:30am-10:00pm.
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Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, 30-13 Rd, Gwanhun 14, Seoul, South Korea
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Last update on 14 Jun 2021 by DanimalPanda
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127 Reviews
First Review by veganqwert
Korolius
Points +176
A while ago but still memorable - Edit
We've been there in 2019 (just forgot to post)
Read moreIt was soooo good, every dish was prepared very delicious. Sure, it was much to eat, but luckily my friend and i are good eaters😄
Its a great experience, but maybe a little expensive...
Updated from previous review on 2021-10-07
Cons: Expensive (in relation to other korean vegan food)
Guest
Mealeva
Points +829
Totally lost its touch and purpose - Edit
First time i went there, it was almost ten year ago and it was simple and really good. We appreciated the concept. Somehow it changed and for me, it is now just a restaurant that put much in the presentation of their dishes but has lost their authenticity and heart. Dishes aren't as good as before, many are even bad. The staffs are not like before, they seem stressed and are very nonchalant. They serve you fast and clean before you even finish. As someone has mentioned in here, it is not fully vegan like so many think. In all, i went there 5 times, to show to my vegan friends who heard about it but I will never go back.
Read morePros: Interesting settings , Unique experience
Cons: Nonchalant staffs , Prices
Guest
KitMcGrath
Points +270
Great atmosphere - Edit
Delicious food and great atmosphere right in Seoul. The staff is very friendly.
Read moreDanimalPanda
::: Quick heads up for vegans planning on visiting, in case you read the first review :::
Read moreTLDR: THIS RESTAURANT IS NOT FULLY VEGAN.
DETAILS: Make sure you tell the host that you are vegan and specify you cannot eat anything from animals, not even dairy/eggs/etc. I drank a lassi dessert and felt queasy afterward. Called later as if an interested patron and just casually asked what they had for dessert that day, and then asked if it was made from dairy. They confirmed it is indeed dairy-based yoghurt shared by their Pakistani chef, and people who are vegan can simply choose not to drink it. The problem is they will bring it out to you anyway, so it is wasted animal product because of you unless you specify beforehand that you are vegan. So don't go here assuming it is a fully vegan restaurant because it is listed as such on Happy Cow as of 13 June 2021, it is not vegan and maybe vegetarian at best. Still a nice ambience, but they don't know that they are listed on Happy Cow as vegan.
Guest
MiniMina
Points +265
Good for the experience - Edit
The location is very nice. We went for dinner time with people visiting Korea for the first time. They enjoyed the food and the show. As a resident, I thought it was not bad, but the dinner felt rushed. They always served the food before we were done with the previous dishes. Large quantities. Interesting menu but the staff was not able to describe what was on the plate.
Read moreCons: Expensive
Guest
RachelTouchet
Points +198
Pricey but worth it ! - Edit
The decor, the food and the ambiance ... everything is perfect ! The lunch(33W) is cheaper than dinner(45W) but you’ll see a performance if you come for diner.
Read moreSurprising new flavors and deliciousness at each bite.
Pros: Great quantities , Amazing taste, Dreamy decor
Guest
HannaBanana
Points +680
Healthy temple food - Edit
Typical Korean templerestaurant. It was an amazing experience for me, even though the main menu wasn't exactly my taste.
Read moreStartes were really good!
The waiter explained every meal.
I've been to temple restaurants before, but this one was different than the others
Pros: All vegan, Friendly staff, Healthy food
Cons: Way too much food
Guest
Chinachica
Points +21
Alternative fancy vegan restaurant - Edit
This place is great for people who are looking for trying something new. Outside of my usual comfort zone. I liked the food, totally new flavours and textures. I loved the ambience and the entertainment. I think the price per quality and amount of food ratio is pretty good.
Read morePros: Ambience, entertainment, food,
Cons: Nothing!
Guest
erninafern
Points +78
Very Unique - Edit
You go here for the experience!!
Read morePros: Variety of traditional Korean food, Cozy atmosphere , Located in a cool area
Cons: Food isn’t incredible
Guest
bvanwassenhove
Points +138
Amazing temple food - Edit
One of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. The main course consists of 13 (!) small dishes and everything is beautifully presented. This restaurant should be on every veg*n’s itinerary! The US$28 lunch is a steal.
Read moreGuest
MichaelSquillace
Points +574
Incredible Vegan Temple Food! - Edit
The food was incredible, all vegan menu, you will leave full, will be going back again!
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
RolandMJ
Points +184
Amazing tastes and great place - Edit
Pricy - yes - but we loved the interior, plants, birds, etc. and the staff was really friendly. The food all vegan and great presentation - it may look not much but we got all full and we liked the different actual taste - don’t know about the previous ratings ..?!?! - but it’s a great experience for vegans in town.
Read morePros: Nice Ambiente and great presentation of dishes, So much to see inside and free WiFi, The teas were amazing
Cons: Pricy
Guest
AmalieRA
Points +126
Never have I been this disappointed - Edit
I came in here with quite high expectations and oh boy was I let down. I want to give it 1 star.
Read moreThe food was barely edible I was gagging on one of the dishes because of the taste.
Everything is gooey and the texture of the food is just weird. The slimy cabbage will forever haunt me.
It’s plain boring.
The only edible thing was the rice and small glass noodle dish.
The staff seemed very confused and tried to rush us through our meal. They served the dishes before we were finished with the previous one.
Also they only have one set menu and it’s 45.000 /person.
This is not fine dining and in no way worth the price.
Don’t be fooled by the appearance of the food, it looks pretty but it’s REALLY bad.
Pros: The rice was ok I guess
Cons: Expensive , No choice , Extremely bad taste
Guest
Mikaela.
Points +35
Temple food and performance - Edit
Read moreExquisite traditional cuisine.
Pros: Unique experience
Cons: Expensive.
Guest
JuliaCramer
Points +40
Nothing special - Edit
My friend and I went for a special occasion but it was just average food. I had better temple food for a normal price and I wouldn’t go again. As dessert we got served some dried roots, including four potato chips (very pricey potato chips). The show was a nice touch but we had floor seating and only saw the backside of the performances. Again, the performances were nothing special I have definitely seen better.
Read morePros: Nice for tourists
Guest
Tedward
Points +128
As much a cultural as a food experience - Edit
Went with an omni. We both felt the food was ok, but by no means was did it blow us away. That said, we got alot of food and did not leave hungry. Considering the price (around $45 per person), we would not go twice.
Read moreWhat makes this place cool is the cultural experience. They have a traditional Korean dance and drum show, presumably each night.
Guest
itslizmiu
Points +346
Great Temple Food Experience but No Real Hospitality? Ooh *controversial* - Edit
OOOOH this might be controversial but Sanchon is perhaps a little overrated. Keyword: perhaps! Don't get me wrong! Worth a visit here if you're in Seoul. The food itself is definitely is a beautiful experience, it's all served so beautifully and the portions are generous. While I personally thought it was worth the money, I probably won't return.
Read moreThe only real negative is that it feels like it runs a bit like clockwork, with no real heart. The story of the restaurant opening is beautiful but now I feel like it just churns through the tourists - I'm writing this a week after our visit because now we've spent some time here, in hindsight, the service was a bit dry and rushed.
Another negative is that some dishes are truly a bit average, but the portions (especially the 3rd course) are large, so you don't leave hungry!
Still all in all, it's a solid 3/5. I'm pretty sure you'll see what I mean when you visit. You'll probably have a better time if you visit early in your trip. I think after visiting a lot of other vegan restaurants with great service and food you might be sorely disappointed and feel ripped off.
Updated from previous review on 2019-09-27
Pros: Big portions (3rd course), A unique temple food experience
Cons: Some food is average, Service: felt like we were rushed a little
Guest
CapybaraLoaf
Points +296
Good but pricey - Edit
The experience is interesting but expensive if you don't get to see the show. We got there a bit late, around 9pm so the show was over, and we were the last people starting the meal and finishing it. They didn't rush us much but the courses were coming too close to each other, they would put aside the "left overs" before adding new plates so we could eat either. Then when the rest of the people left they turned off the lights everywhere but in the area of our table and the area to pay, which was a bit unwelcoming but not too bad. You will end up so full of food. We didn't like everything, some stuff had very weird texture... but some others were more than great, and overall is a good experience. The staff doesn't speak much English so you might be confused at first, because they give you a menu and you think you have to actually choose the plates... but nope, the dishes will come to you one after the other, haha.
Read moreThe only really off-putting thing for me was hearing a bird singing, which I didn't see but I guess it was somewhere in a cage... I don't like that idea and maybe other people would feel the same.
Updated from previous review on 2019-10-13
Pros: A lot of food, some plates are very tasty, nice ambience
Cons: Might be a caged bird somewhere, they rush you a bit if you start your meal late, pricey
Guest
NicoleZeliaRoy
Points +256
A very special experience! - Edit
My family, friends and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Sanchon. We were served a vast array of delicious vegan Korean dishes and the presentation of the food was beautiful. The decor was charming and the live entertainment was lovely.
Read morePros: Traditional local cuisine , Charming decor, Live entertainment
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Verowendyb
Points +58
Nice but overpriced and over rated - Edit
We had higher expectations from this place to be honest. It is expensive but I dont mind to pay more for quality. However here I didn’t feel it was worth it. As it is mentioned in many comments, there is lots of food so we definitely didn’t leave hungry. Some dishes are delicious, others are just good.
Read moreWe were excited to see the show that is included in the price (45.000 Korean Won per person for dinner). Everywhere they say it starts at 8pm. When we arrived at 7.30, the show was already on because of a bigger group and all finished at 8pm. We dont know how much of the show we missed but it was really disappointing because we were really looking forward to this. Most of our dishes we ate after the show. I wish they told us when I made a reservation via phone.
Pros: Lots of food, The show (if we saw it all)
Cons: Expensive , Didnt inform us about the change of time for shwo
itslizmiu
Totally agreed, a little overrated - lots of food but all just ... good.
Read moreGuest
AmandaDority
Points +54
Such an amazing and unique experience! - Edit
There is a reason this is voted one of the top 10 restaurants in Asia! Amazing food (completely ignore the disrespectful and closed minded comment below about the food being “gooey” - some people don’t know how to have a good time no matter where they are!). The atmosphere was breathtaking with tons of unique decorations. The live dance performance at 8pm was amazing and you can take pictures with the dancers afterwards! Our waiter had the cutest little bird just perched on his shoulder! And there is SO much food so the price is actually REALLY reasonable, we left feeling like we should have paid more. Overall a 10/10 experience hands down.
Read morePros: Friendly and quirky waiter (had a bird on him!), Beautiful and authentic live dance performance , Stunning plating and amazing atmosphere
Guest
chacharlee
Points +3457
Expensive but worth trying once - Edit
We went in the evening.
Read moreServed 4 courses of food. Which we couldn’t manage to finish. Lots of things to try, some delicious but others are an acquired taste. At least worth trying if you can afford it.
Updated from previous review on 2019-08-07
Pros: 1 menu, Wine included during evening
Cons: Too expensive, Didn’t enjoy every dish
Guest
loubylou
Points +90
Experience - Edit
The restaurant setting is beautiful with traditional Korean temple food and the amount they bring is huge; it's not the cheapest at ₩45000 a head but totally worth it as there is so much food, it includes a glass of wine, various teas and a traditional Korean dance performance at 8pm (we had our table reserved for 7pm which worked well but our view was blocked as we were sat on one of the back tables). The wait staff were lovely and friendly and the food was varied and delicious!
Read moreGuest
CaptainVegan
Points +28
Don’t believe the hype! - Edit
It was one of the worst meals we had in South Korea - and as a bonus feature it was also by far the most expensive..
Read moreAlmost all the dishes were tasteless and bland and some of them even tasted horrible. Most of them were gooey. The best thing was the free glass of red wine and the pre-meal pinetree drink.
We arrived just after the show and got no introduction to the set menu, which they just started placing in front of us with no explanation about the dishes or concept at all. We had to rush through the dishes as they were very eager to close at 10 pm sharp, and we were asked to pay during the meal. The cherry on top was that the waiter was really awkward and the room was full of fruit flies.
We’ve had so many great Korean vegan meals in Seoul and Busan, but this was definitely not one of them! Totally overrated, too expensive, and we would’ve rated it with 1 star only if Happycow would have let us.
Pros: Free wine (1 glass)
Cons: The food, The price, The staff
Guest
Plume5085
Points +764
MUST VISIT - Edit
Absolutely amazing! There was so much food and all the dishes were so delicious. It's a great way to discover the Korean/Buddhist cuisine. I also recommend going for dinner around 8pm to see the free show (traditional Korean dance). The wine was free too! I ate so much I couldn't move at the end. So so so amazing!
Read moreGuest
nagemi
Points +61
Amazing food and setting - Edit
I arrived mid-afternoon and was ushered in to wash my hands and sit down. After ten minutes I was the only customer remaining, but at no point was I rushed. Little did I know how many dishes I would have to eat my way through! It was brilliant and I’d definitely like to return to experience the performance and ambience of a full restaurant.
Read moreGuest
cheehay
Points +122
Amazing experience - Edit
I came here for the dinner. There is a traditonal korean performance at 8pm. The restaurant is beautiful. There is only the set menu and they will start bringing the food out shortly after you sit down. Make sure you are hungry because it is actually a lot of food despite how tiny the portions look.
Read moreGuest
RobertMiller
Points +26
Must Go for Seoul Vegans - Edit
This restaurant is absolutely stunning. The set meal is an astounding amount of food for the price, with a variety of flavours, and the whole place is gorgeous. Very thoughtful, delicious experience.
Read moreGuest
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