1: Ola Shack
Location: Mangwon, Seoul
I had been admiring Ola Shacks Instagram for quite some time and I finally got the opportunity to dine there with my girl Gemma and absolutely loved it. The Green Wave Avocado Sandwich (12,000 won) had Avocado perfectly placed to create this wave like affect across the bread for three layers of about 1.5 avocados. It had a type of cream cheese spread which I would have felt wouldn't go but was actually very light and paired well with the creamy avocado taste. We ended up flipping it open and eating it like an open-faced sandwich or avocado toast as it was so large it was hard to fit in one bite. We also ordered the So Berry Special Smoothie Bowl (8,000 won), which had a mix of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, mango, banana, organic coconut flakes, chia seeds, cocoa nibs and homemade granola. It was very berry tasty and healthy, two of my favorite things. I was immensely satisfied to split both dishes with Gemma, which led to the perfect mid-day meal.
SMOOTHIE BOWL & OUTSIDE OF OLA SHACK
INSIDE OLA SHACK
2: What A Salad
Location: Itaweon, Seoul & Amore Pacific Building, Youngsan, Seoul
Hailing from New York City, I am no stranger to the "make your own salad" bar as there is one on every corner. Living in Seoul I quickly realized that’s not a thing here and had to get used to it and quick. I thankfully was introduced to What A Salad early on and its had a huge impact on my ability to eat healthy and with the exact ingredients I enjoy! Produce and high quality cheese is more expensive in Seoul so having a place that can put it all together saves time and money. They are a little on the expensive side but with little other options its well worth it. Everything is super fresh, the avocado perfectly ripe and the cheese to western quality standards. (P.S. The Blue Cheese is fantastic)
My personal perfected combination is Spinach base if possible, Avocado, Carrot, Quinoa, Apple, Tomato, Roasted Walnut, Classic Balsamic dressing and sometimes blue cheese.
The price is 8,200 for the "regular greens" size, (they also have large but this size is perfect for me) and four toppings. I add on the Avocado (2,600 won), Quinoa (1,900) and Blue Cheese (2,900) so it comes out to 15,600. What a Salad is also on shuttle delivery so I often order a few salads to have for the week when I am not in the area. The delivery fee for my area is 6,000 won (near Seoul Station) if you live closer it lowers. It does fall a bit on the expensive side but it's really one of the only conveniently located and desirable salad places for my location. They have tons of fresh add-in options for you to choose from and recently established a note pad where you can tick off exactly what your getting when ordering so there are no mistakes with the language barrier, Shuttle Delivery does the same, just online.
When in Itaewon, I swing in and pick up a few salads to save on the delivery fee and for convenience and also meet friends there for lunch as I did this day with Gemma; on the day we took the photos pictured above. Inside the restaurant is also quite cute for lunch or even a healthy dinner, but better for smaller groups and more casual dining. They have two locations that I know about at this time one in Itaewon and one in the Amore Pacific Building located near Youngsan Station. Whether living in Seoul or here on vacation definitely check this place out in person or on shuttle and have your life forever changed for the healthy.
Link For Shuttle Delivery (Food Delivery Service)
(NYC's version of Seamless or Uber Eats) (They also have Uber Eats here as well)
3: Cheiljemyunso By CJ
Location: Gwanghwamun Branch & IFC Mall, Seoul
Shabu Shabu Section 제일제면소 광화문점
This is one of my all time favorite spots in the world and not just Korea. There are only two locations that I know about currently, one located at the IFC Mall in Yeouido and one near the palace off the Gwanghwamun line. When leaving Gwanghwamun Station you should leave out of exits 6 or 7 and when approaching its place on the map look up as it’s located on the second floor. The aspect of this restaurant that I am really a fan of is the Shabu Shabu counter where each person sits facing the revolving plates of ramen, fresh noodles, veggies, fish, meat, fruits and sometimes egg and seaweed. Each seat comes with its own hot pot filled with vegetable broth and personal heating controls. There is one set cost per person (27,000 won for dinner and I believe 22,000 won for lunch), which allows you unlimited small plates to fill your pot. When you sit you’re also given a teakettles to manage your broth for when it starts to evaporate. For alcohol they have a choice of three different Makgeoli types (5,000 won for the carafe below) and beer. I love how fresh everything is and how clean this meal turns out to be as there is no additional oils for the vegetables or added cheese etc. that can often make calorie count go up. It's interactive and a fun date spot. There are very few seats around the counter so get there early. It's better with one or two friends then a group and the whole experience is fun, warm and relaxing. It is my number one healthy dining activity in Seoul and perfect for the upcoming fall and winter weather. There is a sit down portion of this restaurant separate from the counter that serves Korean food that I have yet to try but to me the Shabu Shabu or (Hot Pot Counter) is really the main attraction.
Cheiljemyunso's Website (CJ Group Owned)
5: LA Ferme
Location: Hannam-Dong, Seoul
I had really wanted to try La Ferme so I went with two of my SIWA gal pals Rachel and Mhyla for a ladies lunch. Rachel and I ordered the Chicken Quinoa Salad (16,800 won) (minus the chicken for me) and Mhyla ordered the Chickpea Salad (14,500 won) This is not a make your own salad place so you do have to order from what’s on the menu and they were pretty inflexible about changing options. I asked if I could have a different dressing and they said no and one of the girls asked if they could switch out their side of bread option and that was a no. I was however able to have mine without chicken as I told them I am vegetarian. All and all they were stunningly beautiful salad displays so that was a plus for the gram. I did think that mine could have used a touch more dressing though. I also tried Mhylas Hummus and it was absolutely fantastic. I think I would like to try that salad for next time. Really loved the bread with pumpkin spread, you can order additional breads with spreads if your feeling super hungry but these salads were really good sized. The restaurant decor was very rustic-farmer-chic and perfect for a lunch date. I am highly thinking about ordering the hummus salad on shuttle when I'm in the mood for hummus as it was definitely one of the better ones I've tasted.
6: Caravan
Location: Hapjeong-dong, Seoul
Caravan is located in the Metropolis Mall next to the Hapjeong Station. This little mall is actually pretty cute and unique as it's rare to see an outside mall in Seoul done in this style. There is not a ton of stores located inside but its perfect to grab a few necessities and of course brunch. There are two menus available, a breakfast menu that runs from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, and a lunch and dinner menu that runs from 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM. My girl Kristi Miller was in town from the NYC and got the Superfood Bowl (19,000 won), which was filled, with quinoa, baby spinach, kale, hummus, sweet potato, avocado, beet, almond, chia seeds, tomato, and a poached egg. It also came with a delightful side of super tasty hummus. I ordered the Avocado Toast (14,000 won) that consisted of sourdough toast topped with sliced avocado, a poached egg, and kale chips. I loved the beautiful display of the kale chips in the avocado toast and the whole dish was completely on point for me. Defiantly one for the avocado lover in you!
There are many classic dishes like Eggs Benedict, Spaghetti Carbonara and Spaghetti Meatball alongside healthy dishes so I can’t wait to bring my meat lover husband Travis to check it out. I also really liked that they had a side’s menu where I was able to order additional scrabbled eggs. They offered other sides (between 4,000-8,000 won) like mushrooms, avocado, spinach, French Gourmet Ham and New Zealand King Smoked Salmon along with a few others. Both of these dishes pictured were ordered off the breakfast menu. I was unable to find a copy of it on their website and only able to locate their lunch and dinner menu. For a copy of the breakfast menu head over to Gemma's page, FatGirlsFoodGuide for a more in-depth review of our lunch together and a photo of the full breakfast menu. As she mentions in her article if you come between 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM you would be able to order off both menus, which gives you a ton to choose from. They also have another trendy location in Dosan Park Gungnum, which I would like to check out as well.
7: Summer Lane
Location: Itaewon-Dong, Seoul
This stunning display of a dish is called the Bacon Waffle Eggs Benedict (15,000 won). Although this place is not considered super healthy they are very flexible which I love. This dish normally comes with bacon and instead they were able to put spinach on it. I also requested to put the Hollandaise sauce on the side, just for dipping, making the dish slightly healthier! The waffle kind of takes the healthy out of this dish but it's still better then most brunch dishes.
This is one of my all time favorite brunch options in Seoul and the cafe is absolutely precious. It is located up on a hill in Itaewon but completely worth the little journey. It is a fantastic place for brunch but on the small side so not best for large groups. Although not on the menu they do have some alcohol behind the bar so if you request it they can make you a vodka-orange juice as well as a few other easy mix cocktails if your in the mood.
8: Salad Brothers
Hongdae, Seoul
I went to Salad Brothers the other day after seeing them on Shuttle Delivery and I was actually very impressed. I ordered the Quinoa Avocado (9,900 won) and Gemma ordered the Mexicana (9,900 won). I asked for my chicken to be on the side for Gemma to eat and I added apple. Although this is not a make-your-own salad place they do have a sides menu with the ability to add to existing salads. So in my case, I added apple. There are really not too many salad places in Seoul so when I come across one and one where the menu is at least a little flexible I really get excited. This spot is located upstairs, in a popular area of town and very close to the subway. I am looking forward to going back and exploring the Hongdae neighborhood a bit more as well as it looks like more western options are starting to pop up!
Some Add-In Side Options Include: Avocado, Quinoa, Salmon, Ricotta Cheese, Beef, Boiled Egg, Pita Bread, Apple, Chicken and more.
Insta Worthy Salads
INSIDE SALAD BROTHERS
Inside The Restaurant
Salads Menu At Salad Brothers
HEALHY Delivery Service -
No Location (Order online or through Shuttle Delivery)
7: Sprout
Vegan Delivery Service
This is one of the top Vegan Delivery services in Seoul and one of the most fantastic solutions to eating healthy during the week. I live near Seoul Station and the delivery quote for my address is ₩4,000. It is one of my absolute lifesavers to eating healthy throughout the week. Although I am not a Mom I have spoken with some of my friends who are and they mentioned this has been a fantastic way to feed the family healthy dishes with little prep, as everything is mostly ready to be served or simply heated. Below I have shared some of my favorite dishes that I personally recommend and the price for each. Their menu changes weekly with new things added in each week but keeping some of the side dishes and breakfasts the same. Read on for more details from their website about delivery. They also offer a menu on Shuttle Delivery but it is not their normal weekly delivery items so if you want access to the full menu you must order directly through them. The payment method is very simple with a bank transfer (which you get used to living in Korea) or PayPal link upon request. The dishes Jamie the owner creates are full of flavor and not just for Vegans, she experiments with all different types of cuisines and finds a way to make each dish tasty to even the most non-adventurers eater. All of the food is extremely fresh and they always deliver on time and perfectly packaged.
Here are just some of my personal favorite dishes:
Spicy Peanut Soba Stir Fry (8,000 won) Soba Noodles stir fried with purple cabbage, carrots, peppers, kale, and garlic in a spicy peanut sauce. (FBR, A-OXI, PRO)
Salt and Pepper Garlic Edamame (5,000 won) (PRO, FBR, Vita, MN)
Layered Vanilla Funfetti Cake with Chocolate Mousse Frosting (6,000 won) (A-OXI, Vita, MN, Meta)
Chocolate Breakfast Bowl with Nuts, Seeds and Coconut Flakes (5,000 won)) (PRO, A-OXI, CNCR)
Mac ‘N Cheese (8,000 won) Cheesy, saucy whole wheat pasta mixed with broccoli and spinach and topped with shiitake bacon and caramelized onions.
Singapore Noodles (8,000 won) Sweet potato glass noodles, bok choy, carrots, bean sprouts, onions stir fried in a spicy soy sauce. (VITA, Meta, FBR)
Some Info From Sprout's Website:
Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or just looking for healthy, convenient and delicious meals that are ready to eat and packaged to go, Sprout is the perfect solution!
Sprout makes a full menu of home cooked style meals every week including hot meals, salad bowls, snacks, desserts and breakfasts.
Sprout was founded in 2015 by a registered Holistic Nutritionist who wanted to promote a diet made with whole food natural ingredients. Sprout avoids the use of processed and over-processed ingredients because we believe that a healthy clean eating diet is the best way to improve and maintain your overall well being as well as part of a performance nutrition regiment for athletes.
Meals are made ready to eat. You can pick up orders on Sunday and Monday every week between 3pm-8pm. Deliveries are sent on Sundays and Mondays in Seoul and Postal delivery is delivered on Tuesday. You can choose Postal delivery anywhere in Korea!
Sprout posts a New weekly menu every Tuesday for pick up or delivery the following week. We accept orders until Friday at 10pm.
Order Options:
1. Choose only the items you want. There is no minimum order! OR 2. You can also choose to take advantage of a Meal Plan option.
Meal Plan Options 3 days, 12 items: 75,000 (Save 6,000!) 5 days, 20 items: 115,000 (Save 20,000!) 7 days, 28 items: 150,000 (Save 39,000!) * Each day includes a breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack or dessert.
Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or just looking for convenient and delicious meals that are ready to eat and packaged to go, Sprout is the perfect solution. All healthy meals by Sprout are 100% Vegan. No animal products are used in any Sprout dishes. Sprout uses Whole Food Natural ingredients and avoids the use of processed or over processed ingredients. Sprout does not use white flour, refined sugar or white rice. We believe that a healthy clean eating diet is the best way to improve and maintain your overall well being as well as part of a performance nutrition regiment for athletes.
The Sprout healthy food menu is published every week on Tuesday for delivery and pick up / takeout on Sundays and Mondays. Sprout delivers everywhere in Korea! Each week we change the menu to keep your meals diverse and satisfying, never boring!