The majority of events these days are posted on the Seoul Veggie Club facebook page, but I’ll try to keep this updated anyway:

This is very popular vegetarian restaurant. Great food!

We can meet at Exit 6 at Anguk Station at 12:45 or see you there at the restaurant at 1 PM. The restaurant is down the alley on the right side of the SSamzie art mall (the 6 story shopping center with all the artsy little shops) on the pedestrian zone. At the end of the alley there is a sign that says “Vegetarian Restaurant” Can’t miss it. The website is www.go5.co.kr. It’s in Korean but it has the menu in English.
We could find a tea house afterward if anyone is interested.

Happy new year everyone! Our next meet-up is going to be this Saturday (February 15th), from 14:00 at Wazwan restaurant in Itaewon.

Wazwan does some excellent Indian food (and can accommodate vegans) and is reasonably priced. It’s on the same street as the mosque – go out of Itaewon Station (line 6), exit 3, walk straight for a short way and take your first right. Go up the hill, past the foreign food market and What the Book and then turn left (continuing up the hill). Wazwan is on the left just after the mosque, or just meet some other Veggie Club members outside exit 3 at 13:50.

Wazwan’s website is: http://wazwan.50megs.com/.

Don’t forget, we’re trying to decentralise Veggie Club meeting organisation so if you’d like to take a month on and arrange an event just go ahead and ask!

This year’s Christmas potluck gathering will be held at Natanya and Fiona’s place on Saturday December 13th from 7:00 pm in Haebangchon, Seoul.

‘Tis is the season for excess, so expect quite a few people and lots of delicious home-made food! Bring enough food and drink for yourself plus others, animal product-free if possible as both Fiona and Natanya (plus many Veggie Club members) are vegan. If previous years are anything to go by, a wonderful evening of culinary delights and nattering is in store.

Full event details are on the Facebook group. If you aren’t on Facebook and would like to come, please leave a comment and we will e-mail you directions.

We’ve been getting all the publicity this month, with two in-depth features in local publications.

First up is Eloquence Magazine, one of the monthly free expat publications. December’s issue has a two-page special written by Daniel Gray, based on interviews with Amy, Kenneth and members of the Korean Vegetarian Club (there are some extra restaurant recommendations on the Eloquence Facebook group). You can pick up Eloquence at most expat hangouts (e.g. most places in Itaewon), and it’s full of other useful information too!

You can read the full article at:
http://www.seouleats.com/2008/12/vegetarians-in-seoul.html

If you haven’t been listening to Seoul’s English-language expat-friendly radio station tbs eFM 101.3, you still have time to tune in and catch us! Amy and John gave an interview about being vegetarian in Korea, including typical challenges and some Korean foods that appear vegetarian but really aren’t. The interview will broadcast on Saturday December 13th on the Soul of Asia show with Sarah Kim (11:00-12:00), and should be the perfect warm-up to our Christmas get-together!

Sunday, October 5th, 6:30
Potluck with Cheryl’s Yoga Studio
All 4 All Yoga and Dance academy, Sillim Dong, Seoul.

Directions:
Sillim Station (Line 2, Green) Exit 2.
Walk straight out exit 2 to the first street with a light, about 200m, just after the adidas store. Turn left and walk up the street past Pizza Hut.
All 4 All is in the building on the corner (enter around the corner from the super market). All 4 All is on the 6th floor, walk down the hall to the right when you exit the elevator.

Just a note…no alcohol because it is a business.

Special guest: Jules Febre, Jivamukti Yoga Teacher and Animal Rights Activist. We will collect donations for a local animal shelter.

This fall schedule is completely by request! Please continue to send me your ideas, preferences and desires. There are some smashing new places to try. See you there!

Sunday, September 7th, 2:00 pm
Gamrodang
Tel: 02-3210-3397
Budget: 20,000 to 40,000 won
Popular menu: 23,000-98,000 won formal courses
To get there: follow the map attached. It’s a 20 minute walk from Anguk Station, exit 1.

Saturday, September 20th, 5:00 pm
Potluck picnic dinner at Yongsan Park!
Same beautiful site. Interesting new time!

At Ichon (이촌 ) station, go out Exit 2. For some reason, it’s not very well-marked. Just follow the signs for Exit 1, and Exit 2 is next to it. You’ll find yourself walking toward the National Museum of Korea. Yongsan Park is right next to it.

To get to our picnic spot, approach the National Museum and walk to the right around the “reflecting pond.” Keep going toward the “Reflecting Pond Cafe” until you see a small path veering off to the right, toward a grove with two ancient Buddha statues.

Please bring salad/dessert/main dish/drinks and a candle (the sun sets at 6:30!)

Sunday, October 5th, 6:30
Potluck with Cheryl’s Yoga Studio
Location and directions TBA :)

Saturday, October 18th, 2:00 pm
ShinDongyang
According to Galbijim wiki:

Shindongyang (신동양, 新東陽) is a Chinese restaurant in Yeouido which is very vegetarian-friendly; though the regular meat-and-seafood menu is larger, you may also request to see the vegetarian menu, which has about 60 dishes, soups, and appetizers and three course menus. The vegetarian dishes feature plenty of faux meat versions of Koreanized Chinese dishes like tangsuyuk and jjajangmyeon, as well as more traditional fare. Whether vegetarian or not, prices are about the same — main dishes come in two sizes, all around 10 to 15,000 won, with the cheapest just 4,500 and the most expensive going up to 50,000; appetizers are mostly around 6,000. The course menus run from 30,000 to 70,000 and feature up to ten dishes.

It’s a fairly large place, with an extra dining hall, and has been run by Chinese immigrants for three generations running. Korea, Mandarin, and English are spoken; the main menu features all three languages but the vegetarian menu has no English, though they will assist you. To get there, go out Yeouido Station exit 5; it will be on the top floor of the first building on your right.

Sunday, July 6th  2:00
Villa Sortino Ristorante

I walked by this place last week and was struck by their selection of vegetarian pizzas. I phoned them up this evening and they said they can accommodate our group, so let’s treat ourselves. I made the reservation under the name “Amy.”

By Subway
Come out of Exit #2 Itaewon Station, Line 6 Brown and walk 100M, past the GS gas station on the right and
before the next lights at the top of the Hannam-dong hill.

Map here:
http://www.sortinos-seoul.com/villa/011_main/011_index.asp

Saturday, July 19th  6:00
Sosim Vegetarian Restaurant
Insa-Dong Gil Street (at Anguk station on Line 3 (Orange line), exit Insa-Dong)
02-734-4388
Ovo, Lacto, Vegan-friendly, Macrobiotic, Organic, Korean
Nice vegetarian restaurant in basement of building. Menu is in Korean and English, and English is spoken. Sample items include Korean pancake, bi-bim-bap (Korean traditional vegetables and rice) without egg upon request, free refills of rice and side dishes. Also offers a fixed menu meal for around 10,000 won (about US$10.50). Interior is natural wood, and guest sit at regular tables or on the floor. A popular place with monks from nearby chogye-sa (temple), though the restaurant is run by Christians. Closed Sunday. Directions: After train exit, walk straight pass Tourist Information booth on right, art store on left. Walk across Insa-Dong Street towards convenience store in front. Go right when you get to convenience store. Entrance is between GS25 convenience store and bank, and is marked by large vertical black-and-white sign with the name in two Chinese characters, the English words “Sosim” and “Vegetarian Restaurant.”

Sunday, August 3rd Jinlilu

http://kr.gugi.yahoo.com/detail/detailInfo/DetailInfoAction.php?cid=2618358218(can someone fluent in Korean please search for and call this place to confirm they are still in business?)

Jinlilu is a Chinese vegetarian restaurant near Hoegi Station in Seoul. They serve up all of the mainstays of Koreanized Chinese food including jjambbong, jjajangmyeon, palbochae, and so on, made with no fish or meat (they do use some egg). To replace the meat they mainly rely on mushrooms rather than processed fake meats. Prices are the same as any other jjajang joint.

The owners are adherents of the same religious group as the New Start buffet restaurant, but there is otherwise no connection between the two.

To get there, go out Hoegi Station exit 2 and turn right; walk down the alley past the bedding shop and turn left. The restaurant is across the street from the wedding hall, in a bit of an alley. It’s on the second floor above a little convenience store.
Saturday, August 16th 8:00
Shim’s Tapas (owned by three sisters, 02-141-2386) four corners from Hongik University line, exit 5, heading away from the U, across the street from Gozo. Look for the brilliant yellow and red building on the narrow sidestreet.
This is a gorgeous little place. They have quite a few vegetarian selections, but not enough for a full meal, so grab a burrito at Dos Tacos first and then meet us to unwind with a glass of wine and some gorgeous tidbits.

This weekend we’ve got a meeting scheduled for Indian food in Itaewon. In response to some of your comments, I think we should shift the meeting from Ashoka to Currytown. It’s only a couple blocks away, and it’s apparently quite good, and cheap!

If you already know where 3 Alley is, just start there, go straight down the alley toward the main street, and you’ll see it on your right.

From the subway station, go out Exit 1, and walk past the KFC. There’s an alley leading up to your right. Keep going and take the next alley (follow the link here for map: it’s between #5 and #7). The restaurant is in the alley, on your left.
http://www.enjoyitaewon.com/map/itaewonmap.html

The time is still 6 o’clock, and the date is still Saturday, June 21st. I hope you can make it! Let me know if you have any questions.

Hello all,

I’m doing some brainstorming for upcoming events, and I’d love to hear from you about what you’d like from the club.

Please reply with some suggestions about the following:

– new restaurants you’d like the club to visit

–familiar restaurants you’d like to visit again

–what to do about managing group size, when RSVPs tend to discourage large groups, but no RSVPs can lead to very crowded venues.

–how to improve our club visibility (currently, we’re on Dave’s ESL Cafe, Facebook, a wordpress blog, and we have an email list and an ad in Groove Magazine. Anything else we could be covering?)

–how to offer more to our members, e.g., recipe exchanges, websites, events, ways to be more involved with planning, etc.,

–any other ways to enhance the group, and what you currently like/dislike.

Thanks so much!

May and June are rolling in quick– time for a Spring Veggie Club Schedule!

Sunday, May 4th, 2 pm http://www.dostacos.co.kr/
Dos Tacos has added a new vegetarian option to their menu– a scrumptious avocado-and-refried-bean burrito, which *nearly* beats out my all-time favourite, the potato burrito. Food here is fresh, plentiful, not expensive, and the soft-drink refills are free!
To get to the Hongdae location, walk out of Hongik Station (exit 6), up the hill toward Hongik University. It’s on your right, past the KB Bank, same building as Haagen Daz and the Slow-Food porridge shop.

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, May 17th. Ron (the brains AND brain behind this operation) has been campaigning for a “pure” vegetarian place, so let’s go back to Yangjae SM Chinghai for the buffet dinner. For a change, let’s go in the evening, at 6 pm. Latecomers, beware, as they close at 9 pm! Afterwards we can hit Purely Decadent for soy ice cream near Yangjae station.Last time was great because it gave us a chance to switch things up, sit in smaller groups for the ice cream, and basically have the place to ourselves.

By bus: Go out exit 5 of Yangjae Station and bear right; you should come to a bus stop about 1 minute later. Take bus 4430 (Green) and get off at the second bus stop. You will see a Starbucks across the street. Cross the street and walk right, you will see the blue SM Ching Hai sign on your left.

By taxi: Take a taxi at exit 5 of Yangjae Station ask the driver to take you to Samhomulsan (삼호물산); the ride costs about 3,000 won. This will bring you to the bus stop described above, cross the street and go right.

June 1st is the first Sunday of the month. If the weather cooperates, this would be a terrific day for a potluck picnic. Let’s meet at Yongsan Park, near Ichon Station, at 2:00 pm, for a late, leisurely lunch.

At Ichon (이촌 ) station, go out Exit 2. You’ll find yourself walking toward the National Museum of Korea. Yongsan Park is right next to it.

Saturday June 21st, 6 pm
For those of you craving Indian food and wanting to splash a little cash, you can look forward to an exquisite buffet conveniently located at the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon (line 6), called Ashoka. It was the first Indian restaurant in Seoul (imagine life without curry– that was Seoul before 1988.) It’s all-you-can-eat for 28,000 won (plus some service taxes.) Here’s the website if you’d like to drool over the menu or the decor. Ron is a fan of this place because it’s run by Hindus, who sympathize with our vegetarian beliefs.