Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Korean Food: What You Can Actually Eat
Korean food looks veggie-friendly: rice, vegetables, tofu. But a few classic ingredients hide fish, egg or wheat. Here's what to watch for, and exactly what to order at Doraji if you're vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or eating halal.
Order online See the menu
are vegetarian. Three are vegan.
all vegetarian
Doraji Soy and Smoky BBQ
in our rice bowls
The hidden ingredients in Korean food
Most Korean dishes are easy to adapt, once you know where fish, egg and wheat tend to show up. These are the four to watch for anywhere you eat Korean food, not just at Doraji.
Kimchi: fish sauce
Traditional kimchi is seasoned with fish sauce or salted seafood, so most kimchi isn't vegetarian. Ours includes fish sauce too.
Gochujang: often wheat
Korean chili paste is fermented, and many brands use wheat or barley. Our gochujang is vegan, but it isn't gluten-free friendly.
Soy sauce: wheat
Most soy sauce is brewed with wheat, so soy-seasoned dishes like japchae and many marinades contain gluten. Our japchae isn't gluten-free.
The egg on top
Bibimbap is traditionally topped with a fried egg. Easy to skip for vegan guests: just ask.
Your diet, your Doraji order
Here's what our team recommends for each diet, based on how we make every dish.
| Diet | Order this | Skip or swap |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | Vegetarian Bibimbap, Fried Tofu Bibimbap, or Fried Tofu Dupbap with the kimchi swapped for a vegetable. Original Gimbap and Japchae & Veggies are vegetarian-friendly sides. All of our sauces are vegetarian. | Kimchi and dumplings contain fish sauce. Ask us to swap the pan-fried kimchi in dupbap bowls for a vegetable. |
| Vegan | Vegetarian or Fried Tofu Bibimbap without the egg, or Fried Tofu Dupbap with the kimchi swapped. Japchae & Veggies and Original Gimbap (without egg) work as vegan sides. Sauces: Gochujang, Doraji Soy Sauce or Smoky BBQ. | Skip the egg, kimchi and dumplings. Only Gochujang, Doraji Soy Sauce and Smoky BBQ are vegan sauces. Ask for Original Gimbap without the egg. |
| Gluten-free-friendly | Chicken Bibimbap, Vegetarian Bibimbap, or Tofu Bibimbap made to order with pan-fried (not battered) tofu, on white rice, purple rice or quinoa (not glass noodles, which are seasoned with soy sauce). Sauces: Miso Sesame Mayo or Doraji Signature. | Our other dishes aren't gluten-free friendly. Leave off the gochujang, skip the glass-noodle base, and skip dupbap bowls and the japchae side: our glass noodles are seasoned with soy sauce. |
| Halal | Chicken Bibimbap. Our chicken is halal, and it's gluten-free friendly too. | Our beef and pork are not halal. Only the chicken is halal, and we can't confirm our sauces or kitchen prep meet halal standards, so please talk to us before you order. |
| Nut allergies | None of our rice bowls contain peanuts or tree nuts. | We use sesame seeds and sesame oil, and we can't guarantee there's no cross-contamination. If your allergy is severe, please talk to us before you order. |
About cross-contamination: our kitchen handles gluten and other common allergens, so we can't guarantee there's no cross-contamination. If you have celiac disease, a severe allergy or strict dietary rules, please talk to us before you order.
Three bowls that work for almost everyone
비빔밥Vegetarian Bibimbap
Vegetarian · vegan without egg · gluten-free friendlySeven seasoned vegetables over your choice of base. Hold the egg and pick a vegan sauce to make it vegan.
두부Fried Tofu Bibimbap
Vegetarian · vegan without egg · GF on requestFried soft tofu with all seven vegetables. For gluten-free, ask for it made to order with pan-fried (not battered) tofu.
닭Chicken Bibimbap
Halal chicken · gluten-free friendlyChicken thigh with seven vegetables and a fried egg. Pair it with Miso Sesame Mayo or Doraji Signature.
Catering for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free guests
Ask early
Collect dietary needs when you send the invite, not the day before.
Count each need
Note how many guests are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or eating halal.
Pick the format
Individual bowls (up to 20 people) make it easy to match each bowl to the right person.
Tell us
Add the details to your catering request at least 48 hours ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Is kimchi vegan?
Usually not. Traditional kimchi is seasoned with fish sauce or salted seafood. Ours includes fish sauce, so in our dupbap bowls we can swap it for a vegetable. Just ask when you order.
Is gochujang gluten-free?
Often not. Many gochujang chili pastes are made with wheat or barley, so check the label. Ours isn't on our gluten-free-friendly list. It comes on the side with every bibimbap, so if you're avoiding gluten, ask us to leave it off.
Is japchae gluten-free?
Japchae noodles are made from sweet potato starch, but the dish is seasoned with soy sauce, which usually contains wheat. Ours are seasoned with soy sauce too, so our japchae and our glass-noodle base aren't gluten-free.
Is bibimbap vegan?
It can be. Bibimbap is topped with a fried egg, so ask for no egg, choose a vegetable or tofu protein, and pick a vegan sauce. At Doraji that's Vegetarian or Fried Tofu Bibimbap without the egg, with Doraji Soy Sauce, Gochujang or Smoky BBQ.
Is Doraji halal?
Only our chicken is halal. Our beef and pork are not, and we can't confirm that our sauces, other ingredients or kitchen prep meet halal standards. If you eat halal, Chicken Bibimbap is the bowl to choose, and please talk to us before you order.
Is Doraji safe for celiac disease?
We have gluten-free-friendly options, but our kitchen handles gluten, so we can't guarantee there's no cross-contamination. If you have celiac disease or a severe allergy, please talk to us before you order.
Eat well, your way.
Find us at Wellington Market in The Well, 486 Front Street West. Tell us about any dietary needs when you order, and we'll help you build the right bowl.
Order online for pickup Catering