Vegan Korean Food Cooking Class: Gimbap, Sundubu Jjigae, and more

Korean food can be kind to tofu. This small Itaewon workshop turns tofu and seasonal ingredients into a full vegan meal, with hands-on practice making gimbap and sundubu-jjigae. I like the intimate group size, which is capped at four, and I like that the class goes beyond one signature dish to include biji-jeon and flower-topped hwa-jeon. The main consideration is the third-floor location with no elevator, so the stairs may be a concern for some people.

At about two and a half hours, the class gives you enough time to cook, eat, and ask questions without feeling like a rushed demonstration. Instructor Soomin is praised for clear step-by-step guidance and useful advice about vegan food in Seoul. At $75 per person, it is not a cheap meal, but the price includes instruction, several dishes, cultural context, and a plant-based menu that can be difficult to find in Seoul.

Key things to know before booking

• Four Korean dishes in one sitting: Make gimbap, sundubu-jjigae, biji-jeon, and hwa-jeon rather than focusing on just one recipe.
• A genuinely small class: The maximum is four people, and a solo booking may become a private one-on-one session.
• Soomin teaches more than recipes: Expect explanations about ingredients, Korean food customs, and practical vegan eating in Seoul.
• A full meal, not just a tasting: The food is filling enough that you may want to skip breakfast or bring a container for leftovers.
• Good dietary flexibility: The class is vegan, vegetarian, reducetarian, and Muslim-friendly, with gluten-free preparation available on request.
• Plan for the stairs: The meeting point is on the third floor of a building in Itaewon, with no elevator.

Starting in Itaewon with a small cooking group

The class begins at 11:00 a.m. in Itaewon-dong, in Seoul’s Yongsan District. The area is known for international food, so the setting fits a workshop that looks at Korean cooking through a plant-based lens.

The small group format matters here. With no more than four people, you should have room to work and a fair chance to ask questions while preparing each dish. This is not the sort of class where you sit at the back and watch someone else do all the important steps.

If you book alone, the session may remain a one-person class. That can be a real advantage if you want extra help with rolling gimbap, handling dough, or adjusting seasoning. It also means the experience may feel more like a private lesson than a social group activity.

You receive a mobile ticket, and confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. The activity returns to its starting point, so you do not need to arrange a separate end location.

One practical point deserves attention: the venue is on the third floor and has no elevator. You should be comfortable using stairs before you book. The location is near public transportation, and service animals are allowed.

Making gimbap, the Korean roll that rewards patience

Gimbap is one of the most recognizable Korean foods, but making it well is more than placing ingredients on a sheet and rolling it up. You need to arrange the fillings neatly, control the pressure, and keep the roll tight enough to slice cleanly.

The class gives you hands-on practice with assembling and rolling gimbap. That makes it a useful introduction for anyone who has eaten gimbap in Korea and wants to understand how the pieces come together.

A vegan version also shows how much texture matters. Tofu and vegetables can provide contrast, but the finished roll depends on balance. Soft fillings, firmer ingredients, rice, and seaweed all need to work together. The class is therefore helpful beyond this one recipe because it teaches you to think about texture as well as taste.

The visual side is part of the fun. Gimbap is designed to look good when sliced, and the workshop places real attention on presentation. If your first roll is not perfectly even, that is part of the lesson. You get to see how small changes in placement and pressure affect the final result.

Cooking sundubu-jjigae from scratch

Sundubu-jjigae is a soft tofu stew, usually served hot and seasoned with a savory, spicy broth. In this class, you prepare the dish from scratch rather than simply reheating a prepared soup.

For anyone interested in Korean cooking, this is likely the central dish of the class. It shows how a few familiar ingredients can become a satisfying bowl through seasoning and heat. Tofu is the focus, but the broth carries much of the flavor, so Soomin’s explanations about ingredients and proportions are especially useful here.

The dish also makes the workshop feel like a proper meal. You are not just preparing decorative snacks. You are building a Korean menu with a warm, substantial stew alongside the other dishes.

Dietary needs are worth raising before the session. The class is fully vegan and described as vegetarian, reducetarian, and Muslim-friendly. Gluten-free preparation is available on request, but you should make that request in advance rather than assume every ingredient is suitable.

Biji-jeon adds tofu in a different form

Biji-jeon is made with soy pulp, giving you another way to work with soy beyond tofu blocks. You prepare the mixture, shape the pancakes, and cook them as part of the class.

This is one of the more interesting parts of the menu because it introduces an ingredient and texture that many people may not know. The class is not simply converting meat dishes into vegan versions. It uses traditional Korean food ideas and plant-based ingredients in their own right.

The pancakes also provide a useful change of pace. Gimbap requires careful assembly, while sundubu-jjigae involves building a broth. Biji-jeon gives you a cooking step that is more direct and tactile, followed by the satisfaction of seeing the mixture become a finished pancake in the pan.

If you are keen to repeat the recipes at home, pay attention to the texture before cooking. The available information does not give exact ingredient quantities, so the most valuable part of the class will be learning how the mixture should look and behave.

Shaping hwa-jeon with seasonal edible flowers

The final dish, hwa-jeon, brings a decorative finish to the meal. You shape glutinous rice dough, cook it, and adorn it with seasonal edible flowers.

This is a lovely way to end the class because it connects cooking with presentation and seasonal ingredients. The flower decoration is not just a garnish added at the last moment. You take part in shaping and cooking the rice dough before placing the flowers.

Hwa-jeon also gives the menu a different texture from the other dishes. After rolling gimbap, simmering stew, and cooking soy pulp pancakes, you work with sticky rice dough and create something that looks quite different on the plate.

Seasonal flowers mean the finished dish may vary. That is a plus if you enjoy food that reflects the time of year, though you should not expect exactly the same decoration every time.

Why the instructor matters here

The strongest part of this experience is the teaching. Soomin is described as warm, clear, and generous with explanations. She takes people through the recipes step by step, explains ingredients and traditions, answers questions, and shares tips for finding vegan food in Seoul.

That last point has practical value. Vegan eating in Seoul can require planning, and a cooking class gives you more than a meal for one morning. You can ask about ingredients, recipes, and the wider food culture in a way that a restaurant visit does not allow.

The class also suits mixed groups. You do not need to be vegan to enjoy it. The menu is a good introduction to Korean cooking for vegetarians, people reducing their meat intake, or anyone curious about tofu and plant-based Korean dishes.

The teaching style appears flexible enough for a solo participant or a small group. A one-person session can continue normally rather than being canceled or reduced to a short demonstration. For someone who wants detailed help, that may be worth the price.

A full meal with lessons built in

Plan to eat what you make. The dishes are intended to form a complete Korean meal, and the class is filling enough that you may want to arrive hungry. One useful tip is to skip breakfast if you usually eat lightly in the morning.

You may also want to bring a container for leftovers. The supplied information does not confirm that containers are provided, so bringing your own is the safer choice if you dislike wasting food.

The meal is also a good reason to schedule the class at the start of a day in Itaewon. Since the session begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends back at the meeting point, you can continue exploring the neighborhood afterward. The exact end time may vary, but the listed duration is approximately two hours and thirty minutes.

Because there are four dishes, the session is likely to feel active. You will assemble, stir, shape, roll, and cook instead of spending most of the time listening. That suits people who want practical skills, but it may not suit anyone looking for a slow, quiet meal with minimal participation.

Is $75 a fair price in Seoul?

At $75 per person, this class costs more than buying a vegan meal in Seoul. The value comes from the combination of food and instruction.

You are paying for roughly two and a half hours, four dishes, a small group, an instructor, cultural explanations, and the chance to cook every part of the meal yourself. A standard restaurant visit may be cheaper, but it will not teach you how to roll gimbap, make soy pulp pancakes, or shape hwa-jeon.

The value is strongest if you care about vegan Korean food or want skills you can use after the trip. It is also stronger if your dietary needs make spontaneous restaurant choices difficult. Having one meal where the menu is fully vegan can provide welcome ease during a Seoul visit.

The price is less convincing if you only want to sample Korean food or if you prefer watching a professional prepare everything. In that case, a restaurant will probably cost less and require less time.

The very small group helps justify the cost. A maximum of four people allows more direct instruction than a large class. If your booking becomes one-on-one, the value improves for anyone who wants personal feedback, though people seeking a lively group atmosphere may prefer a larger class.

Who will enjoy this workshop most?

I would recommend this experience to:

• Vegan and vegetarian eaters who want a complete Korean meal they can safely enjoy.
• People who want to learn several recipes rather than one isolated dish.
• Solo visitors who like the possibility of personal instruction.
• Couples or small groups who prefer a calm, hands-on class.
• Food-minded visitors interested in tofu, soy pulp, glutinous rice, and edible flowers.
• Anyone wanting practical advice about vegan food in Seoul from a local instructor.

It may be less suitable for someone with difficulty climbing to a third-floor venue. It may also disappoint people who expect a broad market visit, restaurant tour, or sightseeing activity. The focus is cooking, eating, and conversation in one location.

The class is also not ideal if you need a fully gluten-free meal but have not requested it ahead of time. Gluten-free cooking is available on request, so make that need clear during booking.

Booking timing, cancellation, and useful planning notes

This experience is booked an average of 41 days ahead, which suggests that advance planning is sensible, especially if you have only a few days in Seoul. Confirmation arrives within 48 hours, subject to availability.

You can cancel without penalty up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.

The overall satisfaction level is high, with a 4.9 rating from 32 ratings and a 97 percent recommendation rate. Those numbers fit the main strengths of the experience: clear instruction, tasty food, a friendly host, and a class that continues to work even when only one person books.

Should you book the Tofu Artist class?

Book it if you want to cook a full vegan Korean meal in a small setting and value personal instruction more than a low-cost lunch. The four-dish menu gives you good variety, while Soomin’s guidance adds cultural and practical help that you can use during the rest of your Seoul stay.

I would be especially keen to book if I were vegan or vegetarian, traveling alone, or tired of searching for reliable plant-based meals. I would think twice only if stairs are difficult, if you need gluten-free cooking but cannot request it ahead of time, or if you mainly want to eat without cooking.

For the right person, $75 buys more than a meal. It buys a useful introduction to Korean ingredients, several recipes to remember, and a relaxed chance to ask questions in a very small class.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class begins in Itaewon-dong, in Seoul’s Yongsan District, near public transportation. The activity ends back at the meeting point.

What time does the class start?

The scheduled start time is 11:00 a.m.

How long does the experience last?

The class lasts approximately two hours and thirty minutes.

What dishes do you make?

You make gimbap, sundubu-jjigae, biji-jeon, and hwa-jeon. The class includes rolling gimbap, cooking sundubu-jjigae from scratch, preparing soy pulp pancakes, and shaping glutinous rice dough with seasonal edible flowers.

Is the class suitable for gluten-free diets?

Gluten-free preparation is available on request. You should make the request before attending.

How many people can join the class?

The maximum group size is four people. A solo booking may become a one-on-one session.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the experience are not accepted for a refund.