Cook and Book

Currently located in Hapjeong, Cook and Book (circa 2010) is one of the longest running vegan cafés in Seoul. Formerly located closer to Hongik University Station, the café’s owner Chun Soo-mi decided to move away from the busier main street in search of a quieter haven back in 2013. Chun first got her inspiration to start a vegan café during her days at cooking school in San Francisco. “Although we learned how to cook meat, I made a lot of friends who were vegetarian. Through them, I realized how good purely vegetarian food could taste.” Since then, Cook and Book has evolved from running baking classes to selling baked goods to now serving simple dishes as well. The café proudly displays a sign that reads “No butter. No egg. No milk.” While small cooking classes (predominately baking related) are still held every Wednesday and many customers come in for the vegi burger with demi-glace sauce, desserts, such as the vegan carrot cake and vegan brownie, reign supreme served on colorful, vintage china. Chun, who runs the kitchen on her own, says the hardest part is handpicking the fresh ingredients that go into her food. “I want to make sure that the food’s as natural as possible.”