Polydish city guide
Best Vegan Kimchi Jjigae in London
“Fish sauce out, mushroom stock in — and reviewers say the fermented funk that makes kimchi jjigae what it is survives the swap intact.”
What the real thing tastes like
Standard kimchi jjigae relies on pork and often fish-sauce-fermented kimchi for its depth. This version uses vegan kimchi (fermented without fish sauce or shrimp paste) and builds body with a dried shiitake and kombu mushroom stock instead of pork, replacing the animal-derived umami sources with plant-based ones that ferment and simmer to a similar depth.
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People who miss Korean stews after going vegan say this is one of the few versions that doesn't taste noticeably thinner than the original, crediting the mushroom stock's long simmer for the body. The kimchi's fermentation is still the dominant flavour, same as the traditional version.
Order it here when it has
- still deeply fermented flavour
- naturally vegan
- rich mushroom body
Walk away when you see
- less rich than pork version for some
- harder to find vegan kimchi
- can be very spicy
Restaurant-level rankings for London land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —
Vegan Kimchi Jjigae on Polydish →