Nestled quietly on the second floor of a modest building near Seoul’s Dongdaemun Station, Cherry Garden is a Korean restaurant with an unexpectedly global soul. It offers more than just a meal — it presents a table where cultures meet, dietary needs are honored, and stories are shared over carefully prepared dishes.
At the heart of Cherry Garden is Yeon-sil Lee, affectionately known as Cherry. After spending 25 years in Singapore immersed in a multicultural environment, she returned to Korea with a vision: to create a space where food becomes a language of hospitality — one that transcends borders.
Where Inclusion Meets Tradition
Cherry Garden is among the few Korean restaurants in Seoul that offer vegan and halal meals — not as afterthoughts, but with care and intention. Here, dietary diversity is embraced as a given, not an exception.
Cherry doesn’t simply remove ingredients. She redesigns meals around each guest’s needs.
For Muslim guests, dishes are prepared with halal-certified meats.
For vegans, traditional Korean vegetables and grains take center stage — no egg, no dairy, just authentic flavors.
Children are offered milder options, while older guests receive easily digestible side dishes.
“Every culture has its food sensitivities,” Cherry says. “I don’t see them as limitations. They’re opportunities to serve with heart.”
Plates with Stories
The restaurant’s aesthetic reflects its multicultural spirit. Each dish is served on hand-collected ceramic ware from around the world — bone china from the UK, porcelain from Germany, vintage Japanese plates, and tea sets from Russia.
Instead of being displayed behind glass, these dishes are used daily.
“I’ve collected these over decades,” Cherry shares. “They’ve held memories. Now they hold meals and new conversations.”
It’s a philosophy rooted in generosity — fine things are not to be kept, but shared.
More Than a Meal
The signature dish is sotbap — traditional Korean hot pot rice, served with seasonal banchan and house-fermented kimchi. Everything is made in-house, using fresh, local ingredients.
But Cherry Garden isn’t just about food.
It has quietly become a cultural hub — a place for book salons, international meetups, embassy gatherings, and language exchange sessions.
Groups as large as 50 have reserved the space for events that blend cuisine with conversation.
People travel from Gangnam, Bundang, Incheon, and beyond — not just for the food, but for the atmosphere: elegant, quiet, and deeply personal.
Expanding the Garden
Cherry has recently begun offering homemade yogurt, free of preservatives and full of probiotic benefits. Its popularity has led to nationwide delivery, and she’s now preparing to launch a lunchbox service tailored to tourists, allowing travelers to enjoy a portable, healthy Korean meal — even on the go.
Her goal is simple: “To make people feel at home, no matter where they’re from.”
A Place That Grows People, Not Just Plants
In a fast-paced city like Seoul, Cherry Garden is a place to slow down — to eat with intention, to listen with openness, and to leave with something more than a full stomach.
It’s called a garden.
But instead of growing herbs or flowers, it grows trust, warmth, and quiet connections — one meal at a time.
The Travel News ㅣ Jungchan Lee/Publisher
