With a lifelong passion for cooking and a desire to reinvent the concept of mainstream Korean food, L’Academie de Cuisine graduate and Ritz Carlton-trained Anna Goree started Seoul Food DC as a food truck in 2011, operating in Arlington, VA. Serving traditional Korean fare such as bibimbap and other eclectic dishes, the hot-pink outpost quickly made a name for itself for wholesome, flavorful, and authentic food. In 2013, Seoul Food DC moved into comfier digs inside a gas station in Wheaton, MD, where Chef Anna redefined “gas station food” – with a constantly rotating menu of inventive dishes – and further honed her philosophy of making food that takes good loving care of the community’s “seoul.” From there, Chef Anna opened her present-day brick-and-mortar in 2018, located in the Takoma Park neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, DC.

Inspired by the incredible versatility of vegetables paired with the Korean-inspired ingredients and flavors of her childhood, Chef Anna decided to pursue her creative endeavor of becoming a predominantly vegan establishment in the summer of 2019. Today, alongside the classic dishes that first made her name, Chef Anna executes a seasonal menu of vegan, plant-based dishes that are powerhouses of flavor – paired with fresh teas and a selection of wines and local beer.

Above all, Seoul Food DC aspires to expand the spectrum of what vegan food is, tied to Chef Anna’s own cultural roots as a Korean immigrant. Creating nuanced, complex dishes that elevate the concept of vegan food and expand the menu of Korean cuisine is at the core of Seoul Food DC’s ethos as we continue to evolve as a business.