RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Root Everyday champions healthy food
Root Everyday's food / Courtesy of Shuttle Delivery
By Mark Boesch
Root Everyday believes that healthy food is the root of a healthy lifestyle. This family-owned restaurant, on the east end of Itaewon-ro in central Seoul’s Hannam-dong neighborhood, was founded in April 2016 by Chef Kristin and her daughters, Jenny and Julia.
Kristin loves feeding people. She grew up in a large family and at an early age began cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for her siblings. She later went to culinary school and after her daughters graduated from Cornell University, with degrees in hospitality management, the family opened Root Everyday.
Back in 2016, the consumption of salads, vegetarianism and veganism all saw noteworthy global increases. Despite the global trend, there were not many salad-focused restaurant concepts here in Seoul. “Salad wasn’t really even considered a meal,” Julia reflected.
The philosophy of Root Everyday centers around the belief that healthy food is an essential part of living a fulfilling life. Their menu is meticulously crafted, free of sugar and artificial additives, featuring raw, fresh ingredients prepared exclusively through healthy cooking methods, with nothing ever fried ― it’s guilt-free eating.
The best seller on the menu is the Root Avocado Roll. Root Everyday’s signature roll is a tasty brown rice wrap stuffed with avocado, romaine lettuce, red cabbage, bell peppers, carrot and sesame ginger dressing. It’s packed with vibrant flavors and nutrients and really makes for a perfect meal on the go, too!
They offer a huge lineup of salad bowls, each with a unique flavor profile, and their menu has options for every diet. Each bowl is a colorful work of art that offers a symphony of flavors and textures. Their poke bowls are the most popular on the menu, offering tuna, grilled salmon and shrimp varieties. The Salmon Poke Bowl is incredibly tasty ― it has a fresh grilled salmon filet, brown rice, crab meat, avocado, romaine, seaweed salad, pickles, flying fish roe, garlic chips, seasonal fruits, spicy mayo sauce and a zesty citron soy-based dressing. The entire menu is outstanding, and each salad offers its own delightful experience, making it a joy to eat your way through the entire menu.
The good news is that they are growing! In April 2022, Root Everyday opened a new location south of the river in Sinsaegae Department Store Gangnam. The family has plans to open more health-focused restaurant concepts in the future.
Root Everyday is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m Tuesday to Sunday, with a break from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. You can skip the queue, pay online and place pickup or delivery orders using the Shuttle app or by visiting shuttledelivery.co.kr.
Mark Boesch is co-founder and chief marketing officer of Shuttle Delivery.