Upon first glance, Japan is not the easiest of destinations for vegan travelers, much of their cuisine contains seafood or meat, and even menu options that appear to be ‘meat-free’ are often made from dashi, a fish stock used in many dishes such as miso soup. There are, however, an increasing number of new restaurants catering to vegan diners, check out some of our recommendations below.
Mr. Farmer
Mr. Farmer is a chain of Tokyo restaurants with five locations throughout the city. TA good spot for a healthy lunch, they have a dedicated vegan menu which includes vegetable curry with quinoa and brown rice, vegan loco moco, and Asian salad wraps with tofu and avocado. The dessert menu is also particularly enticing and includes vegan ice cream and chocolate orange cake. The Omotesando branch is in a great location, easily accessed from Shibuya and Harajuku and has a small terrace with patio seating which is quite rare in Tokyo.
Organic Table by Lapaz
Serving vegan food since 2017, Organic Table is a convenient stop when out shopping in the Harajuku area, or after a visit to nearby Meiji Shrine. Promoting itself as a plant-based vegan café, Organic Table’s menu includes a range of burgers made from soy fillets with rice buns and vegan curries. The dessert menu includes a delicious no-bake cheesecake and raw trifle. Expect to pay around 1,600 yen for a main course and 700 yen for dessert.
T’s Restaurant
T’s vegan restaurant is one of the top-rated vegan restaurants in the city and is located a little off the tourist path in the south of Tokyo, close to Jiyugaoka station. This trendy area has a European influence complete with an Italian-style piazza and Venetian bridge. At T’s Restaurant, the lunchtime menu includes egg-free pasta, curry, and doria (a rice casserole dish) whilst the dinner menu is much more extensive and includes vegan burgers and pizza. The dessert menu is also huge, with tempting offerings including parfaits, cakes, ice cream, and sorbet.
Veganic to Go
Located in the popular shopping district of Roppongi, Vegan to Go specializes in vegan, plant-based organic food that’s good for your health. The restaurant is located near to the Mori Art Museum and has limited seating, so try to avoid visiting during peak times if you don’t want to wait for a table. The menu includes coconut curries and meat-free burgers, with sweet treats such as pumpkin muffins also available. Their specialty is the monster burger, a giant fish burger that is made out of soy.
Ko-So Café
Ko-So Café in Ebisu is another well-known vegan diner with an extensive grand menu that has a range of dishes from pasta to pizza. Menu highlights include soy milk coconut cream pasta with vegetables and a vegetable pizza with vegan cheese made from rice flour making it gluten-free too. The restaurant also has a wide range of nutritious smoothies to try such as the green power smoothie packed with fruit and green vegetables.
If you’re a vegan and visiting Tokyo, you can meet up with other vegan travelers and locals by downloading the OodyMate app and posting an OodyMeet request for free!