Tokyo’s quirky Harajuku district may be small, but it’s got some great vegan restaurants. In addition to many delicious vegan sweets, such as vegan donuts and wagashi, the area has many options for lunch and dinner. Try things like vegan beetroot ramen, Japanese home-cooked food and vegan gyoza.
Mushroom Tokyo
Mushroom Tokyo is probably a place you’ll only find in Japan: a restaurant completely dedicated to a vegans’ favorite vegetable. There is every mushroom-related dish you can think of, from mushroom soup to the more outlandish mushroom ice cream. At Mushroom Tokyo, while not everything is vegan, there is a vegan menu with at least one vegan option every day. It provides a novel way to experience the way Japan obsesses over food. In this case, mushrooms.
Mominoki House
Mominoki House, as it is informally known, was established in 1976. The project was launched by Eiichiro Yamada, who became interested in healthy eating and vegetarianism after spending time abroad.
The interior of the restaurant looks like a small Swiss holiday cottage, with a red and white color scheme, tiles and wooden tables. There’s also a stage which occasionally hosts live events. The eatery serves both meat and fish dishes, so make sure to state “vegan” when you order. The menu, however, is well-marked, with notes indicating suitability for different diets. The food is varied, with a distinct Japanese flavor, including vegan karaage and vegan sushi. The miso soup is delicious, with a variety of tsukemono included with each order. The shop is open for both lunch and dinner.
Bassa Nova Harajuku
Bassa Nova serves up some amazing vegan ramen, and it’s available in both cold and hot varieties. In true ramen shop style, diners at Bassa Nova order their ramen from the vending machine. The ramen comes in either a curry or beetroot flavor. Both flavors have a deep taste and the men (noodles) are deliciously chewy. Just how they should be.
Another great thing about Bassa Nova is that you rarely have to wait for a table, as it’s somewhat of a hidden gem, tucked behind the backstreets of Harajuku.
Vegan Bistro Jangara
Note from the author: Being honest, the popularity of Vegan Bistro Jangara is slightly baffling to me. It’s a brightly lit bistro serving up Chinese and Taiwanese classics, such as gyoza and tantanmen. Yet every time I write one of these roundups and don’t include Jangara, I get so many messages that I’m now compelled to say: Try it yourself.
True, it’s a tasty example of vegan cooking in a relaxed environment, with each dish well-flavored and perfectly balanced. And it is novel to have gyoza alongside sizzling hot plates without worrying about the potential meat inside. I still don’t quite get the fuss, though, so let me know if you do.
Brown Rice by Neal’s Yard Remedies
Brown Rice has been serving the Tokyo vegetarian and vegan community for over 20 years. Despite what you may think about a restaurant run by a brand, Brown Rice has a lot of character, which comes across through its delectable food. Down with soy-meats and up with natural goodness, Brown Rice brings out the flavor in myriad Japanese ingredients, ranging from shiitake mushrooms and konbu (seaweed) broth to tofu and miso.
The lunch dishes include Japanese curry and mushi-yashi, Japanese-steamed veggies with a selection of sauces to help you truly appreciate nature’s bounty. The restaurant is committed to sourcing ingredients domestically, reducing air miles and maximizing freshness.
