Ohana

Organic Vegan restaurant 

It's been a while since I've added a new restaurant review to the blog, so when I had a rare Tuesday off a few weeks ago, I figured it was a perfect opportunity to try out a new place.  I met up with a friend in Shibuya, and we initially headed over to Vegan Healing Cafe, only to find it closed.  This is the 3rd time I've gone during supposed opening hours and found it closed.  Does anyone know for sure if it is still open?  The website is up and running, and it seems like everything is fine.  Do they just keep erratic hours?

Lunch venue plan B required a quick ride on the Denentoshi line over to Sangenjaya.  A quick walk from the station found us stepping off the noisy, highwayside sidewalk, and into a little oasis of hippie vegan calm of Ohana.

We were pretty hungry but not particularly excited by the (Japanese only) menu.  As far as I could decipher, the lunch menu choices consisted of an onigiri (rice ball) plate (780¥), a soup set (Tuesday's was a white stew with beans) with bread (880¥), a curry plate (880¥), or the daily plate served with rice (980¥), which was featuring white stew with beans.  My friend and I decided to share the soup/ bread set and the onigiri plate, as curry is a too often used fallback for the hungry vegetarian or vegan dining out in Japan.

If I had to sum up Ohana's food in one word, I would say it was nice.  The meals were simple, wholesome, and tasty enough.  It was nothing mindblowing, and nothing that one couldn't fairly easily make at home.

The dessert plate (480¥) we ordered, a little piece of chocolate cake, and a slice of (if my memory serves me correctly) banana and ginger loaf didn't pack the decadence I hope for in a dessert.  They reminded me more of the vegan banana bread I often bake for a healthy-ish at work snack when I am trying to avoid junking out on cookies and other tempting goodies.

Overall, our meal at Ohana was pleasant enough, but I can't say I'll be making any special trips to Sangenjaya to return.  I could see eating there sometimes if I happened to work or live close by, or perhaps it would be a nice stop for a traveler tired of heavy restaurant food.  

How to get there: From Sangenjaya station (on the Tokyu Denentoshi line and Setagaya line), take the south exit.  Setagaya-dori and Route 246 merge in a Y shape right at the station, so you want to head along Route 246, towards the upper left arm of the Y.  Ohana is just a couple blocks away from the south exit.

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hisashiburi veggie dog

Sunday morning we rolled out of bed and over to Spiral Aoyama to catch the film Romeos, presented by  the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.  We really enjoyed it, and it was great to see such a crowd come out on a Sunday morning to support queer film.  After the show was over, A-chan had a craving for soymilk ramen, so we hopped on the subway and made our way to Yotsuya-sanchome to pay a visit to Loving Hut.  

If you've been following my blog for a while and have read my original Loving Hut review you'll know I'm a big fan of this place.  While I was tempted to order up a bowl of soymilk ramen myself, I opted for the veggie dog plate, as it was one of the only Loving Hut meals I haven't tried.  While I don't really think of veggie dogs as restaurant food, they're not something you can buy in a grocery store in Japan.  In fact, I think this was the first veggie dog I've eaten since I moved to Japan three years ago.  Crazy!  While they're certainly not my favourite vegetarian meal, a veggie dog is such a tasty, simple comfort food that it's hard to believe I went so long without eating one.  The Loving Hut version was satisfying enough, but I have to say the star of that plate was one of the tiny side dishes.  This morsel of sweet and sour mock meat packed a punch!  I hope to see it appearing as a main dish someday soon.  

I mentioned that the veggie dog was one of my few remaining yet to be sampled Loving Hut dishes.  Lucky for me, my friend ordered the only other meal I hadn't tried, which was the curry plate.  Given that Indian food is an often used safe bet for me when dining with omnivore companions, I hardly ever order curry when I make it to a vegetarian restaurant.  So I was quite pleased when my friend opted for the curry plate and put up no resistance when I demanded a spoonful for my "research".  It was a nicely spiced, but not too spicy curry, peppered with chewy, ground meat-like TVP.  

We finished off our meal by sharing a piece of vegan cheesecake, topped with blueberry sauce, between the four of us. Very impressive!  I've tried a number of vegan cheesecakes in my time, and generally they are tasty enough as long as one doesn't try to compare them to an actual cheesecake.  (Which is probably easier for long time vegans!)  Loving Hut's vegan cheesecake was truly delicious and didn't have that tofu taste that vegan versions sometimes do.  This guy has won a place on my Loving Hut recommendation list!

 Now that I've tried all the main dishes, I can confidently recommend the veggie burger plate, soymilk ramen, and cheesecake as my top Loving Hut picks.  What are your favourites?

*Language note: hisashiburi, which appeared in the title of this post, means "it's been a long time" or "long time no see!"

Loving Hut

vegan restaurant 

This building!  Head up to the 2nd floor.

On Sunday we paid a long overdue visit to Loving Hut.  Despite being impressed with this place the first time I went there, around 2 years ago, I never find myself in the Yotsuya-sanchome neighborhood.  I realize this is quite a ridiculous excuse, as it's literally a 5 minute subway ride from Shinjuku.

In the mood to take a little walk, we hopped off the subway at Akebonobashi station.  That area has nostalgic value for me, as the Ace Inn Hostel was my original Tokyo homebase, back when I was night bussing up from Mie for little weekend hits of urban life.  Walking those streets I can still feel traces of those Tokyo butterflies, and it reminded me how lucky I am to call this amazing city home.

On the way we found an alcohol vending machine, which seem to be becoming less common these days.

Booze vending machine!  And yes, that is a zebra print dress I'm wearing.  A-chan calls it my Osaka obasan dress, which is not a compliment.  

We arrived at Loving Hut and promptly ordered 3 meals to share between the 2 of us.  I felt like a bit of a glutton when the three trays arrived, but as the food is pretty light so it turned out to be a good amount for 2 hungry people.

The first to arrive was a delicious bowl of soymilk ramen topped with green onion and ground mock meat (650¥).  It had a lovely, rich flavor, though I wouldn't have minded seeing a few more vegetables involved.

Next came the zen tanpin* (500¥), a slab of mock unagi on a bed of rice.  Though I can't compare the taste to real unagi (as I've never tried it), I found this dish reasonably tasty, but a definite third place to the two other yummy meals we ordered.  As the name suggests, this can also be ordered as part of a meal plate.

My favourite of the three was the veggie burger plate (1000¥).  The very tasty, though little, burger is accompanied by an assortment of sides: a soup, a salad, pickles, a tiny side of curried vegetables, a piece of vegetable korokke and a few bites of dessert.

Loving hut is a small place with just a few tables and lunch bar type seating along the windows and back wall.  The interior is clean, bright, and homey, with little grannyish touches like handmade fabric cozies for the napkin dispensers.  You'll find copies of vegetarian magazines and other animal loving books, and perhaps not to everyone's liking, a (rather unobtrusive!) video looping religious vegan propaganda playing softly in the background.

Would it be too cheesy of me to say that I feel the love that goes into running Loving Hut?  From the decor to the carefully prepared, healthy meals, it's clear that a lot of heart goes into the finished product.

  

See what I mean by grannyish touches?  I love the wallpaper in the washroom.

Language note:
*tanpin (単品 or たんぴん）means a single item or à la carte.  When ordering an item that can be ordered with or without a set, this is a useful word to know.

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おすすめ / recommendation: veggie burger plate 


good points: cheap, healthy, delicious vegan meals, cute decor, easy to find


bad points: the religious element may not be everyone's cup of tea, big eaters may find the portions a bit small


address: 6-15 2F Yotsuya Sanchome, Shinjuku-ku


東京都新宿区四谷三丁目６−１５２F　


how to get there:
Take the Marunouchi line to Yotsuya Sanchome station, and use exit 4.  From the exit, head slightly to the left (walk past Bakery Cafe Antendo).  Take a left at the first corner, and you'll see Loving Hut on your right on the second floor.


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Nagi Shokudo

vegan restaurant 


I've made it over the last hurdle of the summer: my school's second sleep away camp.  Added to the long days and superhuman energy expenditures required, this camp was a challenge for me because (as I mentioned a few posts back) I had to bring all of my own food for the 3 days.   It turned out quite well as there was a fridge and microwave in the dining area, and a dish soap and sponge equipped sink nearby to wash my dish.  My meals consisted of those ready to eat Indian curries, tofu burger patties, bread, natto, and a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables.  The kids got such a kick out of seeing me eat fruit and veggies as is, as it's pretty well unheard of in Japan.  The (non-vegetarian) meals provided by the camp were popular enough with the kids, but the other teachers were pretty unimpressed.  A lot of my coworkers were wishing they had brought their own stash too!

Back in Tokyo, with a day off to relax before heading back to a regular class schedule, I thought it was about time to do another restaurant post.  I'd never been to Nagi Shokudo before, but I'd heard good things.  My trusty Japan Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide said it's quite popular, and reviews on Happy Cow are positive.  The restaurant has a relaxed vibe, completed by an array of knick knacks as decoration, books and zines around to peruse, and interesting musical selections.  Half of the dining space is a raised platform for low Japanese table style dining, and the other half standard tables and chairs.      

I was inclined to order the 2 person dinner set, as they tend to be crowd pleasers, and as they often move faster than other menu items, tend to be fresh.  A-chan thought the set looked a little heavy on the karaage type fried items, so we ordered a selection of other menu items.  The stir fried cucumber and yam (nagaimo) (350¥) turned out to be rather disappointing.  It lacked flavor and the several of the nagaimo pieces were staring to go bad.  The plate of sliced tomatoes and avocado with tofu mayo (350¥) were nothing to write home about, but not bad either.  We tried their eggplant and mushroom curry (480¥) next.  It had a nice flavor, but quite watery in texture.  The ratatouille was reasonably tasty and I had no complaints about the brown rice (actually genmai), pickles and miso soup set (350¥)... except perhaps that you only get two tiny slices of pickles.  The tastiest item we ordered was definitely the falafel with tofu sour sauce, perhaps not coincidentally also the only deep fried item we had. Maybe we should have gone for the 2 person dinner set after all!

Other than not being all that impressed with the food, I should mention that A-chan found the interior of the place quite unappealing. She said the washroom and the open kitchen looked pretty dirty, the utensils and menu had seen better days and the decor looked more like an oddly decorated house than a restaurant.  In my eyes, the place just looked relaxed and a bit quirky, and I didn't find it dirty.  But hey, I'm someone who eats food that falls on the floor, so I tend to be quite relaxed about such things.  Overall, given the wealth of great veggie food options in Tokyo, Nagi Shokudo is not going on my list of places to return to, though if I did end up back there, I'd like to give the dinner or (well reviewed) lunch set a try.

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menu: In Japanese and often oddly translated English

おすすめ / recommendation: falafel with tofu sour sauce, plus I hear the lunch plates are yummy

good points:  relaxed setting, zines available for your reading pleasure if that's your kinda thing

bad points:  the food was so-so overall and sometimes not very fresh

Address: 15-10-103 Uguisu Dani-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

東京都渋谷区鶯谷町１５−１０−１０３

It's about 10 minutes walk from the South exit of Shibuya station.


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Pure Cafe

vegan restaurant

Pure Cafe ranks as one of my favourite vegan restaurants in Tokyo.  Tucked on a side street off Aoyama Dori, close to Omotesando, Pure is a calm little oasis to head to for a break from the bustle of Harajuku or Shibuya.

After a morning yoga class, I headed to Pure for a solo lunch.  It's a comfy spot for a meal for one- they have plenty of little tables, books and magazines for perusing, and a counter facing out to the street so you can watch the stylish passers by.  The ambiance is lovely, earthy, and stylish.

I have only ever been to Pure for lunch, but it's an ideal time to go.  Though many of their individual items are on the pricy side (a muffin will cost you 472¥), the lunch specials are quite reasonable (1150¥ - 1360¥).  They always have several choices of lunch sets- a few sandwiches, a grain salad, or perhaps a curry as the main dish.  With your main, you get a little soup (today's was a lovely Thai curry soup), a salad, and a drink (organic tea, coffee or juice).  Pure's food is consistently delicious, and often creative.  My sandwich (named "my favorite sandwich") was avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, celery, and peanut butter(!) on rye bread.  I was skeptical about how well those ingredients were going to get along, but somehow it worked out!  True to their name, Pure serves up food that is tasty in a distinctly healthy way, not from an overload of salt, sugar, fat, or artificial flavors.

I haven't tried their desserts (630¥ - 715¥), but have heard great things about them!  Do any Tokyo friends want to accompany me on my next visit for some "research"?

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***If you want to take items out, make sure to bring your own cup or bag!  They don't offer disposables.

Menu: both Japanese and English.  The main chalkboard is English only.  Also, the staff speak some English.  All menu items are vegan!

おすすめ　／　recommendation: Everything!  Order a set for better value.

good points: lovely atmosphere, delicious, healthy

bad points: portions may be small for some, can be pricy

how to get there:  The first time I ever went to Pure, back before I moved to Tokyo, I wandered around for 2 frustrating hours getting lost even though I had a guidebook with a map.  I have no idea how I managed that, cause it's quite simple to find.  Take exit B3 of Omotesando station on the Ginza, Hanzomon, or Chioda lines.  When you exit, take a left, and head down the little street.  The road soon comes to a T, and you will see the Aveda salon just to the left in front of you.  Pure cafe shares the building with Aveda, with the cafe on the left and salon on the right.



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T's Tan Tan: vegan ramen in Tokyo station!

vegan restaurant 

I don't even bother going into ramen shops.  The vegetarian in the know can find a decent meal in an izakaya, soba shop, sushi restaurant, and even yakitori (grilled chicken) place, but generally, ramen in a non-vegetarian establishment is a lost cause.

How exciting is it, then, that there is now an all vegan ramen shop in Tokyo station!  Now vegetarians and vegans in transit can enjoy hot steamy bowls of delicious greasy noodles!

On a rare Monday off, I made my way over to Tokyo station, miraculously managed to not get lost on the way to the shop, and ordered up a lunch special.  I opted for the white ramen (on the advice of a friend I requested it less spicy), which comes topped with beansprouts.  The lunch special offers the choice between mock meat karaage or a mini curry, and I opted for the latter.   While the ramen didn't come close to challenging my current favourite (Cafe Proverbs 15:17 in Kyoto) for the top spot, it was yummy and filling.  I would have loved a bigger serving of vegetables in exchange for some noodle volume, but T's Tan Tan's proportions are true to the classic ramen form, with veggies acting as a topping to a big serving of noodles.  It was a treat to get to eat Japanese curry for a change, as Japanese curry is usually another fight not worth fighting (as it will nearly always contain a meat base). I'm a big fan of Indian curry but also enjoyed the sweet, smoother Japanese version.

For dessert, I had a little serving of sweet and simple tofu pudding to finish off my meal.

T's Tan Tan is an interesting place cause the target market is not vegans or vegetarians, but rather health conscious commuters and business people.  The meals are definitely designed with a mainstream Japanese taste in mind (I doubt you'll be finding any genmai here anytime soon).  If you want to get a stress free taste of what regular Japanese people eat on the go, this is a great place to try!

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Menu: Japanese only, with photos

おすすめ / recommendation: I haven't tried enough to compare dishes, but the shiro tan tan (白たんたん) was nice.  Apparently quite spicy as is, can be ordered "plain" for less spice.

good points: convenient location if you are passing through or work by Tokyo station, stress free (all vegan), authentic ramen taste!

bad points: tricky to find

how to get there:  T's is inside Tokyo station, in a shopping/ restaurant area called Keiyo street.  Check a map in the station, or ask for Keiyo street at one of the information kiosks.  Look for Uniqlo once you've found Keiyo street.  If you face Uniqlo, you will see a New Days combini on the left, and beside that, an information booth on the corner.  Walk towards the information booth, and turn to the right.  Walk past an omiyage (souvenir) shop, and you will find T's Tan Tan next door.




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