Friday 29 December 2017

Veg*n friendly omni restaurants in Tokyo

A recurring request in our group is for recommendations of restaurants that serve both omni and vegetarian/vegan food. Ovo/lacto-vegetarians in general have an easier time with this than vegans since most Indian and Italian restaurants can accommodate them by default. So-called macrobiotic restaurants normally serve vegan food along with fish. In some cases the fish is so integral to the menu that no vegetarian can eat there, but in other cases there are sufficient fish-free options.

Happycow.net allows searching for veg friendly restaurants so it's highly recommended to look there as this blog can never be as up to date and complete as Happycow.  Vegewel allows searching for macrobiotic restaurants.

Here is a list of restaurants that are frequently mentioned in our group., Ordered roughly from north to south and from west to east of the city.

* = affordable
** = mid-market pricing
*** = premium pricing


Rouran @Ikebukuro (Chinese; vegan menu available) *
Chikyu Tabi Cafe @Takadanobaba (multinational menu, more vegetarian than vegan options available but will suffice for vegans, too) *
Titchai @Shimokitazawa (Thai food, many items can be veganized) *
Los Barbados @Shibuya (African and Arabic; extensive vegetarian and vegan options) **
Blu Jam Cafe @Daikanyama and Azabu Juuban (all-day dining, mostly brunch style foods; sufficient vegan and vegetarian options available) **
Tamana Shokudo @Aoyama (high quality western and Japanese food; mostly vegan, some fish) ** - ***
Cicada @Aoyama Perfect for lacto-/ovo-vegetarians, borderline for vegans. Upscale. ***
Pizzakaya @Roppongi (American style pizza; vegan options available) **
Pink Cow @Akasaka  (pub; various vegan and vegetarian menu items) **
Cantonese En @Tokyo Station (high end Chinese food, the vegetarian menu is in fact vegan) ***
The Earl @Akasaka is a veg*n-friendly sandwich shop that also does catering **


Chains with several locations
Coco Ichibanya @everywhere; literally ubiquitous Japanese style curry chain, with vegan options *
Homeworks @Hiroo, Azabu and Shinagawa  (sandwich shop, the vegetarian items mostly contain cheese but can be veganized) **
Hobgoblin @Shibuya, Roppongi, Akasaka (pub; several vegan items on the menu) **
Mr Farmer @Omotesando; Shinjuku; Roppongi; Komazawa (Cafe with good vegan and vegetarian options) **
Chaya @Shinjuku, Yoyogi (Tomigaya), Hibiya & Shiodome (Japanese/western macrobiotic and omni, good vegan options) ** - ***
Bills @Ginza, Odaiba, Omotesando, Futakotamagawa, Yokohama ***



Saturday 16 December 2017

"Is it vegan?" in Japanese (printable explanations)

You can download a printable PDF of the file here.

Here are three statements you can print out and show to staff at restaurants or shops to ask whether something is vegan or not/can be made vegan. The Japanese word “Dame” (pronounced “dah-meh”) means “No good” or “No go.” The English word “Okay” is also used in Japanese.

For restaurants / cafes (the part in blue can be left out by those who do not wish to insist on this)


I am vegan, in other words strict vegetarian. I cannot eat any kind of animal foods. This includes meat, fish, fish eggs, things that contain fish/chicken/beef broth, chicken eggs, milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt and honey. Would you be able to cook something that I can eat? (Examples: fried tofu, vegetable stir fry, vegetable curry, or pasta with arrabbiata sauce).

Friday 15 December 2017

Is it vegan? 乳化剤, the confusing 'emulsifier'

Many members of our Facebook group have raised questions surrounding a common ingredient found in sweets, drinks and other products: 乳化剤 (nyuu-ka-zai). Dictionaries tend to provide the English translation emulsifier, but concern often arises from the presence of the character 乳, which represents milk. Hence the question: Is 乳化剤 vegan?

The truth is, does not imply dairy. For example, the Japanese word for soy milk is 豆乳 (tou-nyuu). Thus, the presence of  is not itself an indication of whether a product is vegan or otherwise, as is the case in 乳化剤.

This leaves us with the unsatisfying conclusion that it is impossible to tell whether an ingredient listed as 乳化剤 is safe for vegans without further information. Emulsifiers can be both plant- and animal-derived. To see a list of common emulsifiers along with an indication of whether or not they are suitable for vegans, please refer to this link.

Thursday 14 December 2017