Ain Soph.Journey

Really good cozy restaurant. I had the fajitas and the tiramisu pancakes. The fajitas were amazing and the pancake was divine - possibly the best vegan desert I've ever had! Went with a friend who is gluten-intolerant and they had several options for her too. Would definitely recommend it.

I tried many things from this restaurant. The vegan cheese plate (only available during dinnertime) had very tasty cheese, my omnivorous family could not tell the difference from regular cheese! However, we were given only two slices of a baguette, which was not enough to finish the cheese. We ended up eating more than half of the cheese on its own.

I had a bite of the tortilla roll, it tasted very cumin-ey.

The Deep-fried veggie meat was crispy, juicy and delicious while the vegan cutlet was also crispy and quite tasty.

Tomato soup was savoury and delicious. Spanish omelette was mushy and quite bland.

Hayashi rice was okay. I felt like it could have a little more flavour.

Now on to the best part of this place. The pancakes! Inside the nicely crisp outside of the buttery pancakes were soft, fluffy and pillowy. The rum-raisin ice cream and the whipped cream complimented the texture and taste of the pancakes. My family preferred the soy whip over regular whipped cream! A must-try for anyone visiting Tokyo!



Updated from previous review on 2017-02-09

I was a bit worried about how the experience would be, based on other reviews which mentioned that the portion sizes were small. It's definitely the case for some of the main meals I had but I did come here mainly for the pancakes. They definitely were tasty (1500 yen). I recommend coming here for them, not too sure about those mains.. I also picked up their Snowballs cookies which were absolutely delicious (600 yen for approx 8 balls).
Staff was nice.

Was on the bucket list for the longesttt time ever. Finally went, smashed the pancake sand wow those pancakes were just heavenly! The were heavenly pillows of fluff, a slight crispiness on the outside, topped with a decadent maple nut ice cream, delicious fruit sauce, and a large tuft of soy whip cream. Sooo expensive though, could only afford to get that (I'm a student) but it was such an amazing after exam treat. People, if you go to Ain soph you gotta order the pancakes!! They were heavenly! But of course,as previously mentioned, everything at Ain soph is to small portioned and really expensive, but I do believe the pancake experience is worth it wow!

Very cute restaurant, our waitress was very very nice, helpful and had great English, unfortunately the food wasn't that great and the portions were pretty small relatively to its prices (if only evey dish would come with some simple rice it could be 4.5 stars review). The pancake was great! and you should definitely drop by for it!

It is wonderful to find somewhere that does nice vegan food in Tokyo, but I found Ain Soph is really expensive. Combined with the small portion sizes I wouldn't return here too often.
The tacos was a reasonable size and came with salad, but the cashew curry was just that - a couple of spoonfuls on a plate with no rice or anything else.
We finished up having a portion of pancakes each - the mango and coconut was amazingly good.
I think this is the most expensive vegan meal we have ever had, and we only had main courses and sweets. Very good though!

We had a fantastic experience here. The food was incredible and lovely staff. The dessert plate had us drooling!

Small portions and high prices for the simple quality of the food. $9 for a ginger ale was also steep, even if homemade. I was embarrassed for having dragged my colleague here to try it.

The food here is amazing, especially the pickles and the fried 'chicken'. However, it's definitely Tokyo prices. A meal for two will set you back 2600 yen or so with one drink and no dessert, it's so convenient though, just 4 steps from c6 exit of shinjukunichome station.
Having said that, the portions were small and for hungry vegans volume is key. The little bits of things to pick at does irritate me sometimes. I want to feel like I ate, and sometimes at ain.soph it's hard to tell afterwards if you ate or not...

As a vegan looking for some exquisite blend between Western and Japanese cuisines, I found this marvelous little perl in the middle of Shinjuku Sanchome. There options are amazing, like pancake, waffle, ice-cream topped with whipped cream, and just so much more! For vegans especially, who only find sophisticated options like these in the US, Ain Soph. Journey is heaven! I even found some of their vegan products, like the whipped cream, better than the ones I find in the US. If you are in for an exotic healthy meal, this is a place you can’t miss! Don’t forget to buy the delicious “Snow Balls” on your way out! They are simply AMAZING!

Loved the fake meat deep fried cutlets and the waffle but not too keen on the mains, would defo visit again for the fake meat cutlets and dessert though

This place is a blessing for vegans! It is a quiet little respite with wonderful service and really good, healthy food with a Japanese flare. I've been in twice. The falafel burger was good but my favorites are the salad bowl (with quinoa and crisp veggies) and the burrito. I'll stop by again for these two treats before leaving town to return to Florida.

We ordered all-you-can-drink course. Foods were ok, but we were disappointed by slow service and high price considering the quality of the foods.

There seems to be a secret union of veg restaurants in Tokyo that prescribes the same "book of flavors" to all its members, or something. T's in Jiyugaoka, Olu Olu Cafe, Kushi Garden and Ainsoph all belong to it, plus a bunch more. Eat More Greens was a member of the club, too, but recently added various meat and seafood dishes to the menu so now they've been kicked out of the union. They all taste very similar, some dishes are outright interchangeable. There is a lack of creativity and imagination here, a sort of group think, or maybe a linguistic barrier that prevents them from accessing non-Japanese recipe books. The result is the same old veggie soup, salad, soy chik'n nugget & curry (or hayashi) rice combo. Also, taco rice and/or vegetable tortillas. Go to one of them, eat it, now you know how all the others taste. T's is a little ahead of the pack with execution so go there if you want the best. Ainsoph here has the nicest ambience and staff. (Like many other places though, here too, only one menu per table because, see, we're into "sharing".) Each of these eateries has one or two things on the menu that the others don't have so they don't get caught in their collusion. Ainsoph.Journey has the pancakes. They're pretty good so if you're in the area and the mood, go for it.

I went there yesterday, happy that finally can eat whatever i want from menu!
I order 'everything' meal for 3,500yen. There's tomato soup, side salad, wrap, spanish tortilla, 3 deep fried nuggets and tea.
First of all i didn't get my tea. Spanish tortilla was microscopic, literally 2x2cm max. Slightly lack of flavour (i used to love 'original' version back i vegetarian days)
Deep fried meat was nice, same as tomato soup (more like tomato- cabbage but good!)
Wrap- well, it could be awesome, but 3/4 of filling was a lettuce! After having half of wrap, and couldn't eat the another half, as all i could taste was lettuce. There was a lettuce garnish and half of side salad was a lettuce.
So basically, when i put lettuce from all food all together i got FULL plate of lettuce. Paying about £23 for a plate of lettuce and a bit of food Is not what makes me happy.
My boyfriend chose 1500yen dessert plate which was amazing! Same as mojito.
Would definitely back for dessert, but never for a lettuce meal.
Really, i used word 'lettuce' like million times, but it's really all i can remember from my yesterday visit..

Ok I didn't try every vegan spot in Tokyo but I doubt any place could be these pancakes! The food is good but honestly would have probably been disappointing if the desserts hadn't saved the day.

I gotta say the staff and the mood of the place was really nice. Was a bit shocked at the prices but the desserts were very good. Had a few super thick pancakes, cakes. Would recommend if someone is willing to splurge a bit.

I'm sorry to report that my evening meal here was less enjoyable than I had hoped for because of baby cockroaches roaming around our table!

That blemish aside, I enjoyed the food though I felt it missed the wow factor and I thought that the pancakes that had been recommended so much by other reviewers were a bit average to me. But each to their own.

I'd probably give this a two and a half if I could.

Took my parents to this place, was very good but its very pricey so not something to go to a lot if you live here and like me dont have a lot of money. The staff is friendly and the place has a cool aura.

I have been here a few times and all of my friends I took are all happy, returning back on their own.

It is conveniently located right outside of Shinjuku 3Chome station.
Staffs are generally friendly, food is good, and the price is reasonable.

I love sitting by the window side on the second floor.

The only improvement I would like about this place, is that it seems a bit dirty or sticky. Not sure if it has something to do with the restaurant next door, which is a grilled meat place, with so much smoke (does not get inside of restaurant, but when walking by getting into the restaurant, you cannot avoid the yucky meat smoke).

I would visit here again.

A beautiful restaurant located just outside the train station which is great! Some of the best vegan food I've had in Tokyo, AND I left full - which can be rare.

I had the set lunch menu with salad first - the dressing was amazing, then I had the tomato soup and finally their famous pancakes. These pancakes are so delicious and sweet and taste better than the real deal! Very cute, japanese lady lunch place if that's a good description, the only downside is that it is very expensive.

The restaurant is all vegan. I was absolutely starving at the time so I'm glad I found this restaurant when I did. It is a little difficult to find because the signs aren't very clear. There were 3 of us and we got a table without any problems but the restaurant was nearing closing time. The food wasn't spectacular for the price but it was tasty. The only downside was that one of my friends ordered a set of wraps which he didn't realise were cold. The wraps came first wrapped in cling film, and then our hot food arrived ten or so minutes afterwards. It would have been much better if my friend's meal had arrived at the same time as ours and also they should really have taken the cling film off. It looked liked the food had just been taken out of the fridge and plopped on a plate. Other than that it's a very good vegan place to go if you're struggling to find food in Shinjuku.

I love pancakes.
I loved them when i was young (pre-vegan days)
and still do.
But there is something about vegan pancakes that just does
not feel like the pancakes I had when i was young.

but oh my...
These pancakes are even better than the pancakes I had growing up.

The secret is they cook it on a pan and they put it inside the oven to
get the fluffy and tasty pancakes.
The price is a bit expensive for pancakes but definitely worth the money.

I didn't hate the experience, but maybe I did, considering we also dropped a ton of money on it, which could have paid for 2-3 places that are way more delicious, and organic, such as Kaemon Asakusa.

They serve alcohol, and a 4-people group next to us was extremely loud and obnoxious from being drunk. We planned to enjoy this expensive dinner and a conversation, but the drunks next to us were obnoxiously loud. Maybe you'll have more luck, and try to sit upstairs on the 2nd floor, as upstairs the vibe was pleasant and mellow. I recommend upstairs.

Didn't like: that the wrap cut in half came wrapped in plastic wrap and was cold.... Come on, that means it was sitting in the fridge and was not freshly made, and it tasted it... The other stuff tasted ok.... But didn't hit the spot, nor did we feel great afterwards... Basically I don't be going back, even though I might go back just for pancakes, cause they seem to be popular, and looked great on pictures.

They also didn't bring water at first. I asked for some and they brought tiny glasses that were never refilled, so I was very thirsty afterwards... All that and $80??.... Not worth it. ... Like I said, I might come back to try those pancakes as a last chance for Ain.Soph...

Western inspired vegan food. Great if you want a break from asian food. Good salad and veggie wraps. Everything was good, but nothing spectacular and a bit overpriced for what it is.

This place is amazing said my 12 year old who seems to find something wrong with every vegan eatery we visit. Thankfully she was pleased at Ain Soph for our first lunch stop in Tokyo. We walked to the Shinagawa Station and took the Yamanote Line 8 stops to Shinjuku. This eclectic space is urban, hip and chill. Prices are on the higher side but my wife said it's a must visit after she experienced the Heavenly Pancakes on a work trip. We sat upstairs and ordered the pancakes and the 3,500 Yen "Everything Course" featuring the salad parfait, tomato soup, tea, tofu Spanish omelet, veggie tortilla roll, tea and the dessert of the day. Misa also fell in love with the Rich Gravy Sauce and Vegetables served with a seasoned and scrumptious brown rice and the Salad Parfait while the children ordered seconds on the salad. Something about that ginger soy dressing.

One kid enjoyed the cakes for sure and the other said they were too doughey which I agreed with. Ain Soph also sells an assortment of nuts, granola and small treats. We'll definitely make a return before we leave town.

This restaurant Is a bit semi-formal and tends to get booked out, but I'm not sure why. The first time I came here, I was alone. I started with a berry smoothie, which was very nice. As an appetiser I ordered the tofu omelette, which actually turned out to be better than it looked in the menu (about ¥700), with a nice light 'eggy' texture but unfortunately not a lot of flavour other than the tomato-based sauce dribbled over it. My main was a Mushroom Hayashi-Rice (around ¥1200) and this was not very exciting (or nice) either. I ordered a dessert plate so I could sample as many different ones as possible and this was very nice but set me back another ¥1200. I do not really think the standard of the food is in keeping with the price. I've been back twice since and confirmed that while there is generally nothing wrong with the food, it is fairly ordinary (occasionally substandard) and overpriced: for example, over ¥1200 for a tortilla, dips and a few vegetables.. At least four times things I wanted to order were sold out. However, the setting is pleasant and the staff are very accommodating.

we went here on our first night in tokyo and came back multiple times! the staff were very friendly and welcoming and the place had a lovely atmosphere. we started with the soy meat chicken bites and they were the most amazing things. so succulent and juicy, i wish i'd ordered 5 plates as my whole meal.

we tried a few of the main dishes and they were good but nothing to write home about however the desserts. OH THE DESSERTS!

you 100% need to have the heavenly pancakes, that truly live up to their name. the fluffiest most delicious american style pancakes served with vegan ice cream, whipped cream, berry compote and fruit salad, sprinkled with seeds. i was blown away. i took home a flyer and have it stuck to my fridge as motivation to save up to go back to japan again, that is how good they were.

it is a little pricey, however the dishes are so worth it.

in summary, i would recommend going for the soymeat chicken and the pancakes, but maybe pass on the mains to save money

Great vegan restaurant in the Shinjuku area. It was very crowded and we didn't have a reservation around 2 pm on a Monday. At first, they sat is in the basement which was very very hot and had no windows. I said we would rather wait for a table on the first or second floor. I'm glad we did! We got a great little table on the second floor and we ordered the set multi course lunch for 35,000. There were other cheaper options that looked great too but we wanted to try as many things as possible! I thought everything was really tasty. The salad dressing was incredible. I wasn't crazy about the dessert. It was like 3 bites of tiny things with a couple flowers. I will go back again but I won't order the set course meal next time.

I visited Ain Soph Journey in Shibuya when I was in Tokyo last June, and thought it was nice. On a recent stay in Tokyo, I tried to go back on a Friday evening without a reservation, but it was fully booked. I tried again on a Wednesday evening a few weeks later. I was asked if I had a reservation, even though the place was empty (it had just opened), but they did seat me. I must admit, I do find that a bit off-putting, especially when I am the only patron!. However, the food was nice - I had some sort of mushroom stroganoff with rice and salad, and then the heavenly vegan pancakes for dessert. They really are heavenly, much better than the main meals in my opinion. The interior is really cool and the staff friendly and attentive. But I don't know..there is just something that stops me raving about this place, a sentiment I also expressed in my review of Ain Soph Soar. I think it is a popular place, with a very particular crowd - mostly female, young, hip Tokyoites. It just feels a little bit too trendy to me, like it doesn't have to try. No complaints at all about the food, especially the pancakes, but I've had better main meals in other, cheaper places. This branch is very easy to find; take subway to Shinjuku-sanchome station, exit at Gate C5, and it is right there at the subway exit.

I love that place-go there really often. My favorite is the pancake-it's the best I have ever eaten and I ate a lot of pancakes in my life. One thing to that:If someone says its only avarage and your recepie is much better please let me know I would be so happy as I tried to create something simular and failed^^'
But everything else is really good too. BUT: Please call and reserve a seat (or go there in person to do so) if you can. One time they were closed with an appology outside (happens a lot in Japan^^')and one time-I was soo disappointed-all seats were taken for the next hours (all courses).The stuff was friendly and they let us eat the to go muffins at the place while some guest had not arrived there. So I strongly recommend to reserve for your own sake:)

Well..what else to say:Its really my favorite restaurant. Please try yourself.

The muffins and chocolates were lovely, but I found the staff to be quite unhelpful.

Super cozy place and very friendly staff. The food is amazing! We steered clear of the set menus and instead ordered about 4 different mains and 3 desserts. It worked out about the same cost (for two people) but we got larger portions of all the things we wanted to try instead of small tasters.

The mains were amazing - their salad dressing and taco dishes are stand outs BUT save room for dessert because - whipped "cream". Need I say more!? The pancakes, the chocolate cake, the waffles - they are all great and they all come with the "cream".

As a previous reviewer said, the food is tasty but what makes the place is the desserts. The pancakes are so fluffy we had no idea how they made them! An order of pancakes comes with 2 pancakes, a little fruit, vegan whipped cream and a small scoop of delicious vegan ice cream. The portions are small but you savour every bite! As a plus, the staff are super friendly and accommodating, the location is very convenient (there's a entrance to shinjuku sanchome station right in front - I can't remember if it was exit 4 or 6), and the restaurant is very aesthetically appealing, with white walls, large windows and many green plants. They also have a few products on sale, including (if you're lucky that day) vegan donuts, which make for a great breakfast the next day. I look forward to my next visit!

I have just had dinner and was totally satisfied with it. I had the "Celebrate Course", a very nice dinner set offering a delicious gastronomic experience. Food is well presented, with a very nice combination of flavours and textures. My menu was made up of a crispy mixed salad with a bagna caoda dip, followed by a lukewarm tomato soup, and a wonderful beans benedict with grilled veggies and a vegan hollandaise sauce. Then a hearty pumpkin wholemeal risotto which proved to be delicious. And finally the grand finale: a selection of vegan desserts (spongecake with whipped cream, a yummy bavaroise, a rhum&nut ice-cream, and fresh fruit (including fresh goji berries!). The setting is also very nice, something between a French country-house with a Japanese touch. Definitely recommended.

This place is a must-visit for pancake- lovers! We had the pancake-lunch with a salad and herb tea. Sooo yummy! Friendly staff and fast service. Centrally located just at Shinjuku-sanchome Station (Exit C5).

The location is slightly different than on the map. It is located on the main street directly at the metro exit C5.
A place with quite some guests. Great salad and amazing pancakes.

Food is tasty, but what makes this restaurant a must are their desserts, specially the pancake. I recommend to leave room for the dessert!

The staff at this cool restaurant is very friendly, but as they always are in Japan i guess. The food is sooo yummy, especially the desserts! Very delicious vegan food in Japan!

The ambiance was better than the food but maybe it's just what I happen to order. I'd give it another go.

I really liked this place. It's actually on the main road, rather than a side street. Inside is elegant and the menu was very interesting. Next time I'm in Tokyo, I'm sure I'll be back.

Super easy to find, however the directions in this app take you about a block in the wrong direction. We used the Trip Advisor app as well and that was the correct location and directions. A lovely looking building on the main street, well signed and right out front of exit C5 for Shinjuku-sanchome Station.

The staff were lovely and though their English was basic, it was very easy to order and communicate.

We ordered the salad wraps, which were very fresh and crispy; the dry curry, which had a lovely Indian flavour; the deep fried soy meat which was SO yummy; and the dessert plate to share which had a vegan sorbet; rich moist brownie, waffles with a maple syrup cream and fresh berries. We finished with a chai and strawberry tea.

A little bit more expensive than what we have been paying elsewhere, but having said that it was approx ¥6,800 between two which included an entree, filling main meal, dessert and a hot drink each.

Highly recommended.

We ate here once and had a great experience. Obviosuly extemely popular as after we got in, loads of people turned up so there was a queue. As with most places in Tokyo, there are lunch sets to choose from, in a helpful menu with photos (rather than english)and we both picked the vegan pancakes, which were amazing, rich and fluffy, and beautifully presented with date ice cream and fresh fruit. This followed a delicious fresh salad and tasty tomato soup.The staff were pleasant and understood our basic (bad) japanese and pointing style of communication. We felt price was slightly higher than in the other vegan places we ate at during our 2.5 week stay in Tokyo, but portions were average and I'd happily have eaten here again as the quality was so high.

We arrived early and got an awesome seat and service!! The food was absolutely fantastic!!! Great location and delicious food! The price (about $20AUD a meal) is worth it and we certainly are going back! Such a great set up it's a really relaxing atmosphere!!

A very small restaurant but charming, Ain Soph had a lovely set menu and course menus which were a little more expensive but really wonderful. We ate the Heavenly Pancakes which we so fluffy and rich it was almost impossible to imagine how they made them vegan. The vegetable soup was delicious and rich, and while the chai was expensive, it was some of the best chai I've ever tasted. We brought our small son who was cranky and annoying the entire time, and the servers wouldn't have been more lovely and kind with him. Little english was spoken but the menu has pictures. It is on the expensive side, but the food I definitely recommend.

Ain soph journey has a great trendy feel to it. Everyone eating there was stylish and beautiful which matched the food. This western, vegan style food was on par with any others from around the world. The staff were exceedingly nice and willing to deal with my lack of japanese.

The meals were on the moderate price sale (high when compared to traditional japanese fare) but the quality matched the price. I cant wait to try the other ain soph!

I have eaten Ain Soph's food at outside events before and had long wanted to visit one of the restaurants. As we were in the neighbourhood of the "Journey" branch today we decided to pop in for a late lunch. We had to wait a little while to be seated but once we were we decided on one of the lunch plates and the more expensive lunch course to share between two and our young daughter.

We ordered and waited...after perhaps 15 minutes our "vegetable parfait"s arrived - salad leaves and raw vegetables in a glass with dip and dressing. Cleverly arranged and visually appealing, and the dressing was delicious.

It was after this that we really became fed up with the slowness of the service - it took over 30 minutes for our next dishes to arrive. We could see that the restaurant was busy and the waitress was very rushed but felt like we had just been left - we even wondered if they had forgotten to make our main meals...

When they eventually arrived the waitress was apologetic but forgot to bring the extra plate that we requested for our daughter to eat from. The food, hayashi rice and tortilla with dips and fried soy meat was pleasant but nothing to write home about - by this point we were just so hungry we didn't care what we were eating! There was again a long wait for the soup and rice that came with the lunch course. The tomato soup and topping on the rice were delicious - best part of the meal. We requested they bring the set dessert out right away to placate our daughter and she enjoyed the ice cream, fruit and cake.

When we paid the bill the same waitress was again apologetic but no effort was made to explain why we had to wait so long (people arriving after us received their meals much more quickly despite the restaurant still being at capacity).

The food was pleasant enough but I didn't feel it was worth the 4600 yen that we paid and coupled with the excessive wait I wouldn't go back or recommend it to my friends. Perhaps if it were quiet or you were in the mood for a leisurely meal it would be fine though! Overall I was disappointed by the experience as I had been looking forward to going for such a long time.

You can choice two set menu in lunch time. And they have other menu. I choose one set menu which is Tolutiya set. For me, this is little salty. In the restraint, there are a lot of Japanese girls. Taste is good. They have a 5000yen of party menu. I'm going to come to dinner here with my friend.

I had read great things about AinSoph - We wanted to go to the Ginza one as I knew it was the main one, however we were in this area so went to Journey instead. When we arrived we stood around. I asked one of the staff if they had a table and they took us downstairs. Service was a little slow. The food was okay, and the restaurant was well presented, however the biggest put off was the smell which made it very difficult for us to enjoy our food. We weren't sure if other people in the restaurant could smell it - as maybe Japanese people being so polite just wouldn't say anything? It didn't seem to smell on the higher level, just downstairs level - my boyfriend explained this would be a plumbing problem, and something that could be easily fixed.

Large selection, great quality and service but be prepared to pay.

We FINALLY got to eat here after visiting several times and finding it closed despite it being well within the stated opening hours. There was no explanation or any notice of temporary closure that we could see on their website, nor the restaurant door itself. We thought perhaps it had even shut down. Then a month later, we were in Ginza again and thought we would just wander past....open at last!! The food was nice but the price is expensive compared to other places in Tokyo. While we are more budget travellers, we don't mind splashing out occasionally.

This restaurant is very pleasant. We have eaten several dishes beautifully presented and very good. We did not eat a lot but it was good. This restaurant is very quiet and clean. Just several steps from the street.

We had dinner there on week evening and the restaurtant was fulled with Japanese custumers.
The staff was really friendly!
The menu was almost all in Japanese but there were pictures of each meal in order to help us choose our meals. + the staff spoke some English as well.
Menu a bit expensive though.
After dinner, we could even buy some vegan doghnuts to take away!