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Vegan
Japanese
Beer/Wine
Serves vegan dishes made from vegetables, seaweed, and kelp. Has tempura, udon, soups, and bento platters. Owner speaks some English, and there is a menu also in English. Closes after 12 sets are sold. Reported closed November 2022.
97 Reviews
First Review by Mattstoia
Sharpey09
Points +156
Amazing Experience - A Kyoto Must - Edit
This is a superb place.
Read moreThe owner is a friendly man who is really dedicated to the buddhist lifestyle. He gave us information in English via an Ipad about the local area and the traditional food served.
Despite the language barrier he is utterly charming and a great host.
The food was incredible. It was a bento wtith about 12 different items, all fresh and nautural. The food was naturally flavoured and very tasty.
They also do a fantastic Matcha green tea.
Highly reccomended
Pros: Friendly owner, Tasty food
Cons: None
Guest
erinsilv
Points +28
Amazing experience - Edit
We were the only ones in the restaurant so the owner insisted on taking us on a tour of the next door temple while our food was being prepared. The temple had views over Arashiyama and back to Kyoto. When we got back to the restaurant the owner used his iPad to explain all the dishes we were about to have. 2500 yen for the vegan lunch set was absolutely worth it - this is my 5th time visiting Japan and this was one of the best meals I've ever had (and 100% vegan!)
Read morePros: Variety of dishes, Friendly owner
Guest
Ilovemyfood!
Points +460
Looks can be very deceiving! - Edit
From the moment we entered this little gem the owner (Who used an iPad to communicate to us in English) was an absolute delight! He made this experience very memorable.
Read moreHis wife prepared a delicious homemade bento box for us and he explained every dish on the plate and how to eat it.
The bento box was DELICIOUS, the tastiest food I’ve had in Japan to date. . . and I knew everything was locally grown, pesticide free and vegan!
What an amazing experience, one not to be missed!
Pros: Delicious flavoursome bento box!, Amazing, friendly local host!, Home grown pesticide free vegetables!
Guest
TaleeshaKira
Points +62
Great Bento Box! Lovely Owner! - Edit
This tiny little place was great, run by an older man who doesnt speak english but he comes over with maps and his ipad and gets it to translate for him. He tells you all about the area and seems very passionate about what he does. The bento box was amazing! We were so glad we got to try it, so many different types of food. All very great!
Read moreGuest
AustinDrawhorn
Points +16
Just INCREDIBLE - Edit
Meal was absolutely delicious, experience was absolutely unforgettable. Still just in awe.
Read moreGuest
NickBurns
Points +99
A unique and lovely experience - Edit
The wonderful and kind man who ran this restaurant took us to a nearby temple while the food was cooking, then served us an incredible meal--one of my absolute favorites in Kyoto and Japan at large!
Read moreIt's truly authentic shojin ryori and you must try it.
Updated from previous review on 2018-11-14
Pros: Amazing owner, Unique food
Guest
JuliaPanu
Points +13
Delicious japanese food - Edit
A small restaurant with the most friendliest owner! The Bento plate (2500¥) was very good and delicious. Absolutely worth visiting!
Read moreGuest
trav3ll3r
Points +37
cute ipad ojisan - Edit
Bento is pricey as some claim but it was definitely worth it. They use quality stuff for the bento. He also gave us complimentary sweet treats that is sort of like a fortune cookie.
Read moreOverall a pleasant experience. Would highly recommend you to visit before/after heading to the bamboo forest.
Guest
cwhite
Points +255
Unexpected - Edit
We came here for vegan food but were given more than a great meal. The owner was so kind and proud of his history. He showed us the shrine close by while our food was prepared. What a great experience and the bento was delicious.
Read moreGuest
Maaah19
Points +20
Amazing food and Experience! - Edit
It's a small restaurant with a very friendly owner who's telling you a lot about Japanese food and the area around. We ordered the bento lunch for 2500 yen and it was enough for the both of us! The food was absolutely delicious and beautiful! :)
Read moreGuest
ReubenGreen
Points +26
So Great! - Edit
Ordered the ¥2500 set lunch, was more than enough food and so tasty! The owner doesn't speak any English although he is super friendly and utilises Google translate pretty well, there is also an English menu. The price can seem pretty steep but it was the cheapest Shyojin Ryouri set meal I've seen and was definitely worth it.
Read moreGuest
HBKFan75
Points +152
Deliciously Awkward - Edit
The food was delicious! The owner was very kind and interested in his customers. He used Google Translate on his iPad to tell us all about his dishes, and the sights to see in the area, and also showed us a video on the Shinkansen. I wouldn't come here if you don't feel like chatting awkwardly, but if you're up for it, the food is delicious and you might just make a new friend!
Read moreGuest
MarieJany
Points +44
Délicieux - Edit
Super accueil, propriétaire très sympathique. Repas typique et délicieux
Read moreGuest
vegantron
Points +78
Friendly and wonderful boss - Edit
The boss of this place is a very passionate old man who goes to great lengths to explain the history of the recipes, the way the bento set is presented etc etc. He even took us on a tour to the temple behind his restaurant where we could had a great view of Arashiyama.
Read morePros: Lovely and friendly owner, Great vegetarian bento set
Cons: Slow food, be prepared to wait!
Guest
greenturtle
Points +33
very traditional and flavourful !! - Edit
I checked this place up before going there - read all the good reviews and wanted to see for myself . It's an awesome place to eat when you have finished walking around the bamboo groves and the monkey park in arashiyama.
Read moreWhen we walked in, we were greeted with this lovely old man. He recommended us ordering the lunchbox (2500yen). At first thought it was kinda expensive but the experience and flavour was totally worth it :) His English is not that fluent so he talked to his iPad and it translated to English for us - smart thinking old man !!
He told us the history behind this meal that we were eating today and was kind enough to take us on a little tour to a temple one min away from the restaurant since the food was still being prepared - very nice of him !!
Overall, the food was BOMB - I tasted flavours that I never tasted before and I LOVED each dish on the tray !!
Highly recommend if you are near the arashiyama bamboo grove, it is absolutely amazing would defs come again !!!!!!!!
Updated from previous review on 2018-07-01
Pros: excellent food , Zen vibes
Guest
Olive111
Points +151
Great place that sells traditional Japanese food - Edit
Owner was super lovely and spent time with us talking about the area and restaurant. Bento box was delicious and worth the price. Felt like a nice home cooked meal and was a real treat.
Read moreGuest
TereZulu
Points +58
Delicious traditional food and the nicest staff - Edit
Great place if you wanna experience traditional Japanese food. The owner of the restaurant made a huge effort to communicate with us and explain us what we were eating. Their restaurant has been cooking this food for 100 years! The bento sets were pricy but worth it, check it out!
Read moreGuest
ViCao
Points +77
Traditional Japanese - Edit
This place only serves set box meals price starting from 2500yen which is what we chose. It was completely worth it as there are so many condiments that comes with it and just like a tasting menu you get to experience a range of vegetables and flavours, things we've never tried or seen. We really appreciated all the effort and technique that went behind each side. Some condiments tasted strange as it's not something we're used to but we were definitely satisfied to have tried an authentic meal. The waiter was an old man who made the effort to communicate to us via Google translate and explained that the meals are from recipes 1000 years ago. All natural ingredients used where the rice is home made with no pesticides. No seasoning was used either as there were none in those days so it's all natural flavours. I don't think you can get anymore authentic than this!
Read morePros: Great customer service, All vegan
Cons: A bit of a wait
Guest
ChristopheHendrickx
Points +82
Hidden gem - Edit
Really had a lovely experience here. The owner was so friendly and the food was really tasty. Traditional japanese dishes made with love. Can't recommand it enough.
Read moreGuest
mars22
Points +36
Amazing! - Edit
We loved this place! The bento was so good and the whole experience was made even better by the restaurant owner. As you will see from other reviews he speaks little English but uses his iPad and google translate. Whilst our food was being prepared he took us to a temple behind the restaurant. The food itself was beautiful and he explained all the dishes to us. It was definitely a highlight of our trip.
Read moreGuest
Morogoy
Points +17
Give yourself a gift - Edit
Be a vegetarian in Japan it’s an hard condition especially because they don’t speak a word in English or in the best case their level is more than basic so it’s hard to explain what you want or check the ingredients. This place is a bless!!! A full vegetarian bento with delicious food of high quality for 2500 yen. The owner is super friendly and proud of his food. He’ll explain all single cup of food and it’s origin by using google translate... it works very good so prepare the app on your phone so you can reply him back. Super suggested. A real meal with real food!
Read morePros: Full vegetarian and vegan, High quality food, The owner is really friendly and helpful
Guest
caw
Points +2871
Friendly owner, delicious food - Edit
The owner treated us like guests not customers and told us lots of interesting local history.
Read moreThe Bento box was plenty of food and full of really interesting things I'd mostly never tried before. Nice to try lots of different local food without worrying there's fish in it.
Pros: friendly owner, delicious food
Cons: none
Guest
RohanTraman
Points +24
best vegan and vegetarian place in Japan - Edit
The vegetable Bento plate #42 was the best Japanese food I've had. The owner, an old bloke who loves a chat (via Google translate) is warm, super funny and knows a fair bit about the food. Highly recommended
Read morePros: fully vegan
Cons: if you can't find it, you lose
Guest
LilyJane
Points +34
AMAZING!! you have to try it! - Edit
Best food I’ve had in Japan all 21days of my adventure. In fact best meal I have ever had, really friendly man who showed us a secret shrine at the back which was beautiful. We had the vegan bento and it was cheap and delicious I could eat it everyday.
Read moreGuest
FabianBräu
Points +66
traditional japanese food - Edit
One of the best japanese food we had the pleasure to taste. The old owner is super nice. He can't speack englisch, but he will translate with his ipad and explain everything to you about his food and the region. The restaurant seems to be in family possession for over a 100 years and the food is in old japanese traditon. It's near the sights of the region, so it is definetly worth a visit. Go there and have good food and a good time with a great host.
Read moreGuest
HannahMatthews
Points +15
very nice - Edit
Restaurant is easy to find and perfectly located near to the sights. Owner is very kind and used his iPad to translate so we could have a conversation. He even took me for a short walk around the area as it wasn't too busy. The food was very good and I would definitely recommend this place
Read morePros: everything
Cons: none
Guest
dubaichick
Points +20
cutest little spot - Edit
This is just the cutest place... it feels like stepping back in time into your grandparents house. The owner doesn't speak much English so he uses his iPad to translate information about the dishes and area. It was a delicious lunch and a lovely experience of Japanese tradition.
Read morePros: lovely host, great food
Guest
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