Brown Rice Cafe

Brown Rice is about a 5 minute walk from Commune246. They serve lunch until (last orders for food) 5pm, and are open til 6, so I squeezed in an early dinner here. They are all vegan, and have three main plates plus a special. I chose the curry, which was full of beans and pulses, and pretty good (1,300 JPY). It came with brown rice, and a drink (I had hojicha). I also had a pumpkin soup with mochi for dessert (700 JPY). The food was filling and the space is nice, but nothing to rave about.

This review was originally posted at https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/11/vegan-in-tokyo#brownrice

The food was awesome, reasonable price, very nice setting!

Our guide took us here after our morning tour and it was great! Super fresh food and really relaxed vibe. Fairly traditional Japanese food, we had steamed vegetables, brown rice, miso soup and a few other condiments. Recommended!

Was looking for an authentic Japanese vegan meal and was really impressed with the brown rice cafe . Friendly and helpful staff . Reasonable prices .

Fantastic food, great environment, lovely staff. I was really impressed!

This came across as a fancy, up market restaurant - typical small, gourmet looking serves for a big price. The atmosphere is gorgeous, the food beautifully presented and a wonderful way to present traditional Japanese food but with everything vegan. We loved that there were no 'meat' surprises hidden in our order and the flavours were subtle and lovely. Our fussy 10 year old didn't like much on the menu but the rest of us were game to try anything. We enjoyed the experience very much, and the flavours - but didn't love how expensive it was, especially when we had to call by the bakery after for snacks as we were still hungry! I would recommend this restaurant, but it is more for a special occasion or treat than a quick cheap meal.

Good restaurant, good vibe and good food.

I loved this place!!! My partner and I went for the set meal where you could choose the main dish and you get little side plates around it. Japanese style dining a la vegetarian awesomeness! Would go there again any day!

My favourite lunch spot in Tokyo! Gorgeous food with great attention to detail, fresh seasonal vegetables and good portion sizes. Meals are always delicious, healthy and beautifully plated at brown rice- I love taking non vegetarians here to introduce them to some of what vegan Japan has to offer :) The ambience in the restaurant is unmatched and the service is always impeccable. I recommend the katsu tofu, however eating here 7 times or so I've never been disappointed by what the menu has to offer. Highly recommended for a nice meal at a good price in a setting that feels like an escape from the bustle of Omotesando. Defiantly worth a visit (or several!).

This restaurant is probably only for special occasions, it's very fancy. The food is great, very healthy - lots of tofu no mock meat. Bit expensive, but what you'd expect from somewhere like this

This place is fantastic: courteous staff, pleasant ambiance, delicious food, great aesthetics. The lunch plate was amazing. They serve typical Japanese portions, but don't let that fool you. The lunch set left me comfortably full and very satisfied. As others have mentioned, I also liked the tofu the best. For those who have had the experience, this tofu is like tree ripened bananas. Tree ripened bananas are so heavenly good I literally ate nothing but bananas for a week the first time I went to Panama. Regular store bought bananas in the northern hemisphere are nothing to write home about. Good quality tofu in Japan is like tree ripened bananas in Central America. Brown Rice serves this kind of tofu. The price is reasonable considering its location in Tokyo. Even if you have to take a 30 minute train ride to get here, it is worth the endeavor.

I wish I'd read enough of the reviews beforehand to read the ones with the directions, so in other words, I had a hard time finding the place based on only following the map on my phone. The cafe is part of "Neal's Yard", which might sound easy enough, except that the Neal's Yard complex stretches through to two adjacent streets! If you come to a place called "Neal's Yard Remedies" go through that shop and the restaurant will be in the back of it. If you happen to be on a street with a place called Crayon House, then you're very close!

Great atmosphere inside the restaurant, and delicious food to go along with it!

Brown rice cafe felt more upmarket than other cafes in line with suburb however still had a very casual atmosphere with friendly staff.
The meals were delicate and delicious with more of a fresh take on traditional Japanese

Could be confusing to find as there is another vegetarian restaurant across the road so take note that brown rice is down a alley/footpath

I'm so glad one of my Instagram followers recommended this place to me. It's in a posh and convenient area near Shibuya, and a nice stroll from Harajuku.
The restaurant is gorgeous. The staff is friendly and helpful (despite the language barrier), and the food is delicious.
This is one of the few restaurants I'd like to return to on this trip. I enjoyed the clean and well-balanced lunch set, which featured a miso soup, pickles, crave-worthy tofu, and steamed veggies. I left feeling nourished and energized.
Next time I'll order the curry. It looked so good!

Brown Rice Canteen is located within the Neal's Yard complex in Omote-Sando, and as you can imagine (if you know the Neal's Yard brand) it is a beautiful, stylish 'canteen'. The interior is very calm and Zen (!) like a really nice spa. And the food is delicious. I've been here for lunch and dinner, and have always had the set meal, which comes with miso soup, brown rice (naturally!), and pickles. They always start you off with a piece of tofu in a delicious sesame & ginger sauce, and I can honestly say it's the nicest tofu I've had. I've tried the breaded, fried tofu and also the steamed veggie basket for my main meal, so delicious and filling (the tofu is my favourite though). For lunch, I've had the set meal which comes with various types of prepared tofu, lovely. I've also had a couple of the desserts, the tofu cheesecake is amazing, and the black bean soy latte is a great, tasty alternative to coffee. What I really like about this place, apart from the lovely food, is that I feel I'm experiencing Japanese dining, which is great. I don't want to spend my time in Japan just eating veggie burgers and pizzas! The portions are healthy, I'm always full, and I don't think it's expensive at all (but maybe that has to do with the current £ to yen exchange rate?)

It's very easy to find, exit Omote-Sando subway station (Chiyoda or Ginza lines) at exit A1. The Coach store is on your left, there is a small side street between Coach & Hugo Boss. Turn left down this street, walk for about 3 minutes, you'll see Neal's Yard and Brown Rice on your right.

A quick word about the staff - they are some of the lovliest, helpful people I've encountered here in Tokyo, and that's saying something! One girl got chatting to me and pointed me in the direction of Natural Foods grocery store, just around the corner - organic,rather than veggie, but I was able to stock up on some good staples.

Most reviews for restaurants in Japan start with "it was hard to find", so I took notes when leaving this place. The subway station to use is "Omote-sando station". From there: find the Apple store, Hugo Boss and Coach store. Go into the alley between Hugo Boss and Coach. The entry (marked by a big sign) to the Brown Rice Cafe will be at your right after about 50 metres.

The restaurants looks warm, welcoming, modern, clean and healthy. Even the staff looks so healthy and it just makes one want to eat here! The menu is available in (proper!) English and the staff is more than willing to help and recommend.

I ordered a set menu and everything was just wonderful! The quality of the ingredients is very good, the vegetables have been cooked just so, the salad has just the right amount of dressing and the portions are exactly the right size.

Of course high quality food like this doesn't come cheap, but the meal was absolutely worth the price (about 6,000 yen for two people including drinks and desert). I'll be back!

we came here twice because it was so good...
--> Okinawa Tofu is our favourite dish.
--> lemon cheese cake
Updated from previous review on Saturday October 18, 2014

Loved my meal here! The set menu was fantastic value and had a varied but complementary range of items on it. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful explaining the food, suggesting items and also helping us find where we were going next. Definitely a place worth finding and dining at.

The restaurant has been reopened on September 5th. after being renewed. The menu does not seem to have changed much, though.

This is one of my go-to places. That is surprising, given that it is in Omotesando, one of the best areas for vegan food. I love the Mushi Yasai dish, and the drinks.

Really liked this place, ate here 3 times for dinner. Some of the staff speak good english and you are given an english menu which has a lot of nice options. I was impressed by the variety of things and quality. Always busy, in fact we had to wait one of the times we went. Through the back of neal's yard remedies so (maybe) this is why it seems to be full of chic women. Very wholesome food and nice desserts.

Come here once in a while for dinner. Great vegan restaurant. Had their steamed veggies (steamed in a bamboo pot) dinner set and a green drink the other night. Excellent.

Had great weather and sat outside. Very nice environment.
Updated from previous review on Saturday April 19, 2014

This cafe is a slice of heaven in the hussle and bussle of harajuku.

The store is part of a multi story healthy living complex. The cafe, on the bottom floor, had inside and outside seating and offers both set meals and an al la carte menu.

The food was a great simple japanese vegan fare but the desserts are amazing. All in all the meals were reasonably cheap and filled us up. The staff were exceptional.

To find this place from the main street end you may have to go through a cosmetics store (but dont worry - its there!).

Taste, freshness, presentation, service - all were wonderful. If we ever find ourselves in Tokyo again we would definitely visit this little veggie oasis. A quiet space amongst the hustle and bustle.

Note: the cafe is in the same space as the Neal's Yard store, at the back. It's not quite obvious when you arrive and we were a little confused until the sales woman noticed us from inside and ushered us in the right direction.

Very friendly staff and good atmosphere! The food was always good and I loved to go there even just for a small tea and to relax :)

I first went here in 2010, buying a bento from the Deli to take on a daytrip to Disneyland. I wasn't overly impressed, but now that I have eaten in the restaurant I change my opinion!

I ate here twice on a recent trip to Japan in March 2013. I booked both times, but there were free tables on both occasions, so probably not necessary. It is really easy to find. I came from Harajuku JR station and walked along the right hand side of Omotesando Street, and when you pass kiddyland, you're half way there. It's just past a church and then you turn right to Neal's Yard store, and walk through to Brown Rice Cafe.

The staff were really friendly, although they didn't speak much English, there was an English menu available. I ordered the daily set menu, which was rice (brown!), steamed vegetables and tofu with a sweet miso sauce dressing, hijiki seaweed, miso and a selection of vegetables with pickle, mashed and covered in different sauces. It was nice, but I wasn't blown away and found the sauce a bit too sweet.

The next time I came, I had the burger set, and that was absolutely delicious! It came in a bun with vegetables, pickled cauliflower, chips and salad. I loved it, and they made their won bread, which was light and not too much of it. I also had the amazing amazake tart - fermented rice, cranberries and pecan nuts - I loved it! You could get these to go also, for sale at the counter, and I got a couple along with yummy chocolate heart biscuits (which they told me had butter, so they're obviously really clear on vegan/vegetarian distinction). I also had a drink that was a combination of iced tea and mandarin juice, which was delicious.

The place is in a great location, and the service is pretty quick and friendly. The clientele is young professionals and groups of girlfriends out shopping in the area with their designer bags.

I really loved my second meal and will definitely go back next time I'm in Tokyo!

The restaurant is actually really easy to find with a nice and central location near Harajuku.
The place is really cosy and you can even eat outside in the little terrace.
You have the choice between 4 lunch menus including drinks (price is reasonable).
They also serve sake.
Staff was really friendly but they only spoke a little English. Menu is in English and also has some pictures of the dishes.

Cozy little restaurant a little hidden. Food tastes really nice. We ordered some kind of dinner set with lots of small dishes. A desert was also included in the set which we didn't know so we ordered parfait and ended up getting two deserts :)

Recently went for lunch here with my 17 month old daughter and we thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful cafe after busy day in Omotesando. Food choice is small but healthy and no sugar deserts make it even more appealing without the guilt of extra calories. I had lunch set that included bento box of tofu and vegetable choices, miso soup, pickles, brown rice and a drink (opted for iced tea).

For detailed review and photos check out http://www.bebenus.com/brown-rice-cafe-vegetarian-heaven-in-tokyo/

Came here for lunch on a Saturday with my partner. The place was quite small; we arrived just a little past noon time when they opened and all the indoor seats were already taken. Not wanting to wait, we took the patio seats even when it was 30 degrees out. No fan. Would be nice if they would put one or two out there. I suggest that you come right when they open or an hour or two later until the lunch crowds die down.

That aside, this cafe was a gem. Located in the heart of the Omotesando area, it made for a perfect lunch spot in between all that shopping. We ordered two different sets, both of which came with miso soup, a drink, brown rice and a dessert. The food was cutely presented, simple yet packed a lot of flavors. We especially liked the lunch box filled with different tidbits. The gomashio was the freshest I'd ever had in Japan and made a heavenly complement to the brown rice.

The setting was clean and bright. Atmosphere was lovely and relaxing. Staff spoke little English but, as usual for Japan, was very kind and forthcoming. I found the portions perfect, just enough to make us feel pleasantly satiated without getting all stuffed. It was slightly pricey but well worth it. Do plan a lunch here while in the area!

A great cafe for lunch, since as noted the portions are not always huge. The cafe is very cute/trendy looking. I had a tofu burger with wasabi on it, which was absolutely delicious. Also had the tofu tart for lunch, which was also great. There was a short wait, but I enjoyed browsing the attached food store, where the staff was very helpful in telling me what particular foods/oils were in English.

We ate here last year and loved it, food was delicious and healthy, totally recommend it also had yum options at the little store attached to the restaurant :)

This place was my all time life saver in Tokyo. It was close enough to walk and they had a take out counter, so I could eat something that I knew was vegan. Brown Rice Cafe had a small cafe as the name implies as well as the take out counter which also had organic, natural products for sale. From my recollection, the food was very good. They have an English menu too.

For a complete review, please see my blog here: http://veganmiss.blogspot.com/2010/11/vegan-tokyo.html

After reading all the mixed reviews, I was a little apprehensive about going to the Brown Rice Cafe, but decided to check it out anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of dishes, and was happy to try authentic tasting vegan Japanese dishes. We had the bean and vegetable curry, the fried tempeh and vegetables, and the rice and miso meal. The portions were actually quite good, and the food tasted great.
I was a little disappointed to discover that not all desserts were vegan - a lot of them had skim milk and eggs. The same goes for the shop by the cafe. I was lucky to have a Japanese companion who could read all the ingredients for me.

If you are spending a leisurely afternoon in the Omote-Sando area this is a good choice. There is usually a wait and you will need to walk up to the counter and put your name on the list. There are areas to sit while you are waiting for a table. There is an outdoor and indoor seating area. There are menu sets, entrees, drinks, desserts and a separate bakery with items for sale. The wait to be seated can take 30 minutes on a busy afternoon, and then it takes a while for the food. I ordered a iced chai latte and the tofu burger and the portions were small but I thought both were delicious. I brought my parents there, and it wasn't really the vibe for them. They also burn incense and for some people this might be off putting smell with their food.

Set at the back of a Neals Yard shop, Brown Rice's very friendly staff served up okay fare in exceedingly small portions. The burger was, literally two bites big. Best thing was the box of delights containing pickles and vegetables was the best thing we ordered. The bill was frightening, a lot bigger than the portions!

Reasonably easy to find, it was very busy - had to put name down on list at front of restaurant in order to get a space and waited for about 40 mins on a Sunday lunchtime. Menu was in Japanese and we both had the 2000 yen set lunch. Went with Japanese friend - I think we would not have ventured in otherwise as it did not seem very accessible to tourists. The portions were small and for my western palate was the least enjoyable and most expensive veggie meal I had in Japan. The meal was miso soup, pickles and tofu main dish in some gelatinous substance, followed by a sweet and an iced tea.

Yes, it's not cheap and the portions are small (even compared to regular Japanese portions), but it's worth it! It is hard to find pure vegan food in most of Tokyo, and it's a really sweet little cafe. I just got a bento and an onigiri to go, and they were both very good. I had no idea how the made the food, but they made it well; this is a restaurant run by people who actually know how to cook, not just politicos. One downside is, there isn't really anywhere to sit if you just order food from the cafe. I had to go walking around until I found somewhere to eat my lunch.

I ate an early dinner here on a recent trip to Tokyo. This was after trying Crayon House across the road and finding that many of their vegetarian selections actually contained meat or had been cooked in meat.

So I found Brown Rice Cafe and had the tempeh and vegetables - very tasty, although a litle pricey. Service was friendly and helpful. Good english menu.

I then visited the shop next door and bought a selection of sweets and cookies to try!!!! All very good.

Brown Rice Cafe was really easy to find from the directions on Happy Cow. My only regret is not being able to eat here again. Way too many great vegan/vegetarian choices in Tokyo!

On our last day in Tokyo we only had time for lunch. We stopped in at Brown Rice Cafe where we found the wait to be about 30 minutes. That was a bit too long for us, so we left thinking we would have to eat at the airport. Luckily Brown Rice Cafe has an adjacent deli packed with delicious vegan items.

Overall in Tokyo I spent the most on vegan food, but Brown Rice Cafe Deli was the exception, for around 2600 yen we got a beautiful bento box (1300 yen) packed with bites of japanese food. Really yummy and unique. 4 onigiri of different flavors (about 160 yen each), a smaller tempeh and tofu bento box (500 yen), a green tea muffin (300 yen). It was nice to be able to try a bento box and onigiri and not have to worry about whether or not it was vegan.

We took our food over to Yoyogi Park (about 15 minutes) and had lunch under the cherry blossoms. It was by far the cheapest meal we had in Tokyo, one of the best meals, and eating in the park was great, too. Now that the weather is nice I would definitely recommend takeout from the deli and eating in the nearby park.

After living in Japan for more than 12 months, this was the first time I'd actually found a veggie bento!! It came in a lovely box and was delicious and filling though not cheap at around 1300yen. I also tried one of their soy cream tarts, which was delicious. My non-veggie friend thoroughly enjoyed her curry.

Staff were very friendly.

Menu looks great - just wish I'd been able to visit a few more times to sample more of the options.

we had a wonderful meal and experience at Brown Rice Cafe. The place is small so you might have to wait for a table. The directions from restaurant website and happy cow are very good, the sign for the restaurant is small and you enter through the aromatherapy store in the front. The food was really good, modern veggie food. Place was very clean and service was really good. I think it was cash only.

My partner and I went to the Brown Rice cafe around 2pm and had to wait 30mins which was fine. The food was really good, although as everyone else has said, the portions are a bit small. I had the Tofu burger which was amazing while my partner had the tofu pockets which I thought were not as good. This cafe is best for a snack or lunch, rather than a big meal. The deserts were also quite small but very delicious. I had the tofu tart and the wallnut and cranberry tart. Overall we were very happy with the brown rice and would 100% go back!

Good food, but small portions. I bought some vegan cookies from their store next to the restaurant to fill up.

Really like the food, small portion and very tasty...take out price is very reasonable compared to dining in. I also like their little snack corner with cookies and muffins...very tasty and customer service is superb!

I agree with the other reviews. The food was nice but quite expensive for very small dishes and we had to wait an hour for the table. It seems like it's a super trendy place. Which is not my style at all.

Firstly, thank you for the directions. Many of the places listed in Tokyo were really hard to find but this one was fine due to the good directions given.
I'd agree with many of the reviewers who have already written about this cafe. It is expensive considering what is provided.
We had to wait 30 minutes for a table. Once we were inside and struggling to get the attention of staff who - as someone else has said - seemed in a bit of a daze considering the cafe was busy, I wondered if our wait had really been caused by them. However, full marks to them for dealing well with our lack of language skills and we didn't find them rude.
The cafe has quite a nice clean environment with indoor or patio seating and a decent washroom.
The food was tasty and wholesome and there was a good choice of dishes for vegans. I must agree that the portions are quite small and some of the food could have been more inspiring. We tried tofu pockets stuffed with brown rice, ratatouille and beans which came with a good miso soup, and a bean curry which was kind of dull. The drinks were good - nice choice of vegan fancy coffees. And the desserts were fantastically tasty, but TINY! We had chocolate tofu tart. My other half ordered soya ice cream with his and even the ice cream scoop was miniature!
All the food was well presented. The cafe does seem to be in an expensive area, full of designer shops etc. so maybe that's why you get small amounts and a big bill?!

Food was good, not large portions. Food for 2 (we each had the burger) and a side of brown rice, with 1 drink (I had soy milk) came out to $40.

This place is definitely NOT open until 1030. I have been here around 8 pm on two different occasions and been turned away because "they've already taken last order". They were very rude about it, as well. I called ahead to find out the closing time using the number on this site, but when we arrived they insisted that we hadn't called, but had instead called another place. This has happened twice now. Even though the food is good, I won't be going again.

This place had good food--just not enough of it (per order)--even by Japanese standards. For example, one of their deserts, the chocolate tofu tort (which was really good) was about the size of a Reese's Peanut Butter cup! If their portions were larger, this would be a great place to eat (if money is no object, I guess order two of everything).

I may not be very picky because I was just so happy to find a completely vegan restaurant, but I enjoyed my lunch at Brown Rice. It was easy to find, the portions were plentiful and tasty, the brown rice was perfect. My one complaint is that the desserts were TINY (and I mean tiny!). Instead, I walked over the Natural House on Aoyama Dori and bought some delicious vegan chocolate ice cream.

Went to BRC for lunch today and first had to wait aout 20 min in a skin care shop on the first floor as the seating is ltd. The waitstaff were nice but way to relaxed for a busy lunch. They were just floating by in a daze. Ordered the veggie burger and it was really really good. Had a glass of "rescue" juice which was 840yen and was basically just carrot juice. My friend had the bean curry which was good if I made it at home but was a bit uninspiring at a restaurant. Dessert was roll cake (plain jane normal cake) for my friend and chocolate tart which was really good. Couldn't believe it was vegan. It was really small for the price though. I enjoyed it so much and was really inspired that I bought a few things from the BRC deli upstairs which set me back about 4000Yen for some sweets, amasake drink and a bento takeout. Compared to the cafe, the deli is much cheaper for many of the same foods. Overall, really yummy and satisfying without feeling that heavy gross feeling; I think they really take advatange of the trendiness of the area, hench the prices and sizes.

The food was great! Although there was almost an hour wait to sit down with only an over priced bath shop to stand around in. When we did sit down though the service was nice and they did well with English. The seating area is kind of small and cramped but everything is completely clean. Overall it was nice and easy to find.

For VEGAN this cafe is the best restaurant in Hajuku.
All menu here are made by Organic food.

This cafe has the best vegan desserts I have ever had. In fact, I think are the best desserts period I have ever had. I wasn't a big fan of the veggie filled abura age pockets, but I have tried 3 other main dishes and they have all been delicious. The atmosphere is great and there are health food products for sale as well. The price is about what you would expect to pay (800-900 yen for a main). The desserts are a bit pricier but they are worth it. I highly recommend the Sweet Sake Pie!!

I really liked the style and big patio and wondows!! There were also many vegitarian and cooking books to read while you wiated! Not a place to go for a big meal,more desserts and snacks or a small lunch.If you want the yummy cheese cake you can actually reserve a piece when you reserve your table.They run out fast and I was disapointed when there was only 1 little piece left for us to share! overall nice atmosphere and good food.There is honey on the dressings and other things so ask before you order!

The burger is tiny. The curry is a little more substantial but nothing special. Some of the food contains honey, like the burger sauce so it's best to check. The Japanese set is the most reasonable option.