Serves meat, vegan options available. Japanese restaurant, labels vegan suitable items. Menu includes vege chicken wings, mock duck with mango, tofu steaks, vege chicken chunks teriyaki style, bean curd rolls, and noodle dishes. Has bento boxes. No animal oils used in cooking. A range of organic juices and drinks. Very atmospheric setting with fairy lights, sunken seating, a pond, and two floors of seating. Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:00pm, Sun 11:30am-10:00pm.
Categories: Ovo, Japanese, Beer/Wine, Take-out, Non-veg
23 Reviews
First Review by LauraFox
Contributions +69
Great food - Edit
I would strongly recommend, the food is pretty amazing and tasty
Contributions +21
Omni Tinder date was v impressed - Edit
I was a little worried as 1) I was going on my first Tinder date with an omni, and sometimes non-veggies can be a bit scathing when it comes to vegan food, and 2) I'd never been here before. But, I shouldn't have worried, we got sat down at this cute hipster table and I actually had a throne, I felt like I was in a low budget GoT chair, it was amazing.
Anyway, the menus are super clear in what's vegan and have so many options available, we ordered a ton of food to share including the 'Vegan Chicken Teriyaki' which was amazing! My omni date absolutely loved the food and was gushing about how easy being vegan could be (yasss the hidden dating agenda).
The cocktails were lovely (and strong), the food filling and not too expensive, aand the only criticism I have is that they need to provide a better environment for the fish as I feel the water was too shallow and too little for the size and amount of fish there.
(First experience of eating out since moving to Leeds - pretty damn good.)
Pros: Clear Vegan Options, Vegan food on point, My chair was a wooden throne
Cons: Conditions for the fish there, Lovely staff
Contributions +24
Tasty Food - Edit
I love this place. The Veggies Curry is ace.
Pros: Vegan options , Tasty, Great location
Cons: Price, Fish pond, Service can be slow
Contributions +52
CRUEL, DON'T GO - Edit
They are cruel to the fish there, there have been many articles written about it. Food is nice but not worth it.
Contributions +23
Great food but staff unclear on vegan ism! - Edit
The food I had was delicious but I was concerned that our waitress didn't understand the difference between vegan and vegetarian. This meant I was brought mayonnaise! Also there is a lone fish in a murky bowl in the waiting area which fellow animal lovers may find upsetting.
Pros: Tasty food, Lots of choice, Delicious wine
Cons: Poor staff knowledge of veganism, No dessert options for vegans, Concerns over welfare of live fish
Contributions +50
Great for all! - Edit
The Resturaunt decor is slightly dated, but the food is nothing short of impressive! The vegetarian 'meats' such as 'vegetarian duck' are great! Good location too!
Contributions +12807
One of my favorite in Leeds! - Edit
I didn't plan to come eating here (I tried to go to Roots and Fruits but it was closed on Sunday) but it was finally a very good experience and I won't regret it. Au contraire, this place is worth for a vegan! The interior is beautiful, the staff is friendly and they offer numerous choices for vegans, clearly marked on the menu. However one item was labelled vegan but contains mayonnaise and the waiter didn't know if it was a veganaise or not. Apart from that, the other items seem very clean for a vegan.
I ordered the fried tofu as a starter and the bento box with vegan duck and its mango sauce as a main dish. The tofu was really good and the bento box amazing! Portions were huge. In the bento box you have: rice with sesame seeds, green salads, fruits, the vegan duck with its mango sauce, vegetable fritters (a lot of different vegetables). If you are hungry, vegan and like asiatic food, you must go there.
Pros: great bento box, vegan-friendly, generous portions, tasty food, nice interior, friendly staff
Cons: one vegan-labelled item has mayonnaise
Contributions +167
Flavoursome vegan food - Edit
Inside, the tables are made from heavily varnished segments of tree trunk. Very beautiful. And there's an ornamental bridge and a pond with koi carp.
I had the vegan teriyaki chunks bento box, with spring rolls for a starter. It wasn't healthy, but it was ridiculously flavoursome. It is expensive for Leeds though - around £20 for a starter and a main. The staff weren't particularly friendly either, but the interior is a total escape from the city centre hustle.
5 stars for the food. 3 for the service.
Pros: Tasty food, Nice interior, Vegan options
Cons: Meat served , Expensive, Not too friendly
Contributions +33
Went there for a birthday meal - Edit
I loved the food, the presentation was great and the service was fast, would recommend.
Pros: Excellent food, Good value, Friendly staff
Contributions +14
Delicious Vegan Food - Edit
Unlike other reviewers I don't think Little Tokyo is particularly expensive and the quality of food certainly justifies the price. This was my first visit here as a vegan and I went with an omni friend but we both ordered vegan options. We were both a bit hungover and hungry so we ordered a lot of food- for starters we shared edamame beans, avocado tempura, fried tofu pockets stuffed with shitake mushrooms and the flame grilled aubergines and they were all delicious especially the tofu pockets. For main I had the vegetarian duck with mango bento box and it was amazing- the best mock meat I've ever had. My friend tried it and couldn't believe that it was vegan.
My only tiny moan was that they forgot my miso soup but I didn't really need it and they were very apologetic- the service here is very good in general- speedy without being annoying and attentive without being obtrusive. Really nice cocktails here as well- the raspberry daiquiri is particularly toothsome. All in all it was a real treat for a vegan used to having to eat fairly dull food in most restaurants.
Pros: Great Vegan choices, Lovely staff, Nice cocktails
Contributions +74
Best in Leeds. - Edit
My favourite place to eat in Leeds. Staff are very helpful and friendly. Decor is beautiful. Bento box's are a must try. Mock-duck, fake chicken and tofu are all available. Perfect when eating out with meat-eaters. Peach wine is wonderful. Vegan dishes are marked on the menu.
Pros: Vegan friendly, central, beautiful
Contributions +34
Love it! - Edit
I have been here many many times. I can only echo what the good reviews have said, but I wanted to mention the price. It is a bit more pricey, yes. Bento boxes are around the £13 mark, but that is for your main, tempura, salad and rice, so to me that is a complete meal.
I normally order a noodle soup, around £8 and share the veggie starter platter with a couple of people. It is more expensive than a pub and definietly somewhere probably more for a treat, but its not a budget killer.
They even label their wines veggie or not, how good is that?
Pros: Plenty of vegan choice, quick service, nice decor
Cons: tables are tiny!, you can't book, very busy @ weekend
Contributions +103
Expensive but nice! - Edit
I love the bento box and the food is extremely good... The desserts were delicious and delicately made with amazing combination of flavours and textures... ( lime ice cream) ... and the decor is something worth seeing... It has a little bridge and a pond with goldfish in it... All in a soft minimalist design... nothing kitsch about it at all... I recommend this place for a birthday celebration, a treat, a romantic date... It is a bit pricey but worth it if you have something special to celebrate... But I guess if you're loaded, and just want to eat something go for it!
The portions are quite small... you feel healthy and not very full when you leave but happy... Go if you're not starved in other words... But the flavours are there and the food is fresh, so well worth visiting if you can afford it...
Oh and when I went there for the first time they were playing Miyazaki's My neighbour Totoro's theme so I was transported in Japan somewhere, ace!
http://www.littletokyo-leeds.co.uk/
Pros: nice and peaceful décor, Nice staff, Gorgeous food full of delicate flavours
Cons: Expensive, Expensive, Expensive
Contributions +30
Great food, touch expensive - Edit
The food here is superb. For starters I had deep fried tofu steaks, and for the main I had vegan "chicken" teriyaki bento box.
The tofu steaks were a bit bland (could do with marinating instead of plain tofu) but the chilli miso sauce rescued it and made it a really tasty starter.
The Bento box was outstanding. A lovely ginger crisp side salad, vegetable tempura with a soy dip, sticky rice and the "chicken" teriyaki was superb.
You got a good amount of food but for £23 for starter, main, and one beer is a bit steep. More of a treat yourself restaurant.
Pros: Excellent food, lovely setting, good vegan options
Cons: expensive
Contributions +114
expensive...i dont go there at all - Edit
Very pricey, they used to make a show of "donating to homeless projects in third world" etc.And used to say they use organic ingredients, neither claim has a single thing to back it up.Service is faux friendly and intrusive.
Pros: vegan available
Cons: exorbitant, meat served., service over friendly.
Contributions +7062
Great food, expensive tastes - Edit
A hugely impressive restaurant with no expense spared on the interior. I thought it was just a small place from the outside but once you enter it's like being in a Japanese temple. There's also a huge dining area downstairs. Vegetarian and vegan choice is very good indeed with a good range of mock meats available. The prices are quite steep. It's something like £15 for a mock chicken box meal. We opted to share a number of starter dishes such as pan fried tofu and mock chicken skewers. Even the bottled water is ultra pricey here. I probably wouldn't go back but am glad to have tried it. It's definitely worth 4 stars based on what it is and the food available.
Pros: food, decor
Cons: prices
Contributions +14
An Appalling Experience - Edit
I've been going to Little Tokyo for nearly ten years, but I think it has gone really downhill in recent years, in terms of both the quality of the food, hygiene, and the service. Seeing a rat-trap outside the kitchen is not a good sign, and while they make a big deal of their vegan and vegetarian options, after being served meat (something that has also happened to vegetarian friends of mine) I really don't trust them anymore.
My last visit to Little Tokyo (and I do mean 'last visit')was with a friend, who like myself is not only vegan, but a longsstanding Little Tokyo customer. The restaurant was very quiet, and in fact we were the only diners seated downstairs when our order was taken. My friend ordered a bento box set with tofu steak and I ordered a vegetarian ramen dish. While ordering I asked the waiter if the noodle dish came with tofu and he said that it did. I also said that I was vegan.
When the dish came the waiter said that he hoped there was enough tofu in it for me. In fact it had meat in it, and because it was dark in the restaurant I put some in my mouth. For someone who is a strict vegan of many years this was a disgusting experience and I had to go to the toilet to be sick. I wasn't even offered a glass of water, and when I asked to speak to the manager I was told there was no manager there. The 'supervisor' was quite rude and didn't to see what the problem was. I then had to pay for this awful experience.
Our evening ruined, we both went home. I was sick again and felt ill for the rest of the night.
A written complaint did not even receive an acknowledgement. I would never set foot in Little Tokyo again.
Cons: Bad service, Bad food, Bad hygiene
Contributions +27
Maybe it was a bad night.... - Edit
I have been to Little Tokyo once and i'd never repeat the experience. I had the tempura vegetables and a katsu curry and it was absolutely tasteless. It was so bad I couldn't even eat it. The service was actually worse than the food. It's a shame as I had such high hopes when I went in but it really was very bad.
Pros: Vegetarian drinks
Cons: Taste of food, Staff
Contributions +31
Sweet memories - Edit
The reviewers before me have said it all, I can just add that the memory of Little Tokyo makes my mouth water (and my family's), and if we are ever anywhere near Leeds, we will be returning to that wonderful place.
Are you in Leeds? I envy you.
Pros: Great food , Separate utensils for vegan food, Friendly staff
Cons: Nothing I can think of.
Contributions +28
Delicious Food in city centre location - Edit
Little Tokyo is a firm favourite of mine. It has vegan meals on the menu, and the food I've had here has always been tasty and fresh. I particularly love the eggplant bento box. Though a little on the expensive side, it's perfect for a celebration and with lots of choice, is good for groups of people with differing tastes. Good service and good opening hours in a city centre location.
Pros: delicious food, vegan meals, city centre location
Cons: somewhat pricey
Contributions +44
One of my favourite restaurants in Leeds - Edit
Though sometimes a little expensive (there are cheap dishes too) - this has usually been the place I go to for birthdays and anniversaries.
Lots of veg options and a very informative menu stressing the quality of the food being natural and additive free.
I would highly recommend the pomegranate drink and the lime and ginger cheesecake if it's available. There are vegan dessert options too.
You could opt for one of the other Leeds veg options if you're just looking for a good value, down to earth, filling meal. However if you want to try something a bit different and exciting, in awesome surroundings I would definitely recommend this place. Authetically Japanese - much like restaurants I've been to in Japan, especially in the downstairs section.
I'd also recommend it generally for the Japanese food and for those bringing carnivorous friends and relatives.
Pros: Really cool atmosphere, Unusual and tasty, Good service
Cons: Unusual dishes might not be for all, Often busy/booked
Contributions +45
Very fast service - Edit
Little Tokyo serves fantastic food brought to you in record time. There are plenty of options for vegans. The staff are very friendly and the water feature adds to the atmosphere.
Pros: Good Food, Fast Service, Friendly Staff
Cons: None
Contributions +31
expensive but good as a treat - Edit
Lovely place, great atmosphere, menu is well labelled with vegan options. Expensive but you get a good portion for the price. Helpful staff.
Pros: vegan options, nice atmosphere
Cons: expensive
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