Meunota

I came here with my partner not by plan but because Komenoko was closed. We then decided to check out Meunota, and checked their facebook page quickly and found that they needed a reservation and called and luckily they booked us a table! Note however, if you make a reservation you are required to buy a drink for each person (much like how some of those karaoke places do) which are around 400-650en each. The decor of the restaurant was very nice and the quality of the food was excellent too. I opted for the "30 ingredient taco rice" and my partner had the gluten-free curry, and we were both very happy with our choices. I also had the onion rings as an appetizer which were superb, the onion was soft and creamy and the batter not too oily. I also got one of the soy yogurt drinks (mango I believe) since it was unusual and it was delicious. Water is self-serve. We skipped on desert since we were stuffed after finishing our meals but those looked good too. They also have their own cookbook they sell at the store, or on amazon apparently too. I found the waiter to be very friendly and helpful too.

The bad? Well it was a little on the pricey side in my opinion. And the food came out a little slow, and I had to wait about 20 minutes for my partner's food to come out after getting my food.

Overall, I would come again if I was in the area.

Pro tip: Check their facebook page (or any of these small restaurant and cafe pages) before coming as they tend to close randomly and have tips (like making a reservation). On the weekend evenings they can be busy and deny you a seat without a reservation (saw a few people turned away).

Since I´m not a fan of healthy food that much I just dont think this is the place for me, however I enjoyed myself with the great decors, friendly stuff and good music. If you´re into healthy vegan stuff this is the place for you, however, I need more salt, fat and "meat" to my food to really enjoy, everyones different right.

Every time I try to go here it's closed, even though the website hours show as open. I think they just like to take days off. It looks cute and I've heard good things, but it's probably a good idea to call before trekking out to Koenji. The place down the street (Poleyaye) was also closed.

Meunota is an interesting and cosy space with mismatched tables and chairs, couches and decorative items displayed on the walls and ceiling. The lunch menu has three options and I chose the deli plate for just over ¥1200 and paid ¥100 for a pineapple juice instead of a set drink (coffee/tea/Inka). My companion opted for the vegetable curry (just over ¥900) and an OJ. The deli plate was vast with many different dishes. A highlight for me was the avocado tempura: delicious! There were a lot of different bursts of flavour on the plate and only the tofu jelly was unimpressive to me. I tasted the vegetable curry and it seemed nice if nothing special. My companion commented that it needed more sauce to moisten the vegetables. Not wanting to leave without dessert, I ordered a slice of pound cake, which was a bit dry and crumbly, like something of the 'healthy vegan' tradition. I'd like to come back this welcoming space to try some other menu items.

Another vegan gem in Koenji...totally wonderful place. The food is top-notch...ingredients, menu, taste, preparation...all superb. And extremely reasonable prices for the quality. If you happen to come during lunch, the menu is limited to a few selections (all great) but they do offer their mixed grain-veggie platter as one choice...one of the most delicious, healthy, nicely-presented vegan meals I ever had. The evening menu is much broader (also includes rare items like black-bean hummus...delicious).

The folks are great and the atmosphere is also lovely...very homelike and relaxing. Location is also relatively convenient, quite close to Koenji station. The one caution is just that the place is fairly small. Also, be careful of the business hours...as currently listed above is wrong (they are generally closed on Mon-Tues, and Wed is only dinner). I have requested an update of the hours but if in doubt, best to confirm directly on their site (easy to check calendar on the front page).

I'm resisting the urge to gush again, but will just say that Meunota is one of the best vegan restaurants I've found in Japan. Actually, even though it has generally high ratings, I'm still a bit shocked that this place doesn't have much more visibility...it is seriously underrated. Anyway, I can't fault any of it...easily max stars, max recommendation. Do not miss.

Upstairs, so limited access (not unusual in Tokyo, but still). Lovely atmosphere, but be warned, the amount of English spoken may vary depending on who is working that day, perhaps? I was unlucky, I think, and got very friendly and eager to please service that involved a certain amount of mime and pulling up pictures on my phone. And waving the always life-saving card a friend made for me that explains not only veganism but Coeliac disease (but then, I basically have to do similar in English speaking restaurants, and it's my own fault for coming on such an impromptu trip that I didn't really have time to learn even basic keywords) Ahem. Anyway, my own fault, and they were genuinely nice.

I had the mixed lunch platter, and it was delicious. Miso soup, a mild slightly Mexican style bean dish, brown rice, a steamed half carrot, salad, grilled tofu and something I didn't eat because it looked suspiciously bread like and I wasn't 100% I'd made it through on the Coeliac thing, but that might just be my terrible paranoia about not getting vilely ill on holiday, and a coffee. The coffee was very much Tokyo style and Tokyo standard, so I probably would have been much, much happier with tea, but I felt I needed the caffeine hit.

Great atmosphere, great space, nice people.

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Tokyo, in real short here's why:
-Very tasty, original and satisfying vegan food.
-Very nice, quintessential cute Tokyo interior (unlike some other typical veggie restaurants) - great to eat here with a non veggie date.
-Very nice service.
-Again, great healthy tasty hearty food, with good portions - at a very good price.

Do not give it a miss if you are in town!

Not too difficult to find by Tokyo standards, Meu Nota offered a wide range of cuisines from an english menu. The staff were super friendly and the food was all good. The taco rice salad and the Chocolate/Walnut cake were particularly good; and it was nice to find hummus, black bean hummus as well in Japan. A very good meal and reasonable price for Japan. Do try the mango beer!

*fresh and delicious dishes
*good selection of music (mostly Brazilian, Latin, Jazz)
*friendly and knowledgeable staff :)
*small but cozy atmosphere