Vegan
Japanese
Organic

Japanese vegan fine dining that focuses on health and sustainability with a Berlin touch. Dishes are inspired by the centuries-old tradition of Shojin Ryori (Japanese Buddhist temple food). Offers a 7-course and 5-course menu with optional tea accompaniment. Uses local and seasonal ingredients. Sample menu includes tsukemono & cucumber, kabocha & kale, and yuzu & quince. Offers tea, wine or tea and wine accompaniments. Open Tue-Sat 18:00-23:00. Closed Sun-Mon.


Venue map for Oukan Dining
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21 Reviews

First Review by Joshilib

petduo

Points +21

Vegan
02 Oct 2024

Stylish but Overpriced for What It Offers

We reserved a table for 18:30. The hidden location in a backyard, with just a red door marking the entrance, gave it an exclusive feel. The sleek black and grey décor and well-placed lighting set the tone for a high-end dining experience.

We opted for the nine-course tasting menu. Before the meal began, we were served a small snack—some kind of meringue with cream and a small serving of shiitake dashi. Though tasty, the portion was so tiny that it barely left an impression.

From the nine courses, we only truly enjoyed four: the kombujime eringi, the grilled dashi cucumber, the Kushiyaki (which featured well-flavored beetroot), and the sweet Furikake Sandwich. The other dishes, such as the young peas, were underwhelming, and some lacked flavor.

The final dish, a churro, was a disappointment. It was undercooked, not sweet, and the chocolate sauce had an odd salty chili flavor. I couldn’t finish it and would recommend avoiding it.

Afterward, we were offered a matcha biscuit and a small chocolate truffle as a courtesy, which, while kind, didn’t stand out in flavor.

The entire meal took around 3 hours, which felt far too long for nine courses. A faster pace would have improved the experience. The background music was also distracting and sometimes too loud, which affected me even more as a music producer.

While I expected small portions, the ingredients—like pickled cucumber, peas, beetroot, and celeriac—didn’t seem to justify the high price tag. The most unique ingredient, the maitake mushroom, was also somewhat bland.

Additionally, the seating was uncomfortable. I sat on a cushioned bench, and my husband was on a heavy wooden chair, neither ideal for a 3-hour dinner.

The service, however, was excellent. The staff were polite and knowledgeable. But despite the excellent service, the long wait, uncomfortable seating, and overpriced food, especially the churro, made the experience less enjoyable.

Overall, I’d rate it 6 out of 10.

Updated from previous review on 2024-10-02

Pros: Stylish Atmosphere, Attentive Service

Cons: Overpriced, Long Wait Times, Inconsistent Food Quality

madda89

Points +139

Vegan
20 Aug 2024

expensive but SO worth it

the dishes in the high-end setting five course meal were absolute explosions of umami flavor in our mouth. taking in the incredible savior of wooden grilled mushrooms, delicious sauces and tasteful and tasty dishes was worth every Euro - great place for a classy date or special occasion for a truly memorable and unique experience!

Pros: incredible taste, rich flavors, pleasant atmosphere

JuliaHuston

Points +63

Vegan
05 Jul 2024

Special place

We had the summer tasting menu, which was five courses for 69 Euros, and the mixed pairing (which included both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages) for 40 Euros. The alcoholic beverages include wine and sake, and the non-alcoholic beverages include kombucha and different kinds of cold tea. The food was really wonderful, but what made this place special in my view was the ambience. It has a really special, private club vibe (including entering through an unmarked door, low lighting, quiet and not crowded, dreamy music). 

Pros: Ambiance, Food was creative and tasty, Good value, at least by American standards

Cons: Slow service, One of us was still hungry at the end of 5 courses, Beverage portions are small

LuTb

Points +143

Vegan
02 May 2024

Very special

I had the menu with 6 courses (89€) accompanied with 6 (59€ if I remember correctly) teas. Actually the teas were also good but you’ll be also perfectly fine without the drink pairing! The staff was very friendly and explained every course. The food was very delicious. Normally I feel very out of place at fine dining restaurants, but here I felt welcoming and accepted just how I am.

Updated from previous review on 2024-05-02

AndreaPedrini

Points +153

Vegetarian
12 Apr 2024

Speciale

un esperienza sorprendente ai confini con una cucina giapponese, locale meravigliosamente rilassante e personale preparato e cordiale.

a surprising experience bordering on Japanese cuisine, a wonderfully relaxing venue and trained and friendly staff.

villain

Points +8542

Vegan
03 Apr 2024

The best food I've ever had, pure bliss

Oukan Dining is a very intelligent and intentional restaurant. As we walked in, we were greeted by every single staff member. Throughout the night, service was completely flawless, with great attention to minute details.

We were offered the option of 6, 7, or 8 courses and went with 8 courses plus tea pairing. Added to the 8, there was an amuse bouche and small chocolate bites at the end.

What I previously enjoyed at my other favorite vegan fine dining restaurant was how the dishes and flavors evoked past memories and brought you back to a specific moment in time. Oukan did the opposite. Their execution was so outside-the-box that it's an entirely new moment. It doesn't pull your mind to the past or future. It's entirely present, and to be at Oukan is really just "to be." I love how this tied in with their mission of mindfulness and Buddhist influence. The architecture felt very tranquil and aligned with this, too.

The creativity and flavor depth are truly outstanding. I enjoyed tasting every element individually and cherishing the depth of flavor. Then, mixing it all together to be completely blown away by how each flavor comes through even stronger, due to how well everything complements each other.

My favorite dish overall was the sake kasu & spruce. If I could have one flavor linger forever on my palate, that would be it. It was just impressive.

Chawanmushi is a dish I wish I could eat daily.

My favorite course overall and the most successful pairing was the beetroot & yuba. To me, this course was a culinary sensory playground. The beetroot & yuba was the only course to be brought out on a napkin, where we were told to lift it up to our mouths to eat it that way. And the dish tasted very sweet but didn't smell sweet at all. The paired tea smelled very sweet and had the brightest color out of everything that night, yet the most muted flavor out of everything and no sweetness. It was great transition. Pure bliss.

Updated from previous review on 2024-04-03

Walktell

03 Apr 2024

This is making me want to visit Berlin!!😋😋

villain

04 Apr 2024

Worldvegkitchen

Points +1295

Vegetarian
24 Mar 2024

Amazing experience

I’ve now been to most of the €€€ vegan restaurants in Berlin: Frea, Cookies and Cream, and Kopps. Though all are fantastic, Oukan was my favorite. Why? First I’ve never been to a gourmet Japanese restaurant before and it was such an experience. The decor is stunning, the mysterious door and the black walls and pottery add a different feel. Then of course the food, each extremely different with bold fermented and umami flavoring. We loved it and would love to return.

Nieve

Points +4301

Vegan
14 Feb 2024

Creative

We went for the tasting menu this evening, overall enjoyed but for a fine dining experience we expected more. Creative combinations of flavors, balancing contrasts. My favorite dish involved a kombucha schoby. There was a strong focus on creaminess which is rare for vegan spots.
The drink pairing was not worth it, I would not recommend. The drinks were interesting but they did not complement the dishes, rather overbearing.
Some peculiar additions to the palette here and there which we could have done without, such as dill adorning the dessert.
The acoustics weren't well designed, we found it difficult to hear each other despite being at a corner table. Experience with the staff was mixed.

Ulb

Points +107

Vegan
21 Dec 2023

Absolutely lovely

Sophisticated, well thought-out selection of dishes. We had the 6-course menu and enjoyed it immensely. Very nice, relaxed atmosphere. Warmly recommended!

EmdotAlice

Points +4748

Vegan
21 Dec 2023

Incredible experience

The flavors and textures were incredible! This was an amazing experience. Everything was excellent, but the shredded mushroom dish really stood out. This is a great place for a special occasion.

framtid

Points +1482

Vegan
01 Dec 2023

Stunning

the food, the venue - everything is incredible aesthetic.

ThePlantBasedBeast

Points +197

Vegan
05 Oct 2023

Sloooow delivery of good food

It was a 4 hour culinary adventure at this restaurant. 6 course menu was good but we spent 4 hours there! Waiter said it's a new menu and to prepare it perfect it takes time. Very very frustrating to wait half an hour for a dish.
After two first dishes we asked for quicker deliveries but it didn't have a lot of effect.
Otherwise delicious and beautiful food.

Pros: Desserts were the best, Fish-like dishes

Cons: Waiting time

gabrielakubikova

Points +507

Vegan
19 Sep 2023

Absolutely incredible experience

Just wow! Amazing interior, pleasant staff and food that can’t be described. Flavours I didn’t know existed! Much recommended. They also asked about allergies at the beginning and adapted the menu to be gluten-free.

Updated from previous review on 2023-09-19

kamözüt

Points +661

Vegan
31 Aug 2023

Fantastic Experience

We had the 7 course tasting and wine and tea pairing. Every course was both delicious and creative. We had been to a few other restaurants in michelin star restaurants and this one was the best. Not a single course was ordinary. The presentation was also very good. Explanations about the pairings made us understand what the drink was supposed to add to the food. And they really add a lot. Tea pairing was surprisingly successful idea. The place was also elegant. Perfect for a special occasion. Bit difficult to find though. Once you find the adress you face with a large enterence to a hall. There you have to ring an unassuming little door.

Pros: Very friendly service, Creative food, Excellent explanations

LuVe

Points +38

Vegan
05 Aug 2023

Excellent Japanese fine dining

Beautiful interior, dimmed lights, chill atmosphere and amazing food creations. Creative cocktails! A wonderful staff!

OzgeGunencSuzen

Points +400

Vegan
09 Apr 2023

Delicious food and very friendly service

We have been to Oukan for a nice dinner and it was a very smooth experience. Food was amazing and nicely matched with teas and wines. The staff was very professional and also down to earth. Overall great experience and highly recommended!

Pros: Food was very nicely served, Friendly staff, Great experience

c.langelotz

Points +30

Vegan
26 Mar 2023

Fantastic vegan fine dining

Perfect composition of courses, amazing food, real fine dining

Pros: Amazing food, Totally relaxed atmosphere, Nice staff

Füchsindieichbin28

Points +228

Vegan
21 Jan 2023

Unglaublich

Wir sind in den Genuss des 7-Gänge-Menüs gekommen mit Wein- und Teebegleitung. Jeder Gang war ausgezeichnet und harmonisch abgestimmt. Die Tees und Weine haben jedesmal hervorragend gepasst. Die Sommeliers geben gerne ausführliche Informationen. Hier sind wirklich Leute am Werk, die ihren Job lieben und ihr Handwerk beherrschen.

Pros: Fine Dining , Kreative , Saisonale Produkte

Dandido

Points +7187

Vegan
17 Nov 2022

A Unique Japanese Fine-Dining Experience

I wanted to go somewhere special for my birthday and decided to go here with my then girlfriend. I had high expectations. They were surpassed.

Visiting Oukan Dining is an experience. Entering through the anonymous, hidden entrance is like stepping into a different world. The dark lighting, quietness and gorgeous interior design creates an incredibly cozy, relaxed and almost mysterious atmosphere, which is further amplified by the extremely well-fitting chill and jazzy music. After we carefully had walked through a hallway to find a beautiful decorative tree in front of a mirror, a smartly dressed waiter greeted us, brought us to our table in a big dining hall and presented us with the menu.

There is a 3-course set menu for 49€ and a 7-course set menu for 89€. We both had the 7-course set menu. What this place is famous for is the tea and we definitely were not going to miss that. To try as many different things as possible we decided for one of us to have the tea-pairing and for the other to have the wine-pairing.

However, there was no wine-pairing on the menu, and when I inquired about it the waiter informed me that they don't offer it anymore since they want people to focus on the tea. Nevertheless, he offered me a drink-menu and professionally and impeccably consulted me throughout the evening to pair wine, cocktails and sake with what I was eating. I could not have been more satisfied. The best drink I had was the Tsutsuji gimlet; a refreshing and interesting combination of sour and vanilla.

I'm really happy we took the tea-pairing and I recommend others to do the same. The best thing about it was that each tea was presented by Tea Sommelier Kwok Ying, whose imaginative descriptions such as "you might taste the ocean" made drinking the teas more than just drinking tea; it became an experience.

The dishes ranged from great to superb. My favorites were the Matcha & Erbsen soup, the Enoki & Trüffel fried rolls and the Kokos & Kalamansi chocolate dessert. In addition to being delicious each dish also looked incredible. As is custom in fine-dining, each dish was presented by a waiter, which was something I really enjoyed.

It is definitely not cheap, but if you're looking for an experience out of the ordinary I whole-heartedly recommend paying the magnificent Oukan Dining a visit. I love places like these because they push the boundaries and prove how amazing vegan dining can be. I will definitely come back on some other special occasion.

Pros: Service, Atmosphere, Food and tea

TRIVITYS

Points +38

Vegan
15 Nov 2022

Einfach nur WOW!!!

Sehr stilvoll gehoben aber mit fairen Preisen. Spannende Teebegleitubg

Pros: Mega Auswahl , Faire Preise , Super lecker und toller Service

Joshilib

Points +346

Vegan
28 Oct 2022

Delightful

Excellent, creative food with tea pairing; lovely staff. Fine dining price and fine dining portions.




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