Ovo
Japanese
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Traditional Japanese tofu restaurant. Menu is claimed as vegan-friendly minus the seafood based (fish) soups. Has separate vegan menu. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-6:30pm.
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19 Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan, 616-8384
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Last update on 17 Jul 2024 by Harpy23
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Added by sevenf on 12 Mar 2019
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24 Reviews
First Review by loveandfer
Harpy23
Points +860
A fun option to try a lot of tofu - Edit
We tried going to Tofu Saga Ine but were met with a sign telling us it was closed but we could go to the north branch just 100 metres away. Maybe somebody who is local and more informed can update the listing if this is a permanent change of some sorts.
Read moreOf the five set meals, one of them is vegan so I went for that. You get a lot of little different dishes and with this being a tofu restaurant, unsurprisingly they mostly centre around tofu.
There were some tempura, a few pieces of vegetable and one piece of tofu. It was all very tasty but the batter was a bit heavy and greasy and not as light as very good tempura.
There was a pot with yuba in what seemed like a soy milk broth. It didn't taste of very much but this is where the couple of pots of dipping sauce some into play! I enjoyed the texture. I don't really get yuba anywhere so any opportunity to eat it feels like a treat.
There was a pot full of a big block of silken tofu simmering away above a heater. The broth didn't taste of anything and the tofu was plain too, again, time for the dipping sauces. The texture was great, silky smooth but still robust enough to not just completely disintegrate.
There was a cube of black sesame tofu which I quite enjoyed. The texture was a bit firmer than the silken tofu and there was a good sesame flavour coming through. The aftertaste was a bit bitter though and that let it down.
The warabimochi was probably the highlight for me. It was a sweet gelatinous mochi type thing covered in kinako (roasted soy bean flour). The sweetness of the mochi was really well balanced by the savoury nuttines of the kinako.
There were a couple of lollipop things that had a bit of a gelatinous texture and not much taste. They came with this dipping paste which was a bit sweet and sharp, possibly mostly made of tamarind. They were a bit unexciting.
You also get a little dish of radish pickles which help to add some additional flavour.
The whole thing came with a pot of rice that some red beans in it and was well seasoned (it's in the bowl with the lid on).
Overall, this was a good experience. It's the kind of food I don't get the opportunity to eat anywhere else. It doesn't quite all work for me but I'm still giving it 4* for a largely tasty and enjoyable meal.
Guest
Tsukimi
Points +4614
Love love love - Edit
My go-to when in Arashiyama. Wish they had more vegan options, but the one they got is on point!
Read moreCame here several times over the years, and it's always soo good! Come early to avoid lining up.
And even if you have to wait, usually you get in quite quickly.
Updated from previous review on 2024-07-01
Guest
the_mean
Points +18
Loved it - Edit
There were about five sets on the menu and one set was clearly marked as vegan. This is the only vegan option. Good variety of creative tofu dishes. Not that the marked location is currently closed but there is a second location about 100 meters north on the same street.
Read moreGuest
A_tourist
Points +146
Good option near the bamboo forest - Edit
Vegan set was delicious with a lot of side dishes, rice, silky tofu and tofu skin in soy milk, as well as little mochis.
Read morePros: Vegan food indicated clearly on the menu
Guest
IlkaS
Points +851
Lots of Silken-Tofu - Edit
We had the vegan composition. It was a loooooot!
Read moreSome things were very strange and tasted like nothing. 😂 but I think that‘s how it is supposed to be, because you have sauces and dips.
So: great experience!
Pros: Lots of tofu, Tasty, Just two vegan options
Cons: Soups (udon) couldn‘t be made vegan (fish sauce)
Guest
gurusimon
Points +713
Tofu in different ways - Edit
Unfortunately all soups/dips contain fishsauce, but there is a vegan set. Lots of ways to eat tofu, tofuskin etc. Recommended.
Read moreGuest
krissysch
Points +1618
Nice experience - Edit
The vegan Set menu is a really nice experience. The whole Set is Tofu themed and it's so interesting to See what can be made of Tofu. We didn't had a reservation but directly got a seat. The waitress was really friendly and also explained the dishes and what to eat together, for example which Tofu to eat with which Sauce etc. There was also a second layer of food in the Box. The whole Set was huge and a wonderful experience.
Read moreGuest
drea1981
Points +806
Tofu done many ways - Edit
Great dishes . Comes with sweets also .
Read moreGreat view from the top floor !
Guest
skylerpivonka
Points +56
Cool experience - Edit
There’s only one vegan option and it’s a pretty big portion, so I asked if they had anything smaller- waitress offered to sub out fish sauce on one of the smaller dishes😄cool to have accommodations offered! Complimentary tea, black sesame treat was nice too.
Read morePros: Fast service, Willing to accommodate , Opp for more noodles!
Cons: Limited options
Guest
Echooo
Points +95
Delicious - Edit
There’s only one vegan meal set but it’s very delicious and has a variety of dishes
Read moreGuest
MinaNoir
Points +170
Lovely meal, separate vegan menu - Edit
Despite Arashiyama having countless tofu restaurants making you thing that eating there would be easy, it is not as daishi is just freaking everywhere.
Read moreSo very greatful that here they have a truly separated vegan menu!
They serve very quick and the meal presentation is just gorgeous but it does tastes rather bland, but still is a very enjoyable meal.
It can get very busy so avoid peak hours or make a reservation.
Updated from previous review on 2023-11-06
Pros: Visually beautiful meal, Fast service
Cons: Food can be a bit bland
Guest
DevonJP
Points +56
Great food for tofu lovers - Edit
Not sure what was not vegan- perhaps the miso soup. No sign of flesh on the menu and the milk used is soy.
Read morePros: Good location, Good food, Plenty of food
Guest
Annanascomosus
Points +37
A lot of tofu - Edit
Nice to have a tofu meal but it was too much for us of one thing
Read moreGuest
igniux
Points +75
Average taste but good looking food - Edit
Service: register on the waiting list and wait until you're seated. English menu (one vegan option though). Staff friendly and speaks English. Serves free cold tea.
Read moreAtmosphere: a hall on the second floor near the gate to Tenryu-ji. You can see the busy street below. Ordering is quick and people change fast. A bit outdated modern Japanese restaurant
Food: you get a set of meals, has several kinds of tofu, rice, pickles, tempura (not sure it's vegan) and some things i couldn't identify. Tofu skin from bamboo and tempura were amazing, pickles and rice were good. All the other foods were gooey and to me seemed a little too similar. Average size portion.
Updated from previous review on 2023-09-27
Pros: Cold tea
Guest
GwenDiagram
Points +44
Awesome meal but with a few issues - Edit
Really loved the different flavours; the yuba was unbelievable and I'd never tried it before so loved to try. Loved the sweets with the set meal and I really enjoyed the boiled tofu. The waiter was a lovely, manic man who seemed in a massive rush but I really liked him.
Read moreUnfortunately the tempura was cold and the toilet sinks had a fair bit of mold in the grit between the tiles so looked dirty. I'd still eat here again because it was a very interesting meal but it wasn't up to the usual standard of burn your mouth off and cleanliness of other places I've been.
Pros: Really fun meal to eat, Great waiter, Different tastes
Cons: Toilet sink was dirty, Tempura was cold
Guest
mariesi
Points +206
Great tofu restaurant - Edit
We loved our set meal. The boiled tofu is served in a bowl with the fire underneath.
Read moreCash only. Definitely worth going there if you are in Arashiyama
Pros: Traditional Japanese food, Very good
Guest
EvaSusin
Points +126
Not sure if tempura is vegan - Edit
Me and my bf ordered 2 different dishes, I oredered the vegan one (which is also more expensive - 2100 yen) and my boyfriend another one (not vegan, 1700 yen) but I noticed our dishes were not as different, except that he had less of them. I think tempura is made with egg, it was the same (yellow just like egg) color in both menus. Apart from that, food was delicious, it's a great Japanese experience, Kyoto is known for tofu. You do need some instructions on how to eat the soups tho, ask.
Read morePros: Traditional dishes, Good taste
Cons: Expensive, Egg in tempura
Guest
lillymeuser
Points +29
Tempelküche - Edit
Es gibt ein "Vegan/Vegetarian Set" und ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob es tatsächlich vegan war: ich glaube in einer Schüssel wurde Ei serviert. Vor allem der Seidentofu und die Tempura waren sehr lecker. Das Warten lohnt sich: ihr müsst euch zuvor in eine Warteliste vor Ort eintragen. So stelle ich mir die authentische japanische vegetarische Tempelküche vor.
Read morePros: Seidentofu, Tempura
Cons: Wartezeit
Guest
meagabug
Points +335
Great stuff! - Edit
The way the meal is presented is so fun - the yube is in a bamboo bowl, the yudoufu is being heated with a little fire, etc. it’s so different to what I’m used to in the states! My favorite part of the meal had to be the sweet mochi 😊
Read morePros: Easy to get to, Clear vegan option , Delicious!
Guest
Dariush
Points +792
This is a must if you stop by Arashiyama - Edit
Of all the vegan-friendly restaurants I visited while in Japan so far, this felt the most Japanese- both on the basis of their traditional menu and the clientele. They offer four set meal options- one of which is vegan. The vegan set came with a tofu soup, vegan tempura, tofu skin, steamed rice, pickled vegetables, a sesame and wasabi savoury and a mochi-like dessert. (I’m almost certainly butchering these descriptions.) Bottom line- it was delicious and I finished every scrap. Warning- they accept cash only.
Read moreGuest
cj81914
Points +621
Won’t disappoint! - Edit
Visited here 3 times now and loved it each time. The vegan set available is made up of 10 items and is served with tea and coffee, with other drink items available to purchase. (Eg beer, sake) Expect an amazing quality tofu and vegetable feast!
Read moreService is always so friendly and fast! Great location and good value for money too. Highly recommended.
Guest
RitaVgn
Points +123
Yummy stop - Edit
Good flavor, not complex and vegan set!
Read morePros: Vegan food, No table charge
Guest
genya
Points +72
Nice meal in Arashiyama area - Edit
We enjoyed our lunch at Saga Tofu Ine Head Store (there are two locations in Arashiyama). I had the vegan set and my partner had a vegetarian set of their regular menu (did no see any meat on the menu, but saw eggs). It was delicious and healthy. A lot of little plates and dishes filled with various forms of tofu, tempura, rice cakes, sauces and pickles. The Yuba (tofu skin) was my favorite. Nice and friendly service and delicious cold tea with refills. We were both very full after. I would recommend this for a Japanese experience and the hours of operation are very convenient as it stays open later in the evening.
Read morePros: English menu with clear descriptions , Delicious food, Convenient for Arashiyama tourists
Guest
loveandfer
Points +31
I like tofu but... - Edit
If you want to taste a traditional tofu meal this is it. The problem I had was the consistency of certain dishes, way too gooey for me. The vegetarian set was really good.
Read moreGuest
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