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Top Rated in Los Angeles
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Shojin - DTLA
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Vegan
Vegan Japanese restaurant est. 2008 on the third level of downtown's Little Tokyo Shopping Center which has parking. The menu features a variety of refreshing beverages and vegetable sushi rolls, plus salads, ramen, seitan entrees, and other creations. Intimate setting. Open Tue-Wed 5:30pm-9:30pm, Thu-Sat 5:30pm-10:00pm, Sun 12:00pm-10:00pm. Closed Mon & Thur.
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333 S Alameda St Unit 310, Los Angeles, California, USA, 90013
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 05 Aug 2023 by shojin
Update business info -
Added by eric on 14 Jan 2008
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128 Reviews
First Review by button
Desh
Points +533
Straight up fire! - Edit
This little gem right here is worth going to. Next time I’m in LA I will definitely be going back. Japanese vegan restaurant in Downtown LA. Vegan, Gluten-free, Macrobiotic, Organic??🔥 Everything I had was good. The service was great, even the menu with the drawn happy animals shows how cutesy vegan this place is.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-09-18
Pros: The wall of hearts for photo opts, The food is good, Overall vibe
Cons: On the expensive side for the amount of food, Wait time = plan ahead… reservations 👌🏿, Looks fancy, if you don’t like that sort of thing
Guest
IngridZ
Points +494
So good! Must try their tasting menu - Edit
Loved their tasting menu. Everything was bite sized so you won’t get overly full. And the tastes were great. Highly recommend!!
Read moreGuest
hypercubes
Points +368
Excellent vegan sushi - Edit
We got the tasting menu and it was phenomenal. Best vegan sushi I've had. Lots of interesting flavors and textures.
Read moreGuest
hakunapatata
Points +274
Interesting menu and great service - Edit
Promising menu but I don’t think I’d order the ramen again. The “egg” they add is interesting but not all that egg-like. The service is lovely!
Read moreGuest
Crisjane
Points +54
Best sushi - Edit
Best sushi I’ve had. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth the price. The flavors are all there. My favorites are baked crab cake roll and the spicy baked scallop roll.
Read morePros: Fresh, Flavorful, All vegan
Guest
MarkWebber
Points +122
Glorious - Edit
This place is very near and dear to me and my family’s heart’s
Read moreI ate here so much with my first son that they ended up creating a “baby ramen” that I could specially order.
The staff became family to me.
My first date with my wife was here. The night that changed my life forever. We now have 4 children together, who over the years all got to fall in love with some Dragon rolls.
Everything about this place is special. The service. The ambience. Everything.
You can’t go wrong when ordering here. Everything is sensational.
The cleanest most delicious vegan Japanese in the world.
I even shot a scene in one of my films here, called “the ever after” with my wife Teresa Palmer.
Updated from previous review on 2023-05-07
Guest
ratpackdave
Points +16
FANTASTIC!!! - Edit
I had dinner there last night with my girlfriend and it was amazing. The second you cross the threshold to the restaurant you leave a mall and enter into a unique ambience filled with amazing food, great service and delicious cocktails.
Read morePlease visit this restaurant and experience the fun of vegan sushi. It will be well worth your time!
Pros: Service, Food, Mocktails
Cons: None
Guest
Doctordeb
Points +217
Perfect hidden gem - Edit
This is a lovely organic, all vegan, Japanese macrobiotic style restaurant, tucked up inside a mall near Little Tokyo. The food is quite good, changes seasonally, and the service is outstanding. It’s quiet and clean. And they use miso but no table salt, so nothing is too salty!
Read morePros: All vegan and salt free, Staff and service are wonderful, Really excellent food but not pretentious
Cons: With drinks,dessert, tasting menu, it’s a splurge
Guest
bduboff
Points +1396
Fantastic Japanese Vegan - Edit
This review is way overdue as we ate there a few years ago ... sorry to the universe! We had a great meal in this tiny and somewhat odd Japanese restaurant in a mall and behind a curtain! The food was authentic and creative and delish.
Read morePros: ALL VEGAN
Cons: mall
Guest
ilikevegg
Points +341
Super tasty sushi - Edit
Very yum but quite expensive and the decor is pretty dated. But I’d recommend for a date night
Read moreGuest
Alyssa.Rosa
Points +118
Best vegan sushi - Edit
Celebrated here with my family. I’m the only only vegan but they were all impressed. The food was delicious. I’ve had other vegan sushi but this has been the best v sushi I’ve had so far.
Read morePros: Fresh & clean ingredients , Creative/beautiful art like dishes , Delicious
Cons: Location
Guest
MaryanneMalandrinos
Points +30
Absolutely incredible - Edit
Can’t say enough good things about this place. The sushi is phenomenal and a great date night meal
Read morePros: Incredible variety, Amazing flavors
Cons: Expensive
Guest
alannahneedham
Points +337
Lovely! - Edit
Went here for our anniversary and it was so nice! So flavorful. Definitely can't wait to come back!
Read moreGuest
J.P.
Points +471
Vegan Perfection! - Edit
So much Love is put into everything Shojin is and stands for! Vegan delights packed with nutrients. Incredible! Amazing! Such an Awesome Staff! Arigato Gozaimasu
Read moreGuest
RobinGood_eating
Points +414
Pricey for below average taste - Edit
Had the tasting platter with 11 different dishes. 60% of it was bland. Most dishes were so small that I wasn’t even sure if that is garnish or a “dish”
Read moreI also ordered the pumpkin donut as a dessert which was also really small and lacking in flavor.
They were really nice, but me paying 80$ for one person and then leaving hungry doesn’t justify it.
I went afterwards to the place next door to get a cup of rice because they closed the kitchen already. Not so cool
Guest
tim_doubleday
Points +194
Loved it - Edit
Can't wait to go back when in LA again.
Read moreGuest
NirvanaRoseWilliams
Points +4108
Wonderful dining experience - Edit
The decor, vibe and food are all wonderful. My partner had been once before and insisted we go back.
Read morePros: All vegan , Wonderful food , Dining experience
Guest
yungveg17
Points +835
Wonderful dining experience - Edit
We did the tasting menu and it was divine. I don't really consider myself a foodie or anything but this was definitely next-level stuff. Not exactly cheap but super high quality and a really lovely experience all around. I hope to go back at some point for sure
Read morePros: Elegant cuisine
Guest
ShelleyLadd
Points +18
Absolutely amazing!!! - Edit
Vegan, Gluten Free and made with love.
Read moreSpectacular, spectacular. One of the best meals/dining experiences of my life. Can’t wait to go again!
Pros: Everything is gluten free , All plant based, Made with love
Cons: No cons
Guest
halyse
Points +57
One of my favorite restaurants in all of LA - Edit
I love this place! Vegan sushi is definitely my all-time favorite food and although this place doesn’t do vegan “seafood“ sushi it’s still so good. Everything is organic, healthy and delicious. I love to order the spicy and crunchy platter with a Saturday night fever roll, and a mushroom miso. The staff is so sweet and polite and really treat you like royalty. It’s a little on the pricey side but totally worth it!
Read moreGuest
coleweso123
Points +102
Not the best sushi place - Edit
The atmosphere of the restaurant is very intimate and I loved that. The sushi itself left something to be desired. We ordered takeout and waited for over 2 hours. We were allowed to come sit inside and were given a free drink which was nice but the food was not worth the wait.
Read moreGuest
cyle
Points +218
My favorite restaurant in the world - Edit
I've been going to Shojin since early college (2007 or 2008ish?) when the head of my Japanese department at CSUN, also a vegan, recommended it. It is my favorite restaurant in the world. I've taken loved ones, colleagues, first dates, friends and anybody who will accompany me there. Their employees are always so friendly and, while we aren't intimately close, over the years I've become familiar with and fond of many of them. I moved away during the pandemic and so haven't seen them in a while, but very much looking forward to having a homecoming meal.
Read moreThe dessert chef Kie is phenomenal. She makes a green tea mousse that can literally make me cry, which includes inside it mochi and red bean, as well as coconut cream. Emotionally, I can't handle that mousse, but I eat it every time it's available nonetheless, because the pain it inflicts on my soul hurts way too good. She had her own dessert shop, Pomegranate, for a while which unfortunately didn't work out (I blame the location), but I believe she still (hopefully) creates her amazing desserts for Shojin. She also used to make ice cream at pomegranate that was to die for, which you could buy by the pint, and I seem to recall seeing it making an occasional special appearance at the restaurant. Additionally, she's known for her very little cookies, which are pleasantly understated and linger with you if you let them and don't just gobble them down. The sesame is one of my faves.
Shojin is the first place I found that destroyed any notion that vegan sushi couldn't be just as good as or better than non-vegan. Their sushi rolls are masterpieces and they are the OGs. Right before we left LA we ordered a ton of sushi for my boyfriend's birthday. Early pandemic they were personally driving around LA delivering food to people all over the city. We were in North Hollywood! That's a drive and these people are total love. We tried to make sure to order a lot to make it worth it. It was a memorable day.
They really understand flavor and texture and quality of ingredients. There are a lot of great vegan Japanese restaurants around the world now, but Shojin still leads the pack. The only one I've found that's on par (imo) is New York's Michelin-starred Kajitsu, which offers a totally different experience from Shojin, in the sense that they cannot be compared head to head, and each one can excel in its own lane.
I love this restaurant and will always love this restaurant.
Updated from previous review on 2022-05-21
Pros: Best Japanese sushi, Best desserts, Green tea mousse
Cons: Nothing. It's worth every penny.
Guest
tinam001
Points +39
This is THE BEST Vegan restaurant in LA! - Edit
Try the spicy ‘scallop’ roll, the soft ‘crab’ rolls (mu absolute fav) and…well, everything is amazing. Owner and staff are SO nice. They make you feel like family! Been going here for about 14 years!
Read morePros: Something for everyone, Drinks are great (they have non-alcoholic too), The staff cares
Guest
vcassel
Points +48
Best Vegan Sushi Ever - Edit
Sick of avocado and cucumber rolls? This place is for you. Great date spot sorta weirdly placed in a mall.
Read moreGuest
Jōjia_Momo
Points +492
Most formal vegan restaurant experience.. - Edit
We had just arrived in L.A. and saw that the only vegan restaurant open was Shojin. We were incredibly thankful to have found somewhere to eat after travelling. I had never been to Little Tokyo and I absolutely loved it.
Read moreYou are immediately greeted and treated like a guest in a Japanese home, very respectfully. My chair was pulled out for me and my coat was taken. I had the best vegan sushi I had ever had. The pot stickers were delicious to start our meal.
Updated from previous review on 2016-03-23
Pros: Formal Dining Experience, Friendly Staff, Large Menu
Cons: Pricey
Guest
KelceySaunders
Points +78
So good! - Edit
Everything is vegan and gluten free! I was in heaven! Everything I tried was delicious. It is a pretty intimate setting so it would be great for a date!
Read moreGuest
SanFranvegan
Points +118
Pretty but miss the mark - Edit
Considered one of the best vegan restaurants in LA. The presentation was pretty but they relied on frying more than I would like. There were small problems that one wouldn’t expect from an expensive restaurant. Requiring a minimum 20% tip seems excessive.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-06-03
Pros: Pretty presentation
Cons: Expensive, Napkins smelled, Too greasy
Guest
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