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Vegan
Japanese
Gluten-free
Vegan Japanese restaurant offering a large selection of sushi and noodle dishes. Has other locations. Open Tue-Thu 4:30pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 4:30pm-10:00pm, Sun 4:30pm-9:30pm. Closed Mon.
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461 Emerson St (at University), Palo Alto, California, USA, 94301
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- Delivery
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 15 Aug 2024 by Guest
Update business info -
Added by vegandoug on 15 Aug 2024
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43 Reviews
First Review by vegandoug
takarakei
Points +46
Fast and delicious - Edit
My sister and I stopped in for a quick bite before a concert, we got two rolls and appetizers: gyoza and katsu. Everything was delicious and super fast service! Will be back!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-10-03
Guest
jockel
Points +24
Roasted onion ramen was very savory and filling - Edit
I hab the roasted onion ramen and is was a lot. Was very full afterwards
Read moreGuest
WildCashew
Points +298
Doesn’t miss - Edit
Love this place. I’ve been to all their locations (Hawaii, SF, Palo Alto) so I was so happy to see they had one here in Palo Alto. Fav rolls include the Ewa (the pink stuff on top is delicious) and the Monterey (spicey and delicious king oyster mushrooms). I also love their gyoza which has some kind of delicious mystery vegan meat in it. The mushroom yakimono skewers are amazing too.
Read moreOverall just a great place to come with friends, vegan and non vegans are always impressed.
Updated from previous review on 2026-09-11
Pros: Great dessert
Cons: Kinda need to order a lot ($$) to feel full
Guest
GusReid
Points +59
Delicious - Edit
Fast service, great food. The Manila Dune rolls were pretty incredible.
Read morePlace was queued out when we arrived at opening time on a Sunday, so probably prebook!
Updated from previous review on 2026-08-31
Guest
Ksis
Points +1666
Worth. The. Hype. - Edit
Spent 3 days in Menlo Park for work and ended up having dinner here twice. 😋
Read moreHere is what all I tried:
- Brussel sprouts
- Agadashi tofu
- Various nagiri—tomato, avocado, inari, enoki
- Futo Maki
- The Wedge
- Halfmoon
- Leahi
- The Mushroom and Chicken Yakimono (skewers)
Truly, you can’t go wrong here. That said, the standout dishes were definitely the skewers (the chicken one was INSANE on flavor—I had meat eaters go with me and they were like “wait how is this not chicken???”), the halfmoon roll (the pickled mango salsa on top was so unique and delicious), and the leahi (the smoked beet on top was such a unique and delicious flavor). The coworkers I ate with also loved the Brussel sprouts (which were super delicious!).
Updated from previous review on 2026-07-17
Guest
EthicsOverEverything
Points +32
So Good - Edit
I've been to Shizen a few times, so my expectations were very high. I ordered the Philly Roll and Sweet Potato Tempura Roll. Both were perfect. Thank you!
Read moreGuest
Zombiecynthia
Points +8167
Vegan Sushi in Downtown PA - Edit
Lovely location not far from my old stomping grounds. Called to check they were open and asked if I needed reservations - I didn’t. Solo dinner out, personnel were super friendly and we kept laughing and having a great time!
Read moreOrdered: Berry Bliss mocktail (yummy), Agedashi Tofu (soooo good with a hint of spice), Manila Dune (tasty also with a hint of spice), and Mango Nigiri (had some spices that reminded me of Tajin). Couldn’t eat it all in one go*, had extra for take away, highly recommend.
Interior is cozy (tables are very close together) so if you’re going with a larger group recommend reservations- otherwise enjoy if you’re in the area or craving an all vegan sushi place nearby. Have patience to find parking, it can get tricky - I got super lucky!!!
Can’t wait to return, next time I must save room for dessert!
Updated from previous review on 2026-03-26
Pros: Fully Vegan/Plant-Based, Super Friendly Personnel and Great Service, Delicious Food w/Various Textures and Flavors
Cons: Parking Can Get Tricky in Downtown (I Got Lucky), Spendy (Totally Worth It), Very Cozy Interior (Pro/Con) w/Tables Super Close
Guest
lmhewitt
Points +122
Amazing! - Edit
Finding Gluten free that is both safe and delicious is a rare find. I was so impressed I dined here twice while visiting Menlo Park for work. Wonderful ambiance, amd everything was both delicious and presented beautifully. If you are able to plan ahead make reservations they are a small footprint and very busy! Enjoy!!
Read morePros: Food, Visual presentation, Ambiance/Atmosphere
Guest
Tofuttib00ty89
Points +1669
One of the best ever!! - Edit
This place is amazing! Everything is vegan and delicious!
Read moreGuest
joanna240
Points +401
Palo Alto: dream come true - Edit
After Garden Fresh closed its Palo Alto location, we were left without any decent local vegan, and have been making the trek to Twelvemonth in Burlingame. So it's nice to, once again, have a great vegan restaurant just a short walk away.
Read moreI made a reservation at 8 for our party of four. The restaurant is intimate but not tiny; it's not quiet but not noisy as so many places are. I was encouraged to see how busy it was on a Thursday night--let's hope it's around for many years.
We ordered an assortment including cauli bites, brussels sprouts, bao, and three specialty rolls including the Barbers, which lists one of its ingredients as "suspense." Our server explained that one of the six pieces included a hidden jalapeno; that roll came with a glass of milk, adding drama to an already fun meal.
Good food -- beautifully presented, great service. We will be back.
Updated from previous review on 2026-01-23
VeganIma
Garden Fresh is still open at their original location in Mt View! So delicious & the nicest owners!!!
Read moreGuest
LeahFilardi
Points +30
Delicious sushi and more! - Edit
The food was absolutely phenomenal, even my non-vegan partner was thoroughly impressed! Lots of variety with fresh ingredients, and the service was quick too!
Read moreGuest
shapat
Points +603
Pretty good - Edit
Great sushi, good choices, service is good too
Read moreGuest
Zurv
Points +2429
Delicious sushi - Edit
Great location right off university. Staff is friendly and the sushi is bomb! High end and pricy but nice on a night out.
Read morePros: Sushi, Staff, Location
Cons: Expensive
Guest
GuusA
Points +106
Very good, great variety - Edit
Helpful server let me get a selection of rolls and nudged me to get a chik'n skewer. Although I had come for the sushi, the skewer was really very good. The rolls were tasty and varied, the eggplant was my favorite.
Read morePros: Great skewer and sushi, Good atmosphere, Friendly staff
Guest
NeelDalal
Points +278
Sushi Rolls Heaven - Edit
All the speciality rolls are too good
Read moreGuest
bradleys
Points +55
Amazing Vegan Food! - Edit
Everything we had was delicious! We started with the garlic edamame, loaded potatoes, and roasted beet salad! Then it was on to my main of avocado nigiri, philadelphia roll, and the point reyes, while my partner had the pacifica. The menu was so full of amazing sounding dishes, so I think I'd try something else next time. Other than the roasted beet salad...that was frickin' to die for!!! And if all of that wasn't enough, we finished it off with a piece of cheesecake.
Read moreIf you're thinking...wow, that was a lot of food! You're exactly right! The roasted beet salad, pacifica, and point reyes would've been plenty. We'll definitely pare it down next time.
Pros: The service was impeccable!, I really enjoyed the smallness of the restaurant.
Cons: Wish we would have warned about amount of food:)., It was pricey...but that was partly self-inflicted
Guest
mmeghani
Points +665
great vegan Japanese fusion food - Edit
This restaurant is part of a small chain that brings Japanese American food. Everything is plant based, so vegetarian & vegan friendly. We've eaten in their Honolulu Hawaii location as well. There are a variety of special creative sushis. I am very glad to have their agedashi tofu as it has a fish component in most non vegan places. The Palo Alto restaurant is small. Parking is on the street or in nearby parking lots.
Read morePros: agedashi tofu, desert, variety of sushi
Cons: small restaurant
Guest
badgirlsvegan
Points +2158
Delicious! - Edit
The specialty rolls were great and I didn’t expect the ramen to be good, but it was!
Read moreGuest
avocadowong
Points +393
Cozy vegan sushi - Edit
Took my partner here for birthday celebration since it's connected to the Tane Vegan at Berkeley which we love. The restaurant was not so busy as the one in Berkeley which was nice. I loved the beautiful and tasty sushi. We had cauliflower appetizers which was a bit on soggy side but tasty. We had cheesecake also which was ok. And ice cream which my partner liked . Overall I would recommend it.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-06-09
Pros: Sushi , Quiet and not so busy restaurant , Nice wait staff
Guest
AniKing
Points +20
Best sushi! - Edit
Specialty rolls were amazing, best Japanese food I have had yet!!! Staff was super friendly and squeezed us in without a reservation
Read moreGuest
LauraLene
Points +166
Best sushi I ever had - Edit
Vegan sushi was always great. But Tane is just different.
Read moreI never had better sushi, and I tried a lot of sushi bars around the world.
I'm pleased about their Palo Alto location.
The prices are fair. The service is great, and the shop itself is just gorgeous.
My favourite is the California, Pacifica and the cauliflower.
Pros: Everything is amazing
Guest
dontbedaft
Points +827
Exceptional - Edit
Sat at the bar so got to see the chefs in action. The staff were all friendly and the food was generously portioned and artfully presented
Read morePros: Food beautifully presented
Guest
oraxia
Points +325
Delicious Date Night - Edit
My husband and I came in for a date night, and the food was 5 stars for sure!
Read moreHowever, we were late on account of spending over half an hour trying to find parking (and then had to park several blocks away), so we were a good 15 to 20 minutes late for our reservation and the hostess was clearly irritated with us and curtly told us the time we'd have to be done eating by as we were seated which kinda put a damper on the evening. So give yourself at least an hour to find parking in Palo Alto--we hadn't been to the downtown area around dinnertime for a while and forgot how crowded it is, so that's partly on us, but at the same time being stressed out trying to find parking in an unfamiliar area only to be really coldly treated was a terrible start to the night, hence why the review is only 4 stars. I know it's because they probably were full on reservations that night, but we felt bad before we even got there already, you know?
The food, however, will bring us back again sometime when we can give ourselves ample time to find parking in the area. We got the Eryngii nigiri, which is wonderfully flavorful, but it's sad you only get two pieces for that price. Worth trying and we might splurge on it again because it was so tasty, but it's pricey for what you get. The corn yakimono was a big hit with my husband (I liked it, but didn't love it). We ordered the Monterey Roll and Half Moon Roll, and both were really delicious and well balanced in flavor. My husband really loved the Half Moon, much more so than the Monterey, so we probably have to order that again next time, LOL. We also got the shiso shrub mocktail and the pineapple li hing soda, and my husband wasn't a big fan of the li hing so we traded drinks (I thought they were both great). For dessert we got the matcha cheesecake, and it's a good texture and not overly sweet so as to provide a nice contrast with the berry compote.
The interior is nicely decorated and has a very "modern" izakaya feel to it. I appreciated that the partition between the dining area and the entrance was slatted so it wasn't a solid wall, but still provides the sense of separation. This is definitely a nice date spot! Waitstaff (aside from the grumpy hostess) we're friendly and polite.
We'll be back for the food in the future, and we'll give ourselves a lot more time to find parking next time.
Pros: Delicious Sushi, All Vegan, Takes Reservations Online
Cons: Difficult to Find Parking, Some Items Seem A Bit Overpriced, Grumpy Hostess
Guest
veg-iain
Points +77
Big Yes! - Edit
Finally made it, and it hit the spot. The menu is great, and care free for plant eaters. My only quip is the nigiri price, $9/2 pieces. I’m a lean 220lbs. I would go bankrupt. The rest of the menu is affordable for the price conscious, and everything I’ve had was prepared with care. They are non-alcoholic, but have a great selection of mock-tails. A license has been applied for.
Read morePros: Great selection, Great service, Could eat regularly and not get bored
Cons: Some items priced at a premium
Guest
hetalshah24
Points +1888
Awesome sushi! - Edit
After having been to the Tane in Berkeley, I had high expectations for the sushi in Palo Alto and the place did not disappoint. I loved the cozy vibes of the place. First off, make sure you have reservations. We started out with non alcoholic beer and Pineapple Li Hing soda (no sake as they are still waiting on liquor license). The beer was ok but the soda was really good. I did ask for it to be more diluted as I didn't want a sugary drink and it was still sweet enough. We had the tempura, sweet potato roll, the wedge and bean curd nigiri. My favorite was the wedge. There was so much more I wanted to try but that will need to be a different trip.
Read morePros: Great sushi, Good service, nice ambience
Cons: no Sake, tempura veg were too big
Guest
mtwdmn
Points +67
Amazing vegan Japanese food - Edit
Ordered two starters, two mains, and three sushi for two people, which was way too much food even though some portions were a little small.
Read more- The katsu was great: whatever meat substitute they used had a stringy consistency and it’s hard to go wrong with katsu sauce.
- The brussel sprouts were crispy and served with a tasty cream sauce.
- Gyoza and summer rolls were tasty but I couldn’t figure out what the gyoza sauce tasted like and some bites of the summer roll were very heavy on shiso.
- Futo maki was wonderful, just an excellent roll.
- Half moon roll and kappa maki were ordered with soy paper ($2 upcharge) and were very good, too.
- Waitress advised against the upcharge for the mango nigiri so we had some fun getting the seaweed band off. Also tasty.
- The pistachio ice cream was not our favorite: heavy coconut flavor and a bit too oily on the tongue. But it was nicely garnished with berries.
Bill came to $130 with the spicy mango drink, which was less than what we expected.
Pretty much everything came out really fast and service was good. The half moon roll was a bit slow, but it’s possible the frying and soy paper needed some extra care. Hostess seemed responsible for refilling waters which was tough with also handling reservations.
Sounds like they’re usually busy and had a 45m wait for walk-ins at 7:45. They stop seating at 9:15 and by 8:30, there were a lot of free tables. The (6 seat?) sushi bar didn’t seem to fill up while we’re there. They’re also still waiting on their liquor license, since November 2024.
Compared to Shizen, the ambiance was a bit lacking and finishes were worse, but it was way more convenient to get to and the food seemed just as good, if a little more “traditional.”
Updated from previous review on 2025-02-22
Pros: Food was very tasty, Not crazy expensive, Service was very fast, mostly
Cons: Ambiance is not as nice as Shizen, Small restaurant, reservations almost mandatory
Guest
rabbibooth@gmail.com
Points +14
Oh wow - Edit
Really delicious. Very mushroom forward. Marinated tomatoes so good.
Read moreGuest
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