Ovo
Japanese
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. 善Zen is an okonomiyaki restaurant. Has English menu with vegetarian options - check which ones of these are or can be vegan. Open Tue-Sun 5:00pm-10:00pm.
-
Hanamaki Building, 5 Chome-10-9, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 160-0022
-
Loading...
-
-
Last update on 24 Jun 2023 by doomsandal
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business -
Added by CandieCat on 14 Nov 2018
-
-
82 Reviews
First Review by CandieCat
plantaciousvivacious0
Points +186
Yummy and clearly labelled - Edit
Yummy okonomiaki and grilled veggies. They have a vegan section clearly labeled and even have a vegan cheese option for okonomiaki. They also have all the allergens listed out on the front of the menu so you can point at them and confirm to feel better about it being vegan. Also I REALLY enjoyed the yuzu plum wine with jasmine tea; absolutely delicious (Not a vegan-certified alcohol, but lacking animal/nonvegan ingredients) Before the meal they served a tofu with daiku(?) sauce to both me and my omni friends, and confirmed it is vegan.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-01-16
Guest
SaraBratti
Points +82
Nothing much - Edit
I was looking forward to trying the vegan okonomyaki but I have to admit it was quite disappointing. It was not bad but really average and not sure I would go back.
Read moreIt’s good that they have a full page for vegetarian and another full page for vegan options but I still got asked
If I wanted egg on my vegan okonomyaki. Well, I’d rather them asking then just assuming wrong.
It’s closed for lunch.
Pros: Location close to Shibuya
Cons: Opens only after 17:00
Guest
MalinkaLoosvelt
Points +49
Very good - Edit
Very good food, friendly staff, good price! Really delicious.
Read moreGuest
johanna_z
Points +55
Okonomiyaki - Edit
The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and nice servers. Vegan and vegetarian items are clearly marked. The vegan okonomiyaki was good.
Read moreGuest
gregbk.
Points +105
Vegan okonomiyaki - Edit
So great, they have vegan menu with clearly stated: no cheese, no eggs, etc... Next time I will ask no sauce on my Okonomiyaki as it was quite salty...
Read morePros: Vegan menu, Healthy pancakes
Cons: Salty sauce, so thirsty now
Guest
DaisyEdwards-Large
Points +13
Favourite Okonomiyaki so far! - Edit
Tried 3/4 different okonomiyaki places in the last couple of weeks and this has been my favourite!
Read moreEnglish vegetarian and vegan menu is clear on what contains fish, egg, cheese, etc. and the staff also confirmed when they took our order.
Very tasty and quick service, I had the cheese hiroshimiyaki which was delicious
Updated from previous review on 2025-05-26
Pros: Clear menu in English, Tasty food, Quick service
Cons: Menu has fish dishes listed as vegetarian, Table charge 250yen each
Guest
FireFever
Points +61
Good Okonomiyaki - Edit
Great portion sizes, food came quickly. There's a separate English menu with somewhat marked vegan / vegetarian sections. The vegetarian menu is actually pescetarian and the vegan one is vegetation. The ingredients are clearly marked tho, so you're still able to order the right thing and the staff will confirm with you when ordering.
Read moreAlthough a bit expensive I would still recommend it.
Pros: Clearly marked options, Big Portion size, Food arrives quickly
Cons: Expensive
Guest
SoBeMa
Points +79
Tellement réconfortant - Edit
Un tout petit restaurant qui offre une fabuleuse carte avec options véganes. Un vrai régal !
Read morePros: Accueil , Cocktails, Okonomiake modern
Guest
pauldyson
Points +186
Tasty Food - Edit
Separate vegan menu with plenty of choices
Read moreGuest
MeaganKiely
Points +1037
Tasty Okonomiyaki - Edit
Good vegan options, fast service! Would definitely go back
Read moreGuest
13stairs
Points +1250
Just ok - Edit
They charge extra for plant based dishes but everything is clearly labeled on their menu. There was a table charge too and they give you a little cube of tofu for that.
Read moreWe were seated in the counter, right in front of the grill. Vegan food is cooked on the same grill as other ingredients just like in most teppanyaki places.
Staff spoke English and knows vegetarians and vegans wouldn't want fish sauce in their food.
We came here because the other okonomiyaki restaurant we wanted to eat at was already fully booked for the night. After eating at that place and wanting to go again, Zen had big shoes to fill but we weren’t impressed with the food. I didn't think their okonomiyaki was that good.
Updated from previous review on 2025-04-27
Pros: Clearly labeled vegan dishes
Cons: Cash only, Smokey, Table charge
Guest
jennyc32
Points +4392
Tasty food - Edit
We were looking for a meal close to Shinjuku station, so we gave this a try. We attempted to book a table online but couldn't get the form to work. Luckily we got in without a wait at around 6.45pm on a Friday - it was busy but no waiting.
Read moreBased on other reviews, my understanding was that everything on the vegan page is vegetarian, meaning that the cheese is dairy and so the truly vegan dishes are those that do not list cheese as an ingredient. Because of that inaccurate use of the word "vegan", I'm knocking off a star in my rating.
We all got the basic vegan okonomiyaki. It was quite thick, a really generous portion. One member of our group thought there was too much sauce on top - I don't like saucy food much and I thought it was fine though. For me there was a bit too much ginger in it, but another member of our group really loved that. Overall it was neither the best nor worse okonomiyaki I've tried, it was good but not mind-blowing. The little dish of tofu on arrival was really nice, very well seasoned.
Service was fast and friendly. There's an English menu and our server spoke good English too. There are some tables with chairs, some low tables with mats, and some stools at the bar.
Guest
lofijosh
Points +25
Fantastic staff and great food! - Edit
I loved this place, great okonomiyaki!
Read moreGuest
LarsMueller
Points +478
pretty good but pricy - Edit
Surprisingly it was very filling and also delicious. There was a table charge (Tofu) and i payed 1850 yen only for the basic vegan okonomiyaki, so it is not cheap.
Read morePros: comfortable restaurant, Delicious , i was full after it
Cons: Pricy (the vegan is more expensive), slow
Guest
anaellel
Points +694
Good - Edit
Good vegan okonomiyaki. Nothing fancy, but nice to be able to try traditional Japanese food made vegan. Friendly staff.
Read moreGuest
veggiejodo
Points +19
Excellent food and service - Edit
The servers were very friendly and spoke amazing English, the food was delicious and very filling with large serves.
Read moreJust note the vegetarian menu is more like pescatarian. For vegetarian, go to the vegan menu, which has some vegetarian items (including cheese) and other items are vegan. The English menus are otherwise clearly marked and the servers will double-check the ingredients when you order.
Guest
DaleWylde
Points +113
Great local food - Edit
Great classic Japanese dish. The staff speak good English and understand what vegan means. Big portion size and good price honestly you could probably feed 2 people with 1 dish. Vegan orders are cooked on a separate cooker. Also delicious, great vibe and really friendly staff.
Read morePros: Food was delicious , Staff understand vegan , Very cozy traditional Japanese feel
Cons: Only really 2 vegan options but theyre delicious
Guest
StephF
Points +165
Awesome staff - Edit
The food was quite good but the real standout were the staff who went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time and that everything was vegan. Surprisingly knowledgeable given it’s not a vegan restaurant. It was very quiet when we were there (around 7:30pm on a Tuesday) - no trouble getting a seat and the full attention of the staff.
Read morePros: Fantastic staff
Guest
RahelT.
Points +17
Super fein - Edit
Das Restaurant ist sehr authentisch. Es hat eine ganze Seite vegetarische Angebote und eine weitere Seite vegane Angebote.
Read moreGuest
Gwenne
Points +25
Delicious okonomiyaki - Edit
A reasonable choice of dishes with plenty of help from server to ensure nothing unwanted was in the dish.
Read morePros: Very helpful service, Delicious food, Different seating options
Guest
pemasaskia
Points +432
great okonoyimaki!! - Edit
i was there between 5 and 6 pm on a thursday night and i was the only patron for most of it, two businessmen came in later. staff were super welcoming and friendly. i originally asked for the vegetarian cheese okonoyimaki, but when i asked if it could be made without dashi they said they would give me the vegan one instead (but it still had presumably dairy cheese on it... so it wasn't vegan...). this was prepared in front of me and was super yummy and filling. it was on the expensive side, as you have to order a drink and there is a ¥250 per person table charge, so my total was nearly ¥3k. but it was a great experience and i would recommend to any vegan/vegetarian in the area!
Read moreGuest
mikaelaadair
Points +33
Good food but better staff - Edit
Very clear menu and staff happy to discuss options with you. Food was good, had the udon stir fry and edamame. Wish I tried the okonomiyaki though. The chefs were all very chatty and talked with me for a few hours (gave advice on my travels through google translate and maps). Would come back again if I was in the area!
Read morePros: Clear menu , Lovely staff
Cons: Udon didn’t have much flavour, was quite plain
Guest
elinerenne_
Points +729
Recommend! - Edit
Nice place, friendly staff and good food. Order came fast. Really recommend the ginger one,
Read moreGuest
Elsinore
Points +45
Loved it! - Edit
Food was great: flavourful and freshly made to order. There’s an English menu witha clearly indicated vegetarian and vegan section. The waiter spoke English and kindly asked whether we wanted dashi or not when we ordered options from the vegetarian menu.
Read moreVery friendly staff who even went out of their way to take a photo of us after we left the restaurant and lend us an umbrella since it had started to rain.
Guest
macurqcron
Points +60
Vegan Okonomiyaki! - Edit
Freaking delicious Okonomiyaki. We got the “modern” version with udon noodles. Vegan page at the back of the menu. Large portions, but can get a take away container for leftovers. Seems like you need to buy a drink with your food. Lively atmosphere, would totally go back
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-07-07
Pros: Okonomiyaki, Lively atmosphere , Good drinks
Guest
kaleifornian
Points +194
okonomiyaki heaven - Edit
zen is a traditional okonomiyaki restaurant with vegan options. my go-to is edamame, side of avocado, ginger okonomiyaki & cold sake. they also seem to serve a little cold tofu at the beginning of you meal like bread at some restaurants in the states. love the tofu, so cute.
Read moreGuest
SamGilbert
Points +98
Delicious Japanese Food! - Edit
They have a specific section at the back of the menu for vegan dishes. I went for dinner twice during my stay in Tokyo, got the delicious okonomiyaki modern (savoury pancake with vegetables and udon noodles) with a side dish of edamame. Was served with a small portion of soft tofu topped with spring onions and ginger 🔥👌🏻 Also peanut-free which was important to me having an allergy. I would definitely recommend!
Read moreGuest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 37710 times.