This restaurant is incredible and I feel lucky to have stumbled upon it the last time I visited Tokyo. It is now a ritual for me to go every time I am in Japan. The first time I ate there I had the lunch set - which was so good I ordered a second round that vanished in front of me. In my second visit, I took along some friends that are not vegetarian and they too loved the food. We ate the lunch course which was a great experience. If you are looking for great vegan or vegetarian meal, don’t even bother going anywhere else. This food is incredible and the service is so friendly. Amazing quality and price.
5.0Louis Kampman· 2 months ago
Chef Daisuke Nomura and his staff were fantastic. The food is all vegetarian and based on Buddhist traditions. All favorable dishes where you don’t even think about missing meat. We had saki flowing and great conversations with good friends.
5.0ChicagoDesi· 2 months ago
In terms of culinary experiences, this may be the first time I’ve fallen in love with a restaurant at first bite. To be fair, I was quite fed up with wagyu and tempura — pun intended. I was surprised the restaurant wasn’t more crowded, more recognized, or even fully booked, especially for a weekend lunch. It was an understated, well-curated, and restrained course that I really can’t fault. The chef clearly understands how a meal should flow — in texture, temperature, and the rhythm of the palate. The level of attention paid to the overall dining experience was genuinely impressive. My one note is that I think they could easily reduce the portions to about two-thirds of their current size. I’d gladly pay more for smaller portions, and diners seeking temple-inspired vegetarian cuisine are probably not looking for a large meal anyway. It would also make the experience feel even more aligned with the concept: restraint on both sides. I do wonder whether certain details — an oddly sparkly plating board, visible wear on the kitchen counter, or the plastic-wrapped menus — may have cost them points with reviewers. Also, it’s a bit odd that in a restaurant of this quality, they would give you the chopsticks and napkin you’ve used as souvenirs; this is not a fast-food chain or kids-friendly diner. Those elements could be refined to match the sophistication of the food itself. Still, I left very happy. I don’t even generally love vegetarian food, but this may be my favorite vegetarian restaurant since Neolokal in Istanbul.
5.0Park S· 6 months ago
This is a classic Buddhist cuisine place. Everything is vegetarian and you have the option of choosing between a couple of courses. When we went, there was only one other couple so it felt as though we got the restuarant reserved only for us! The Head chef is laying out the courses right in front of you one by one and each one makes you want the next one immediately. I know Japan has a lot to offer in terms of food and it can be hard to decide, but if you have time and space in your stomach and want a slightly more upscale dining experience eating vegetarian food, this should be the place you book.
5.0Deepak Karthikeyan· 4 months ago