Vegan in Tokyo: A Helpful List

It seems that with age I am getting increasingly snarky about the morality of eating animal products.While I am by no means 100% vegan yet, I have definitely tried to severely reduce the amount of milk products and eggs I eat.

Since I know many others have similar moral (or health) concerns, I started listing some of my favourite haunts across the city, where you can get cruelty free tastiness!

Lets start in Roppongi, of all places. A short stroll from Mori Tower you will find Chien Fu (which also has a sister restaurant in Kunitachi). They specialize in Taiwanese style vegan food, with the fake meat the country is so famous for. The sweet and sour 'pork' is a major favorite, and their huge teishoku sets are all around 900yen. You can buy bags and cans of fake meat, vegan ramen and tofu mayonnaise on your way out too!

Next up is Kagetsu, a major ramen chain. During the spring they have vegan ramen, gyoza and fried rice. Cheap and cheerful. 

(NB. This is the last year they will be serving it, although you can buy the gyoza and ramen from their online store!)

(I ❤ gyoza, can you tell?)

While not a restaurant, the health food store Natural House, which has branches across the city, usually has several choices of macrobiotic bento. They are a bit on the pricy side, but allow you to have the traditional bento experience minus the meat and fish. My favorite is the 'meat' stew Nagomi set.

A hidden gem, if you so happen to be between Azabujuban and Shirokanedai station, is King Falafel. This used to be a twice monthly treat, when I worked in the area. The owner is lovely, and the full sized sandwich is a serious meal, with freshly fried falafel. Serious yum, but only two little chairs outside for seating.

On the same lines, Shamaim near Nerima is a bit of a hike from central Tokyo (unless you live there, of course), but has a fabulous falafel set and hummus set.

For something with a more American flavor, Good Honest Grub (housed in what appears to have been a normal house, between Shibuya and Ebisu) has an excellent Mexican bean wrap and smoothies. 

I have already written extensively about Eat More Greens (near Azabujuban Station) here, where the menu changes with the seasons (and has the most amazing Valhrona chocolate vegan doughnuts).The same goes for Deva Deva in Kichijoji (info here). Both T's Kitchen and T's Tantanmen are fabulous, with the first being one of my go-to lunch places when I lived on the Toyoko line.

There are several more places I wish to go, and there are definitely some that have slipped my mind at the moment.

Any recommendations? I would love to hear from other veggies in Tokyo!

Of Planes and Trains (and food)

The writer Jan Morris once wrote that food eaten in movement, while travelling, is somehow more satisfying.

I agree wholeheartedly with this, except when it comes to plane food (*shudder*). If a flight is less than 7 hours I will usually not eat on board, unless they provide fruit or some vaguely healthy cracker/sembei. Unfortunately, for long haul flights, my metabolism does require food... if you can call vegetarian plane meals such...eeesh.

However, trains are entirely another matter. I have fond memories of munching through giant onigiri, local cherry tomatoes and mikan juice as I slowly wound my way around Northern Kyushu. I have stopped in Hiroshima for okonomiyaki, and sampled vegetarian oshizushi as I watched Tsuwano's carp-filled canals and tiny orange torii fade into the distance.

When travelling around Japan by train I find the journey equally important as the destination. Watching the fields and mountains give way to beach, or the flat expanse of Aichi slowly turn to Mt.Fuji and then Tokyo.  All from the comfy seat of an unhurried train.

But planes... planes are unnatural. Squashed  into tiny, knee-bruising seats, without being able to walk about or watch the scenery pass by. The cold, recycled air drying out nostrils and any bit of exposed skin.

Every once in a while it can be cool. On a return flight from Singapore I got to watch a thunderstorm from above, flying over the US I briefly saw the aurora and the view of Mt. Fuji from the air is stunning. But, personally, I find that planes are not well-suited to rambling contemplation, while trains are.

Vegetarian in Tokyo: Deva Deva (Kichijoji)

Even as a vegetarian, sometimes you just want to sink your teeth into something burger-like and protein-packed. In Japan veggie burgers and other TVP based faux-meat products are hard to find, so when the cravings get overwhelming I jump on the Inokashira line to Kichijoji, and head to Deva Deva.

 They cater both to vegans and vegetarians (a bonus, as I find myself becoming increasingly picky about animal products with age), and their fried 'chicken' burger is a work of art. Even Matcha-kun, who does still eat meat (although considerably less so, as my cunning plan to convert him seems to be working, whahaha!), is a big fan. Stick with the burgers, salads and desserts, as the pizzas are a bit more hit or miss.

Phone Photos: Glimpse into everyday weirdness

Today we have a special guest appearance, and a selection of recent interesting events.

Sooo, Matcha-kun is patient beyond belief. I love to mess with his hair (that truly black, never-been-bleached colour that some Asians have) and am generally a pest. Yet somehow he doesn't mind (much). I twirl my hair bands into it, and he comes out looking far better than I do!

Another Matcha-kun trait is that it takes a great deal of effort to wake him. Which means that, if he decides to take a nap when I am hyper, there is a high risk of me staging impromptu photoshoots... with my wardrobe. The photos are used with permission, by the way.

I have written before about my love/hate relationship with vending machines. On the whole, I am now pretty much immune to drink machines... but unusual ones still catch my attention. Everyday I pass an icecream machine, selling this pumpkin and cookie flavored temptation. In the name of culinary science, I had to try it (because pumpkin!). The verdict: it tastes like a very rich cookies and cream icecream, not pumpkin-y at all. Sad.

On the topic of irresistible things, I saw this sign and am now obsessed. I want a giant coffee mug emblazoned with this phrase. Although I must say, I have cut back my coffee habit, which was getting waaay out of hand.

My parents (who are awesome, if a bit nuts) sent this fabulous t-shirt. Yes, it is indeed emblazoned with corgis. This makes the 4th corgi themed gift I have received so far, and am very pleased with this trend!

What else did they send, you ask? Well, that would be Jabba the Corg.

I hope everyone had a good week, the weekend is just around the corner!

Rainy Day in Tokyo: Palm Shoutengai

While the sights of Tokyo are certainly beautiful and worth a visit, it is the hidden, homely sides of the city that I love best.

I will admit that there is a bit of pride attached to this, as I enjoy knowing things that other people don't... let us assume that this is due to too many years in graduate school, mixed with a bit of a character flaw.

However, this eternal search for something new and exciting has also led to a very useful discovery: what to do on rainy days in Tokyo!

The covered shoutengai in Musashi Koyama (just two stops away from Meguro) is almost 1 kilometre long, and like all shoutengai is just stuffed with stores and restaurants. My favorite was, oddly, a store which supplies Buddhist altars and graveyard supplies. There were very realistic candles shaped like beer, sake cups or green tea, which you light when paying your respects to your ancestors. I thought these were adorable and very clever, as leaving actual food and drinks on graves seems somewhat wasteful (Matcha-kun, of course, thought my interest was really weird).

In addition there are arcades, pop-up shops, musical performances and enough odd little stores to keep your eyes wandering!

And of course, you cannot go anywhere in Japan without considering food... of which shoutengai are bountiful purveyors. From croquettes to sweets and bread, there is always a delightful smell to tempt you. In our case, we wandered all the way down to the end of the shoutengai. Right outside the exit was a 'gratin restaurant', serving up wonderfully nostalgic versions of pasta gratin and doria. Matcha-kun remarked that they reminded him, in the best way possible, of Japanese school lunches. I had a potatoe and pumpkin gratin, along with a cup of milky coffee redolent of the Showa era.

The long tunnel branches out near the entrance,  with the right branch leading to (selfishly) my favorite part of the shoutengai. Why selfish? Well, basically it is the oldest part, and a great deal of businesses are closed or largely ignored... but ever so nostalgic-looking. If the rain abates, then you can continue walking straight ahead, until you get to Nishi Koyama, and its open air shopping streets (lots of nostalgia here too!)

Covered shopping streets are definitely worth a look, especially during these wet tsuyu days!

Coffee in Kagurazaka

Kagurazaka mainly has the image of one long street, but the most interesting restaurants and shops are actually hidden in the side streets. At some point I would like to make a map of all the cool places I have found so far!

One of these hidden treasures is Mojo Coffee, the Japanese branch of the famous roastery in New Zealand. My friend Wave-chan works there as a barista, and I was excited to go and try their coffee.

 The 50's style colours (lots of light wood, turquoise, chrome and pink) are right up my alley, and it is nicely quiet. The coffee is deeply flavourful, and is less bitter than most coffee one finds in Japan.

Definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area!

Strange culinary experiences, and where to find them

Being a vegetarian in Japan kind of precludes one from most of the 'weird' culinary experiences so many people have when visiting or living here (raw chicken or horse sashimi, fugu, dancing shrimp, Kobe beef etc...).

However never fear, there is enough weirdness to go around, even for us!

One of the oddities I have come by recently is the new 'SpoonVege' ice cream from Haagen-Daaz (which comes in cherry/tomato and orange/carrot flavours). I tried the cherry/tomato version, which was interesting. I have actually had tomato softserve in Aizu before, and this was a much richer version thereof. I could barely make out any cherry in the mix, but it was certainly not unpleasant. I intend to try the carrot one as well, to see if the fruit flavour is more noticeable.

The second interesting spot is a 'instant curry' and canned food restaurant (if one can use that term) right near Ekoda station. They have a HUGE selection of curries, from vegan curries from India to grape-flavoured curry from Yamanashi, and everything in between). They provide rice, drinks and, if you need something extra, lots of canned delicacies (from the usual yakitori, to more exotic things like snails and dolma). Sounds like a fun, cheap night out to me!

T's Tantan: Vegan Ramen in Tokyo Station

After much anticipation, I finally managed to drag myself and a couple friends to Tokyo Station, to try out the famous T's Tantan.

Having already dined at their excellent main restaurant in Jiyugaoka, I had high expectations for the ramen, and they did not disappoint!

I got the basic set of tantanmen (noodles with minced 'meat') and a small jyajya don (spiced eggplant rice bowl). The ramen has deeply flavourful, with just enough oil to give the full experience without being overly heavy. Perfection.


They have a series of other ramen styles, including a shoyu-based one with vegetarian chashu (on my list for next time) as well as their phenomenal vegetarian friend 'chicken' (it sells out fast, so may be gone by the dinner hour).

The shop is inside of Tokyo station, near the Keikyu line. It is right behind one of the omiyage areas, so can be a bit tricky to find, but is completely worth the search (and the entrance ticket you need to buy to get into the station!)

Snow, Coffee and other Loosely Related Things

Snow in Tokyo is always a big deal. Each year they proclaim that it is the 'first major snowstorm in 13/20/100 years', when I perfectly recall that it snowed last year (and the year before) as well. Is it city-wide selective amnesia?

One thing snows means, for me, is a considerable uptick in the amount of time spent in cafe's, keeping out of the cold wind while also being out of the house.

I wish I could blame my increased coffee consumption on the weather, however it is much more closely linked with work (which has improved quite a bit, as I have gotten more used to busting out keigo at a moments' notice). The tech world is fueled by coffee and sugar, and I love both.

Bakeshop in Jiyugaoka remains one of my favorite places for brunch and a giant cappuccino on a cold Sunday morning. The fact that you can usually get a table is also a major plus (as are their really mouthwateringly delicious baked goods).

While exploring Sangenjaya, Matcha-kun and I came across Cafe Obscura, a charmingly tiny concrete bunker with a selection of interesting books and really top notch coffee. I also recommend their chiffon cake, which more closely resembles springy American-style angel food cake.

Keep warm, and watch out for the next storm tomorrow!

New Year, New Job, New Experiences

My new office is much, much larger than my previous one, and is located in Meguro, which has a lot more going on. Also, the view from the office is fantastic.

After a week of training in Boston, I returned to start the on the job training in Tokyo...and, I'm not going to lie, it has been tough. This is completely new industry for me, and there are a lot of technical terms I need to learn in Japanese. However, my manager and team members are all really awesome people, and keep on telling me that the first three months will be hard, and then level out.

My manager took myself and another new team member out for lunch a bit away from the office, at an incredible little Italian restaurant called L'Asse. If you didn't know it was there, you would walk right past it, which would be a terrible pity.

Apparently it has a Michelin star, and well-deserved. From the service (where they kindly accommodated my non-carnivorous lifestyle choice), to the quality of the olive oil, nothing was half-handed. The daily lunch set is probably somewhere around 2500-3000 yen, and includes an amuse bouche, starter, main dish, dessert and coffee. As you can see, the presentation is splendid.

Since my manager appears to be a regular, we were also surprised with a platter of beautiful mini desserts. My favorite were the 'satou gashi' with blueberries and micro tomatoes.

For a romantic, intimate dinner, L'Asse would be an excellent choice (please note, however, that prices will be much higher in the evening).

I could totally get used to this!

Back to Normal: Fall in Tokyo

Now that things have returned to normal, I am happy to be able to fill my corner of the web with more pictures of pretty narure and tasty food.

Although some readers are already aware of the fact, the past month I have been very busy interviewing for new jobs. Since I continued working full time for the entire duration, looking for my replacement, and also had a koto concert and marathon training to deal with, my stress levels were considerable.

I have now happily accepted a new position in a totally new industry (IT), and am very pleased with the results.

It also feels like I have gained back 80% of my mental space, not to mention time and creativity (below you can see my latest マイブーム, watercolour pencils!... I make up in enthusiasm for what I lack in talent).

To celebrate, Matcha-kun (who also just got a new job) and I went for lunch at the Park Hyatt. I am a huge fan on their brunch, and the lunch set (for around 5200 yen) is a good deal for the delicious food, quality of ingredients and sublime service. My truffle pasta and the series of desserts that followed were wonderful.

Now I am free to enjoy the joys of fall, and hope you are all getting a chance to do the same! I look forward (if a touch nervously) to the new challenges ahead, and hope they make for some awesome stories and insights that I can share.

Dating in Japan: Meet the Parents (part two)



Mea culpa, kind readers. Despite August's image of being an empty time spent listening to the shrill cry of cicadas in the heat, I have been busy (and partially defeated by the weather).

 

After first freaking out about the potentiality of meeting Matcha-kun's parents way back in December, I eventually chilled out about the whole thing. Since I would be using a few days during Obon to escape to Hakuba, we decided that it was time for the day of judgement (dun,dun,DUN!... just kidding).

 

I am happy to say that it was pleasantly uneventful and non-traumatic for everyone involved. Matcha-kun's mother was friendly, his father only slightly bemused. I was then taken around to all the various grandparents... apparently they did not tell one of his grandmothers that I am not Japanese, as a surprise. She was only slightly taken aback, and further confirmed my theory that grandmothers all over the world are basically the same, when she pronounced 'お人形さんみたい！' ('you look like a doll!'... which is exactly what my grandmother does).

I got a tour of his family's apple orchard, which was  rather cool, and even received one of the semi-ripe apples (which was surprisingly tasty and sweet!). All in all a good visit, and it seems I made a good impression. For anyone else preparing themselves for this kind of situation, I think there are a few pointers that would be helpful (independant of nationality):

1- You don't need to alter your style dramatically, but go with the most simple, moderate side of your looks.
2- Come bearing gifts. Keep them small and edible, as anything too flashy will make people feel uncomfortable.
3- Obviously (I hope) be polite, and answer odd questions as kindly and seriously as possible (for example: 'Do you have tatami floors in Europe?' or 'Do you eat jam?')
4- Your significant other's family is probably just as nervous as you are, so do your best to relax.

After the niceties had been completed, we went into Nagano city to see Zenkouji, wander the preserved Meiji streets and (of course) have the famous local soba for lunch.

Zenkouji is a rather impressive temple, reminiscent of Todaiji in Nara with its dark wood and thatch. The street leading up to the temple has a wealth of lovely Meiji buildings (the Gohojin hotel is particularly pretty), as well as smaller temples which serve as lodgings and (very importantly) many shops selling my beloved oyaki!

Soba in Nagano is serious business. I had 'karashi soba', which I have never seen anywhere else. The broth (which looks vaguely disturbing) is mainly shredded daikon and miso, so has a nice kick to it.

 After that we hopped on a bus to Hakuba, which I will talk about later :)

Toyoko Line Love: Myorenji

We made many failed phonecalls, and stopped by whenever it seemed like a table was empty, all to no avail...

 

But recently we finally managed to reserve a table at Booo, a little Italian/French restaurant in Myorenji that had been tantalizing us for months!

 

It is exceedingly tiny, with only 4-5 tables, and the menu is very creative and well-priced (most dishes are 500 yen), which probably both explain why it is so popular with the neighbourhood crowd.

We settled on appetizers of caponata, wonderfully fresh and laced with sweet raisins, and potato-blue cheese packets, which are unbelievable.

Since Matcha-kun is not a vegetarian, he moved on to a salmon salad (and from the cat-like look of glee on his face, I can assume it was tasty) and I had a plate of salt-roasted seasonal vegetables. The chef uses a lot of heirloom and unusual veggies, like star-shaped zucchini and miniature daikon, all of which were top notch.

Dessert was a fresh cherry clafoutis, something I have not eaten since leaving Paris. A real classic of French home-style cuisine, it paired wonderfully with the last of our tart Zynfandel. The bill was another pleasant surprise, especially considering the level of the food and wine options.

In short: Live near Yokohama? Speak enough Japanese to make reservations? If your answer is yes, GO!