Jul 21, 2021
Vegetarian and Vegan Food in Nagoya
As you are no doubt well aware, Japanese food rates among the best in the world. However, if you are vegan or even vegetarian, you may struggle to have your needs catered for. Many vegetarians have found themselves offered the ‘vegetarian option’ in a restaurant, only to discover that it contains seafood or fish. Even the fried egg rolls are usually made using the near-inescapable ‘dashi,’ a broth made of dried bonito fish flakes!
But being a vegetarian in Nagoya does not necessarily condemn you to endless nights cooking at home. There are plenty of vegetarian restaurants out there; you just have to know where to look. Fortunately, though JIS is not exactly au fait with the cuisine, we called on the advice of local vegetarian connoisseur Tori Robkis, and she knows all the best places.
Oribo Cafe Dining
According to Tori, if you’re looking for a special night out, perhaps a date night, Oribo should be your go-to place. It’s a little pricey, but they have an array of innovative dishes for both lunch and dinner, and all are either vegan or vegetarian. There is a wide variety of western dishes, but if you feel that you miss out on sampling the delights of Japanese cuisine, then you should certainly plump for the delicious Japanese Cutlet Bowl Meal, a vegetarian ‘katsu-don’, or a Yuba Bowl. As an added advantage, some staff speak English and they have an English menu. Furthermore, you can pick up vegetarian and vegan goods from their in-house store.
- Where: 6 Chome-2-1 Haruokatori, Chikusa Ward, Nagoya (map)
- Website: en.nagoya-oribiocafe.com
Yamamotoya
While it is great when a restaurant goes fully vegan/vegetarian, not all of your dining companions want to eat that cuisine all the time, and sometimes you may feel guilty for imposing upon them your dietary requirements. Fortunately Yamamotoya has a broad selection of Japanese dishes that everyone can enjoy.
Tori’s favorite spot in Nagoya, she recommends that you check out their misonikomi udon, their specialty dish, with a side of tempura. The broth is so good that it gets exported all over Japan, which is pretty remarkable in a nation that generally has no understanding of vegetarian needs.
- Where: 5 Chome-9-2 Okutecho, Chikusa Ward, Nagoya (map)
- Website: a-yamamotoya.co.jp
Coco Ichibanya
Yes, that Coco Ichibanya! The curry restaurant that is ubiquitous in Nagoya, known locally as CocoIchi, actually does vegetarian dishes. And not only that, there are loads of them, and they are goooood!
A firm favorite of Tori’s is the soy-based cutlet, and it’s so close to the real thing that her meat-eating husband, Miklos, often goes for it himself. And if you don’t always want to go out to eat, then you can even pick up packs of their veggie curry to take home to make yourself.
- Where: All around Aichi. Check website for their nearest location.
- Website: ichibanya.co.jp
Pupu Kitchen
This is not one that Tori has yet tried, but JIS actually has. Offering delicious vegan, creative, fresh food from farm to table, Pupu Kitchen deals in macrobiotic cuisine. With friendly decor to make you feel like you are at someone’s dining table, it’s another great lunch option.
The vegetarian Samosa lunch set at Pupu Kitchen
There are lunch sets of vegetables, dry food, and grains for 1,300 JPY, including a deli featuring brown rice and soup. For your children, there are even kids’ onigiri and soup sets for just 400 JPY. There are only 15 Pupu lunches prepared each day, so it’s one to get to early. But if you miss out, you could always hang around for the chocolate cake…
- Where:2 Chome-15-13 Josai, Nishi Ward (map)
- Website: www.heal-ai.com/en_organiccafe.html (English)
Image: https://www.facebook.com/queenshealthydiner/
Image: https://tabelog.com/en/aichi/A2301/A230109/23033065/ (screen grab) – Modified
Image: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPO27kdhQFc/
Image: By Tori Robkis (Own Work)
Bert Wishart editor
Novelist, copywriter and graduate from the most prestigious university in Sunderland, Bert whiles away his precious time on this Earth by writing about popular culture, travel, food and pretty much anything else that is likely to win him the Pulitzer he desperately craves.
About the author