KIRAN GOES PLACES
Gyoza in Shinjuku
Kakekomi Gyoza is tucked into the back streets of Kabukicho and does four different vegetarian gyoza, which in Tokyo is basically unheard of. You can't book and there was a big queue when we turned up, but it was worth it. There's a soft spicy tofu one, a pickled cucumber one, and the one I came for, honey mustard. Sweet, spicy, crispy outside, soft in the middle. Best gyoza I've ever had, and I've had a lot of gyoza.
Sweet, spicy, and worth the queue.
Vegan sushi in Shibuya
This place is literally called Vegan Sushi Tokyo, and you get a set of ten pieces, each one completely different with its own sauce pairing. Miso onigiri, tofu and yam, vegan egg, Japanese ginger, combinations that sound strange but genuinely work. It's more expensive than average sushi and you get less food than you'd want, but the creativity is seriously impressive, and sitting down to a proper sushi experience as a vegetarian in Tokyo feels like a win either way. Big queues here too, so book ahead if you can.
Ten pieces, ten completely different flavours.
Harajuku street food
From the most refined thing on this list to the most chaotic. Takeshita Street in Harajuku is famous for its street food crawl, candied strawberries on a stick, giant multicoloured candy floss, potato and cheese sticks, fresh bubble tea made in front of you. My highlight, and I know how this sounds, was a banana dipped in chocolate rolled in cornflakes and sprinkles. Somehow moreish.
Takeshita Street doing exactly what it does best.
A Tokyo matcha crawl
Matcha has been part of Japanese culture for over 800 years, starting in Zen Buddhist temples where monks drank it to stay focused during meditation. Now it's in lattes, ice cream and pancakes all over the city, and the quality varies a lot, so here's what actually stood out. Welcome Coffee in Daikanyama was earthy and not bitter, a strong start. SACYA in the basement of Shibuya Scramble Square is a viral spot doing a strawberry oat milk matcha that's genuinely great cold. But the winner by far was Matcha Cafe and Studio in Ginza. It feels properly authentic, they whisk the matcha at your table with a bamboo whisk and pour it over iced soy milk with a touch of gum syrup for sweetness. The matcha souffle pancakes here were so good, tall, pillowy, covered in matcha vanilla cream. If you only try matcha once in Tokyo, make it this one.
Whisked at the table, the way it should be.
Clay pot sweet potato in Ginza
This is a street snack you can't walk past. Yakiimo, or clay pot sweet potato, is an old Japanese snack where they roast sweet potato in clay pots over hot stones right there on the street. I had mine at Ginza Suboyaki Imo. The inside goes gooey and soft like caramel, and it's just a potato, which at home I would never get excited about, but this was so moreish. It's closed on Mondays, worth knowing if you're making a special trip.
Roasted over hot stones, right on the pavement.
Creme brulee sweet potato in Asakusa
A twist on the same idea just outside Senso-ji Temple. Same gooey sweet potato, but topped with an actual creme brulee layer. It's messy and overly sweet but honestly such a fun thing to eat on a street corner, and it's not just hype.
Messy, sweet, and worth the queue outside the temple.
Vegetarian breakfast in Asakusa
Just around the corner is February Kitchen, a classic brunch spot. We went for a Japanese omelette with a beautifully clean cut, which you can't leave Tokyo without trying, and a grilled cheese that sounds unremarkable but the Japanese do such good bread that it came out properly refined. A perfect pick me up right after the oldest temple in Tokyo.
An unremarkable sounding sandwich that really wasn't.
Standing sushi bar in Shibuya
Uogashi Nihon-Ichi is a standing sushi bar, and you don't have to go to this exact one, but standing sushi in general is worth doing. You stand at the counter, order straight from the chef, and they hand it to you directly. Quicker, cheaper, and the quality is still genuinely good. As a vegetarian I had omelette nigiri, avocado sushi and a few hand rolls, and it more than held up.
Quicker, cheaper, and still genuinely good.
A few honourable mentions
Before the best thing I ate in Tokyo, a couple of things deserve a shout. A giant strawberry from Tsukiji Market, expensive and the size of a small apple but so sweet. A random cube of bread from the basement of Shibuya Scramble Square that turned out to be an incredible pizza square. And a donut from the actual Uniqlo store in Ginza, yes, the biggest Uniqlo in the world sells donuts too.
The size of a small apple, and worth every yen.
The best thing I ate in Tokyo
Ramen from Jikasei Mensho, in the basement of Shibuya Parco. The vegan tantanmen here was out of this world, house made noodles in a rich, creamy, spicy broth, and they even give you a bib because it's about to get messy. You order at a machine, queue for a bit, but it moves fast. We tried both the tantanmen and the spicy miso, and both were incredible, though I preferred the tantanmen because I'm a sucker for a creamy ramen. Everything about this bowl was perfect.
Tokyo isn't a nightmare as a vegetarian, and honestly it never really was. You just can't turn up without a plan. Do a bit of research and the food here is some of the freshest and most exciting you'll find anywhere. There's so much I still didn't get to, so let me know your favourite vegetarian spots in Tokyo in the comments, I go back and find something new every time.