Saishokukenbi - Tokyo

So pleasantly surprised by this place. Got the katsukare set and it was so big filling and delicious. Giant bowl of rice, curry, crispy pork cutlet, roasted and fresh veggies and pickles. Side of a fresh salad with delicious savory dressing, soup, and fruit. The set is $1300 and even comes with drink (I got the organic coffee really good and comes with little cookies and cake). Fantastic value and just really tasty, highly recommended

I stopped here the other day for lunch while in the Shinokubo area. The restaurant was a little bit hard to find at first, as it is hidden away on a side street, in the middle of a temple-looking courtyard. However, there was a sign advertising the restaurant and with some of the menu listed, so once you see that, just enter in through the courtyard entry and you are good! The menu has a lot of ovo-lacto vegetarian options but there are also a sufficient number of vegan items as well. Dairy and egg-containing items are marked with colored kanji indicators (I think it was blue for milk products/dairy and green for egg? . When the server was explaining the menu to me, she also asked if I was vegan and made sure that what I was ordering was okay! I chose the lunch set, which was 1300 yen and included soup, salad, and a drink with cookies, in addition to the main dish. I thought I got a lot of food in comparison to many other restaurants. I chose the tofu kabayaki don which was delicious and I highly recommend. There are quite a few other options as well so I do want to try to go back again!

Had a lovely lunch here yesterday you can choose between two teishoku (set meal) or a rice dish which are 1200 and 800 yen respectively. These change weekly. My friend had a gyoza set and I had spring rolls. The presentation is amazing, your food comes out in a big tray with lots of little sections containing various dishes, plus miso soup and your drink of choice and a (very) small selection of cookies/cake. Both our meals were very tasty and the volume was good for the price. No English spoken but the staff were very friendly and I'm sure would help out if you need the menu explained. I was also happy to be able to pick up some dried soy meat at the little shop, they have a good selection and prices are reasonable. Will definitely go back! The restaurant is a little difficult to find my best directions (as of November 2014) would be: come out of the north exit of Okubo station and cross the street. Turn right and walk along the street, past a 7 11 convenience store. Take the next proper street on the left (not the small lane which is a dead end) and walk 20m or so up the road. The restaurant is located at the rear of a complex of a buddhist sect that houses a Miroku buddha (happy buddha).

We really wanted to go to a vegetarian restaurant featuring traditional (veg'n style! Japanese cuisine here, and this was just that. A buffet full of many great options. We thought it was easy to find, although in the main directions it says to go 2 3 blocks on the last street it is NOT that far. Maybe a block, just watch for a sign and the buddha in the courtyard. The food was all excellent with a great variety of dishes miso soup, hot dishes, cold dishes, rices, appetizers, etc. Good mix of fake meats and other veggies etc. Best to go at a peak hour when other people will be there, as they make more dishes when more people are there. The food otherwise sits out and gets cold (they are not on heated dishes but not a huge deal, as once we came in (and we were the only ones at first, til several more people came after , they immediately started making more hot dishes for just us too. We had more than enough to eat. They give you a 90 minute time limit, which we found amusing but certainly more than enough time to have more than an adequate amount of wonderful food! The price (2000 yen for dinner was more than we're used to paying, but probably fair for the Tokyo area and a buffet. We would go back if we're back in Tokyo!

To get to the restaurant from Okubo station, take the North exit and follow the given directions. Turn right and look for the Dotour coffee shop, then turn left, etc. The food was delicious and my husband said it was the best he's ever had. Cheers!