Deep Kyoto

good places - good people

Ain Soph Journey Kyoto (Formerly Matsuontoko) – Vegan Burger Cafe

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日本語はこちら

Update 2023: Matsuontoko is now known as Ain. Soph Journey Kyoto (catchy!) — but it is still a vegan restaurant serving delicious burgers, curries and kara-age!

Though there are quite a large number of vegetarian establishments in Kyoto, most of them are located in the north of the city, and the few there are in the city center tend to sell nothing that isn’t healthy and nutritious. Good vegan junk food is pretty hard to come by. There used to be a branch of Speakeasy on Shijo that did a passable veggie burger, but that closed down back in 2010. Since then our vegan brethren have been denied the delights of fast and convenient processed treats at a convenient location and forced to endure a steady diet of tofu and wholegrain rice. No more! Vegan cafe Matsuontoko Ain Soph. Journey Kyoto is here to save the day, slap bang in the center of town, with a fine array of vegan fake-meats!

So convincing are these fake-meats that one of Mewby’s friends was half-way through her “kara-age” before she realised it wasn’t chicken at all. And that was only because Mewby told her.

“Really,” Mewby told me. “You’ll be amazed.”
“Well, alright then.” I said. So I went. And here’s my order.

How good was it? Very good. The bread was actually really nice too. I was entirely satisfied. But I decided to pig out on onion rings anyway. They were nice sweet onions and non too greasy.

And they also had this lovely little cup of tofu ice-cream, cream and vegan brownies.

In short, whether you are vegan or no, if have a hankering for fast food at a reasonable price, Matsuontoko Ain Soph. Journey Kyoto is the place to go.

Ain Soph Journey Kyoto is just east of Shinkyogoku, three streets up from Shijo. Here is a map. Check the website for other items on the menu. There are a lot of choices.

Ain Soph Journey Kyoto has some slightly complicated business hours.
Normal business hours are as follows:
Open: 11:30～17:00 (Last Orders: 16:00), 18:00 ~ 20.00 (Last Entry: 18.45, Last Orders: 19.00)
But sometimes they are only open for lunch and then business hours are as follows:
Open: 10.00 ~ 16.00 (Last Orders: 15.00)
Holidays are irregular.
Tel: 075-251-1876

Original article posted February, 2013. Updated July 2023.
Text and images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. 

Kamo’s All You Can Eat Veggie Buffet

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Now that Obanzai’s organic buffet is closing, it is good to know that there are alternatives. Kamo serves up all organic locally grown vegetables in all kinds of tasty combinations. They take pride in the fact their vegetables are 都野菜 or “Miyako vegetables” which means they are truly local. Apparently the famed label 京野菜 – “Kyo yasai” does not always guarantee that the veggies actually come from Kyoto! Mewby and I went there a couple of weeks ago for lunch and thought it was pretty good value. Here’s Mewby’s lunch:

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Here’s mine:

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As you can see there is plenty of variety. Here are the details:
Morning light meal buffet(7:00 ～ 10:00): ￥480 (includes a soft drink)
Lunch-time buffet (11:00 ～ 16:00): ￥880 （when full they have a one hour limit）
Dinner-time buffet (17:00 ～ 23:00): ￥1,300 （when full they have an 80 minute limit）
Limitless soft drinks: ￥300
All You Can Drink with alcohol: ￥950

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Location: On the south-east corner of Higashinotoin and Ayanokouji. One block east of Karasuma and one block south of Shijo. Here is a MAP.
Tel: 075-351-2732
Website: http://nasukamo.net

Caffe dell’Orso

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20090306000945A few weeks ago Ted Taylor introduced me to Cafe dell’Orso a nice new Italian restaurant on Higashi Ichijo Dori. They do a good ￥1000 set lunch there; one pasta of your choosing + salad + focaccia with a home made pate and a wee slice of quiche. I decided to go back for dinner, and try some more dishes. In my pictures below you can see various appetisers and desserts but not the main dishes, as I was so intent on eating them up I forgot to photograph them! Thankfully, this popular Kyoto blogger has some good pictures on his site too, so you can check his pictures out here. I actually had the asparagus and parmesan gratin (￥700) and the tomato and clam spaghetti (￥1100), and washed them down with a cold sharp Peroni beer (￥700). They were all very good. However, the desserts were especially delicious, or as my companion Mewby put it  “yabai!” (which is Japanese for dangerously awesome). There are more pictures below and if you go to flickr you can see the prices too.

This restaurant/cafe is run by two friends, Stefano Bandini and Sasha Ashburne. I asked Stefano why the name is “Orso” which means “bear”, and he told me that his father used to have a gallery on Via dell’Orso in Milan named Galleria dell’Orso. The Caffe shares more than just the name with his father’s gallery though, as the walls here too are used to exhibit local art. At the time I visited they were decorated with the photographic work of Fumio Inoue. And as for the “cucina naturale”? Stefano explains:
“Cucina naturale” means that we are making, as far as possible, everything home made. Salad dressing, sauce, ginger ale etc. are all home made. When possible we also use organic ingredients. So far the dry pasta we have been using is organic. We have now started using fresh pasta, that we buy from a non-organic supplier. In the near future, if economically convenient, we’d like to make our own pasta. In this case we’ll try to find organic semolina…

Caffe dell’Orso, is on the north side of Higashi Ichijo Dori. Go east from Kawabata and it is just a little further past the Sakyou-ku ward office. If you get as far as Higashioji Dori you have gone too far! Here is a useful map.
Tel: 075-761-7600
email: caffedellorso@yahoo.co.jp

In Search of… the Craic

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img_9202-medium In December 2008 my friend David Ewen and I (that’s us on the left) decided to go on an Irish pub crawl and see exactly what each place had to offer in terms of food, drink, music and the elusive craic. What follows is a list of the five pubs we visited,  a summary of what we found there and a map to each location.  For a fuller article, more pictures and directions click on the name of each pub. However, before I continue, I must say if you are only in Kyoto for a short time you shouldn’t be wasting precious time in Irish pubs at all, so stop reading now and go somewhere Japanese instead. This article is for long term residents only!

The Gael

img_9168-mediumVery popular with expats but has more character than your average chain pub. A good menu with plenty of vegetarian options. Irish music every week and jazz monthly. Six screens show major sporting events. The staff are very courteous and professional. Map.

Tadg’s (formerly Mc Loughlin’s)

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A gastro-pub specialising in micro-brew beers, they even have a chocolate flavored beer! Stunning views over the river Kamo and the city. Very personable staff and a very likeable and chatty owner the house chef, Tadg. Map.

Dublin (formerly The Hill of Tara)

img_9116-medium Not the cosiest pub (perhaps because of it’s long, narrow interior) but with friendly staff and a good mix of Japanese and foreign punters. Excellent local musicians play Irish music here Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Map at the bottom of this link.

Field

img_9192-mediumThe first Irish pub to open in Kyoto back in 2000, Field is all about the music. Irish music sessions are held twice a week and there is a recording and practice studio upstairs. Mostly Japanese punters here. It’s a nice place for a quiet pint. Map

Gnome

img_9127-mediumMy personal favorite. Wonderful Irish style home-cooked food with lots of organic veggies and vegetarian options. A cosy atmosphere and a very friendly owner. The live music schedule is interestingly eclectic. Map.

Related article: Irish music at Cafe Woodnote

Na no hana

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Out for a stroll last night I stumbled across health and whole food shop 菜花 (na no hana). They have plenty of organic vegetables and fruit here, all kinds of natural cooking ingredients, vegan food supplies and earth-friendly cleaning products. 菜花 sits about halfway between Demachiyanagi and Hyakumanben. If that isn’t convenient, they do deliveries. To find it, just walk east of the Eiden line exit of Demachiyanagi station, past Falafel Garden and further on past the Heming Sports Club until you get to the Omuraya オムライス (omelette and rice) place on your right. Turn right here and go past Kroon Thai restaurant and it’s on your left just before Rico Rico Spanish restaurant. Here is a most convenient map (the red circle marks the spot).
Opens weekdays: 10:00 ~ 20:00
Saturday: 10:00 ~ 19:00
Closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Tel: 075-711-8264

Related:
Online Supplies
Natural Food Stores in Kyoto

Woodnote

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I had my supper at Woodnote last night; a big plate of sarnies and two bottles of Guinness. And they were tasty. I really like this place. There are a lot of bars and cafes in Kyoto that are dedicated to a particular kind of music; jazz, soul, rock or blues… and finding these places always gives me a real kick. But Woodnote is something else. It’s a “99.9%” (says the owner) organic cafe, a gallery (yes, you may rent the walls for ￥1000 an hour), and a live Irish music venue (sessions every Monday!). Also Shibutani-san (the Master) does very good sandwiches (￥550 and no meat!). Oh, and if you want to learn more about all those big crazy birds you regularly see wheeling over or wading in the Kamogawa, they have a bird-watching club you can join too.
What Woodnote is perhaps best known for is Irish music and the Master himself plays the fiddle. I asked him how he first got into Irish music. He told me, gesturing at all the vinyl records behind him, that throughout his youth he had always had a big thing for bluegrass. Then later when he discovered the roots of bluegrass, he naturally took a shine to Irish music. How he got into playing music goes like this: a customer brought back a tin whistle as a souvenir from Ireland. He teaches himself to play it and plays it for about two years. Then one day he is cycling by an antiques store and he spies a fiddle. It’s in good condition but the price is a mere ￥18,000. Well, that’s fate, isn’t it?  He bought it and taught himself to play (purely by ear mind you). And here’s how he sounds ten years later:

Now, the master will say bashfully that he is 下手, or “poor” at playing. But I think it’s wonderful he can play like that when he only started in his 40s and he never had a teacher! But then, says the Master, everyone who plays here learned that way.

As mentioned before, every Monday evening there is an Irish music session here, and on the 23rd of this month (Sunday) there will be a live performance of musicians from all over Kansai from 2:00 till 5:00 pm followed by another session later that evening. To find Woodnote, go east on Kitaoji Dori untill you reach the Eizan dentetsu line and then turn left onto Takahara Dori. Woodnote is just a little ways up there on the right. Or you can walk south for about 10 minutes from Ichijoji Station. Here is a map.
Opening hours: 12:30 – 23:00 (closed on Tuesdays). Tel:075-722-9302

November 24th Update: I have posted two videos from the above mentioned session on my journal here.

Online Supplies

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Some time ago I wrote a short guide to Kyoto’s import stores and also this piece on natural food suppliers, but on both occasions I neglected to add links to some of the online food suppliers available here in Japan. Silly me. Let’s quickly rectify that now.

First up is The Flying Pig. In their own words:

Reasonable prices on imported groceries and general merchandise in Japan? When pigs fly! But that was before Costco Wholesale opened its doors here. Afterwards, there were only two problems left: not everyone can get to a Costco warehouse very easily, and Internet ordering isn’t available. In a nutshell, TheFlyingPig.Com was launched to overcome these issues… Shop the site, pay at the nearest bank or post office, and receive your order in just a few days. It’s as simple as that. LINK

Also, we have The Foreign Buyers Club (Food and Fun from home – Direct to your door!) which sells not only food and groceries but educational items too. As I wrote in my previous article: Living abroad, we all have one little something we miss from home, the absence of which makes our life seem less than complete. Hopefully you’ll be able to find that little something now.

Now for lovers of organic food (and animal lovers too) there is Warabe Mura, again in their own words:

We are a small mail order company situated in land locked Gifu, central Japan, offering home delivery service for the whole of Japan. We are committed to offering traditional natural whole foods that have been grown, whenever possible, organically and locally, processed as little as need be, with absolutely no artificial additives, colourings or flavourings used. Only naturally occurring sweeteners such as brown rice malt, hatomugi malt, are used, and all products are sugar, dairy, egg, fish, and meat free. The natural personal care products are cruelty free and contain no animal products or by-products. The house cleaners are the most environmentally friendly we can find, and all stationary is from recycled sources. We specailize in macrobiotic whole foods and offer an extensive selection that includes traditonally handcrafted shoyu, tamari, miso, Japanese pickles, as well as a wide variety of wild sea vegetables and Japanese pastas. We also offer a large range of imported organic natural whole foods that include herbs & spices, dried fruit & nuts, pastas, sauces, teas, grains, flours and oils. LINK

Seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? And finally, (the only one I’ve actually used myself) good ole Tengu Natural Foods. I’m rather partial to their vegetarian cheeses, organic breads and um, organic beverages… but anyway, I quote:

Tengu is a mail order service for organic vegetarian foods, environmentally sound cleaning supplies and more to make life just that much happier and healthier. We ship anywhere in Japan in just a few days (all things being as they should)… Order by post, fax, phone, email, or right here online in English or Japanese… LINK

I can confirm that theirs is an excellent service, they deliver right to your door, and you can pay cash on arrival or by credit card, your choice. And that’s all I have to say about online suppliers for today. I hope it’s been of use.

Related articles: Natural Food & Import Stores.

Hale ~晴~

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Hidden away in the heart of the bustling market on Nishiki Dori is a tiny little alleyway that leads to Hale. This is a fully organic and vegan restaurant, specialising in seasonal dishes, yuba tofu and Kyoto’s famously distinctive vegetables. For lunch you can have a ￥1000 set or the “Special Lunch” for ￥1800. I settled for the ￥１０００ lunch which you can see amid the pictures below and which was more than ample enough for me.

Even if you are not vegetarian, Hale is worth a visit for its traditional cuisine or just to spend a pleasant hour or so in a peaceful old machiya house quietly contemplating the central garden. A wide range of beverages are also available, coffees, teas, soy drinks, juices, beers and shochu and even something made of dandelions – but I didn’t go for that. To find it walk along Nishiki Dori between the Fuyacho and Tominokoji streets and look out for that little alleyway on the north side of the market. Here is a most helpful map. It might be worth booking ahead on weekends as Hale is both small and popular.
Opening hours: Monday & Wednesday ~ 11:30 – 18:00 / Wednesday – Sunday ~ 11:30 – 14:30 and 16:00 – 21:00. (Closed on Tuesdays).
Tel: 075-231-2516

Mole

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On Gokomachi Dori, just a little north of Oike Dori and just removed from the hubbub of the city, is a little corner of peace-of-mind: the ambient cafe Mole. The entrance is wreathed in greenery and looks for all the world like a flower shop. Enter and be greeted by the sound of chimes. Everything here; the plants, the decor, the music and the softly spoken staff, all are gentle on the eye and ear.

They have a tasty menu too:

DRINKS:

Hot Coffee: ￥500 Cafe Latte (single): ￥550 (double): ￥650
American Coffee: ￥500 Cafe Mocha: ￥650
Ice Coffee: ￥500 Caramel Latte: ￥650
Espresso: ￥500

Earl Grey / Assam / Darjeeling / Chai (Hot/Ice): ￥500

Cocoa: ￥550 Hot Cinnamon Chocolate: ￥650 Maccha (Green Tea) Milk: ￥650

Banana Shake: ￥650 Banana Espresso: ￥750 Orange Juice: ￥500
Ebisu Draft Beer: ￥500

FOOD:

Curries: Keema Matar / Chickpea / Cashew & Walnut (all come with salad): ￥700
Fried Whole Grain Rice (with soup & salad): ￥700
Sandwiches (with home-baked bread), choose two fillings from below for ￥700
Avocado, lettuce & tomato / Bacon, lettuce & tomato / Egg & Cream Cheese / Humous, lettuce & tomato
Home-baked Bagel with Cream Cheese and Maple Syrup: ￥500
Vegetable Soup and Home-baked Bread: ￥600
Home-baked Cakes (various): ￥400
Fried Banana Ice-cream: ￥600

As you can see, this kind of variety on the menu bears repeated visits. Most of the food uses organic ingredients and there are plenty of vegetarian options to boot. Here are some pictures of the delightful interior to feast your eyes on. Click through to flickr for a better look.

As I wrote above, Mole is on Gokomachi, just a little north of Oike, on your right. Look out for a mass of green. There is a map on this page if you get lost.

See also:
Cafe Gospel
Cafe Mo-an

In Search of… Natural Food

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Here is a short list of locations where you can get hold of natural food supplies and other earth friendly products while in Kyoto. It is far from exhaustive I’m sure, so if you know of any other places you think should be up here, write and tell me in the comments box below, or send me a mail at luain37@yahoo.co.jp.

Donguri is a small shop on Kitaoji that is packed full of goodies. In addition to natural foods and health products they also sell an array of meat substitutes. This “Daizu Marugoto Meat Slice” is made from soyabeans and is a good source of protein for our vegetarian bretheren. Just soak in water before adding it to your meal. You can also buy Tempeh here, a very versatile meat substitute that goes very well with a glass of beer.

To find Donguri go north on Higashioji Dori, turn right onto Kitaoji and it is on your right before you get to the railway tracks. Click here for a map.
Open from 10:00 am – 19:00 pm
Closed on Sundays.
TEL:075-712-0274
If you go to the web-page and click on the yellow smiley face (about half-way down) you can print out some coupons.

Help is a large supermarket with everything you could want from a normal supermarket, except it’s all natural and they have an excellent recycling system for all their waste. They also stock the “Daizu Marugoto Meat” pictured above. Help is on Higashioji Dori a little to the north of Ichijoji. Here is a map.

Open：10:00 am～19:30 pm
(19:00pm on Sundays)
Closed on Wednesdays.
TEL：075-781-3150

Natural Station: Wendy Mama sells organic produce, health foods, supplements, and earth friendly cleaning products and toiletries. Natural Station sits on the south side of Shimei Dori between Karasuma and Horikawa. Here is a map.
Open: 10:00 am – 19:00 pm (Closed on Sundays)
Tel: ０７５－４１１－４４６０

There is lots of fresh organic produce and other earth friendly products in the supermarket “Farmers” on Marutamachi. Vegetarians can also get these meat substitutes here; “Soy and Wheat Protein Sticks” and “Vege Protein Blocks”, although these are not suitable for the gluten intolerant.

To find “Farmers”, go north on Kawaramachi and turn right onto Marutamachi and it is on your right just past the Figaro restaurant. Here is a map.
Open 10:00 am ~ 21:00 pm
Tel: 075-212-6340.

Update December 17th 2008: Here’s another one! Organic veggies, health & whole foods and natural cleaning products at 菜花. Click on the link to read more!

For more natural products and organic obento lunch-boxes see also the separate article on Earth Kitchen Company

For more natural and vegetarian products available online see: Online Suppliers

Earth Kitchen Company

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Earth Kitchen Company on Marutamachi offers Japanese “Obento” lunch-boxes that are completely natural, chemical-free and super-nutritious. They have a variety of lunch-boxes on offer; meat-based, fish-based and tofu-based and all are priced at ￥735. In addition to the tofu lunchboxes, vegetarians can also enjoy the veggie salad croquettes, soybean croquettes and deep fried gluten (麩) bentos. All of these come with rice and a variety of seasonal veggie side dishes. This is basically a take-away establishment, though there are a couple of seats available if you want to eat in the store. However, if the weather is nice, a picnic by the Kamogawa is highly recommended. Below are some pictures. Click through to flickr for a closer look.


Earth Kitchen also sells a variety of other eco-friendly foods and products. It can be found on the north side of Marutamachi Street, three doors east of Keihan Marutamachi Station, Exit #4.
Opening hours: 10:30 – 18:30 (Closes 17:30 on Thursdays and 15:30 on Saturdays).
Closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Tel/Fax: 075-771-1897
All lunches are hand-made on the premises so be sure to give advance notice if you are ordering for a large number or people.
Here is a map.

Mikoan

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UPDATE (November 19th 2013): Walking on Teramachi a few days ago I noticed a sign up at the closed entrance to Mikoan. Unfortunately it seems there was a fire there and the owner was badly hurt. She is now recovering in hospital, but at this time it is not clear when or if Mikoan will open again. We hope and pray for the owner’s speedy recovery.

彌光庵 was founded by a lady who, having taken holy orders, decided that her mission in life was to bring Buddhist wisdom into the lives of ordinary people by means of lip-smackingly delicious organic food. Not just any organic food mind you, but 精進料理 (“shoujin ryori”); traditional Zen vegetarian cooking. Normally, shoujin ryori is only available in certain temples and it’s very expensive, but Mikoan makes it available at ridiculously affordable prices. The most expensive meal on the menu is a set course, “Miyako Gohan”, consisting of rice (whole grain of course), miso soup and an assortment of side dishes; all for ￥1000. Here’s what it looks like:


Now, if you go with a friend, and order the same thing, you’ll get a different set of side dishes as below, which you can share and thus more and more variety for your money.

The philosophy underpinning this establishment is one of respect for all living things, and so it is 100% vegetarian, 100% organic and they make every effort to reduce waste; any peelings or leftover scraps that can’t be used being put into compost. Inside is a comfortable homey atmosphere, with big fat cats yawning in the windows and soft calming jazz playing to soothe your weary mind. Here’s some pictures of cats Toro and Chibi (they so cute):


The opening hours are from 17：00～23：00 on weekdays. 12：00～23：00 on Saturdays and 12：00～20：00 on Sundays and holidays. To find it go south on Teramachi from Shijo until you see the Funahashi shop on your right, between that and the airgun shop roast chestnuts shop organic buffet restaurant Hana Cafe (it keeps changing) next door, there is a tiny tiny alleyway (see right). Mikoan is at the bottom. It’s not a huge place so for four or more people they advise booking in advance.Tel: 075-361-2200

A little haven in the heart of the city, Mikoan first opened it’s doors on April 8th 1995 (Buddha’s birthday!). Long may it continue. Here is a map.

Obanzai

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Obanzai buffet style restaurant serves healthy natural food using mostly organic vegetables. The dishes we prepare are seasonal, to suit your health throughout the year. Please make yourself at home in our comfy woody space.

Well you can’t say fairer than that really, can you? Situated on Koromodana Street, just north of Oike, Obanzai offers an all-you-can-eat buffet, which in my case is quite a bit. Here’s a picture of just how much I managed to pile up on my tray.

Note the healthy whole grain rice. Yum. I’m getting hungry again just looking at that. Obanzai takes it’s name from traditional Kyoto-style home-cooking. Eat and learn. Lunch is from 11:00 am till 2:00 pm and will set you back ￥840 (￥1050 on Saturdays or Holidays). Dinner is from 5:00 pm till 8:30 pm and will set you back ￥2100. Please be aware that this is not a 100% vegetarian buffet, so do ask if you are unsure about the ingredients of the food on offer. And watch out for the gluten cutlets too if you have an intolerance to that. If you don’t have an intolerance to that, then pile them up because they are really good. A short five minute walk from Karasuma station, Obanzai is a good place to get lunch if you are planning a trip to nearby Nijo castle. Here is a map. The somewhat austere facade of the Ichii Building (see right) belies the “comfy woody space” within. Obanzai is closed on Wednesday evenings. Tel: 075-223-6623.

The Miho Museum

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Miho Top
If you fancy a day out of Kyoto and a bit of fresh country air, a trip into Shiga to visit the Miho Museum might be a nice little adventure for you.  This is a most extraordinary private art collection, held in a most extraordinary building, and in an extraordinary location! The building itself is remarkable, designed by I. M. Pei (he’s the guy that designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre – you know the one Mary Magdalen is buried under),  80% of it lies below ground but what lies above somehow balances respect for Japanese tradition and surrounding nature, with a clean modernist line. Inside natural light from the glass roof illuminates beautiful art and treasures from all over the ancient world. I heard about this place years ago but for some reason I always had the idea it was in some remote inaccesible part of deepest darkest inaka. Actually, though it is in the middle of nowhere, it is fairly easy to get to. Here’s how: [Read more…]