Again I haven't posted a new article here for a looong looong time and most of the former readers of this blog might already have forgotten about or given up checking for updates. Anyway I hope there are still some people interested in nice, vegetarian Japanese food around, since I have some more recommendations for you. Today I want to write about one of the more well-known organic restaurants in Tokyo, the Hiroba at Crayon House in Kita-Aoyama, just a few steps off Omotesandô. This friendly place is located in the basement of a building that also houses a toy- and bookstore and a shop for all kinds of organic products, from vegetables to soaps. The restaurant itself is not 100% vegetarian, but you will be happy to find lots of vegetarian and vegan options and staff that understands what you mean when you ask for vegetarian food... As far as I remember there was only a few a la card dishes, but a huge buffet that indulged us with a variety of savoural sensations. The fare was partly with a western influence, yet always with a Japanese twist and utterly fresh and delicious. There were soups, salads, vegetables boiled, pickled or fried, brown or semi-refined rice, pasta, tofu, mushrooms, seaweed - in short: too many wonderful things for just one plate, so of course I had to get a refill. Or two.
I can also highly recommend to try the lovely cakes and tartes - they are as good as they look, if not even better!
The price for the lunch is 1260 Yen, not too much for an all organic, all-you-can-eat buffet. You can also find a bilingual menu on their website and have a look at the lunch set and recipe of the day (in Japanese only).
Yes, the menu is bilingual and so are many of the guests. I spotted quite a few non-Japanese people, many with their (partly Japanese) families. There were many kids around, playing on the patio under and between the tables packed with guest. It is a rather jolly atmosphere and it can get pretty crowded, so do not expect a silent, contemplative place with a Zen spirit, but a friendly restaurant with naturally good food.
Crayon House
Organic Restaurant Hiroba
オーガニックレストラン「広場」
東京都港区北青山3－8－15
3-8-15 Kita-Aoyama,
Tokyo, Minato-ku; 3406-6492 [click to see map]
open: 11:00am-10:00pm
TEL. 03－3406－6409
4 comments:
Just got back from three weeks in Japan (3 days in Tokyo). Wish I'd found your great blog earlier. Finding vegetarian found was easy in Kyoto, but we did find it quite a struggle in Tokyo. Looking forward to going back to Tokyo soon, so will definitely be taking note of your recommendations. Thanks for all the great info!
oh, you're welcome :) i know, it can be such a struggle... but it it's worth struggling, isn't it. good to hear you want to come back to tokyo soon :)
Lonely Planet says that there are fish and cows on the signs to visualize the ingredients - but this system didn't work when we were there, as some of the vegetarian food turned out to be chicken, while some plant food had a fish on it - so just ask. "No fish, no meat" has been understood by any Japanese person when I ordered something :)
Btw: The Brown Rice Café (http://vegetarianjapan.blogspot.com/2007/07/brown-rice-caf.html) is just on the other side of the street, so after you had the lunch set, you can get some coffee and one of the delicious tartes there.
You have a nice blog about the recipe and how to prepare vegetable in Japaneses way. If you like some Italian and other vegetarian food recipe try to visit Tanya's site at http://vegetable-recipes.net/ I like it and I know you will like it too.
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