Generally I prefer to go to all-vegan restaurants when I’m travelling, both to support those businesses that usually desperately need it and to ensure there are no non-vegan mishaps. Zen is not all vegan, but we were looking for a meal close to Shinjuku station after a long day trip, so we gave this a try. And it’s an okonomiyaki restaurant, which is another of those dishes we simply can’t get in Prague, so how could we resist?! Shinjuku is an extremely busy area, but luckily we got in without a wait at around 6.45pm on a Friday – it was busy, but no waiting.
There was seating at the bar, at western-style tables, and at low tables as well, with a drop down area for your feet under the table. We had to take our shoes off before scrambling in. Mother HH was not very impressed by this and subsequent restaurants with this low seating, but we all managed to tuck ourselves in properly.
The menu has a specific vegan page, though rather unhelpfully, not all of the dishes on it are vegan, some are vegetarian. Based on Happy Cow reviews, my understanding was that the cheese is dairy and so the truly vegan dishes are those that do not list cheese as an ingredient. I find this inaccuracy around the word vegan extremely unhelpful – and this is another reason I prefer all-vegan spots! Still, I think the staff did have a good understanding, and there is a picture page on the menu where they check which things you do and don’t eat, so it seemed there was little room for error.
After ordering, we were brought a little dish of tofu which was really nice, very well seasoned. Mother HH doesn”t much like tofu, so I got to have extra! The cost of this dish is incorporated into the table charge at the end of the meal, so there’s no getting away from it – you might as well eat it!
There are a few different kinds of okonomiyaki on the menu, but we all got the basic vegan okonomiyaki. It was quite thick, a really generous portion. Mother HH thought there was too much sauce on top – I don’t like saucy food much and I thought it was fine though. For me there was a bit too much ginger in it, but the others really loved that about it. Overall it was neither the best nor the worst okonomiyaki I’ve tried, it was good but not mind-blowing.
Importantly, it was conveniently located not far from the station, so if you’re looking for a convenient spot to try a veganised version of a classic Japanese dish, it’s definitely worth a try!
I’m not sure I’d even heard of mapo tofu before we visited Spicy Moon in New York, but since then Dr HH and I have been obsessed with it. We make it regularly at home, and if we are outside of Prague and see it on a menu (we believe there is no vegan mapo here) we eagerly order it. So imagine our delight at finding out there was an all-vegan mapo tofu restaurant in Tokyo! We had to squeeze it into our itinerary somehow.
It was quite far from Shinjuku, but Tokyo is such a massive city that that wasn’t too surprising. It seemed to be in a relatively quiet area anyway, and there was no queue, so we were very pleased about that.
Dr HH was feeling bold and reckless, so he decided to try the cheese curry mapo. It sounds a bit too chaotic to me – cheese, curry, and mapo are three things that I’m not sure belong together! It was a tasty curry sauce, but that overpowered anything we’d think of as traditionally mapo in the seasoning. The cheese didn’t melt, and didn’t really add anything either. He was hoping it would be a bit more fusion, but it was predominantly a Japanese curry with some tofu and cheese. It was still a tasty dish, but just not quite what he was looking for.
I got a simple mapo tofu and I was very happy indeed. It hit all the mapo tofu notes I was looking for, without being too spicy – perfect for me! The texture was good, the Sichuan tingle was there, and, paired with some rice, it was a hearty portion.
We all got gyoza too and they were delicious – Mother HH got a plate for her main dish, as she doesn’t like tofu enough to try a mapo, and Dr HH and I got them as sides. The dumplings were quite small and very crispy, which we loved. They were filled with some nicely seasoned silken tofu, and were a big hit with all three of us.
Dr HH got a cacao tiramisu for dessert, while the rest of us were full. He reported that this was fine, but nothing special. It didn’t have any soaked biscuits, and it mostly felt like silken tofu sitting in a sweet syrup with a dusting of coffee and cocoa on top, so the texture was all very soft. He wouldn’t get this again, but it’s always fun to try something new.
Also on the mains menu were spicier versions of mapo, as well as a white sesame mapo, so there are a few different things to try, and you can opt for noodles rather than rice if you prefer. It was an exciting looking menu, and I’m sorry we only got to go once. Let’s dream that they open a branch in Prague one day!
It was hard to resist the temptation to spend all our time in Tokyo revisiting our favourite spots, but somehow we did manage to get in a few new eateries too. I learned on social media about this hotel, which has a restaurant that serves three vegan set menus in the evenings that you can choose from – there are no vegan options before dinner. You can choose Japanese, Chinese, or western, and they each have five small courses. We reserved a table online, and had to choose our meal at that time. All three of us went for the Japanese menu, because we were trying to get in as much Japanese food as possible. It was a nice restaurant, classy without being intimidating (we were in our comfy tourist clothes we’d been wearing all day and did not feel out of place), and it was quite spacious and relaxing. The food was generally good, without being totally amazing.
The appetiser was three small bites. The vegetable rice crackers, as they were called on the menu, were just like vegetable crisps, and were pleasant but a bit unremarkable. The deep fried aubergine was nice and had a great texture, but suffered from being served cold, in our opinion. The yuba, served in a little glass, was slippery and fun. I love a bit of tofu skin!
The pureed seasonal vegetable soup was a bit bland and boring, despite the little pots of pepper and rice cracker to liven it up. My expectations were quite low for a soup course though, to be honest. It certainly looked colourful and appealing, anyway.
The biggest course came next, the yuba and mushroom hot pot. This was basically a big plate of different kinds of mushrooms, vegetables, and tofu skin that we cooked at the table in a pot of broth. It’s always fun to cook your own meals like this! The mushrooms were really flavoursome, and I loved the texture of the yuba. Mother HH had never had yuba before and was not a fan unfortunately, so it might be a bit of a risky choice for someone who is not super familiar with Japanese food. I hoovered up her leftovers though, so it was a great day for me! She really loved the theatre of cooking at the table though, so that made up for it.
Three kinds of sushi came next – one with courgette, one with turnip, and one with red pepper. To be honest, they were not super flavourful, I’ve definitely had better. They all basically just tasted like their vegetable topping, but not really enhanced or complemented in any way. But it was nice to get some rice for something a bit more filling.
Finally, the dessert was rice cake in sweet red bean soup, and warabi rice cake. As long as you like that kind of gelatinous texture, this is a good dessert! (Again, Mother HH was a bit flummoxed by this one, finding the texture a bit unexpected for a dessert.) The red beans were nice and sweet. The warabi had a great texture and a nice matcha flavour. This was a good ending to the meal.
It wasn’t mindblowing food, but we really enjoyed the yuba appetizer, hot pot, and dessert. Even Mother HH, who was not so familiar with Japanese cuisine, found lots of things she liked about it and enjoyed the overall experience of trying these different things.
It’s always good to see more restaurants adding vegan options to their menu, and this seems like a fairly ambitious entry point. Hopefully they’ll make some tweaks to bring a bit more flavour as they find their feet. If you’re dining with meat eaters or looking for somewhere a bit more spacious and quieter than a typical restaurant, this is a nice option.
Our attempt to visit more vegan bakeries on this trip to Tokyo continued (and basically finished) with a trip to not one but two branches of Universal Bakes. The two branches are about a 15 minute walk apart, and in quite a quiet, residential part of the city, which always makes for a fun walk. Unfortunately for us, that means they were nowhere near Shinjuku, so it was a bit of a trek to get there, which is why we’d never been before. Ultimately, it was probably worth the trip.
Our first stop was Universal Bakes and Cafe. We got there right after opening on a Saturday to ensure we got a seat – information online seemed a bit vague about just how big it was. I can now report that there are only six seats indoors (a table of four and a table of two), and a few more outside.
We were there specifically to get a vegan curry pan, but there were none available. It seemed like a few dishes were unavailable still at that time – there was a sign behind the counter for French toast, but we were told it was too early for that too. There were lots of savoury items, mostly toasts with toppings, and a few sweet ones too but not many.
All three of us tried the chocolate raspberry muffins, which were excellent – nicely baked, a perfect top, and loads of chocolate. Mother HH actually felt it had too much chocolate and not enough fruit, but that’s not a complaint you would ever catch me making!
We also had a weekly special, the zaatar croissant. This was sublime! The croissant was so crisp and flaky, and the savoury seasoning was perfect. It looked like they had regular themes for the special – the week we visited it was UAE themed, hence the zaatar.
We got cafe lattes and a matcha latte, both were good. The matcha latte was nicely balanced, and whichever plant milk they used had a nice creaminess to it.
Dr HH did not want to give up on his long awaited curry pan just yet, so we made the short walk over to Universal Bakes 2, and found that it had more sweets…but also no curry pan. There was no indoor seating at this branch, but quite a bit outdoor, so if it’s good weather then you’re in luck. We got some donuts to take away and they were delicious.
Dr HH got the donut holes covered with kinako (roasted soy bean flour). He thought this worked really well in places of sugar. The donuts were still sweet but now with a bit of a roasted nutty taste on top of it. It’s always fun to try something totally different!
I could not resist the chocolate cookie donut. It was a bit crispier around the edges and denser than a regular donut, and the chocolate was absolutely delicious. I loved it! As someone with more of a sweet tooth, Universal Bakes 2 probably caters better to my tastes – but it was nice to have a proper sit down and drink at the main cafe too.
Maybe one day we’ll get to try the coveted curry pan. Is it too soon to start planning another trip?!
On our April trip to Tokyo, we finally visited some of the all-vegan bakeries that get rave reviews. Marbre Vegan is not only very popular, but also very easy to get to, as it’s in Shinjuku, which is where we always stay.
It’s a tiny cafe which was very busy when we visited one afternoon, with people queuing out the door at times (lots of people got takeaway – it’s right opposite Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, which is a good spot to sit and eat, but you do have to pay for entry). It was totally full inside, so we had to sit outside. There were quite a few cakes to choose from.
Mother HH definitely ordered the best items. She had a sakura smoothie, which was lovely and thick with a strong cherry flavour. She also got the strawberry tart, which was sensational. It had a lovely case and frangipane-style filling, with jam, cream, and plenty of strawberries all combining to perfection.
Dr HH and I got the strawberry cake, which is extremely popular amongst Happy Cow reviewers, and were underwhelmed. It was extremely light on strawberries, such that most bites did not include even a hint of strawberry flavour. The sponge was light but not really spongy in our opinion. Based on its popularity, perhaps this is just personal preference. On the plus size, the cream was lovely, and it was a decent sized slice.
I only ever drink matcha when I’m in Japan, so of course I had to indulge on this trip. The iced matcha latte was well balanced, and one of the better ones I had in our visit. Dr HH also enjoyed his cafe latte.
I wouldn’t try that strawberry cake again, but I’d definitely go back and try something else on the menu – preferably that strawberry tart!
I’ve only just cleared my backlog of eateries from my trip to Asia last summer, and now it’s time for another round of Japan posts! We’ve previously visited in July 2019 and July/August 2024. One of our dreams was to get back to Japan in spring – partly to see the cherry blossom, but also partly to see what it’s like to be in this country and not be absolutely dripping in sweat the whole time. It turns out to be a delight on both fronts!
We’re revisiting a lot of our favourite restaurants from last summer, but have found a few new places to try as well. Vegan Sushi Tokyo had just opened last time we visited and was so new that there weren’t many reviews up yet, meaning we prioritised more established spots. But the glowing reviews have been pouring in since then, so it was an easy addition to our itinerary this time around.
Reservations are required for this place, and it is very easy to make a booking online. It’s a small place, with a few tables and a bar, which is where we were seated. You place your order using a QR code on your phone, and pay online while ordering. There is only one food option – a ten piece sushi set served with miso soup and pickled ginger – so the only decisions you need to make are what drinks to get and whether or not you want a dessert. Because it’s a set menu, the food arrives pretty quickly.
Miso soup is rarely impressive to me, and sure enough I found this one nice but not astounding. It did have a strong miso flavour, and I enjoyed the spongy bits of tofu, but it was never going to be the star of the show.
Happily, the sushi was wonderful! The server left us a paper menu so that we could check the description of each piece as we ate, which I certainly appreciated.
The tuna mayo and salmon roe piece was one of our favourites. We worried it would be too mayo- heavy, but it wasn’t at all. It had a good taste of the sea and a really pleasant texture. Mother HH (who joined us on this trip) is not vegan and regularly eats tuna, and even she was wowed by this one.
Alas, the scrambled egg was not a hit with any of us. This one did mostly taste of mayo, and there was no eggy flavour at all, even though that is very easy to achieve with black salt. We were also expecting more texture, but it was very soft and wet. Maybe it depends on how you preferred scrambled eggs? This one appears very popular in the Happy Cow reviews, so perhaps it’s just us who were underwhelmed.
The eggplant was well cooked so it was soft and melting away, and the ginger and soy seasoning was nice.
I thought the avocado would be quite dull, as I am consistently bored by restaurants offering avocado maki as their only vegan option. But this was delightful! The seasoning really elevated it, and I wish all those uninspired restaurants would learn from this.
Conversely, the tempura did not quite live up to our (admittedly very high) expectations. The coating on the shrimp was good and crispy, but the shrimp itself didn’t have the rubbery texture I expect, nor much flavour, which is a shame. Mother HH did enjoy this one quite a bit more than me though.
The tofu and yam had a really nice texture, while the shiitake was full of earthy flavours. It was really simple and effective, cooked to perfection.
I didn’t expect to enjoy the Japanese ginger, but it was sensational – sharp from pickling and extremely tasty. I thought that much ginger would be too much for me, but far from it!
The vegan meat was flavoursome and had a good texture. It was seasoned with something rather mysteriously referred to as “original sauce”. I’d love to know a bit more!
And finally, the king oyster mushroom was another juicy piece of flavoursome mushroom, this time elevated with an incredible yuzu and black pepper sauce. So delicious!
All in all, this was a really incredible set of sushi with some wonderful flavours and textures. Even the couple that didn’t dazzle me we’re still fun to try. You have the option to order refills of specific pieces, but we all resisted in order to leave room for dessert.
The dessert options are donuts, ice cream, or doroyaki pancakes. All three of us went for the latter, for the novelty factor. Also I attempted to make doroyaki pancakes last year with quite mixed results, so I was keen to see how they should turn out! The pancakes were sweet and light. The red bean paste that sandwiched them together was sweet but overall resulted in quite a dry dish. I would recommend paying extra for a scoop of ice cream on top, I imagine that would bring it all together perfectly.
All three of us were totally delighted with this meal. Service was friendly and easy to navigate as an English speaker. The atmosphere and decor were really pleasant too. In a journey full of excellent food, this was one of the real highlights.
And for a non-culinary highlight, here’s some of that cherry blossom that lured us in! We arrived slightly later than desirable, so most of the blossom was already quite pale, but it was still beautiful, especially in Shinjuku Gyoen Garden.
I love a really rich, decadent hot chocolate, so thick you almost need a spoon to get into it. The ones at Mamacoffees are not that thick, but they’re definitely the best vegan hot chocolates in Prague, in my opinion.
Mamacoffees is a chain of cafes dotted around the city. Most branches are small with limited seating, except for the central branch near Karlovo Namesti which is quite big (but usually packed).
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I believe their coffee is good. Dr HH always buys his coffee beans there, and they will happily process them for whatever brewing set up you have at home. But for me, it truly is all about the hot chocolate. The servings are tiny, but I honestly couldn’t handle any more!
That’s not to say I don’t get a little sweet treat to go alongside the drink occasionally! There are always a few clearly labelled vegan options in the sweets counter.
The pumpkin and cinnamon snail is probably my favourite. It’s really coconutty, and a nice fluffy bake.
The chocolate bundt cake is nice, but can be a little dry for my taste. It’s the only chocolatey vegan option, so sometimes you just have to get it anyway.
The loaf cakes are generally better baked. This one is the carrot cake, which is nicely spiced and really soft. Further up this post was a slice of lemon cake, which is always good and zingy.
In the main branch there is a more extensive menu, though I believe the only vegan options are hummus and some porridge, so I would never go for an actual meal. But for a baked good and the best hot chocolate in town, I’m always ready for a visit!
The arrival of properly delicious vegan pastries in Prague has been majestic! For the first few years I lived here, there were a few bready croissants available and a very rare good pastry popping up as a special. And then finally Krafin arrived and made all my dreams come true!
Krafin is a small bakery and cafe that is owned by the same people who run Chutnej and Hot Plants. It sells hot drinks and desserts alongside its excellent assortment of pastries, all made in the bakery on the premises.
While they make a range of pastries (including the pain au chocolat above which they make with three lines of chocolate instead of just two), the real star of the show is of course the croissant/muffin hybrid which gives the bakery its name.
There is a whole range of krafin flavours, including some fruity and creamy panna cotta ones alongside chocolate and nut varieties. They are all quite generously filled with whatever flavour you have chosen, such as the pistachio above, and they have a lovely crisp bite to the outside.
There are some reliable classic fillings, including caramel, chocolate hazelnut, and raspberry panna cotta, alongside some seasonal specials that change. This month they introduced the Dubai krafin. This trend had bypassed me until now, but it was absolutely sensational – filled with pistachio cream and tahini and topped with delicious chocolate, pistachio, and kadayif pastry. I hope this one is a permanent addition, because it’s amazing! (So far, this is only available in the cafe, not on the delivery app.)
Alongside the krafins, there are also standard croissants, which are flaky and buttery. (You can see us here heating ours up at home – unfortunately they don’t serve them warmed up if you eat in the cafe.)
Another new addition is this maple and pecan plait (which translates to pecan bagel on the delivery app, but it’s definitely no bagel). This has become a fast favourite of mine, with its crisp layers and perfect seasoning.
There’s also a cinnamon snail (again, not available for delivery, only in the cafe) which has a lovely sweet topping.
There’s also a good selection of savouries, including croissant sandwiches with various fillings – they’re not my cup of tea, so I’ve never tried one, but they certainly look enticing and generously filled. I enjoy their savoury tarts, which I think change flavours fairly regularly too. These are a couple of older ones, no longer on the menu this year I think.
And the savoury Danishes are great when they’re available. This cheese and tomato one is a perfect little snack. Again, it’s best heated up at home.
Every Christmas, Krafin also offers a few seasonal specialities. This festive bread is a Czech tradition, so it’s nice to get a vegan version. It’s a great, fluffy bake and lightly spiced.
They also offer the traditional box of mixed biscuits. Last year was our first time trying them at Krafin, and they were good fun, a really nice variety. However, they suffer the same problem as our previous sources which is that we just can’t get through a box before they start getting too soft. I think they’re meant to be shared by more than two people, or eaten in fewer sittings!
From these seasonal specials to the regular menu, Krafin is an absolute joy and my most-visited spot in Prague. The staff in the cafe are really great, and it’s a nice bright space if you do opt to eat in. Additionally, they have a regular stand at the JzP market and provide their wares to Chutnej (the main restaurant) and several other cafes around town. It truly is a great time to be a vegan in Prague!
The vegan pizza scene has really evolved over the nine years I’ve lived in Prague. As well as an all-vegan pizzeria, there’s also a decent selection of restaurants with respectable vegan options. Third Coast Pizza is one of those non-vegan spots with vegan options, but it sets itself apart from the crowd by only serving Detroit style pizza, which is quite the novelty here. This means the pizza has a really good thick base. It also doesn’t really leave a crust around the edge, so the cheese goes all the way to the sides and goes a little chewy and delicious.
There are only two veganisable options on the menu, along with your option of creating your own. I always order the vegan Dominik Hašek, which is a simple cheese and tomato that I might usually consider a bit dull, but the quality of the tomato sauce really elevates it to something special. It’s so rich and flavoursome. I’m not used to the sauce being served in smaller stripes like this, but it’s easy to spread around and is generally enough.
The same cheese and tomato sauce are used on the other veganisable option, Finch, which is Dr HH’s preferred pizza here. This one has caramelised onions, cherry tomatoes, and black olives, which all sound great…but also pineapple. Controversial stuff! It’s not for me, but Dr HH is a big fan.
I’m not sure what vegan cheese brand they use on their pizzas, but it’s unobtrusive and melts nicely, so no complaints from me. And that base is just excellent! It makes it an extremely filling pizza, so half of one is enough for me.
That’s especially true because I always order a basket of mixed fries too. There’s one option on the menu which is clearly labelled as fried in tallow (which I believe is quite common in the Czech Republic), so make sure to order the other one! I don’t know anywhere else in Prague serving curly fries and waffle fries, and I love a novelty potato shape, so these are very pleasing. The seasoning on them is excellent too!
Third Coast Pizza is a really nice spot for dining in, with excellent and friendly service. It does get quite busy, so we always make sure to reserve a table when we’re going. They also do delivery, and the goods travel well. The only downside is that the vegan options are sometimes unavailable to order online – presumably they’re out of cheese. So I try not to get my hopes up too much when we’re thinking of ordering. But when they’ve got the vegan options on, it’s a dream come true!
In my early days as a vegan, I used to eat quite a lot of falafel and hummus. It is more of a rarity now, which speaks well of all the other vegan options springing up all over the place. When I am in the mood for hummus and falafel, Bistro Habibi is probably the best spot in Prague to try.
This is a small and very welcoming Jordanian restaurant. It serves meat, but it does label vegan options on the menu. While there are quite a few suitable dishes to try, we always get the same one, which is a veganised version of the vegetarian plate. Make sure you do clearly request that it’s veganised! The dish as stated on the menu contains labneh, made with dairy, but it you ask for it vegan then the owner will switch the labneh for some zatar and olive oil instead.
The dishes in the plate are: hummus, makdous, zatar and oil, and falafel. We rate this hummus as the best in Prague due to its excellent seasoning. There aren’t too many vegan-friendly places serving makdous, so these are always a treat. These tiny stuffed aubergines are so good, we always want to order more but are just too full. I could eat zatar by the bucket load – we once had a really delicious zatar bread in Jordan and are constantly on the lookout for something similar. The falafel is crispy and very well seasoned.
The plate continues with foul, baba ganoush, walnut dip, and tabbouleh. The foul is the only warm element besides the falafel, and it’s tasty. The baba ganoush is good, on the right side of that bitter taste you sometimes get. The walnut dip has real depth of flavour. The tabbouleh is a bit too herby for me, though that’s a complaint I have about all tabbouleh.
The pitas are served warm, and they’re really fluffy and delicious. It feels like you need more bread in order to mop up all the tasty dips, but to be honest one is enough to leave you feeling full so the serving size is correct. It does leave you free to try some unadulterated dips too!
There can be a bit of a wait for food sometimes as it’s a small operation and the owner does a lot of the work himself. He speaks perfect English and is always happy to have a chat with diners and share a bit of his story. He is also very thorough in his service as well, even calling his suppliers one time to check if any of the pastries on offer were vegan (alas, they weren’t).
The decor is very charming and cosy, and it’s quite spacious. It’s not in the city centre, but it’s in a good spot not far from the river or from Vysehrad (a nice church and viewpoint over the river), so even for tourists it’s not a massive detour. You certainly won’t regret it if you go!
Herbivores' Heaven 