A Vegetarian’s Guide To Eating And Drinking In Kyoto

Kyoto’s vegetarian culinary heritage dates back centuries. The city is renowned for Shojin ryori, a traditional vegetarian Japanese cuisine deeply connected to Buddhism.  Feeling famished while exploring the city’s numerous temples and shrines, I relished soul-satisfying Japanese vegetarian food at many restaurants. Here’s a guide to them all.  

Tousuiro

This tofu speciality restaurant has two locations – Kiyamachi and Gion. I visited the latter, housed in a 130-year-old merchant home. Tousuiro serves vegetarian and vegan Japanese meals, and I savoured a 10-course vegetarian, gluten-free kaiseki meal, which took the head chef, Kazumune Uehara, 1.5 years to perfect. It started with a cold appetiser of their signature cold oboro tofu, served with red konjac, mushrooms, green onions, ginger, and kombu dashi. My next course included pickled yuba and seaweed, pumpkin tofu, taro stem dressed in sesame, wine-simmered tomato and a yuba roll with burdock. The subsequent wholesome courses were sashimi, boiled tofu, soup and a grilled course of kuga eggplant with miso. The delightful steamed and fried courses, rice and dessert were art on a plate. Each dish was a visual treat that whetted my appetite for the next.

Premarché Gelateria

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Located in Kyoto Sanjo-Kai Shotengai Shopping Street, Premarché Gelateria offers award-winning vegan, vegetarian and organic gelato in unique flavours. Choose from Kyoto white miso-vegan cheese, apple balsamic and mascarpone, black sesame, and yuzu Japanese citron. It was interesting to eat my ice cream in gluten-free edible containers made from rice. The gelato is made using coral powder rich in ocean minerals, beet sugar, honey and organic agave inulin, which has a low impact on blood sugar levels. 

The local gelateri, which is the brainchild of gelato maestro Nobuo Nakagawa, has won awards in international gelato competitions, including one where an explanation of the ingredients was not allowed–the gelato was judged on the basis of taste. 

Premarché Alternative Diner

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The sister concern of Premarché Gelateria, this eatery is also located in Kyoto Sanjo-Kai Shotengai Shopping Street and offers award-winning chocolate, and vegan and vegetarian fast food, with a relatively healthy twist. I relished an avocado and tomato vegan rice bowl, fermented local brown rice with azuki red beans and a vegan pizza with Japanese mushrooms, and ended on a sweet note with the decadent vegan chocolate cake and vegan cheesecake. 

Emba Kyoto Grill

Located at the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Emba Kyoto Grill offers a modern twist to classic grill dining. My lunch was complemented by breathtaking views of the iconic 800-year-old Shakusui-en pond garden. I dug into the vegetarian and gluten-free charcoal-grilled cauliflower. With each bite, I relished a delightful balance of the smoky, rich flavour and the perfectly crispy sesame crust. Served alongside a refreshing mint yoghurt and a rich sesame sauce, the dish was a true celebration of plant-based ingredients with a modern twist to traditional flavours. 

Fuju

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Post lunch, I ambled across the glass bridge of the 12th-century Shakusui-en pond garden to lounge at Fuju, which serves tea, sake and champagne. Torn between sipping an iced matcha almond milk latte or an iced roasted tea and white chocolate latte, I ordered the former. With scenic views of the pond for company, I happily polished off the plate of Japanese confectionery that was exclusively prepared for the property. Tummyfull, the sake tasting set and Kyoto gin were cheered on for the next visit.

Sushi Ginza Onodera

For dinner, I was back at the Four Seasons Hotel to dine at Sushi Ginza Onodera. I confess a speciality sushi restaurant might not seem the obvious choice for a vegetarian meal. That is exactly why I went there! The renowned sushi restaurant is famous for its Edomae-style sushi and offers an original omakase experience, including a full set of vegetarian omakase. On entering, I was glued to the pièce de résistance – the sushi counter created from 400-year-old Japanese cypress. The tableware paying an ode to regional artistry with Bizen ware from the city of Okayama and Kyoto’s very own Kiyomizu ware, aesthetically vied for my attention. The vegetarian dish options of tempura were appetising enough, and I was glad to know that the staff changes the soy sauce to gluten-free for patrons.

Noku Cafe

Located in Noku Hotel Kyoto and strategically situated near Kyoto Imperial Palace, Noku Cafe is a popular choice for its coffee, snacks and breakfast. Maeda’s Coffee – Kyoto’s local favourite coffee brand – collaborated with the restaurant to serve its house-roasted beans. The cafe’s warm wooden interiors and relaxed vibe complement the signature Ryunosuke blend. The much-loved cheese toast – a staple in Japanese coffee shops –  is popular among the older crowd. You can also opt for tomato and potato toast and Genovese, or pasta served with basil paste, olive oil, and cheese.

When I stepped into Noku Cafe for breakfast on the first day, I munched on a vegetarian plate where a soybean meat hamburger in tomato sauce was served with slices of baguette and grilled vegetables. On the second day, I ordered a Japanese breakfast. A traditional Japanese breakfast set is not strictly vegetarian as it contains fish and eggs. Thankfully, the Cafe has ‘no meat’ options on its menu. I had Japanese dishes made with tofu, pickled vegetables and rice.

Jia Wei Singapore

Jia Wei is reputed in Singapore for its signature Nanyang cuisine, a medley of Chinese and Southeast Asian food. Jia Wei Singapore at Noku Kyoto is the first overseas outlet outside of Singapore. At the 40-seater restaurant, I relished a delicious Japanese green pea soup with wakame and tofu, followed by the starter of crispy seasonal mushroom, wasabi salt and pepper. For mains, there was a wholesome stir-fried Kyoto tofu, seasonal vegetables and a thickened sauce on rice. The matcha-infused soybean pudding was delish personified.