Kyoto (Dec 2024)

*Alexa, play Kyoto by Skrillex*

Unlike the track above, Kyoto is the most peaceful of the 3 big cities in Japan, and I feel like the food and drinks reflect this. Kyoto is considered the matcha capital of Japan, and there’s also a lot of focus on traditional Japanese food, as oppose to maybe the popularity of street food in Osaka.

On this short trip to Kyoto I was able to enjoy Japanese food, as well visit an Indian and a Thai restaurant which I first checked out in January 2023, and loved so much that I had to go back. After all, Indian and Thai are my two of favourite cuisines 🇮🇳 🇹🇭 🇯🇵 

Ramen Katamuki (Vegan)

This restaurant offers both meat dishes as well as vegan. I had the vegetable gyoza alongside the vegan tantan noodles, which I decided to upgrade to a large because I was hungry and got overexcited 😂. This was a mistake as the portion was large enough for 2 people which is probably why the upgrade exists haha. This wasn’t my favourite of the ramen bowls I’ve had in Japan, but I did enjoy the minced soy meat on top. Unfortunately as I’m writing this a couple months after my visit, I can’t remember what it was that I didn’t love about this bowl. 

Tousuiro Gion (Vegetarian/vegan)

This is a traditional restaurant in Kyoto that offers a 10 course vegetarian/vegan meal (alongside non vegetarian options) consisting of dishes mainly compromised of tofu, yuba and vegetables. I visited with a friend who had the non vegetarian course which was actually half the price of my vegetarian course – I’m assuming this is because of the cost of the vegetarian ingredients. It’s a bit on the pricey side (10,000 yen), but I was happy to spend that money on a one off experience that would allow me to enjoy authentic Japanese dishes in a traditional environment, despite being a vegetarian. Personally I didn’t love the food, maybe because I’m not a big fan of some of the mushy/bean textures in Japanese dishes, but I’m glad I got to have this experience.

Veg Out (Vegan)

I had to return to this vegetarian/vegan cafe that I visited just under a year ago. I remember getting the vegan tempeh BLT last time and absolutely loving it, so I played it safe and got the same this time round. I got this alongside a smoothie and a soup that was served alongside the BLT. The soup was SO good that I had to ask for a second serving! Also pretty wild that I’ve never come across a plant based BLT in the UK or other European countries but I did in Japan!

This is a must visit spot for vegans and vegetarians in Kyoto imo!

Inari Sushi at Fushimi Inari Station

I LOVE inari sushi. It’s my go to snack from Japanese kombinis and it’s my favourite part of vegan sushi boxes in the UK. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw a store at the Fushimi Inari Station in Kyoto specialising in inari sushi. Unfortunately I spotted it when I got to the station before climbing Fushimi Inari (must do activity in Kyoto) and it was closed when we were leaving to get back into central Kyoto (we did Fushimi Inari in the evening).

I decided to come back the next morning before my train to Tokyo and grab it as a snack for the journey. Up until then I’d only had plain inari sushi (vinegared rice wrapped in a sweet tofu pouch), but this shop had 5 variations that I was super excited to try. I enjoyed all of them but I think the wasabi flavoured one was my favourite. It was also interesting to read the story behind inari sushi. Would highly recommend this to anyone visiting to Kyoto.

Bhavani

Shamelessly, my first meal on this Kyoto trip was actually at this South Indian restaurant in Kyoto called Bhavani! I came to this restaurant in Jan 2023 with two European friends, both of whom, including one who was having Indian food for the first time, loved it! I had the masala dosa and chilli paneer, two of my favourite dishes and the food was very flavoursome and enjoyable!

Krua Geang Thai

Like Bhavani, I decided to return to this Thai restaurant in Kyoto. I really love Thai corn fritters, which isn’t always on the menu in Thai restaurants, which I got along with a thai red curry, rice and milk tea – all of which were delicious! Aroy mak! As with Indian restaurants, Thai restaurants are famously vegan/vegetarian friendly.

Gong Cha

Gong cha is a global chain of stores that specialise in bubble tea, so although not unique to Japan, I did try something I hadn’t tried before – matcha and brown sugar milk tea. I’m not a huge fan of matcha, but the brown sugar really complemented the matcha making a delicious drink. I’ve no idea if this is something available in UK gong cha stores too but I’ll be sure to look out for it!

Scene Factory Coffee and Space

The reason I’m mentioning this spot isn’t because it’s necessarily more vegan/veg friendly than other cafes, but because I really struggle to find cafes that serve bakery items like a plain croissant in Japan, which is what I like to have with my coffee for breakfast. Most cafes I’ve come across in Japan seem to be centred around serving cakes, cheesecakes etc. 

I really enjoyed my coffee and croissant at this cafe, also because I loved the minimalistic but also futuristic vibe of the cafe. The server I had was also extremely friendly. 

Until I wrote this post, I’d forgotten how much great food I had in Kyoto on this trip, and I feel extremely lucky that I was able to 🙂