Ovo
Japanese
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. 善Zen is an okonomiyaki restaurant. Has English menu with vegetarian options - check which ones of these are or can be vegan. Open Tue-Sun 5:00pm-10:00pm.
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Hanamaki Building, 5 Chome-10-9, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 160-0022
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Last update on 24 Jun 2023 by doomsandal
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Added by CandieCat on 14 Nov 2018
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67 Reviews
First Review by CandieCat
veggiejodo
Points +19
Excellent food and service - Edit
The servers were very friendly and spoke amazing English, the food was delicious and very filling with large serves.
Read moreJust note the vegetarian menu is more like pescatarian. For vegetarian, go to the vegan menu, which has some vegetarian items (including cheese) and other items are vegan. The English menus are otherwise clearly marked and the servers will double-check the ingredients when you order.
Guest
DaleWylde
Points +66
Great local food - Edit
Great classic Japanese dish. The staff speak good English and understand what vegan means. Big portion size and good price honestly you could probably feed 2 people with 1 dish. Vegan orders are cooked on a separate cooker. Also delicious, great vibe and really friendly staff.
Read morePros: Food was delicious , Staff understand vegan , Very cozy traditional Japanese feel
Cons: Only really 2 vegan options but theyre delicious
Guest
StephF
Points +133
Awesome staff - Edit
The food was quite good but the real standout were the staff who went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time and that everything was vegan. Surprisingly knowledgeable given it’s not a vegan restaurant. It was very quiet when we were there (around 7:30pm on a Tuesday) - no trouble getting a seat and the full attention of the staff.
Read morePros: Fantastic staff
Guest
RahelT.
Points +17
Super fein - Edit
Das Restaurant ist sehr authentisch. Es hat eine ganze Seite vegetarische Angebote und eine weitere Seite vegane Angebote.
Read moreGuest
Gwenne
Points +25
Delicious okonomiyaki - Edit
A reasonable choice of dishes with plenty of help from server to ensure nothing unwanted was in the dish.
Read morePros: Very helpful service, Delicious food, Different seating options
Guest
pemasaskia
Points +333
great okonoyimaki!! - Edit
i was there between 5 and 6 pm on a thursday night and i was the only patron for most of it, two businessmen came in later. staff were super welcoming and friendly. i originally asked for the vegetarian cheese okonoyimaki, but when i asked if it could be made without dashi they said they would give me the vegan one instead (but it still had presumably dairy cheese on it... so it wasn't vegan...). this was prepared in front of me and was super yummy and filling. it was on the expensive side, as you have to order a drink and there is a ¥250 per person table charge, so my total was nearly ¥3k. but it was a great experience and i would recommend to any vegan/vegetarian in the area!
Read moreGuest
mikaelaadair
Points +33
Good food but better staff - Edit
Very clear menu and staff happy to discuss options with you. Food was good, had the udon stir fry and edamame. Wish I tried the okonomiyaki though. The chefs were all very chatty and talked with me for a few hours (gave advice on my travels through google translate and maps). Would come back again if I was in the area!
Read morePros: Clear menu , Lovely staff
Cons: Udon didn’t have much flavour, was quite plain
Guest
elinerenne_
Points +500
Recommend! - Edit
Nice place, friendly staff and good food. Order came fast. Really recommend the ginger one,
Read moreGuest
Elsinore
Points +37
Loved it! - Edit
Food was great: flavourful and freshly made to order. There’s an English menu witha clearly indicated vegetarian and vegan section. The waiter spoke English and kindly asked whether we wanted dashi or not when we ordered options from the vegetarian menu.
Read moreVery friendly staff who even went out of their way to take a photo of us after we left the restaurant and lend us an umbrella since it had started to rain.
Guest
macurqcron
Points +60
Vegan Okonomiyaki! - Edit
Freaking delicious Okonomiyaki. We got the “modern” version with udon noodles. Vegan page at the back of the menu. Large portions, but can get a take away container for leftovers. Seems like you need to buy a drink with your food. Lively atmosphere, would totally go back
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-07-07
Pros: Okonomiyaki, Lively atmosphere , Good drinks
Guest
kaleifornian
Points +194
okonomiyaki heaven - Edit
zen is a traditional okonomiyaki restaurant with vegan options. my go-to is edamame, side of avocado, ginger okonomiyaki & cold sake. they also seem to serve a little cold tofu at the beginning of you meal like bread at some restaurants in the states. love the tofu, so cute.
Read moreGuest
SamGilbert
Points +46
Delicious Japanese Food! - Edit
They have a specific section at the back of the menu for vegan dishes. I went for dinner twice during my stay in Tokyo, got the delicious okonomiyaki modern (savoury pancake with vegetables and udon noodles) with a side dish of edamame. Was served with a small portion of soft tofu topped with spring onions and ginger 🔥👌🏻 Also peanut-free which was important to me having an allergy. I would definitely recommend!
Read moreGuest
digitalmimi
Points +1904
Good Okonomiyaki - Edit
Happy to find a place in the city center with vegan options. Vegetarians beware, the “vegetarian” options actually have fish broth in them, so aren’t truly vegetarian. Restaurant is able to accommodate larger groups.
Read moreThe only thing I was disappointed was that you didn’t get to grill the okonomiyaki yourself
Guest
sophieliv8
Points +61
Vegan okonomiyaki - Edit
Nice option that suits everyone, as they have a variety of vegan and meat options. The tomato vegan Okonomiyaki was pretty good and decently sized. Important to note that this place like most in tokyo, has a one drink , one food order per person rule.
Read moreGuest
jfarmer
Points +54
Brilliant ! - Edit
Excellent service, and get options for not vegan and vegetarian! Must try !
Read moreGuest
d.vegan
Points +832
tasty and filling - Edit
a lot of vegan okonomiyaki and side choices!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-11-23
Guest
SvB1987
Points +200
Complicated menu - Edit
Staff is helpful and will make sure your diet requirements are met.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-11-20
Guest
Sanglier
Points +192
Bon mais confusion des genres - Edit
J'ai eu l'impression que Zen pense que végétarien = pescatarien et vegan = végétarien ovo-lacto. Des plats contenant du poisson sont sur le menu végétarien et du fromage sur le menu vegan. Pensez à vérifier !
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-11-17
Pros: bon produit, personnel sympathique , anglais courant
Cons: Pas sûr que vegan du Zen soit vraiment vegan
Guest
ssavoy
Points +24
Great dinner - Edit
They have many vegan options, food was delicious, and the waiter was fully knowledgeable about vegan food.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-10-28
Pros: Traditional Japanese dinner experience but vegan, Non-alcoholic beer available, Knowledgeable waiter
Guest
DarkRequiem
Points +42
Delicious vegan okonomiyaki - Edit
Great cosy venue, really friendly staff. They all are knowledgeable about veganism, and everything is clearly labelled on the menu. Highly recommend!
Read moreGuest
jlhaves
Points +20
Awesome menu of options - Edit
It is incredibly difficult to find a restaurant that serves vegetarian, and to know what your options are, but this had an English menu that details both vegetarian and vegan options clearly. A welcome relief after much challenge. The restaurant is down a small side street, authentic and good food.
Read morePros: Huge servings, you won't be hungry, Great options on menu, Ability to eat with others, meat options too
Cons: Min order of 1 dish per person - big servings
Guest
Julie.x.taylor
Points +63
Great traditional food and friendly service - Edit
Great choice for everybody, meat, vegetarian, and vegan options. There was a vegetarian page and a vegan page to the menu, which allowed you choice and confidence to order. The waiter clarified his understanding of what we wanted to avoid using the pictures on the reverse of the menu. There was a lot of choice and I ordered the tomato okonomiyaki, a side order of grilled vegetables and a bowl of rice, planning to share the sides. The waiter expressed concern that we had ordered too much, as the dish sizes were large. He was correct, and we didn't manage to eat everything, despite it all being delicious. The grilled vegetables were amazing, enough for a meal on their own. The only downside was there were 3 of us and 2 main courses came out and the 3rd was a good 15 minutes later, which was a shame. However, everything was freshly made and delicious.
Read morePros: The amount of choice, The friendly service, The traditional dining experience
Cons: Waiting 15 minutes for our 3rd main course
Guest
hypercubes
Points +578
Good okonomiyaki and dessert - Edit
I got the regular vegan okonomiyaki and liked it. I also got the roll with red bean and walnuts for dessert (you have to ask for the vegan version). It was kind of like a crepe, and very good!
Read moreGuest
roosbij
Points +937
Delicious but slow - Edit
I had the basic vegan okonomiyaki and it was delicious. My sister ordered udon yaki and her food came out way before mine, so we couldn’t eat at the same time which was not so nice. Also there is a seating fee of 250¥, which is a bit strange in my opinion. The food was very good though.
Read moreGuest
nziv2
Points +31
Good service and food - Edit
Have an English menu available. When ordering the vegetarian option he asked to confirm I could have egg and cheese.
Read moreThese are super rich so I think you could easily share one with someone
Pros: Service, Flavour , Ease of ordering
Cons: Unsure if I ended up getting vegan cheese or regu
Guest
armerfarmer
Points +18
Hidden Gem! - Edit
Zen was a true gem. Delicious food, good vibe, friendly staff, and accessible vegetarian and vegan communication tools. Also, I have found that many restaurants in Japan listed on Happy Cow tend to be catering to foreigners, rather than accommodating them. Zen is definitely in the latter camp, with foreigners welcomed, but by no means are they the core clientele.
Read moreGuest
vandermost
Points +1218
Bland food, not “the full experience” - Edit
The food was okay but not very tasty. They brought everything out on plates. Not great value for money or the real experience of okonomiyaki if you’re looking for that. Nice seating and easy to order vegan options though.
Read moreGuest
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