If you’re looking for a delicious Japanese vegan meal, visit this little café located under a traditional inn, nestled in the backstreets of Asakusa. Monkey Magic serves an all-vegan menu using locally sourced organic ingredients, with a complete menu of classic Japanese comfort foods. Look out for resident chef Sarucchaman, a woman dressed as a monkey, who serves up the quality vegan dishes.
Order the meat-less nikujaga (¥480) to start, which is a plate filled with root vegetables, konnyaku (konjac) noodles and kuruma fu (wheat gluten rings) instead of meat, all of which are soaked in a tasty soy sauce-based broth. Or try the ramen (¥1,200), which uses a touch of olive oil to bring out the umami flavours in the broth, and is of course topped with plenty of seasonal veggies. During lunch hours, you can add a drink for an additional ¥200-¥350. Complete the meal with a cup of special Monkey Coffee (¥750), a tall glass of iced coffee topped with sweet dessert tofu that melts into the drink. If you’d like to bring out your inner Sarucchaman at home, you can even buy many of the chef’s ingredients at the mini-kiosk inside the café.
On Thursday evenings, the café transforms into Vege-Sushi Japan Asakusa, a snack bar serving a fully vegan seasonal sushi menu. It’s all made by a self-taught plant-based sushi chef whose main gig is at a Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Tokyo, so you know you’re getting great quality. For around ¥4,000, you can get 12-15 pieces of sushi plus a few appetisers. The sushi is seasoned using salt and olive oil, giving it an Italian twist, and is served one-at-a-time, like an omakase restaurant. Expect to see sushi topped with seasonal veggies like maitake mushrooms, eggplant, burdock roots, bamboo shoots and more. Be sure to pair it with a glass of white wine or sake from the extensive list of vegan beverages. This course is only offered at 7pm with limited seating, so we recommend booking in advance online.