Vegan Japanese curry and chocolate dessert to die for at a Tokyo restaurant

deleciousfood | June 23, 2024 | Chocolate | No Comments

Tempura Topping Curry, a fresh vegetable curry topped with vegetable tempura with multigrain rice at Marugoto Vegan Dining Asakusa in Tokyo. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)

Vegan food, especially Japanese curry, can be hard to find in Japan, but at Marugoto Vegan Dining Asakusa, vegan diners can enjoy the Japanese culinary classic.

The restaurant is located in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, near the Sumida River, and has a perfect view of the Tokyo Skytree across the street.

The owner and all staff are vegan and can assist customers interested in veganism, according to the restaurant’s website. In addition to being vegan, all of the restaurant’s dishes are gluten-free, so they offer choices for a variety of dietary restrictions.

Marugoto Vegan Dining Asakusa seats 14 people indoors and six outdoors, and dogs are allowed in the restaurant.

I opted for their most popular dish, the tempura curry for 1,749 yen, or $11.11, with organic rooibos tea for 550 yen and a chocolate dessert special for 800 yen.

It was a delicious curry made with fresh grilled vegetables, topped with vegetable tempura and multigrain rice on the side.

The chocolate special, a chocolate rice waffle topped with vegan chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, organic cocoa nibs and freeze-dried raspberries at Marugoto Vegan Dining Asakusa in Tokyo. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)

The chocolate special is a chocolate rice waffle topped with vegan chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, organic cocoa nibs and freeze-dried raspberries. It was to die for and I couldn’t tell it was gluten free and vegan.

Other food items are curry topped with tempeh, a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans; fried soy meat topping curry, an organic soy meat topped with their special tahini sauce-based seasoning; and an avocado topping curry, topped with half an avocado. All these curries cost 1,584 yen for a regular potion and 2,035 yen for a large serving.

Drink options are hot or cold organic coffee or tea for 550 yen; apple juice or organic almond and coconut milk for 600 yen; and craft cola for 660 yen, which can be upgraded to a craft cola ice cream float for an additional 164 yen.

Other dessert options include a sweet potato fritter for 300 yen; waffles with plain rice flour or chocolate for 330 yen; and homemade vegan ice cream, vanilla ice cream made with coconut milk and topped with cashews, maple syrup and cocoa, for 539 yen.