$ - inexpensive
Japanese, Eclectic (Fusion), Eclectic (Varied)
Activist-driven veg cafe
VEGE is only open on Wednesdays because it is inside a non-vegetarian restaurant that is closed on Wednesdays. The activists who run it worked out a deal to use the kitchen and dining space when the other restaurant is closed.
They advertise that they use "minimal animal products" but everything I've seen there has been completely vegan. They sell Zapatista coffee and even use local vegetables that are grown by disabled children! This is as conscious of an establishment to support as it gets.
The dinners they serve are usually rice or noodles with tofu and vegetables, or some sort of curry. They include tea (hot or cold) with the meal and it's only 600 yen. They also have Zapatista and rabbit shaped baked goods for 150 yen.
The cafe is tiny and sort of hard to find, but they put out a white sandwich board on Wednesdays that says "VEGE", along with Japenese writing.
Take the Chuo line (from Shinjuku station) and get off at Koenji. Find the McDonalds that is next to the station and head down the small diagonal alley way (not the main street) that sprays away from the mcdonalds. You will pass Maid Cafes, and keep walking down the alley nearly all the way to the end. At the end of the alley/street there is a Sunkus (don't go this far, but you'll see it from the cafe). The cafe is just short of the end on the right hand side across from a recycle shop.
Added by Cass Danger on Oct 10 07 (updated Oct 13 07)
This place is AMAZING! The food is SO good and is SO cheap, not to mention that it's locally grown by disabled children and that the cafe is run by activists! One of the guys in there was wearing a shirt that said "No G8 in Japan!"
The main meal is 600 yen (about US$5), but since they didn't have much food left when we got there, they whipped up all new food, but still only charged us 300 yen.
The Zapatistas shaped sweet breads (that looked like ALF members) tasted great and were adorable--they had raisin eyes--and the tea was exceptionally tasty (they added fresh mint to it).
My friends and I hung out there a couple hours after close, talking with the people who work there, some of whom speak English.