SaiShokuKenBi
Hours
Daily
- 11:30am - 2:30pm
- 5:30pm - 8:30pm
$ - inexpensive
Japanese, Eclectic (Varied)
Vegetarian Shop and Restaurant
SaiShokuKenBi is an all-vegetarian restaurant in Korean Town, near Shinjukuku, on a quite street near the Happy Buddha statue. It is hidden behind a big cement wall, so look for their little sandwich board out front.
They offer a la carte items like faux meat sandwiches and veggie and noodle dishes. They offer a lunch buffet for 1200 yen, from 11:30am-2:30pm and a dinner buffet for 2000 yen from 5:30-9pm. The buffet features tempura, salad with mushroom, skewered grilled fake meat, spaghetti, and vegan desserts. The signs indicate which items have egg and dairy but they're only in Japanese.
They also have coolers that have many frozen faux meats for sale.
The restaurant has both small and large tables and can accommodate large groups. Apparently, the lunch buffet is a popular hang-out for middle-aged Japanese women. Unlike many other Japanese restaurants, it is not inappropriate to hang around after eating and talk.
NOTE: They only take cash
JR Yamanote line to Shin Okubu station or Sobu line to Okubu station.
From Shin Okubu station--go left, pass two street lights, and take a right down the little path when you get to the Duotor gourmet coffee shop. SaiShoKuKenBi is a few minutes walk down, on the left hand side.
From Okubo station, go right and it's just past the first stop sign. Take a left at the Doutor gourmet coffee shop, down the little path. It's a few minutes walk away, on the left hand side.
- Buffet
Added by Cass Danger on Oct 14 07 (updated Oct 15 07)
Delicious and very good price! I had the lunch buffet and also had a to-go faux fish sandwich at a Vegetarian Festival. Both were great.
The buffet was large and there was a great mix of fake meats, noodle dishes, soups, and desserts (although the cake tasted store bought). I don't speak or read Japanese so I did my best to avoid products that may contain egg or dairy. Most items were pretty easy to tell.