Itadaki Zen

I haven’t been overly impressed with the food while living in London (I moved from NYC so it’s a tough comparison). But, this was hands down the best meal I’ve had since moving to London 6 months ago. The only reason I didn’t give this review 5 stars is because the service, while friendly, was suuuuuuuuuuuuuuper slow.
It’s a small restaurant and vegan, but that doesn’t stop this place from being really busy even on a Monday night. I’d suggest grabbing a reservation if you’re interested.
Now, onto the food. I can’t remember everything we had but the highlights were the wine, miso soup, seaweed, spring rolls, and noodles. Both the fried noodles with veggies and the cold soba noodles with a spicy topping were excellent. The presentation is lovely and does take a while to come out, but it’s certainly prepared quite meticulously. Honestly everything we had was excellent.
Definitely the best meal I’ve had since moving to London.

Wow! I have been craving verge sushi and this place made all my dreams come true! The service was amazing and the food was so delicious. I’m writing this review to let people know but to also bookmark it as a ‘GO TO’ when I come to London next time!

May I remind some reviewers that «sushi» in fact, refers to the seasoned rice, so yes sushi IS vegan (until you add fish, egg, or meat). Sorry, one of my pet peeves.
I lived in Japan as a vegan for 3 years, so I’m not as wowed by it as others seem to be. But it is tasty. There are some good flavors yes, and that sushi platter is nice, yes. I’m not sure why they have a couple Korean dishes on there (although their Jap Chae IS really good).
I would recommend it if you are curious. You won’t know until you try. There aren’t any vegan Japanese places around, and they claim to specialize in shojin ryori, temple food. Yes, they might be a bit pricey, but 1– London, and 2– Have you ever made Japanese food like this? It is extremely fiddly and I believe all organic. The price suits it fine.
PRO TIP: Make sure you get your spring roll fried, not steamed. I wasn’t feeling fried-​foody and the steamed roll is incredibly disgusting and chewy in a bad way.

Verdict: Pleasant surprise, I am not a vegetarian but because my friend is and she never tried Japanese food, so we had to try this place. I thought we might leave the place still feeling hungry but I was wrong. I had the Kakiage udon and it was delicious plus healthy! The side dishes were really tasty too and not bland at all.

Japanese vegan. When I heard these two words, I prepared myself for the worst. I thought that most of the affair would be oily veggie tempura and some soy chunks. And man I was proved wrong. The food was beyond my wildest expectations. It did not seem like a compromise in any way. It was actually good Japanese food. That it was also vegan, was an added bonus.
We started with the sushi set. And were very happy with it. My partner got the bimbimbap set and I settled for something unpronounceable :-). We specifically avoided the tempura set because I wanted something more than just batter fried veggies. Everything was excellent. Of special mention were the sweet peanuts & sesame coated green beans in my set. And the hot sauce that came with the bibimbap.
And for desert, we had the tofu cheesecake and sesame pudding, which rocked my world! It was so good, I could’ve easily downed a few more. And since everything was plant based, although you were full, you did not feel like you were in a food-​induced coma. Excellent meal. Will surely go here again.

Continuing an exploration of London’s vegan restaurants, a friend and I found ourselves sitting in this quaint and beautifully decorated eatery.
We ordered a plethora of things, all of which were delicious, especially the spring rolls, vegetable tempura and desserts (the cheesecake, and more notably, the sugar-​free cakes).
The atmosphere was very still, intimate and simple. The food left us feeling well fed but not weighed down, and the staff were very accommodating of things we wished to order which weren’t on the menu.
Will definitely be back when I want some peace and some tasty, healthy food!

Needs work.

Vegan, organic, japanese restaurant. If that sounds appealing, it will not disappoint you. Everything was fresh and wellmade. Service was okay. Décor was excellent.

One star for the food, barely.
One star for the location — there’s not much else nearby, so I guess this is a good thing.
Service was lazy and lackluster.
Portions were minuscule.
Prices were shockingly high.
We left very hungry.
Expect about $ 80 to 90 per person without drinks — at least.
Oh. Wait. Why would anyone eat vegan «sushi»?
Avoid.

Mar 2015: now I have had the pleasure of trying the desserts: (the small Zen cakes were reassuring soft with a nice rise to suggest they are freshly baked and including sultanas to add an intriguing element to an already pleasant cake), the sesame pudding was delightfully smooth, melt-​in-​your mouth goodness and the raspberry-​topped tofu cheesecake is dangerously delicious such that I’m sure I could eat 3 or 4 slices if I didn’t have a conscience!)
P. S. The seaweed and kimchi was a bit too sharp in flavour for my liking but worth a try if you are ordinarily a fan of kimchi (which I am not anyway)
Jan 2015 review (⁴⁄₅): Simple yet beautifully executed, Itadaki Zen is a vegan Japanese nest of a restaurant within walking distance of King’s Cross station. It gives birth to the concept that vegan and gluten-​free food can still be crafted exquisitely with differences in texture, colour and taste. Testament to how authentically Japanese Itadaki Zen is, the staff are so Japanese that they can barely communicate in English and the menu has a few grammatical errors as if it has been translated roughly into English from the words of a Japanese chef. Yet everything from the choice of words on the menu and intricate recipes to the simple uniform of the staff and humble décor of the restaurant gives an aura of sincerity and a personal touch.
The menu consists of well designed combinations of dinner sets that mostly consist of various small portions of food that complement each other well. I had the Chapche set which included a dish of fried noodles made of sweet potato starch cooked with vegetables, Kikurage and Shitake mushrooms alongside 3 vegan tofu sushi rolls, 2 fried spring rolls and miso soup. A classic tell-​tale sign of good vegetarian food is when a meat-​eater such as myself can simply forget that meat even exists let alone that the food currently on the table does not contain any meat or by-​product of meat. Such was the flavour, appeal and ingenuity of the food that I genuinely did not have cause to give any thought for it’s lacking in meat. The fact that the food was healthier-​than-​average was just an added bonus. The variety of non-​alcoholic beverages is just right; a satisfying range of soft drinks as well as delightful options for tea including the Siawase tea (containing Jujube and goji berries), which although at £3 costs more than the other drinks does genuinely feel refreshing and favourable to digestion.
Having said all the above, Itadaki Zen is still a little rough around the edges in that it could do with some refining of it’s interior and I found the tofu sushi rolls to be a little lacking in flavour e.g. they could have done with a little pickle, wasabi or other fragrance or spice. What I mean by interior is that whilst the cracked walls, the hanging charms and overall atmosphere of the restaurant is indeed pleasant, the front needs a little work. It appears as though initially there could have been a waiting area by the front door but since the restaurant is so small they’ve squeezed another table that protrudes to just by the door such that the arrangement looks odd and we (who happened to be sitting at this table) were greeted by a gust of wind each time new customers came or old customers left. Frankly, I think if they changed the style of seating to sitting on the floor true to Japanese tradition, the restaurant would be even more extraordinary and be able to fit more people.
To conclude, Itadaki Zen is a quaint, authentic gem of a Japanese haunt; understated and easy-​to-​stomach. A word of warning however for people with a big appetite for meat and a filling meal, this may not be your cup of tea so don’t kid yourself otherwise ;)

Itadaki Zen is a vegetarian Japanese restaurant between King’s Cross and Angel. It is apparently the first of its kind in Europe. Outside of sushi and the recent rise of mostly pork-​based ramen restaurants, the rich tradition of Japanese cuisine is hardly captured in this country. So it is nice to see this restaurant covering something different.
The choice of chic Asian décor is very pleasant to eye.
At 10 pounds, their bento lunch provides decent value for money.
Miso soup is served in a small wooden bowl. Miso is light in taste but slices of green onions add extra kick.
The main bento is served in a beautiful lacquer tray. Their rice is not the usual white rice. It’s some sort of mixed grain rice and the stickier than usual texture makes it easier to manœuvre it with my chopsticks.
My favourite thing was the spring roll. Its filling was some sort of tofu and veggie mix. Crunch outside, and soft inside. Nice.
Mini tofu steaks are browned on the outside to get that extra firm texture. The sauce is just soy sauce with sliced green onions and sesame sprinkled on top. It’s very minimal but tastes ok.
Veggie tempuras are a little hard to eat, but once you get past the fact that you can’t eat this thing without making a mess, it’s worth the effort. The thin strips of veggies are coated with crunchy batter mix. The dip sauce for the tempuras is pretty basic soy sauce. It doesn’t have the rich fish broth.
I was ready to love this place for their commitment to the rarely-​covered side of Japanese cuisine. But their execution can be a lot better with some minor improvements.
It’s a three with love from me.

Everything here is delicately thought out from their light and refreshing udon tofu soup, soft peanut side to their décor. The waitress was softly spoken and careful which made the place pleasantly serene. Come here to get away from the bustle at Kings Cross. A definite place to go, especially if you are a vegetarian.

On our first night out in a long time, since the little one was born, this is where we chose to have dinner.
Their menu hasn’t changed that much since the last time we’d been here, which was maybe a year and half ago. We decided to splurge and get the tempura sushi set. Though everything is vegan, I love the wide array of tastes that is cooked up through marinades and different cooking techniques that they use. The black sesame pudding is to die for. It is so creamy and satisfying after a nice meal. I come back just for it!
Admittedly, some of their items are more Korean than Japanese, but we don’t mind. I love japchae, and they even have makkoli!

My friend chose this place for dinner. I love vegan restaurants but have never been to a Japanese vegan one before. It has an authentic Japanese feel with decoration and Japanese speaking staff. My friend who also speaks Japanese knew the good stuff to order, and helped me pick out something (to clarify the menu was all in English I just didn’t know what some of the dishes were). I ordered the 12 set of vegan sushi, which was tasty, but I still prefer raw fish for my sushi. The sushi had roasted peppers, mushrooms, avocado, pickled bean sprouts, carrots, tofu, spinach and okra as its toppings. Once again all delicious. My friend got a different dish, the name of which escapes me, but she loved it and I tried a bite of there tempura veggies and they were yummy.
Wish the menu had more choices from smaller dishes since I wasn’t super hungry, and could have done with half my sushi. A bit pricey but I guess thats the area and because it was a specialty restaurant.

Authentic japanese food. Food is really good and you won’t even miss the meat. Definitely going back again soon

The food is good. The portions (contrary to some other reviews) I thought were perfectly fine too. It is a little pricey, but the food is worth it and the atmosphere and nice and relaxed.
…A little too relaxed. Everything took forever: the food, the service, getting the check. I think altogether we were there for almost 2 hours, and by the time we left there were still people sitting down that had been there when we arrived. I had to ask for the check twice. The second time I asked I didn’t even realize that they had been closed for about 20 minutes. I flagged the waitress down, asked her for the check and then watched her stand behind the counter and gaze off into the distance for a while before making another round of the tables getting people drinks. I wasn’t in a rush per se but we were in London for only a couple days, and wanted to go do things that night. I really didn’t have 2 hours to blow on dinner. Cornering the market on chill is nice, but it’s honestly kind of rude to ignore someone who clearly wants to gtfo after they’ve eaten.
A word to the wise: reserve a table ahead of time. The restaurant is small and fills up quick. There’s no mention of that on the website. And if they’re content to let everyone camp out all night I wouldn’t take your chances waiting for an open table.

This is a Japanese Vegan restaurant. When I arrived, I asked about the sauces but the waitress didn’t know the answer. I ate Sushi Roll which was a very small portion of rice roll in seaweed. Ir was quite bland. I had a side dish of soya bean sprouts which was tasty but too small and instead of the peanuts on the menu, I was given soya beans in sauce. Part of my meal included 2 spring rolls. They had a very mushy filling although it was quite tasty.
My friend ate Tempura which was well presented in a bowl. The Tempura was crunchy and tasty. It was served with a bowl of miso soup which was not very authetic Again instead of the peanuts, she was served soya beans.
The menu is not huge so they should really produce the food that is on the menu.

It is hard to find a good Vegan restaurant in London and is still the case after our visit to Itadaki Zen.
It is a Japanese organic, Vegan restaurant and their web site states that their special rice, «Kanseihan will be a valuable friend that will protect your health against the raging wars of the world» and that their seasoning «Kanseihan is the secret, all-​powerful source of flavours … carefully combine the essence of seaweeds, which represent the delicacies of the sea, with the essences of plants, which stand for the delicacies of the earth…» This all sounds philosophical & spiritual, and is meant to promote good health, so I was totally surprised by the saltiness of their Tendon (£13). Both Kakiage (deep-​fried julienne of vegetables) and Kenseihan (see above) were very salty. Too much salt not only is bad for your health, but also kills the natural sweetness/​flavours of the ingredients. Quite often Tempura/​Kakiage is served with a Tempura dip, but I guess it is difficult to produce good one without Katsuo (dried bonito) stock.
Miso Soup was very bland, lacked flavour and tasted odd; where was Miso? I think it was flavoured with little Miso and some soya sauce and konbu. Vegan Miso Soup lacks the depth of Katsuo stock, so it is not fair to expect deep umami, but in order to compensate that, they do need to use good flavoursome Miso and vegetable stock.
According to the menu, our set menu was supposed to come with Marinated Peanuts, but we were given Simmered Soya Beans with Hijiki instead. Unfortunately our waitress failed to mention this.
One of the side dishes was Green Beans with gooey dressing (mashed tofu & a bit of sesame?) which was pleasant, but again it needed something to enhance the flavour such as toasted sesame seeds. Another one was Boiled Soya Bean Sprouts in Chilli & Garlic sauce; garlic killed the delicate sweetness of the sprouts. It would have been much better dressed with soya sauce, sesame seeds, sugar, a bit of chilli and sesame seed oil.
Kimpab set (£13) came with 8 pieces of tiny rolled rice (not vinegary like sushi rice) with fresh vegetables in the middle. Harumaki (Spring Rolls) were crunchy outside and mushy inside. They were OK but not worth £13.
There was only one waitress and she was very polite but completely lacked knowledge of the food they served. She kept going back to the kitchen to get the answers to our questions, but still failed to give us sufficient answers. I ended up going to the kitchen and talked to the chef directly.
On our visit on Wednesday evening, we were the only diners until one female diner came. Judging from the prices and what they were offering on the menu, it wasn’t a surprise. Their cooking is OK and the ingredients were fresh, but the food lacked depth and was nothing special; most of the items on the menu weren’t worth the price. Miso Soup in particular was unpleasant. Instead of changing the flavour for the Western palate like adding salt to rice, they should stick with the traditional Shojin Ryori (Japanese Vegan food) style and expand the menu away from the current one based heavily on rice/​noodle.
Miles Davis’s «Kind of Blue» album (my favourite Jazz album) was playing on the background and we were the only diners most of the time, so the atmosphere was relaxed; if the place was busy, I doubt it if the waitress can cope. If you are expecting a cleansing effect and philosophical enlightenment from eating there, you will be disappointed. However, if you are curious, try their lunch menu at £6.

One of my colleagues keeps telling me this place is brilliant, but I found it hard to get my head around the idea of vegan sushi. However my fiancée and I (neither of us are vegan or vegetarian) both felt in need of more vegetables after the rich-​food of our Christmas holidays, so we gave it a try…
They have lots of set menus, along with small al a carte dishes and larger donburi and noodle based things. The style is like traditional home cooking, rather than kaiseki-​style vegan.
As everyone has mentioned, the sushi is pretty cool. They didn’t serve any of the vegan sushi that I expected (like inari-​zushi or tomorokoshi) but their alternatives are innovative and tasty:
* tempura-​ed nori
* fried tofu
* spinach
* seaweed — like the seasoned seaweed you get inside onigiri
* carrot surrounded by nori
* miso/​seaweed — this was the highlight… it was really good.
Pro-​tip: They each have their own flavour, so you don’t need to add soy sauce…
However, I liked the tempura donburi even MORE than the sushi. It was Kakiage (so lots of shredded vegetables fried in a big lump.) This used to be my favourite canteen dish at my university dormitory in Japan… but this was an even tastier version! It was perfectly seasoned and served on REALLY good, grain-​packed, slightly purple coloured rice. Delicious.
Lastly, the sesame pudding and kabocha cakes were both loooovely.
Less Good bits:
* I have ordered take-​away bento lunches with some colleagues at work, and found the portions were a bit small. I think this place is best for dinner rather than for bentos.
* The music was terrible — it was like elevator jazz music.
Tastecard saving: £0 (They wouldn’t let me use it as we didn’t call in advance)

It’s hard to explain. The taste was not exactly what I would expect from conventional so-​called-​Japanese-​restaurants in London.
The taste was neither fabulous nor elegant. It was plain and simple, but also nostalgic and satisfactory.
Some may say the food is just mediocre and not special. Some may complain that the atmosphere inside is not as elegant as other big-​named Asian restaurants.
But I think that is the value of this restaurant. It may not look as luxurious as other Asian restaurants. But it will give you the feeling that you are actually in a small restaurant in Japan. The taste was good and somewhat similar to noodles I had in Japan. Moreover, it was not that expensive. Then, this restaurant surely deserves a high mark.
If you got tired of going to the same typical Asian restaurants, this place is where you should consider.
As an East Asian, I felt like being home.