Itadaki Zen Photos
Itadaki Zen Popular Desserts
ITADAKI ZEN ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Itadaki Zen
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
On my last trip to the UK in 2013, I was so happy to end up at Itadaki Zen in Oban with my mom where we were treated to a truly amazing vegan Japanese dinner. When I saw that they now had a location in London, I was very excited. In fact, I went there twice and my friends are now also fans. Both times we got the 12 piece nigiri sushi platter -- these were generous sized nigiri that varied a little between the two evenings I visited. The cabbage rolls were really amazing - but fell apart a bit when we tried to eat them. The tofu steak was DELICIOUS - it was simple but so flavorful. The miso is really good, too - fresh and just right. The Goma Ae green beans were also extremely delicious. The tendon set was really delicious - and all the sides of pickles were incredibly fresh and flavorful. Great wine menu and super friendly, efficient service. The basement bathrooms are a bit grungy but the rest of the restaurant is super modern and nice.
I'd been wanting to try this place for ages given it had all the buzzwords to get my attention: vegan (not because I am one but because there's a good chance of some creative dishes), organic (because I'm trying to be more responsible like that) and Japanese (because YUM!). I decided to test it out on my guy's birthday lunchtime (no pressure then!) and it was a hit, from the organic lemonade to cool us down from outside to the colourburst bento box of yumminess I ordered. The kakiage tempura was my fave part while he enjoyed some veggie sushi. I think we were both impressed with the taste and variety of the food, hardly needing to add soy sauce to anything, even the tofu! It's not the most 'polished' place - the menu pages were out of order and they didn't have the first 2 drinks I asked for. But we liked the homely and mindful ethos of the place, the staff were sweet and the prices weren't bad for the quality of what you got. We left with smiles and full tummies :)
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)
I always look at vegetarian/vegan restaurants with a mixture of suspicion and caution, and inevitably, the question I ask myself is: "Would this meal have been improved with meat?" And for Itadaki Zen? Absolutely not. The food here is so fresh and full of flavour that meat would completely spoil the experience, as they bring out dish after dish of pickled vegetables or tempura. When you're not too busy trying to identify the piece of food you're eating, you'll be at awe in how they pack all that taste into such small dishes, and in a way that won't leave you feeling completely guilty about your diet! We opted for the set menu which was a whirlwind tour of their offerings, and left us feeling full and extremely satisfied! Even vegan dessert, a cheesecake no less, was creamy and full of goodness! All in all, a lovely little restaurant that serves some super healthy and honest cooking. The amount of care and precision in the food served is impeccable, and I would gladly come back again. My only qualm with the place is that they pack in the customers, so it can get quite cosy inside and can make romantic dates somewhat less romantic when someone has to climb over you to get out!
Those were my first sushis ever ! And it was amazing. I have fish allergy so you can imagine how scary sushis can be for me :-) In here, no fear and god, it was really great ! We went there twice, first time we ordered sushis and rolls, both really good. Second time we had the udon noodles with some sushis again and it was great too ! They offer some typical vegan desserts and tea (goji and bamboo). The place is lovely and cute, it's best to book ! I can't wait to be back !
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 decor 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 ;)
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.
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.
So glad we stumbled upon this little gem! Had the 6 pc sushi and miso which were both delicious twists on traditional sushi, while also being plant based. My husband had the udon and loved it as well. For dessert we had the chocolate pana cotta which tasted exactly like a mousse in flan texture and was pretty good (nothing mind blowing), but it was small and a nice way to end the meal. Still 5/5 even with the dessert that I would have rated 3/5.
Solid 3.5...if only I could give half stars. We were so excited for an all vegan Japanese spot. My husband got the bento box and I got the udon with tofu. I LOVED my meal, and he liked his well enough. I did have the sesame pudding (really firm jelly) and liked it as well. The service was quite hands off, and with the so-so feelings on the various meal components it didn't meet our expectations.
The food was delicious. The full vegan menu was really exciting and was the reason we chose to eat here. I ordered a bento box and shared the unique desserts with my friends. However, I am going one star down because the portions were quite small and the food was pretty pricey! Our bill for three people was about £60 which was quite shocking given that none of us were full at the end of the meal. In the future i will probably stop by wasabi or itzu instead for much more affordable and filling vegan sushi.
15 years ago
13 years ago
9 years ago
14 years ago
15 years ago
10 years ago
12 years ago
11 years ago
15 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
14 years ago
11 years ago
12 years ago
Page 2 of 2
