It's okay. Not the best/most spectacular place in NYC but it's great if you want something simple and healthy. I got the noodle salad with zucchini noodles. It was a little bland, but probably my fault cause I wanted to be healthy and go with the zucchini. My mom got the grilled cod but it was too salty and kind of small. Nonetheless, cod is cod and it's good as long as it isn't overcooked- which it wasn't. Don't get the desserts here. Sacrifice some calories and get froyo or gelato instead. read more

It seems that the service has gone downhill a bit in recent months, but this will forever and always be one of my favorite spots in Manhattan for good, clean vegan food. I stop by regularly and always order the macro plate with tahini dill dressing. Even though regularly ordering the same item at a restaurant is against one of my dining-out rules, the macro plate is a forgivable exception. The portion is generous, the price is fair, and the food is healthy. More often than not, the preparation itself is perfect, although the quality of ingredients (mostly the kabocha) does vary from one visit to the next. Regardless, service and variation don't impact my review at all. I come to Souen for a healthy, cleansing meal and I am never disappointed. That dressing is where it's at, truly. I bet more people would eat their vegetables if they could douse them in Souen's tahini dill. read more

I stumbled into Souen Ramen on one of several occasions when Lan Cafe was closed, and liked it enough that I've come back. It's small and cozy -- good for couples or small groups. The edamame guacamole appetizer is weird in a good way, especially the seitan chips. The dumplings are nothing special. For me the real star was the ramen -- I got spicy miso and loved it. I've wanted to try the black cod variety but keep going back to my old standard. Note: I tried the location closer to Union Square once and was totally underwhelmed -- I ordered some kind of vegetable soup or stew and it had no flavor whatsoever, and my friends' food seemed pretty blah as well. Stick with the one on E. 6th. read more

The ingredients are so simple and yet the dishes were always so satisfying. I miss you Souen.

Souen in the East Village reminds me of a tiny macrobiotic dream world. There are funny posters with each letter of the alphabet with a funny quote. There is a small circular window outside and it's a warm and cozy spot. A tad tight but feels more cozy to me. I've been here multiple times and my favorites are probably the cornbread and the miso ramen. The desserts are also wonderful, can't really go wrong with them. The Apple tea is also highly recommended. Service is quick but it does get packed for dinner most of the time, a wait is sometimes experienced. Love it here! read more

Was gutted when the SoHo location closed. Souen is such a staple for me. The quality of the ingredients and the variety of healthy options is unbeatable. The menu caters beautifully to gluten free and vegetarian diets, so this is great place to bring friends - something for everyone! The cornbread with miso tahini spread is one of my absolute favorites, as well as the squash tofu. read more

When it comes to ramen in the E. Village, I'm a stalwart for the classics. Usually I wind up at Setagaya or Ippudo. A vegetarian friend and I wanted to try Souen noodle, since she's always wanted ramen but hasn't ever been able to find a place that offers it. Servers at real Japanese ramen spots just look at you blankly if you ask about vegetarian dishes. Even if you order it without meat, the foundation of ramen is pork-based broth -- the universal standard to which there is typically no alternative. So the vegan, macrobiotic options at Souen Noodle are a welcome option. The miso ramen is hearty and delicious, and topped with tons of nourishing vegetables. The soup was so good, I didn't miss the meat at all. The noodles were a little lacking (are they whole grain? I couldn't tell), but all in all I still enjoyed the ramen. In fact, there's nothing about the food at Souen noodle that feels like a depressing vegan imitation of a beloved, intrinsically meaty dish. It just feels like a different animal (sorry) altogether. The space is cute and tiny. Service is cheerful. Souen Noodle is a nice complement to its parent restaurant, and a welcome addition to this ramen-dense stretch of downtown. read more

Great service, but incredible food. I had the best vegan ramen of my life! I started with the cooker salmon roll, and cucumber avocado roll to start that were light and delicious, but the ramen was well flavored with perfectly grilled pieces of summer squash and the Shoyu Tahini broth was everything! read more

Souen - Organic Vegan Ramen with Tahini Shoyu and Xtra Tofu - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I've eaten in a few times but unless you have a few hours to spare for lunch, i wouldnt recommend the sit down. I always order about 15 minutes before i expect to be there, its always ready and the staff is pleasant. I love their lunch special of guilt-free foods, i usually get the following simple eats: Garden Roll= Delicious every single time Steamed vegetables= love the kabocha squash with carrots and a root vegetable, its just like i would make it at home. Salmon= So delicious, and the perfect portion I've gotten split pea soup and chickpea sides which are so good, again just like how you would make it at home. The prices are decent but its so worth it. My go to lunch spot...for sure. read more

I have celiac disease and I've been dying to find a Japanese restaurant that is well-informed on gluten allergies! Great food (pad thai with rice noodles and spicy ramen yummmm), friendly service on the phone... the one problem was the actual delivery itself. THE DELIVERY MAN SPIT ON THE FLOOR TWICE IN MY HALLWAY and was extremely unfriendly in general. Not exactly what I want to see and think about right before I eat. Great work, Souen!... look into another delivery guy... immediately. read more

This review actually isn't about the food at Souen (which I believe is excellent) but about their take out policy. Essentially, I've ordered delivery from Souen for months and frequently use a credit card. Without asking my permission they began storing my credit card information in their computer system and, to make matters worse, every time they print out my order receipt both my card number and expiration date are displayed at the top of the receipt. I have asked them multiple times to stop doing this and multiple times I have spoken with their manager who has assured me that this would stop - but it hasn't. Again, the food here is excellent but if this doesn't change I will stop ordering from Souen. I'm writing this review only to warn other customers so that they don't run into similar problems. read more

This place is teeny tiny itsy bitsy, but SO SO good. I came in with 4 of my friends without a reservation. The waiter/host/runner/busser/magician made some room and sat us. He was friendly and efficient and never looked overwhelmed. HE also didn't add gratuity to the check, which is crazy. We obviously hooked him up. The food was AWESOME. Even the side of sauteed Kale was the best I've ever had. That is saying A LOT considering I eat it everyday. We ordered 4 sides and inhaled it. HIGHLIGHTS: Ramen Maitake Special, Curry Ramen, Seitan Chips and Edamame Guac, SERVICE! BUZZKILLS: Small space, little expensive (the side of kale was $7.50) but other things seemed very reasonable (huge bowl of ramen w/ veggies is $14) read more

Excellent food; charming ambience. Maybe one day I'll compose a more detailed review; but I don't give 5 stars often, so let that be enough for now. read more

Our favorite health food / macrobiotic in the city. Service is slow but know this before you go in. Best selection of macrobiotic desserts in the city. If you lean toward macrobiotics, you will be pleased. Maze rice with salmon is excellent. Macro plate is always fine. Sushi is very good. Some of the daily soups are amazing. All of the desserts are excellent. read more

**Vegan restaurant, with pescatarian options** Order from their daily specials on the blackboard! We shared a bunch of their specials. Staff is attentive and sweet. Quiet, dim restaurant which is great for good conversation with a friend :) read more

Souen? So Out. Gluten -free and taste free. I could go on with the jokes. I was so disappointed as this has been in my bookmarks for a while. I was on a macro biotic-diet once before but I managed to include some flavor in my dishes. First, I ordered from the Autumn specials menu- some steamed veggie rolls and was told they ran out. How do you run out of something on your "specials" list at 4pm in the afternoon? It's not even dinner time yet. My dish which was also from the Autumn menu- mushroom risotto- was so soupy, it should have been served in a bowl. Instead it was served in a way that made it look like vomit splashed across the plate. I apologize for ruining anyone appetite but imagine how I felt. I was unbelievably asked if I wanted to use something other than chopsticks to eat with. There were supposed to be vegetables but the only ones I could detect were zucchini and some slivers of mushroom- the latter of which are supposed to be in a mushroom dish. It was incredibly flavorless. My friend DQ had a noodle/vegetable dish. This is what she had to say "I could throw a bunch of vegetables into a pot and make my own vegetable broth because that is what this dish seems to be about." She thought the broth was flavorless (that word again) and there were too many vegetables in the soup. She would also like to add that there are ton of other places to get - maybe not a macrobiotic meal- but a vegetarian one on the block. Anything good? The decor. But that's not enough to make me come back. Maybe the Union Square one is better. read more

I went to Souen for the first time a few days ago. I was feeling pretty bad and barely ate anything for the whole day. I got the squash tofu platter and it was really good! The dish had such a bright flavor. There were a lot of whole foods incorporated into the meal. Everything tasted totally fresh. I felt ten times better after I ate there. The menu is a little confusing. The vibes are great, the food is super. read more

A friend and I went here for a genuine, girls-only vent session. I'd walked by this place before, and thought it looked cute - didn't know anything about the vegan menu. We didn't experience any of the service issues that other reviews have noted - our waitress was very pleasant and was perfectly attentive while keeping her distance. We both tried the pad thai, which was definitely nothing like the pad thai I've eaten before. It was very rich and the taste was quite potent, almost like they had used peanut butter in the sauce. Neither of us could finish it all, but if I was in the right mood, I would try it again. The place was small and not too crowded, and we both appreciated that the waitresses allowed us to linger long after our meals were finished, just chatting about life and whatnot. Not sure if that would have been the case on a busier night, but I have to give them credit for my experience. read more

This place was really good and had really large portions of food! Great selection of vegetarian and vegan meals. I applaud them for the creativity in the desserts section of the menu, and loved their dark sea same ice cream. My friend had never had sesame ice cream before and was expecting it to be sweeter, but I loved it just how it was served. Again, really big portions, worthy of sharing. I look forward to coming back again and trying some of the appetizers and vegan choices. read more

Excerpted from my review of the East Village Eats food tour: Heading north, we stopped at Souen for some steamed seitan dumplings. I had seen all the ads from Fresh Direct on the bus stops about seitan being a super food, but I had never actually tried it so I was intrigued. Souen is a pretty cool place with neat decor and trendy lighting, though long and skinny and hard to move around in, but it hasn't turned me on to seitan. Oh well, not the best item to feature for a general audience, but I'm sure someone loved it. read more

i had no idea what this place was about before I went and when i saw "vegan, macrobiotic", etc, etc... I rolled my eyes a little. Although I have recently gone gluten-free and I was pleased to try out all their gluten-free stuff. I find wheat products cause bloating for me. So that was a little "oh yay!" after the requisite eye roll. Anyhow! Anyhow, it was great! I ordered the seafood ramen with ZUCCHINI NOODLES...so yeah, its not actually noodles, its zucchini cut like noodles. I loved it. The broth was yummy, there was kale, shiitake mushrooms in there.. amongst other things... whats not to like, right? Then I had sesame ice cream which was light and yummy and my friend ordered the tiramisu which was surprising rich and made with like... I don't know, tofu and carob and some other shit. The staff were EXTREMELY cordial and nice and kind, but really, really slow. But you couldn't be mad at them cause they were so damn nice. I would come back, but i'm probably gonna order in the seafood ramen with zucchini noodles on a regular basis. That was really great. I did think it was a little pricey though, i was a little surprised when the bill came and it was $76 for 3 bowls of ramen, 2 desserts and a small plate of brussell sprouts (which were also super yummy, I might add!). read more

This was my first time trying ramen and it was pretty good. We went for lunch and it was like $10 for a bowl and appetizer. The bowl was huge, which was nice. It tasted very fresh. $10 still seems a little much for me for ramen... but then again I am a cheapskate. read more

Souen - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

A pretty good place to go to if you have numerous restrictions in your diet. This place isn't 100% vegan as they do have fish options, but the vegan options do outnumber the non-vegan options anyway. I've come twice within the span of two weeks and once a few years ago as well. The lunch ramen special is an excellent deal at $10 for a bowl of noodles of your choosing and a side of either rice, salad, or assorted veggies. I find the portions to be quite filling and I've left every time feeling pretty satisfied with the service and the quality of the food.The interior is also pretty nice, for what it's worth. If you happen to be in the area and also happen to be craving macro-biotic Japanese food, this is a good place to check out. The desserts also sound like they would be amazing, though I have yet to try out any. read more

The one thing you need to know about Souen is it has a microbiotic menu, meaning the focus is on grains with vegetables. If you are not following a microbiotic diet, you might find the meals at Souen to be unsatisfying. I enjoyed the spicy wild seabass ramen that I had at Souen, but it was more like a snack than a meal. I was hungry when my meal was done, which is a big no-no for a girl like me who needs "fuel" to keep going. I would recommend Souen to models who are following extreme diets, people recovering from cancer and other illnesses, people with gluten allergies, and people with tiny tummies. read more

Just reopened! My favorite vegan-macrobiotique-Japanese-pescatarian restaurant in town! I love their noodle soups, gluten-free options available. The macrobiotic plate is great for sensitive stomachs. read more

It is what it is people: Hard core macro healthy hippy food. Great prices, healthy, food portions. Nice, but spacey staff. The food is not overly salted which I appreciate very much and it's a good place to go if you want to eat cleanly. On the topic of clean... the place is clean, but the entire place really really needs a paint job and visual freshening up. I don't need luxury but I'd like it be a bit fresher looking, with maybe some nice art? Hence why the loss of a star in this review. read more

Fresh ingredients. Lack of variety on menu. And service is a little slow. Nice environment and quality of food. read more

My husband and I had a very nice dinner here last night. I really wanted ramen, but he isn't such a fan-- so I thought Souen would be a good compromise. Since we are both vegetarian, the menu and concept seemed perfect. We arrived at 9ish and I was starving. The host said there was a 30 minute wait, but I was so desperate for ramen that I said OK. He must have seen in my eyes how hungry I was, because about 20 minutes later he emerged from the restaurant and handed me a cookie. It was the nicest gesture I've ever experienced while waiting for a table. About halfway through my (delicious) cookie, he finally called us inside. The only bad part of the menu is the fact that everything looks so beyond delicious you'll never be able to narrow it down to 1 or 2 things you want to order. After much deliberation, I got the shoyu ramen and steamed veggies, and husband got seitan and veggies in mushroom gravy and the chef salad. My ramen was delicious. Probably one of the richest vegetarian stocks I've ever tasted-- I have no idea how they get that depth of flavor with seaweed and veggies. The noodles were perfectly cooked (although I kind of wished there were more!). The steamed veggies left something to be desired, but I guess I should have expected that. My husband ate every last bit of his dinner, and couldn't stop raving as we walked to Lula's for vegan dessert (that's pretty rare for him). We will definitely be back!! read more

Don't be turned off by the long list of food preferences they accommodate; Souen's foods are tasty. The vegetarian rolls are delicious and filling. I especially liked that there was a glossary in the back, in case you have questions about some of the interesting ingredients included. They even have several organic sake options. My favorite party? The very tasty dessert that left me satisfied without feeling guilty. I'll be back! read more

Maybe because I had the lowest expectations and I don't do the macrobiotic eating, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was! I tried the spicy miso ramen, edamame guacamole and the fish. The guacamole with seitan chips were delicious nothing like I expected! The fish was wonderfully flavored and not dry! Spicy miso was also really legit! I oddly end up really liking the place minus the doot da doo waiter who took our food away without asking and gave us other people's food, besides that it was good. read more

Not big on writing about service or ambience, but definitely why i gave them the full 5 stars. dont think ive done this. made a res at 830pm for 4, and the 2 girls were late. they let a pal and me sit at a vacant table to have a few glasses of sake until our full party arrived. as you know NY is infamous for making you wait until the full party has arrived. + especially for a small and limited seating space. Ver friendly and attentive were the waitstaff and didnt mind seem to mind our party finally complete 30 minutes later. As for the food, Ive heard negative reviews for the place being macrobiotic(healthy) but shouldnt we praise this? I chose the black cod ramen with the vegan typical noodles and i was very impressed. The broth was very thick and rich yet not too heavy on the stomach. the cod although a bland fish in general was fair, could have been tastiier but i was still satisfied. noodles were delicious and textured just right. All in all for healthy ramen, wasnt missing the typical charsiu pork or boiled egg. As for dessert we had a rasberry tofu cheesecake. I said it, tofu. I can really describe it but it was delicious for being tofu. This place rocks and will definitely be returning. Ive heard very bad things about the 6th ave location however so keep it to this location people. read more

I still don't know what macrobiotic is all about, but it sounded healthy and they had a lunch special so I thought, why not. Actually, it was good enough that I came back twice just to try some more stuff. The first day I went with the miso cod and it was good, though a little bit on the smallish side and would've appreciated it if it packed a stronger punch. The next time I thought I'd test out the noodles especially the zucchini noodles which seems to have garnered lots of fans. Definitely an interesting texture, but wasn't for me. I felt like once again, the flavor profile could've been a little bit stronger, yet I remembered after finishing that I was really really thristy, making me think this stuff is pretty loaded with sodium. I'm still not sure how I feel about this place so a three stars seems appropriate. read more

Food is great - and a great addition to the vegetarian restaurants in the city ! The sushi was refreshingly innovative; good combinations and very pretty presentation. The curry ramen was good too. Souen has a unique menu, so it was a good change from the beaten and cloned menus you find in most ramen and asian places. read more

I adore this spot, so naturally perfect and refreshing for my body !!!! Also, sweetest staff ever

Mmmm....what a cute little place. My friends and I walked right by it twice without seeing it. I ordered the 10$ lunch special of curry ramen with udon noodles and steamed veggies. Overall it was very delicious, but subtle, and not greasy/oily in the slightest, which makes up for how simple and almost bland it was. Pretty perfect for a cold day outside though, because it was warm and filled me up a lot, which isn't always easy to do with vegan food. It pretty much just tasted healthy. The experience was great, as it was cozy and not loud at all. We weren't rushed by our cute waitress at all. Would probably go back if I were in the neighborhood! read more

4.5 stars Vegetarians, please come here! This place focuses on macrobiotics and don't leave you feeling sick from too much oil. (Something I really appreciate) I ordered the curry miso ramen and it was surprisingly filled with flavor. You choose your soup base and then your choice of noodles. I also ordered the seitan dumplings and it it was pretty tasty. My meat lover bf disagrees though and only had one. The atmosphere is intimate and candle-lit. The reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because they were understaffed and it took a while for them to take our order. However, the waitresses were really friendly and apologetic. I would like to revisit and try other things on the menu. read more

We stumbled upon this cute restaurant with excessively healthy food. The menu is a mile along, and what made it even more delightfully frustrating was the fact that there were sooo many mix and match options, between the ramen, the fish, the veggies, the rice, etc. If you don't know what you like, or if you are picky about what you want, this place is perfect for you. There were also specials of the day. After about 20 minutes of debate and struggle, I decided on the ramen noodle with black cod fish. Superb choice. The bowl was full of umami-rich soup, chunks of tender rich fish, veggies and ramen. The portion was a lot bigger than I expected, and boy was I happy! We were sadly however too full for dessert. The service was sporadic and it took them a long time to get us water on one of the hottest days of summer so far. I've had better fruit juice elsewhere, but the sheer amount of options for your vegan, gluten-free, everything-free meal is incredible. I've been to the Souen in Union Square a few times but I think this one is better. read more

4.5 starts is a fair rating for Souen but it was good enough that I'll round up. We went to the East 6th location on a Friday night. It's a small place and had maybe a 10-15 minute wait. Started with the solid dumplings. The wife and I each ordered ramen. Her curry ramen was different but very good. I really liked my mushroom ramen which was a special on the board. The place is pretty narrow and cozy but I didn't feel like neighboring tables were on top of us. The places draws an interesting crowd, good for people watching and unavoidable (given the size) eavesdropping. Bottom line: solid food at a reasonable price overall, ever better when you narrow the field to vegetarian/vegan restaurants (they do serve fish but it's only featured in a couple of dishes). read more

While visiting NYC I always try and hit up one of the ramen joints in the East Village. This time was no exception, and a veggie friend recommended Souen. It was great! I read a bunch of the Yelp reviews before we went and was a little skeptical that it was all veggie/vegan/microbiotic. However, I was thrilled with the unique menu (tahini ramen!?) and eager to try it out. Each of us got a different broth -- all delicious -- but the tahini ramen was by far the winner. I also got the vegan ramen noodles and they were amazing. I couldn't taste the difference between those and regular ramen noodles. Friends got soba noodles and I think would have rather got the ramen! If I lived in NYC I would come back here all the time. It is a great concept and apparently there are a few locations. This location is small, so be prepared to wait. Service was friendly, water was filled, and it wasn't too loud! read more

The curry miso ramen has magical, curative properties, I swear. The squash tofu is also incredible. It's been a while since I dined in, but the delivery is always super fast. read more