The other day in Tokyo, we had a serious ramen craving. Our usual spot is T’s Tantan Ramen, but this time, we wanted to switch things up. That’s when I remembered that Ippudo, a popular ramen chain known for its rich tonkotsu broth, actually offers a vegan menu.
As a popular ramen chain, Ippudo has locations across Japan, but not all of them offer vegan options. If you’re on the hunt for a plant-based bowl, be sure to check out the Shijuku Lumine EST location!
Updated Spring 2025: The menu has changed since I first wrote this article, but I’ve kept the original details in case they bring back those options. You’ll find all the latest updates at the top for easy reference.
Plant-based ramen at Ippudo
Slowly but surely, smaller restaurants and chains in Tokyo are starting to offer vegan items on their menu. (Have a look at the 3 most reliable places to get vegan food in Japan).
Ippudo, a well-known chain ramen shop, is one such place that released new items alongside its regular menu. They wanted to recreate a plant-based version of their famous tonkotsu ramen (a rich, creamy ramen made from pork and pork bone broth) so that anyone, no matter their dietary or religious beliefs, could try the dish.
The plant-based “tonkotsu” ramen is made without pork or any other animal products. Instead, the broth is made from a mixture of soymilk, miso, mushrooms and kombu seaweed to add richness and flavour. Tonkotsu ramen is always topped with pork slices, and they have managed to replicate the ‘meat’ by using kidney beans and wheat protein. They also use ramen noodles without eggs, and now their restaurant is open to so many more customers with many different dietary requirements.
Currently, the plant-based menu is only available in Lumine Est in Shinjuku. However, with the popularity of the plant-based dish and with the surge of travellers coming into the country, hopefully, they will start offering the menu to other branches too!
Ippudo plant-based menu
Ippudo Plant-Based Studios previously offered four plant-based options, but now they have three, including one limited-edition item and gyozas. You can also help yourself to the free ice water or tea at the drinks station.
Plant-based ramen: (the following items are no longer available. Check out the 2025 menu above to see what’s currently on offer!)
Multi-colour vegetable shio ramen, ¥900: A vegetable broth ramen based on mushrooms with green noodles made from 10 kinds of vegetables.
Rich flavoured hot karamiso, ¥1,200: Exciting spices and garlic in a rich miso soup. The curly shape makes sure the soup sticks to the noodles and therefore lets you experience the whole level of spiciness. High-quality garlic chilli oil with Habanero will stimulate your tongue. This miso ramen is a must-try for spice lovers.
Plant-based shiromaru, ¥990: They recreated a Shiromaru that only uses plant-based ingredients. The base is a tonkotsu-like soymilk soup with truffle oil.
Plant-based akamaru, ¥1,090: Akamaru plant-based version was the first of Ippudo’s plant-based ramen series, accentuated with the deep-flavoured soymilk soup, fragrant oil and miso paste.
The atmosphere of Ippudo
This Ippudo restaurant is located on the 8th floor of a popular, bustling shopping mall, surrounded by other restaurants. It has a casual, fast-food vibe with plenty of seating.
The food is reasonably priced and served quickly, making it a great spot to refuel after a busy day sightseeing, shopping, or exploring the parks.
What we ordered
You order and pay for your meal at the counter. In exchange, you will be given an electronic buzzer which will vibrate and alert you when your food is ready. Simply take it to the pickup window to exchange it with your order.
On this visit, we ordered the Special Silk-smooth Veggis Tonkotsu MIRAton, the seasonal and limited-edition Kyoto’s Hannari Miso Ramen and a set of five gyoza!
Each bowl was packed with flavour. Compared to last time, they had improved not only in visual appearance but also in the generous amount of toppings.
Special Silk-smooth Veggis Tonkotsu MIRAton: ¥1,330 | £7.01 | $9.05
Kyoto’s Hannari Miso Ramen: ¥1,380 | £7.28 | $9.39
Plant-based Shiromaru | プラントベース白丸
Not available
How did it taste?
A soymilk ramen with truffle oil for added fragrance. It’s warm, creamy and comforting, topped with mushrooms, green onions and plant-based ‘Char Siu’.
It’s a safe option that’s great for any ramen lover, especially if you’re not a fan of spice. Err on the side of caution, this may not be for you if you don’t like rich and creamy flavours.
How much was it? ¥990 / £5.90 / $7.50
Plant-based Akamaru | プラントベース赤丸
Not available
How did it taste?
A soymilk ramen with fragrant oil and spicy miso, also topped with green onions, mushrooms and plant-based ‘Char Siu’. Another creamy and delicious dish but with an extra depth from the spicy miso. It has a kick but is not spicy.
Another great dish for any ramen lover, unlike the other one, this one has a different depth of flavour to it.
How much was it? ¥1090 / £6.60 / $8.25
Shiromaru VS Akamaru
Not available
The two ramen we chose were both absolutely delicious and exactly what we were after. The noodles were chewy and deliciously paired with the creamy broth.
Out of the two, I preferred the Akamaru ramen. Although the shiromaru was enjoyable, after a few mouthfuls, it became very rich, and the flavours ended up being quite one-dimensional. Akamaru, on the other hand, had the extra added heat to it, which gave extra depth to the creamy and yummy dish.
The toppings on the ramen, mushroom and green onions, added a nice texture and aromatic flavour to it.
The ‘char sui’ looked pretty realistic, like an extra processed version of what you’d normally get. Although it had a nice taste to it, I personally could have done without it. The texture was a bit mushy and soft, and the dish would have been delicious even without it.
Both ramen felt ‘naughty’ and ‘bad’ but in a good way! They won’t be winning any awards for being healthy, but they sure are delicious!
If you like soy milk-based ramen, you might like this one too!
Gyoza | 餃子
How did it taste?
When I took the first bite out of the gyoza, I was shocked by how realistic the ‘meat’ texture was. The gyoza skin is thin and chewy and with a tasty flavoured filling.
How much was it?
5 pieces ¥350 / £2.11 / $2.65
10 pieces ¥680 / £4.10 / $5.14
Things that are close by
- Lumind Shinjuku – Ippudo is in the same shopping mall
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden | 10 min walk
- Yoyogi Park | 30 min walk
- Shinjuku Golden Gai | 8 min walk
- Meji Memorial Museum | 32 min walk
- Omoide Yokocho | 4 min walk
- Free View from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building | 16 min walk
- Godzilla statue, Shinjuku Gracery Hotel | 10 min walk
- Kabukicho | 9 min walk
- Yayoi Kusama Museum | 15 min by taxi, 22 min by train
- Tokyo Skytree | 39 min by train
- Hanazono Shrine | 8 min walk
- Tokyo Dome | 20 min by train
Vegan options close to Ippudo
V = Vegan, VO = Vegan Options
- Plant-based Tokyo | V | 9 min walk
- Morethan Bakery | VO | 18 min walk, 10 min by train
- Green Italian TORCIA | VO | 7 min walk
- Mabre Vegan | V | 11 min walk, 9 min train
- Ain Soph. Journey, Shinjuku | V | 8 min walk
- Kiboko | VO | 8 min walk
- SOJO Esperanto-Vegana Kafejo | V | 44 min walk, 32 min train
- Linio | VO | 26 min walk, 16 min train
- Great Lakes | V | 35 min walk, 23 min train
How to get to Ippudo
Address:
Lumine Shinjuku- 3-38-1 Shinjuku (at Lumine Est, 8th Floor), Tokyo, Japan, 160-0022
Nearest train station:
1 min walk from Shinjuku Station
Open times:
Monday- Sunday 11:00 – 21:00 (LO 20:30)
Phone:
+81-363804473
It’s nice to go into a restaurant and see there are more plant-based options than regular options, especially in a country where the terms ‘plant-based’ and ‘vegan’ aren’t very well known. Ippudo has done a great job offering plant-based options at a very busy and popular mall. A great way to get those who are curious to try a plant-based meal.
Notes:
- They have an English menu behind the counter, you just have to ask.
- People with egg allergies, beware! No egg ingredients in plant-based products, but the noodles are boiled in the same water as the usual noodles with eggs
