Updated! Originally written on January 7 2023
As I have mentioned in some of my posts, being vegan isn’t the easiest in Japan. So when I heard that there was a whole Izakaya in Tokyo that was 100% vegan, I had to try it!
Izakayas typically are small casual bars that serve dishes and snacks as well as alcohol. Typically a place people go to after work to socialise and have something to eat.
Izakaya Masaka is a restaurant serving only vegan dishes in the hub of Tokyo, located in Shibuya. A perfect place to have dinner after a day of exploring all the wonderful spots in the big city!
Things that are close by:
- The famous Shibuya Crossing
- MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya Honten (It’s one of the biggest in Japan)
- Yoyogi Park
- Harajuku – Takeshita Street, explore the famous area!
- Hachikō Memorial Statue
- Meiji Jingu Shrine
What Can You Eat at Izakaya Masaka?
It’s located in a mall called “Shibuya Parco” and the Izakaya is on the basement level. You’ll be handed an Izakaya Masaka menu by the staff which has all the mains, sides and drinks in Japanese.
That definitely had me worried for a second! However, worry not! On the wall, there is a full main menu with pictures of the item and descriptions in both English and Japanese for those who cannot read the language.
Update: They now have changed to a QR system. The system allows you to have a look at the full menu in English at your own leisure and order the items on your smartphone which is very convenient. The only downside to this system is that you are only able to order 5 items at a time, this meant we sent off about four different orders when we visited for the second time with our family. They all came out as and when they were done, which might not be an issue for everyone but is worth considering.
Their main and popular item is a mock karaage made from soy meat instead of chicken. Karaage is typically lightly coated chicken which has been fried in oil and has a crispy outside.
There were 7 different options of karaage when we went: lemon onion sauce, tartar, sesame, Chinese black vinegar, Sichuan style hot and spicy, grated radish and teriyaki flavour soy mayonnaise. They have many other delicious dishes such as gyoza, mapo tofu, soups, vegetable dishes and spring rolls.
Another popular item is their set meals, which are not only delicious and filling but also very reasonable at ¥950 (£5.90/ $7.18). For that price, you can get gyoza, rice, soup and some pickled vegetables.
When we visited Izakaya Masaka for some dinner, it was on a weekday. As the Izakaya isn’t very big and also quite popular, we had to wait about an hour or so until we were seated. It wasn’t too bad, but it makes me wonder how long the wait would be at the weekend.
However, it was definitely worth it!
Update: The second time we visited, we went earlier in hopes of not waiting as long as before, which worked. However, by the time we had finished eating, which was just around 6 pm, there was a long queue of people waiting and a sign saying they had sold out for the night. Both times we visited have been on a weekday so it’s likely to be busier at the weekend.
We ordered the sesame karaage ¥650 (£4/ $4.90) which had a fantastically juicy inside, and a sesame-flavoured crisp on the outside, gyoza which was filled with vegetables and soy meat, 6 for ¥500 (£3.14/ $3.78). You can never go wrong with gyoza in my opinion and a slightly spicy mapo tofu rice which was ¥800 (£5/ $6). For the two of us, this was plenty!
So far, having visited Izakaya Masaka twice, we have tried the following
What’s it called?
Sesame karaage
What did it cost:
¥650 (£4/ $4.90)
How did it taste?
I would 100% recommend that you try the sesame karaage. It’s fantastically juicy on the inside, with a deliciously sesame-flavoured crisp on the outside. This was definitely my favourite item out of the three dishes we tried as I have tried similar food to the other dishes before, and this was my first time trying a mock karaage. They are fried, so oily but not too much to put you off. A good item to try when you want “dirty” food! They were much larger than I expected but a perfect amount for two people ordering other dishes.
What’s it called?
Gyoza
What did it cost?
6 for ¥500 (£3.14/ $3.78)
12 for ¥1,000 (£6/ $7.45)
How did it taste?
Slightly crispy on one side, with deliciously seasoned soy meat and vegetable filling. Another item which has been fried, and a classic dish that you can’t go wrong with. This time taking more of a spring roll shape than the traditional gyoza shape but an item which would be well-liked whether you’re vegan or not. Gyoza is dipped in a sauce typically made up of soy sauce, vinegar, and chilli oil (and sometimes sesame oil too).
What’s it called?
Mapo tofu rice
What did it cost?
¥800 (£5/ $6)
How did it taste?
The mapo tofu rice came in a sizzling hot bowl, which was quite exciting seeing it sizzle and bubble. Tofu is used in many Asian cuisines but if you’re not familiar with it or haven’t tried tofu before it may take a bit of getting used to. However, I love it! It’s so versatile and can be used in many different ways (although, that’s for another post).
This dish was the perfect amount of spicy topped with yummy soft tofu. Having it with rice was a great combination as it broke some of the spicinesses and as it came in a sizzling bowl, the rice had a nice crisp to it too.
What’s it called?
Chinese Black Vinegar Karaage
What did it cost?
¥650 (£4/ $4.90)
How did it taste?
We ordered this flavoured karaage (as well as the sesame one) when we visited with family. The karaage mock meat texture is just as good as the sesame one but, I found the sauce to be overly strong and acidic for my personal taste. However, this dish was a favourite among one member of our family – ultimately it comes down to individual taste preferences, so don’t let my experience discourage you from trying it.
What’s it called?
Deep-fried Maitake mushrooms
What did it cost?
¥650 (£4/ $4.90)
How did it taste?
For some reason, I thought this dish would be super oily. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. Of course, it’s fried so does have some oiliness to it but my goodness it’s delicious, crunchy and has a great texture. The maitake mushrooms provided a great chew and the outside has a salty well seasoned crunchy crisp to it.
What’s it called?
Pickled cumber with onions
What did it cost?
¥600 (£3.60/ $4.48)
How did it taste?
It’s vinegary, crunchy and refreshing. The perfect pairing to have with oily food.
How to get to Izakaya Masaka
Address: 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya PARCO (at basement level), Tokyo, Japan
Open times: Lunch 12 – 3 pm Dinner 5 – 10 pm
Instagram: @vegan_Izakaya_masaka
If you’d like to have a look at what we got up to on the day we visited Izakaya Masaka, have a look here!
A lot of vegan foods in Japan are still catered towards “healthy” living. Imagine healthy cookies that are dry and lack taste, instead of a “dirty” cookie which has a buttery taste and large chocolate chunks.
Luckily that wasn’t the case here! Some reviews I have read have complained of it being “too greasy” but I didn’t think that was true. Yes, it uses oil to fry the food but that’s the type of food you’ll be getting when you come to an izakaya. Foods that can be shared and pair well with alcohol.
Izakaya Masaka is definitely somewhere you have to visit if you’re coming to Japan and exploring Tokyo. Whether you’re vegan or not, this place has more of a typical Japanese feel when it comes to the dining experience, similar to this resturant and you absolutely won’t be disappointed by the food.
Writing this blog post has really made me want to go back! In everyday Japan, vegan items like this are far harder to come by, so we were really impressed and happy to have found Izakaya Masaka.
It was truly delicious and such a great experience to go somewhere which had more of a “Japanese” feel to it. I was also super happy about how large the Kaarage were! I think next time I’d like to try some of the vegetable dishes or even the set meal. Having the vegetable dish and or soup with the karaage would be the perfect pairing to break down the oiliness!
I hope you get to visit! Let me know what you think!
