Vegan-friendly
Japanese
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Near Kita Kamakura station, this restaurant has traditional Japanese Buddhist vegetarian food. Address in Japanese: 神奈川県鎌倉市山ノ内350. See website for other locations in Kamakura. Removed September 2023: Limited vegan options.


Venue map for Hachinoki
© OpenStreetMap contributors

10 Reviews

First Review by Akane

Tsukimi

Points +3990

Vegan
05 Jun 2023

Not serving Shojin Ryori anymore as of May 2023!

I called there the other day to ask about Shojin Ryori because it wasn't mentioned it on their Website menu. They told me they aren't serving Shojin Ryori anymore.

DonnaWeston

Points +119

Vegan
09 May 2019

Should be 5 stars

There are actually two different restaurants in one - the main entrance (beside a beautiful garden) is to the non-vegetarian restaurant which is what is listed in the Michelin guide. A smaller, non-obtrusive entrance (as in doesn’t look like an entrance) is about 20 metres to the left of it. This is the traditional, and as far as I know, vegan only, part of the restaurant. Food was a amazing in the way that only the simple flavours of Shojin Ryori can be - relying on the flavours of the ingredients to direct the meal rather than layer on the seasonings. We had the 4500 yen meal - very filling, several courses and two different teas. Perfection.

ForAnimalsJapan

Points +5028

Vegan
08 Mar 2018

Well worth splurging on

English follows Japanese👇 先日北鎌倉にある『鉢の木』と言う精進料理のお店に行ってきました。

清潔な広い店内で、中居さんの接客もとても心地よく、小鳥が水浴びに来ていた中庭の小川を見ているとストレスが洗い流された様でした。

私たちが今回注文したコースは『松』で9種類以上の料理が絶妙なタイミングで運ばれてきました。
全ての料理が多すぎず、少なすぎず丁度いい量で心もお腹も満たされました。

安いお店ではありませんが、なにかの記念日などで利用するととても良い思い出になると思います。

Shojin ryori, or Buddhist cuisine, is the traditional dining style of Buddhist monks in Japan. It’s made without animal products (except for the occasional fish dish— check to make sure your meal is vegan) and features seasonal vegetables and tofu, meticulously prepared and beautifully presented.

We had our first shojin ryori experience at Hachinoki, a quaint little place located in Kita-Kamakura. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I have pretty simple tastes 🤷🏽‍♀️ But we were blown away. The service was impeccable, everything looked and tasted wonderful, and the portions were surprisingly generous. The dining room overlooks a beautiful little garden, adding to the traditional Japanese atmosphere.

Hachinoki isn’t cheap, but it’s definitely worth experiencing at least once.

Pros: Food that looks as good as it tastes, Excellent service, Calm, relaxing setting

Cons: Not cheap

Veggiechiliqueen

Points +123

Vegetarian
03 Mar 2018

Outstanding shojin ryori!

As I live close to Kamakura, I have visited Hachinoki a number of times solo and with guests, and it is always an outstanding dining experience. From the flawless presentation to the creative incorporation of local, seasonal vegetables, Hachinoki is a fantastic introduction to Japan’s traditional vegan cuisine served at Buddhist temples. The garden view seating is also a huge plus, as it is incredibly peaceful and adds to the very Zen ambiance (be sure to request seating with a garden view it is not always available). Also note that you will need to remove shoes as the flooring is tatami, but you are served at a table and sitting in chairs, not on the floor at a low table as is common with other shojin ryori restaurants. It’s also very convenient to the train station and is about a five-minute walk. Be sure to visit nearby temple Tokeji after your meal; this former nunnery hosts an amazing garden and also offers shakyo and zazen.

Pros: Beautiful presentation, beautiful garden, Close to Tokeji Temple / easy walk from Kita-Kamak

Cons: Pricey

ReiAmber

Points +3086

Vegan
03 Feb 2018

Excellent shojin ryori

Located in an atmospheric building. My favorite dish is the fake meat that they put on top of the rice. They sell it in jars for you to take home.

I believe they do use fish stock (katsuo dashi) in some dishes so I always specify no fish stock when I make the reservation.

You have to take your shoes off when you enter, so wear nice socks.

Their hours are limited.

Pros: Nice atmosphere, Tasty food

Cons: I believe they use fish stock in some dishes

Nancy Cadet

Points +876

Vegan
31 Oct 2015

Shojin ryori in Kita-Kamakura

We made reservations for the vegan "Sakura" lunch set and had a generous traditional "temple cuisine" meal, at a table overlooking the garden at Hachi-no-ki. The main part of the set was served on a vermillion tray: pickled vegetables, tofu, mushroom porridge, devil's tongue, sesame tofu . More small plates were served later: rice with mushrooms, a tofu-yam hot pot, miso soup. Different teas were served with each course . I enjoyed the lunch, but had more memorable shojin ryori experiences with tastes & presentation at Bon restaurant in Tokyo , & Meiji no Yakata in Nikko. Here, the staff was gracious and friendly ; the dining room was quiet.

Hachi -no-ki is a ten minute walk from the Kita-Kamakura station on Yamanouchi-dori , the same street as the station . It's easy to find. The price was reasonable for this type of meal, and we knew reservations for the vegan option were necessary, based on their website and other reviewers.

Pros: Well prepared small plates, Tranquil ambiance, Reasonable price

Cons: Reservations necessary

Shauna333

Points +656

Vegan
01 Jun 2012

Amazing Experience

This was one of the best meals of my life and although expensive, I cannot wait to go back to try it again!

I visited kamakura on a national holiday (Labour Thanksgiving Day), and was so keen and excited about this restaurant that I booked it a couple of months in advance via their website (google translate was very helpful here!) and got an email back to confirm (this went to my spam, so ensure you double check and don't miss out). I confirmed just before leaving for my holiday and was so glad. The day I went, Kamakura was packed with visitors. I found the restaurant easily using the instructions and photos given here and on their website, but when I went in I was told they are full, sorry. I was upset, and took out my printed confirmation and said I had a reservation and from nowhere a Japanese man came out shouting my name to welcome me! It is definitely worth booking

I was seated in a large room with about 10 other diners, all Japanese. Ladies in traditional kimono served us. I went for the sakura oprion, which was the biggest and most expensive (I thought it was once in a lifetime). A reay of food was bought out and each time I finished a bowl, it was taken away and something replaced it. The food kept coming and I was worried about how much more there could be! It was so filling - I had this for lunch and was full for the rest of the day. Everything was beautiful, everything was delicious and the things they did with familiar (and unfamiliar) beans and vegetables was incredible. The bean plate was the best - they had all been cooked in different ways and I didn't want it to end.

The meal consisted of vegetables and grilled shiitake, sesame tofu with wasabi, deep-fried tofu and fried bean curd skin, simmered pumpkin,vegetable filled yuba (amazing!), boiled beans, fried okra dipped mugwort, plum fruit wine aperitif, miso soup, rice and Japanese apple for afters.

You had unlimited green tea, but it was extremely bitter and you could order additional drinks if you wished.

The sakura meal was huge, but worth the Y4389 as it was incredible. Kamakura is one of my favourite places in Japan, and this meal gives more reasons to keep going back!

Pros: So much food!, Peaceful atmosphere, Wonderful food

Cons: Expensive, Booking needed to avoid disappointment

Shauna333

28 Apr 2013

Just a small update, as I went back in March 2013. The 3 menu options are still available, and I went for the sakura menu again (how could I resist?!). It had changed to include seasonal options, but was just as delicious as before.

I went on a non-national holiday and it was much quieter. I still emailed ahead to book and had a lovely seat by the window looking over the gardens. I enjoyed the meal very much and also had a glass of yuzu juice, which the staff allowed me to try first as I had never had it before.

I love Kamakura very much and this is always part of a beautiful day there.

eatinggreen

Points +608

Vegan
06 Nov 2011

Best value at lunch time

This place is walking distance from where we live but for some reason we never tried it because we assumed it was a tourist trap. Recently though (having seen the reviews here, funnily enough!) we decided to give in and see what it was like. The first visit we went for lunch, having booked ahead (you need to book at least 1 day in advance) and chose the most expensive set option (about 5000jpy each) just to see what they can do. It was very pleasant. Well prepared and nicely presented temple cuisine in a simple but rustic, wabi-sabi-esque environment looking out onto a small garden. We thought it was expensive for what we got, but nice all the same and came away feeling a bit silly for never having ventured in before.

The second time we went there was last week and this time was for dinner. We opted for the medium option rather than the most expensive one, since the only difference seemed to be some matsutake mushrooms and it was a huge price leap. Even the one we ordered cost around 8000jpy each, which is quite a bit already. This time too it was all very good but sadly we did not come away feeling it was value for money. The amount of food served was similar to what we got for a much better price at lunch time - and even then we thought the price was high. The atmosphere felt less enticing at night too - a bit sad and lonely without the garden view and natural light. The service was also a bit rushed - we were in and out very quickly, which is not what you expect at this price point. We will no doubt come again but probably only for lunch. For dinner at that price you are better off going in to Tokyo and eating at one of the temple cuisine restaurants there (try Bon if you haven't already).

Pros: well prepared temple cuisine, all tastes good, nice simple vibe in the daytime

Cons: expensive for what you get, service is variable, dark and lonely at night

elizabeth.harmon

Points +39

Vegan
21 Oct 2011

Wonderful Experience

My boyfriend and I made reservations and visited this restaurant, the directions for which we found on Happy Cow. The staff was really friendly and accommodating and tried to explain things in English the best she could. It is a traditional Japanese restaurant (remove shoes, floor style seating). They offer a few set menus, that are pricey but we enjoyed the way that they served the menu. They have wheat-meat in one of the dishes that we ate and it was delicious we also liked the fried tofu pouch soup. I don't remember what it was called but we were fighting over it towards the end. (not really fighting) The vibe was really cool, we got to try a lot of new foods.

Pros: atmosphere, location, food

Cons: price

Akane

Points +30

Vegetarian
06 Jan 2010

Great traditional shojin-ryori!

Had an amazing meal here. They have three restaurants near each other, so make sure you're at the veg one. They have an explanation sheet in English. Everything's veg (no fish stock)! It's not cheap (~$45 per person), but it's totally worth it - everything was fresh and delicious.

Pros: great food, attentive service, traditional ambiance

Cons: slightly pricey




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