Ovo
Japanese
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. 善Zen is an okonomiyaki restaurant. Has English menu with vegetarian options - check which ones of these are or can be vegan. Open Tue-Sun 5:00pm-10:00pm.


Venue map for Zen
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71 Reviews

First Review by CandieCat

jennyc32

Points +4204

Vegan
11 Apr 2025

Tasty food

We were looking for a meal close to Shinjuku station, so we gave this a try. We attempted to book a table online but couldn't get the form to work. Luckily we got in without a wait at around 6.45pm on a Friday - it was busy but no waiting.

Based on other reviews, my understanding was that everything on the vegan page is vegetarian, meaning that the cheese is dairy and so the truly vegan dishes are those that do not list cheese as an ingredient. Because of that inaccurate use of the word "vegan", I'm knocking off a star in my rating.

We all got the basic vegan okonomiyaki. It was quite thick, a really generous portion. One member of our group thought there was too much sauce on top - I don't like saucy food much and I thought it was fine though. For me there was a bit too much ginger in it, but another member of our group really loved that. Overall it was neither the best nor worse okonomiyaki I've tried, it was good but not mind-blowing. The little dish of tofu on arrival was really nice, very well seasoned.

Service was fast and friendly. There's an English menu and our server spoke good English too. There are some tables with chairs, some low tables with mats, and some stools at the bar.

lofijosh

Points +25

Vegetarian
06 Apr 2025

Fantastic staff and great food!

I loved this place, great okonomiyaki!

LarsMueller

Points +473

Vegan
18 Feb 2025

pretty good but pricy

Surprisingly it was very filling and also delicious. There was a table charge (Tofu) and i payed 1850 yen only for the basic vegan okonomiyaki, so it is not cheap.

Pros: comfortable restaurant, Delicious , i was full after it

Cons: Pricy (the vegan is more expensive), slow

anaellel

Points +688

Vegan
10 Feb 2025

Good

Good vegan okonomiyaki. Nothing fancy, but nice to be able to try traditional Japanese food made vegan. Friendly staff.

veggiejodo

Points +19

Vegetarian
30 Oct 2024

Excellent food and service

The servers were very friendly and spoke amazing English, the food was delicious and very filling with large serves.

Just note the vegetarian menu is more like pescatarian. For vegetarian, go to the vegan menu, which has some vegetarian items (including cheese) and other items are vegan. The English menus are otherwise clearly marked and the servers will double-check the ingredients when you order.

DaleWylde

Points +66

Vegan
11 Oct 2024

Great local food

Great classic Japanese dish. The staff speak good English and understand what vegan means. Big portion size and good price honestly you could probably feed 2 people with 1 dish. Vegan orders are cooked on a separate cooker. Also delicious, great vibe and really friendly staff.

Pros: Food was delicious , Staff understand vegan , Very cozy traditional Japanese feel

Cons: Only really 2 vegan options but theyre delicious

StephF

Points +139

Vegan
01 Oct 2024

Awesome staff

The food was quite good but the real standout were the staff who went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time and that everything was vegan. Surprisingly knowledgeable given it’s not a vegan restaurant. It was very quiet when we were there (around 7:30pm on a Tuesday) - no trouble getting a seat and the full attention of the staff.

Pros: Fantastic staff

RahelT.

Points +17

Vegetarian
15 Sep 2024

Super fein

Das Restaurant ist sehr authentisch. Es hat eine ganze Seite vegetarische Angebote und eine weitere Seite vegane Angebote.

Gwenne

Points +25

Vegetarian
10 Sep 2024

Delicious okonomiyaki

A reasonable choice of dishes with plenty of help from server to ensure nothing unwanted was in the dish.

Pros: Very helpful service, Delicious food, Different seating options

pemasaskia

Points +372

Vegetarian
08 Aug 2024

great okonoyimaki!!

i was there between 5 and 6 pm on a thursday night and i was the only patron for most of it, two businessmen came in later. staff were super welcoming and friendly. i originally asked for the vegetarian cheese okonoyimaki, but when i asked if it could be made without dashi they said they would give me the vegan one instead (but it still had presumably dairy cheese on it... so it wasn't vegan...). this was prepared in front of me and was super yummy and filling. it was on the expensive side, as you have to order a drink and there is a ¥250 per person table charge, so my total was nearly ¥3k. but it was a great experience and i would recommend to any vegan/vegetarian in the area!

mikaelaadair

Points +33

Vegetarian
05 Aug 2024

Good food but better staff

Very clear menu and staff happy to discuss options with you. Food was good, had the udon stir fry and edamame. Wish I tried the okonomiyaki though. The chefs were all very chatty and talked with me for a few hours (gave advice on my travels through google translate and maps). Would come back again if I was in the area!

Pros: Clear menu , Lovely staff

Cons: Udon didn’t have much flavour, was quite plain

elinerenne_

Points +638

Vegan
31 Jul 2024

Recommend!

Nice place, friendly staff and good food. Order came fast. Really recommend the ginger one,

Elsinore

Points +37

Vegetarian
21 Jul 2024

Loved it!

Food was great: flavourful and freshly made to order. There’s an English menu witha clearly indicated vegetarian and vegan section. The waiter spoke English and kindly asked whether we wanted dashi or not when we ordered options from the vegetarian menu.
Very friendly staff who even went out of their way to take a photo of us after we left the restaurant and lend us an umbrella since it had started to rain.

macurqcron

Points +60

Vegan
07 Jul 2024

Vegan Okonomiyaki!

Freaking delicious Okonomiyaki. We got the “modern” version with udon noodles. Vegan page at the back of the menu. Large portions, but can get a take away container for leftovers. Seems like you need to buy a drink with your food. Lively atmosphere, would totally go back

Updated from previous review on 2024-07-07

Pros: Okonomiyaki, Lively atmosphere , Good drinks

kaleifornian

Points +194

Vegan
22 Apr 2024

okonomiyaki heaven

zen is a traditional okonomiyaki restaurant with vegan options. my go-to is edamame, side of avocado, ginger okonomiyaki & cold sake. they also seem to serve a little cold tofu at the beginning of you meal like bread at some restaurants in the states. love the tofu, so cute.

SamGilbert

Points +98

Vegan
31 Jan 2024

Delicious Japanese Food!

They have a specific section at the back of the menu for vegan dishes. I went for dinner twice during my stay in Tokyo, got the delicious okonomiyaki modern (savoury pancake with vegetables and udon noodles) with a side dish of edamame. Was served with a small portion of soft tofu topped with spring onions and ginger 🔥👌🏻 Also peanut-free which was important to me having an allergy. I would definitely recommend!

digitalmimi

Points +1906

Vegan
27 Dec 2023

Good Okonomiyaki

Happy to find a place in the city center with vegan options. Vegetarians beware, the “vegetarian” options actually have fish broth in them, so aren’t truly vegetarian. Restaurant is able to accommodate larger groups.
The only thing I was disappointed was that you didn’t get to grill the okonomiyaki yourself

sophieliv8

Points +61

Mostly Veg
23 Dec 2023

Vegan okonomiyaki

Nice option that suits everyone, as they have a variety of vegan and meat options. The tomato vegan Okonomiyaki was pretty good and decently sized. Important to note that this place like most in tokyo, has a one drink , one food order per person rule.

jfarmer

Points +54

Vegan
13 Dec 2023

Brilliant !

Excellent service, and get options for not vegan and vegetarian! Must try !

d.vegan

Points +878

Vegan
23 Nov 2023

tasty and filling

a lot of vegan okonomiyaki and side choices!

Updated from previous review on 2023-11-23

SvB1987

Points +236

Vegetarian
20 Nov 2023

Complicated menu

Staff is helpful and will make sure your diet requirements are met.

Updated from previous review on 2023-11-20

Sanglier

Points +192

Vegetarian
17 Nov 2023

Bon mais confusion des genres

J'ai eu l'impression que Zen pense que végétarien = pescatarien et vegan = végétarien ovo-lacto. Des plats contenant du poisson sont sur le menu végétarien et du fromage sur le menu vegan. Pensez à vérifier !

Updated from previous review on 2023-11-17

Pros: bon produit, personnel sympathique , anglais courant

Cons: Pas sûr que vegan du Zen soit vraiment vegan

ssavoy

Points +24

Vegan
28 Oct 2023

Great dinner

They have many vegan options, food was delicious, and the waiter was fully knowledgeable about vegan food.

Updated from previous review on 2023-10-28

Pros: Traditional Japanese dinner experience but vegan, Non-alcoholic beer available, Knowledgeable waiter

DarkRequiem

Points +42

Vegan
25 Oct 2023

Delicious vegan okonomiyaki

Great cosy venue, really friendly staff. They all are knowledgeable about veganism, and everything is clearly labelled on the menu. Highly recommend!

jlhaves

Points +20

Vegetarian
05 Oct 2023

Awesome menu of options

It is incredibly difficult to find a restaurant that serves vegetarian, and to know what your options are, but this had an English menu that details both vegetarian and vegan options clearly. A welcome relief after much challenge. The restaurant is down a small side street, authentic and good food.

Pros: Huge servings, you won't be hungry, Great options on menu, Ability to eat with others, meat options too

Cons: Min order of 1 dish per person - big servings

Julie.x.taylor

Points +63

Vegetarian
15 Sep 2023

Great traditional food and friendly service

Great choice for everybody, meat, vegetarian, and vegan options. There was a vegetarian page and a vegan page to the menu, which allowed you choice and confidence to order. The waiter clarified his understanding of what we wanted to avoid using the pictures on the reverse of the menu. There was a lot of choice and I ordered the tomato okonomiyaki, a side order of grilled vegetables and a bowl of rice, planning to share the sides. The waiter expressed concern that we had ordered too much, as the dish sizes were large. He was correct, and we didn't manage to eat everything, despite it all being delicious. The grilled vegetables were amazing, enough for a meal on their own. The only downside was there were 3 of us and 2 main courses came out and the 3rd was a good 15 minutes later, which was a shame. However, everything was freshly made and delicious.

Pros: The amount of choice, The friendly service, The traditional dining experience

Cons: Waiting 15 minutes for our 3rd main course

hypercubes

Points +578

Vegan
22 Aug 2023

Good okonomiyaki and dessert

I got the regular vegan okonomiyaki and liked it. I also got the roll with red bean and walnuts for dessert (you have to ask for the vegan version). It was kind of like a crepe, and very good!




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