Even though I do admit that I enjoy eating a good amount of meat as an omnivore, I also get pretty excited for restaurants and cafes that focus only on vegetarian/vegan options. I enjoy seeing the creativity of people when they figure out how to create classic dishes using alternative ingredients.

With that said, this entry will take a look at one of my favorite eateries here in Tokyo: Eat More Greens. I first found the cafe while surfing the web for places in Tokyo that had apple pie. Yes, this American was looking for apple pie- it is a classic dessert I missed dearly, so do not judge me! Anyway, as I was looking I found a few places, but one stood out; this one place served vegan apple pie. And not just vegan apple pie, but vegan tiramisu and gateau chocola. With my mind already blown, I jotted down the address for the place and made plans to visit it the next day.

The place is pretty easy to access once you exit out the #4 exit of Azabu Jyuban station (Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line). Outside of the #4 exit, follow the left street and continue walking straight down until you see the cafe on the right hand side. The cafe has a nice open-air patio and serves some great seasonal vegetable specialties. When I went, the two main set lunches were vegetable curry and taco rice, along with a seasonal set (it was eggplant mapo tofu at the time). I had a craving for curry, so I chose the curry lunch set and tiramisu as an extra dessert. I also ordered the vegan apple pie for take-home since I knew I would not be able to finish everything there.

After my order, I was first served organic coffee (you have a choice between organic coffee or organic ceylon tea). As I sat there enjoying the warmth of my coffee for a while, the waitress then brought out my curry rice. The whole thing was a festiveness of colors neatly displayed on my plate, emitting an amazingly delicious aroma. I admit that I had low expectations for this dish as an all-vegan dish, but in the end, I was not disappointed. I have to say, hands down, that this is the best curry I have ever had…vegan and non-vegan. I do not know how they did it, but the strong flavor of the curry did not detract from the distinct taste of the sautéed vegetables infused into the curry. I ate each bite slowly, savoring every morsel until my plate was clean as a blank canvas. At the end of my meal, they gave me a tiny dessert of red beans, blueberries, and granola as the final part of my lunch set.

Next came the tiramisu….oh this place just kept getting better and better. Now this was my first time trying vegan tiramisu and I have had a lot of tiramisu in my lifetime. Again, I had low expectations because what else can you add to the classic tiramisu to make it “pop” or stand out? Well, this cafe not only used bananas as a custard-like filling, it incorporated soft blueberries and strawberries to give it a slightly more fruity taste. Instead of being a cocoa coffee-soaked mascarpone delight, this vegan tiramisu was a cocoa fruit-custard filled with creaminess all throughout. The fusion surprised my taste buds and left me wanting more after I had cleaned that tiramisu up.

Would I come back again? Yes, in an instant! I seriously wish that this cafe had more locations scattered throughout the greater Tokyo area though because Azabu Jyuban is actually a difficult location for me to get to. I do plan on going back again, maybe in a few months when my friend from back home in California comes to visit me. That way I can share my love for this place with another foodie and try out something new from their updated menu. Oh, and if you are wondering how that vegan apple pie was that I brought home, well, let us just say I am planning on taking another slice to-go the next time I am at Eat More Greens….or two.

More information on the Eat More Greens website:
http://www.eatmoregreens.jp/

Eat Well,
T.W.