Ocha no Jikan: Nirasaki City (Vegan)

Staff Journal

Main content starts here.

This restaurant in Nirasaki, Yamanashi is a small café-style restaurant that seats around 10 people at a time. But don’t let its small stature mislead you, this restaurant hosts a sizeable selection of menu options, and even an array of vegan and Muslim-friendly breads and desserts. The menus have both Japanese and English, and the café’s bilingual staff are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Although I myself don’t have a dietary restriction, I was excited to try their vegan menu options. I chose the chickpea curry that came with a salad and mini-soup, but I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough since there was no meat. But I was entirely wrong! The chickpeas offered a hearty dose of both flavor and texture, making me feel quite full after finishing the meal. The soup was delicious, so much so that I caught saying it aloud with each spoonful!

All it took was a glimpse at the sweets menu for me to say, “Well, there’s always room for dessert.” There were many items to choose from, including vegan bread, cakes, ice cream, and even vegan apple pie!

Oh boy, it was sure delicious!

Looking out the window, I noticed a Muslim praying area, a tree swing, a tree house and a table with a checkerboard sitting on top. It had been so many years since I had last played outside. Ocha no Jikan definitely made it on my list of favorite restaurants.