Eat Well: Tsumugu Cafe - Ikebukuro
Down the street from Rikkyo University and a short 10-minute walk from Ikebukuro station you’ll find Tsumugu cafe. This small restaurant specializes in Taiwanese and oriental vegetarian cuisine with plenty of vegan options. The feeling of this cafe reminds me of a cozy cottage and it’s somewhere you can relax for hours while enjoying traditional and fusion Taiwanese meals. We often come here on dates with our partner.
Many of the items on the menu at Tsumugu Cafe are made with traditional Chinese medicine in mind, so they’re not only filling but also healthy. On this visit, we decided to try the lunch set, which included two soups, salad, and dumplings. Let’s get into it.
The first soup we tried was a small bowl of vegetables in a light, clear broth. Seaweed, small diced pumpkin, and corn all swam happily together in the hot broth, leaving me saying, “That’s good soup.” Though simple, it was surprisingly delicious and satisfying.
Next, we took a stab at the salad. We’re not the type to enjoy salads, but this one was okay. The ingredients tasted super fresh with crisp leaves of lettuce and spinach studded with tomato and corn. It was dressed simply with oil and vinegar to add a pop of flavor. Refreshing, but not exciting.
The plate of dumplings was quite filling and we wish there had been more than four. Gently wrapped in a pleasantly chewy dough was a mix of mock meat, mushrooms, ginger, and minced veggies. They were coated in chili oil and vinegar with the slightest hint of spice that even those with a low tolerance to spicy foods would be able to enjoy. If they sold packs of the dumpling-sauce combo in stores we would definitely work it into our meal prep rotation.
And finally, the main attraction was a larger bowl of herbal soup. In traditional Chinese medicine, black foods should be eaten in winter and that was well represented in this dish. The black vinegar broth was a touch sour, syrupy, and cloying. Which contrasted with the taste of the first soup we tried. There was a bounty of fillings including mushrooms (enoki, wood ear, and shiitake), dates, goji berries, carrot, coriander, ginger, and a slice of soy ham. The rice noodles were perfectly cooked. This was a fruity, sweet, and sour experience we weren’t expecting. Usually, we drink the broth, but after such a filling meal and with such potent flavors, we couldn’t finish it.
As usual when we visit Tsumugu Cafe, we felt full and satisfied at the end of the meal. This lunch set was reasonably priced, our service was good, and there’s always a table at this friendly neighborhood restaurant. Overall, we’ll give our meal a 3/5. We’ll be back in the future to try some more of their vegan friendly options and share the experience with ravenous readers. For now, eat well.
Eat Well: Thunder Tacos - Utsunomiya, Tochigi
When we go out of town for work we always try to find a new vegan restaurant to experience and share with other travelers. So, while waiting for our shinkansen back to Tokyo from Tochigi we decided to grab a bite to eat. We were craving Mexican food and luckily there was a vegan-friendly option not too far from Utsunomiya station. Thunder Tacos is about a 20-minute walk from the station and we were pleased to see a few vegan options on the menu including tacos and a burrito. We were hoping to eat the burrito however, we were informed that it takes about 40 minutes to prepare and they recommended ordering it in advance for those who know they will be coming ahead of time. When we got to the restaurant we found the interior classy and well-designed. We chose to sit in a booth to watch the staff work in the open kitchen because it’s always fun to watch the culinary magic happen. In addition to indoor seating, there’s a pick-up window outside for those on the go.
Since we couldn’t have a burrito this time we decided to try the vegan version of the vegetarian tacos. These small tacos came with a soft hand-made tortilla that held up against the weight of the toppings. The filling includes red and green salsa, avocado, red cabbage, red onion, cilantro, and seasoning. There were also a couple of lime wedges to squeeze on top for an extra layer of flavor and we got a side of jalapeno because we love spicy foods. The menu said they would come with beans as well, but we didn’t see or feel any. It may be that only the vegetarian option comes with beans if they’re made with an ingredient that isn’t vegan. Either that or it was an extremely small portion of beans. The veggies were crisp and fresh and the soft avocado added a nice contrast in texture. We wish they had given us some utensils as the tacos were a bit messy to eat because the generous helping of topping fell out of the back. The overall flavor of the taco was well-blanced and delicious so we ordered a set to-go with some french fries. However, it should be noted that the takeaway set only comes with three slightly bigger tacos. They kindly put the salsa on the side so the tortillas won’t get soggy before you can eat them.
The chef who took our order patiently answered our questions about the vegan items and was able to communicate with us in English, which was much appreciated. If we get the chance to come back to Thunder Tacos, we look forward to trying the burrito to see how, if at all, it differs from the tacos’ contents and flavor profile. We’ll give our meal and experience from Thunder Tacos a sold 4 out of 5!
