Kyoto is home to a growing number of vegan restaurants, perhaps because it continues to attract a remarkable number of international visitors. Many of these restaurants draw inspiration from shojin ryori, Japan’s traditional Buddhist cuisine, while blending its principles with contemporary influences and gradually shaping a distinctive vegan food culture.
Among them is Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto, a restaurant reimagining ramen through a fully vegan lens while offering an immersive dining experience.
Through the Passageway into Another World
Hidden along Shin-Karasuma-dori, a few hundred metres south of Kyoto Imperial Palace’s southeastern corner, the restaurant occupies a traditional machiya-style building with a tiled roof. A simple rectangular entrance opens into view, revealing a brightly coloured wood-panelled passageway beyond. With no noren curtain or plastic food displays, nothing about the exterior suggests that this is a ramen shop. Only a modest sign bearing its name guides first-time visitors arriving by reservation.
Passing through the corridor, guests are suddenly transported into an otherworldly space. A vast display dominates the wall, where ink-black fluid slowly twists and flows as if alive. Its reflection shimmers across the pitch-black table at the centre of the room, deepening the dreamlike atmosphere. Although lights are installed in the ceiling, their sole purpose is to illuminate the dishes with precision.
A Dining Experience Created in Collaboration with teamLab
The digital ink painting that defines the space is the work of teamLab, the renowned digital content company. Titled Reversible Rotation – Black in White, the piece belongs to the genre of “spatial calligraphy” (kuusho), in which writing is created within a three-dimensional environment. The work uses teamLab’s concept of “Ultrasubjective Space,” creating an illusion where the direction of rotation can appear to shift depending on the viewer’s perspective.
According to Goto (pictured below), who spoke with us on behalf of the restaurant, Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto opened in 2021. The collaboration with teamLab was born from a desire to create a space where guests could engage more deeply with the act of eating, and even with the experience of being alive itself.
An Appetiser of Intricate Flavours
Guided by Goto, I took my seat. There was only a single table, surrounded by 16 chairs. In other words, every guest shared the table with others, yet there was a surprising lack of hesitation in sitting beside or across from strangers. Goto explained, “We hope guests will enjoy conversations with people from different countries and backgrounds, regardless of language or nationality.”
The main course of the UZU Signature Course allowed guests to choose between two types of ramen. As I occasionally sipped my drink and gazed at the moving ink painting, I found myself unexpectedly lost in reflection. It had already been six years since I became vegan and began practising meditation. I felt the avant-garde digital artwork bringing a sense of calm to my mind in a way I had never expected.
The arrival of the appetiser, Vegan Cheese, served with Yatsuhashi, brought me back to the present. Resting on a simple raised ceramic bowl filled with cacao husks (the outer shells of cacao beans) was a small serving of the dish. I was encouraged to eat it in a single bite. A flavour unlike anything I had experienced before spread across my palate. It began with the taste of smoked cheese, gradually shifting into something subtly spicy, before ending with the gentle sweetness of yatsuhashi.
I later learned that the dish also incorporated sauces made with carrot, vegan mayonnaise, myoga ginger and chrysanthemum greens. These hidden elements came together to create a layered harmony of flavours.
Appetiser: Vegan Cheese, served with Yatsuhashi
Vegan Dining Experience That Defies Expectations
For the main course, guests can choose between two ramen options: Soy sauce & Fermented mugwort or Spicy MISO & Sake kasu. For this visit, I was able to order both and compare the two.
I began with the Soy sauce & Fermented mugwort. The soy sauce is kneaded into the restaurant’s homemade thin noodles, while the soup is based on kombu and shiitake mushrooms, enhanced with fermented mugwort liquid. Goto explains, “Rather than mixing the noodles and toppings together, we encourage guests to start from the front and enjoy how the flavours evolve as they eat.” Following the guidance, I toke my first bite of noodles.
Main Dish: Soy sauce & Fermented mugwort
To be honest, I always struggle when trying to put an unfamiliar flavour experience into words. This time was no exception. The dish immediately challenged my preconceptions of what ramen should taste like, as well as the assumption that vegan cuisine must be light and delicate. Coated in the rich soup, the noodles delivered a deep, complex umami that I haven’t encountered before, with layers of flavour unfolding across the palate. The toppings of tomato, spinach and black maitake mushrooms added further colour and dimension to the experience.
Sitting across from Goto, I felt it would be rude to simply continue eating in silence, so I tried to express my thoughts. Yet no words came. In the end, all I could offer was the rather inadequate comment, “This is a truly unique flavour I’ve never experienced before,” leaving me slightly disappointed, wishing I could’ve described it better.
Next came the Spicy MISO & Sake kasu. While the noodles changed to a flat style and some of the toppings were different, the most significant difference was the soup. It was even richer, yet carried a refreshing, lingering heat that spread gently across the palate. According to Goto, the spice comes from homemade chilli oil and doubanjiang, while oat milk is added to soften the intensity. Its depth of flavour brought to mind tonkotsu ramen, yet with a more delicate character. I was genuinely impressed that such complexity could be achieved without the use of any animal-derived ingredients. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
Main Dish: Spicy MISO & Sake kasu
Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto has been awarded the Michelin Green Star for two consecutive years in the Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka. It has also received the Michelin Bib Gourmand for five consecutive years, recognising restaurants that offer exceptional value and a satisfying dining experience at an accessible price point. After experiencing the restaurant firsthand, it is easy to understand why it has earned that kind of recognition. Whether vegan or not, this is a destination I would wholeheartedly recommend visiting at least once.
Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto
Address: 146 Umenokicho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Hours: 12:00–14:45 (last order 13:30), 17:30–22:00 (last order 21:00)
Closed: Irregular holidays
Website: https://vegan-uzu.com/pages/uzu-kyoto
Instagram:@ramen_uzu
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