CONTRIBUTED BY KELLYERACE

Back in September, Diann asked where some good vegetarian grub could be found.  There were a bevy of responses, which can be read here.

Well, as it happens one of my ESL students, Maki, is a chef at Bio Smile, one of the restaurants recommended.  She’s also vegetarian.  She also very kindly wrote up the directions to a few of her fave veggie friendly locales.  Let’s hear it for Maki!

1.  Bio Smile Open Sunday thru Thursday 1130-1700 (last order 1630)

We are in Yomitan Village.  Go north on 58 until MIZUGAMA intersection.  Turn left at the light.  At the next light you’ll see a fork in the road.  Bear left and keep going straight over the red bridge. At the first light after the bridge you’ll see a gas station on your right (with a huge shisa in front). Turn right at the gas station.  You will see Bio Smile on your left.

(*note – Maki says that on the weekend Bio Smile offers cooking classes.  Interesting immersion into Japanese experience perhaps???)

2.  Goocuru Cafe Open Monday thru Saturday 1100-1500

This restaurant is in Chatan close to Foster.  Go down 58 and you’ll see a big sign for Hamby Town and San-A.  At the next intersection, KITAMAE, after Hamby Town’s sign, you make a right.  Go straight until the deadend and make a right.  Pass a Hot Spar and Zen on your left, you’ll see Goocuru Cafe on the same side.  They have a parking lot in front of the restaurant.  It’s at the center of three shops.  Their front roof is green.  On their left side is a sexy clothes shop called Body Talk, on the right is a red sign for a yakitori restaurant.

Goocuru_cafe

3.  Salon Cuttho  Open Monday thru Saturday 1130-2200 (last order 2100)

They are in Okinawa City close to Gate 2 of Kadena.  From Gate 2, go straight.  After you pass four traffic lights, you’ll see MAYCO OPTICAL SHOP at the corner.  Make a left.  Go straight and you’ll see a big parking lot on your left.  (You can park there for free for one hour as the restaurant’s customer.)  Turn right in the alley in front of the parking lot.  You’ll see Salon Cuttho on the left.

(Surfing my google translated Salon Cuttho website, I read that Salon Cuttho offers fresh baked bread every morning.  And, could it be, BAGELS???  Fresh, puffy, and tasty looking?  Any of you daredevil gourmands care to investigate?  Would LOVE to hear a field report. -K)

These three serve vegan food (no meat, no eggs, no sugar, no dairy, no chemicals), but if your friends are just normal vegetarian, I recommend another restaurant.

4.  Daikon no Hana  Open every day.  Lunch 1130-1600  Dinner 1700-2200

It is in Okinawa City.  From Kadena Gate 2, go straight until 330, which is GOYA intersection.  Make a left.  Take 330 north and go straight.  330 becomes 75.  Continue past “McDonalds” (on the right)  and “Mister Donuts” (also right) and you will see a big red “Best” sign on the corner opposite “A&W”.  “Daikon no Hana” had a green sign.  You will be able to see the big food picture on the outside wall of the building.  Park underneath.  They have a buffet, not only vegetables, but they have a lot of vegetable meals that feel much healthier than other restaurants.  Lunch is 1400 yen and dinner is 1800 yen.

(I’ve been to this restaurant a couple of times and it’s always packed.  The buffet is big, beautiful and delicious.  It reminds me a little of the salad bar area at Whole Foods.  When you are there, just load your tray up with lots of those little mini plates and go to town.  They do have meat there too, just in case you’ve got a hankerin’.)

17 COMMENTS

  1. I would like to say that I have been to both Salon Cuttho and Cafe Biosmile and they are both terrific..they parking is much better at Salon Cuttho ..plus it is so much easier to find the first time…we almost past cafe Biosmile…I want to try Goocuroo and Grandmas cafe now too!

  2. Salon Cuttho- Great food and great service. The food is fresh, unique and the atmosphere is romantic. The owner/operators are so sweet. My husband and I love the rice/bean dish and their veggie pasta dish. Another great place just out gate two! I dare you to try this restaraunt, you will not be disappointed.
    (Please Note: We are NOT Vegans and we love this place)

  3. Hello neighbors,
    I visited Salon Cuttho and wow!!! The food was so good and I’m a southern girl (California that is, by way of New Orleas) I was totally satisfied. My non Vegan daughter enjoyed it too, and she’s a picky eater. They offer cooking classes, deserts, breads and wonderful food. I’ll go back over and over again!

  4. Thank you so much for this information. My mom is coming to visit next week and she is a vegan and I was so concerned that she would not get to try the local cuisine because she’s vegan and I’ve only been here for 6 months so I’m not an expert on the area yet, but thank goodness for Okinawahai and all of the contributors! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!

  5. The soba place next door and Biosmile have now become the same restaurant. I LOVE their soba, but have usually gotten the vegetable one (lots of cabbage, etc). Yesterday I ordered the “regular” soba and just asked for no meat, it was served with a YUMMY gluten substitute! I figured I’d just get nothing instead of the pork. Was HAPPILY surprised. And the herb noodles are awesome!

  6. I think Goocuru is closed? I don’t know if it is for good, but it did not look like it was going to open anytime soon. I wish I could have read the sign on the door.
    I never got to try it 🙁
    If anyone goes and finds it open, please post 🙂

  7. My husband and I, who are self-proclaimed “junk-food vegetarians,” also love Salon Cuttho. The prices are reasonable and it is hands down the best food I have eaten here in Japan. Everything is extremely healthy and still very satisfying! I have been addicted to the Brazilian rice and beans dish and order it every time for the 6 or months we have been frequenting Salon Cuttho. Try the soup, it is delicious! The breads are all wonderful, but my favorites are the chocolate banana rolls. We have ordered both the chocolate pie and cake for special occasions, and were pleased with both. They are not as sweet as their American counterparts, but are somewhat healthier and free of animal products. The owner, Jun, says he only uses brown sugar in his dishes. The owner and his wife are extremely amiable people, we often stay and chat for more time than we spend eating and I love the idea of supporting a local business with ethics.

  8. I agree that Salon Cuttho has delicious food. I’ve been rotating among Goocuru Cafe, Salon Cuttho and Biosmile, the three vegan cafes in the local area. All of them are great places to eat.

    My husband is not a vegan and he doesn’t really like Japanese food but after eating at Salon Cuttho, he said ” That’s the best food I’ve had since I’ve been in Japan”. We also ordered take-out and after eating that he said ” How is it possible to have take-out food taste even better than food you receive in a restaurant.” The flavor of the food is exceptional and as he often says, “I didn’t even miss the meat.”

    Those of you who live near Kadena are fortunate to have this restaurant in your backyard. Salon Cuttho has a website with blogs. You can translate it to English. The most recent blog mentioned that they were closed temporarily due to catering. http://saloncuttho.ti-da.net

  9. Attempted to go to Som Chai on Friday — closed, so walked to Mike’s — closed, then tried Sabini — closed. But next door to Sabini (down the alley) surprise, surprise was Salon Cuttho which I had never seen!

    It was great! Yes, to the fresh bread! In fact, several people came in while we were eating just to buy bread. I went home with a cocoa & raisin roll and a sour roll. They did have bagels and some other delightful looking items.

    There are about 8-10 sets to choose amongst — ranging from 1000-1400 Yen. Mine had a fab soup, brown rice, a lovely salad, a couple veg items, seaweed salad, and two croquette kind of things — one potato, the other a lentil mash thing. It was all yummy and quite filling! My friend had a soy cream pasta and said it was great. There was a list of 5 or so vegan desserts, but we didn’t have time.

    They are closed on Sunday and Mondays. And it’s quite small inside. But I will be going back with my vegetarian daughter — she’ll be so happy to be able to order ANYTHING on the menu! Only down side was that the menus were not in English — but each item had a picture — so I picked and pointed.

  10. Finally went to Goocuru today. It was DELICIOUS! There are about 8 little tables and they had 4 set meals for lunch ranging between 1280Y and 1500Y. I got the pasta set and the daily special. Both were fabulous — wonderful brown rice with the special and a yummy patty of some sort. The pasta was great, too. Hibicus tea. And then a chocolate sort of thing for dessert (extra) — that I think was vegan if I understood. The info says they use organic items primarily. They sold some organic items (raspberry leaf tea, etc). My one year old LOVED it, my 3 year old maybe 8/10. Unfortunately no high chairs or booster seats, so that was a bit of a challenge. But I’ll go back with my portable booster!

  11. My hubby and I just went to Salon Cuttho and we found the food quite tasty. I highly recommend the vegan plate which had steamed spinach and broccoli and samosas and lentils and eggplant and potatoes and spicy cabbage and sauteed leeks and I am sure I am forgetting something, but you get the idea. We also had the beans and bread plate which was like indian dal with bagels to scoop it up. Hot tea to wash it all down. Yum. I saw brownies, but we were too full to try the sweets this time. Oh darn, I guess I’ll have to make a return trip.

  12. Just tried Daikon No Hana today and absolutely loved it. The kids were pretty happy too with the soba and tofu so it was nice and I certainly got my fill. Hopefully I burned off some of the calories getting up to get more and more food for me and the little ones!

  13. I will! Forgot to ask her about organic markets today, but I’ll be be sure to when I see her next week. I asked her whether Bio Smile (her restaurant) served meat at all, ’cause I think that in the other vegetarian food thread there was some mention of pork served there. Maki said there was no meat, but meat-tasting items made of soy or gluten or something like that. And the cheese is non-dairy.

    Hope you get your hands on some of that bread! Let me know how it is!