Vegan
Japanese
Asian

Vegan ramen restaurant. Also serves sushi, salad and appetizers. Reservations receive priority and are recommended. Open Tue-Fri 12:00pm-1:30pm, 5:30pm-8:30pm. Closed Fri-Sun.


Venue map for Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto
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70 Reviews

First Review by paulpearne

tiffyday

Points +1986

Vegan
26 Dec 2024

Absolutely amazing

WOW - we absolutely loved everything about this place. The food was next level amazing, full of flavour and like nothing we've tasted before! I loved every single dish they brought out. The experience was unique and enjoyable - a small meditation upon arrival, TeamLabs audio and visual, the large glass table. Will definitely be coming back next time we're in Kyoto!

charlesfromrugrats

Points +109

Vegan
13 Dec 2024

Could be cool, but really try to consider whether you want to

There is a line between cool and gimmicky and I don't know which side this restaurant is on. Quite expensive too (7700 yen).

Nameless_Demon

Points +312

Vegan
09 Nov 2024

Life-changing.

This is the best easting experience I have ever had. The bottom line is this: it is more than worth the price, and you would be doing yourself a disservice if you don't experience it. While I am going into more details below, I would honestly recommend you make a reservation (around 2 weeks in advance) and go blind.

So, specifics. It is a full-course meal that costs 7700 yen, which I would consider expensive if it was just good food (which it isn't). You are given a choice between two ramen options and among a selection of drinks. You are seated in a single, large table with other people, and the staff comes and goes.

The little manifesto on the menu (see photo) lays out the point of the experience. If you get what they are trying to convey, every single aspect of this experience is revealed to serve a very specific purpose. The visuals, the soundscape, the lighting, the mirrors, the choice of which objects around you are reflective and which aren't, and the detailed descriptions by the staff on every part of your meal as you receive it.

Everything is designed to nudge you into a mood of introspection, for your dining to be meditative and for you to feel connected to yourself, the food you eat, and the presence of others around you. It is a well-crafted experience, and for the right type of person, there is simply nothing that comes close to it. If I could give it 10 stars, I would.

I would also note that I didn't know reservations were required, and the incredibly kind staff managed to give me a spot as someone else did not show up. I want to personally thank them for their excellent service :)

Tsukimi

Points +5356

Vegan
09 Nov 2024

Unique experience

The sushi was very good and the atmosphere is very unique. But tbh I don’t get the hype about the ramen. I think you pay for the atmosphere.
I had the green chlorella ramen. They were way too spicy and I found them quite boring with just a thick slice of onion in it. Just wasn’t for me. I think there is plenty of better vegan ramen in Japan.

Updated from previous review on 2023-10-30

FriendsNotFood86

Points +49

Vegetarian
09 Sep 2024

A must-do in Kyōto!

This is an immersive experience that is more than just a restaurant. It starts at the door, with calming music and meditative oils, and includes a full wall of screens displaying art and playing relaxation music. The restaurant itself table consists of one large table, with each position individually lit when occupied.

The food is 100% vegan and includes several courses, which you don’t order (apart from choosing spicy or regular in advance). The food is a variety of Japanese-style dishes such as sushi, ramen, and smaller tasters, as well as a desert and two drinks from a selection. Service was impeccable throughout and the staff maintain a calm but attentive approach, as is very common in Japan

It’s important to point out that whilst UZU may seem more expensive than other restaurants, the experience is very different and not simply somewhere to eat.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and would absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting Kyōto - even if you’re not vegan or vegetarian.

Pros: Immersive and unique experience , Excellent food , Attentive service

Cons: A little more pricey , Each sitting is capped at 55 minutes

ritarao

Points +190

Vegan
23 Aug 2024

Really cool immersive experience

I ordered a ramen and a side dish. Both had very unique flavours! 10/10 recommend for a nice experience with food.
Note: you need to book well in advance for this restaurant

Updated from previous review on 2024-08-23

flash

Points +343

Vegan
04 Aug 2024

Great place to eat

This restaurant offer a unique atmosphere. You feel in peace fhere. And the food is absolutely delicious. The menu is short, so go there if you love Ramen.

Pros: The Ramen are delicious, Vegan shushi deserve a try, The atmosphere and design

Cons: The menu is short

Miam43

Points +101

Vegan
31 Jul 2024

Art immersive et ramen

Au delà de la vidéo immersive fascinante, l’attention aux détails fait que ce restaurant offre une expérience culinaire sans pareille.

mlmloon

Points +70

Vegan
22 Jul 2024

Very good ramen and sushi

Unique experience, very good vegan ramen and appetizers. Also the art was cool. The food comes very quickly (too quick!) and appetizers during main meal of ramen. We felt very rushed, hardly had time to enjoy it all. Note: They block money on your creditcard for the reservation and depending on your bank, this will be transferred back to you in a few days/weeks

Pros: Vegan ramen, Art experience while dining

Cons: Creditcard block for reservation, All too quick, being rushed

Harpy23

Points +1415

Vegan
13 Jul 2024

Great ramen in an interesting setting

I've been to teamlab: borderless in Tokyo recently and enjoyed vegan gelato and drinks. (I've tried adding that listing to Happy Cow twice and been rejected with no suitable explanation.)

I was happy to go to another teamlab related venture and have some digital art as a backdrop to my meal.

The food here was delicious. We got the sushi and the gomi no yuba rolls to share between the two of us. I really enjoyed the sushi but my partner found that it had a bit too much wasabi for her liking. We both preferred the yuba, we enjoyed the good savoury flavours and the shiso sauce that came with it helped elevate it further.

I had the tsukemen dipping noodles and it was the first time I'd had a dish like this. The sauce was incredible. It had lots of Sichuan and sansho peppers so it gave a good tingly mouthfeel. There was miso, shiitake and more chilli so it was spicy and savoury with great depth of the flavour. The noodles were also excellent, flatter and thicker than regular ramen noodles and as they weren't submerged in the sauce they kept their texture better. At the end they topped my bowl up with dashi to turn the leftover sauce into a drinkable soup.

My partner got the green tea ramen and raved about it. The broth was good and savoury and didn't taste like green tea which she was happy about. The spiciness of the whole dish built as she ate more of it. There were huge onion rings (not battered ones) on the top which were quite tricky to eat. The noodles were the same as the ones in my dish and they still retained a good bite to them when soaked in broth.

We had room for ice cream too. I had the kinako flavour which I learned is roasted soy bean flour. It has a nutty and slightly savoury taste and was served with a sweet brown rice sauce. It was really creamy and very enjoyable. My partner had chocolate ice cream and this also came with the same sauce. She enjoyed the chocolate flavour and sweetness of the whole thing but did point out that it's probably not for people who don't have a very sweet tooth.

For drinks, I had an iced green tea of some sorts and it didn't really taste of anything. It was a nice vivid green colour though. My partner had a hot green tea with lemongrass and she was happy that she could taste the lemongrass. Neither of us are particularly keen on green tea so we're not great judges of quality.

negevdirect

Points +28

Vegan
31 May 2024

Best Vegan Ramen Ever

Incredibly delicious. So much umami in one bowl.

Pros: Soy ramen, Vegan sushi and yuba starters, Vegan ice cream

SandraAnanos

Points +289

Vegan
30 May 2024

I've had better

Really wanted to love this but didn't meet my expectations. Ramen was good but I've had better. The doughnut is not really a doughnut, has the texture of a cake. I did the sit down option, skip it and just eat outside to save some money, it's not worth it.

HasokaAoldmanKrieg

Points +331

Vegan
24 Apr 2024

Best meal in Japan [top 5 life?]

What an awesome experience start to finish. I won't ruin it for you but this is a must go and totally worth it in every way.

kaleifornian

Points +194

Vegan
23 Apr 2024

favorite meal in japan

not a joke when i say this was my favorite meal in japan... i was finally able to get a reservation of my final attempt after 3 weeks! boy, was i happy i did... start to finish, UZU is an astounding experience both visually and flavorfully. my only regret? forgetting to try the kombucha. pro tip: get the yuba sushi if it's available!

JenniferSegal

Points +60

Vegan
07 Apr 2024

Wow!

What a wonderful dining experience! The teamlabs art was mesmerizing and it was fun to sit at a big table and chat with other diners. Be sure to reserve several weeks in advance. We ordered both appetizers, ramen, and dessert, and it did not disappoint. 10 !

Updated from previous review on 2024-04-07

Pros: Atmosphere , 5 star meal

fill0n

Points +43

Vegetarian
15 Mar 2024

Amazing experience

There was a teamlabs art installation in the restaurant and the room itself was an "Infinity mirror" which made for a great experience while eating.

The food was delicious and a visual treat as well. The sushi had me in awe, definitely recommended.

Reservation strongly recommended as it was a small space

Pros: Food, Art, Visual experience

gerrardould

Points +4393

Vegan
20 Feb 2024

Michelin rated. Not just a restaurant - an experience.

We’d been to the Tokyo version of this restaurant and were blown away. This restaurant didn’t disappoint - in fact, somehow it was even better. There was more to choose from and the room was enormous. Great atmosphere, and spectacular food. We had the best time. Will definitely come again.

nicole_m

Points +3586

Vegan
21 Jan 2024

Great food, but not quite worth the money

I was expecting more of an experience - there was one moving art piece on the wall, but it didn’t really change the whole time we were there, neither did the music much, and it didn’t flow over the table like I had hoped. The food itself was really great - I tried the spicy miso ramen and the sushi. It was very expensive though, two items on the limited menu weren’t available, we weren’t offered water, we had to ask for our sushi as they’d forgotten the order, and I had to pay an 8000 yen deposit for the two seats that might take a month to get back! #Veganuary

Updated from previous review on 2024-01-15

Pros: All vegan , Great food

Cons: Not as much of an experience as expected, Expensive

ToriCortes

Points +133

Vegan
05 Jan 2024

The best ramen

We had the miso based and the herbs ramen. They were both 10/10: so flavorful, rich and cozy. The atmosphere is very cool, people talk very quietly so you enjoyed the music and the art. It's not just a restaurant, it's a whole experience that is totally worth it. A little bit pricey, but it's worth the money.

TRH

Points +13

Vegetarian
05 Dec 2023

Great ramen, tasty sushi, seriously understaffed

Had the 8 mountain herbs ramen and vegan sushi, bith were great. The place has this artsy atmosphere. However, there are only two waitresses working and they always rushed in and out of the kitchen. Very often the whole room is left with the diners alone with zero staff attending to the needs. Took me 30 mins to get a waitress to notice me so that I can PAY.

Pros: Yum ramen, Great atmosphere

Cons: Seriously understaffed

SvB1987

Points +200

Vegetarian
23 Nov 2023

Relaxed dining experience

Loved the atmosphere. The pressed sushi was amazing. Enjoyed the ramen a lot.

mobo95

Points +25

Vegetarian
22 Nov 2023

Incredible

This is the best ramen I’ve had in Japan it had so much flavour. The vegan sushi was also amazing. The ice cream was good but not sensational like the rest of the food. The atmosphere was nice but I guess a little pretentious.

OanaValeriaSerban

Points +439

Vegan
03 Nov 2023

Best Raman

We tried Ramen, Gyoza and Cream Brûlée. All were really good.

Pros: Best Ramen, Great staff

BrianBanks

Points +76

Vegan
02 Nov 2023

Loved it

I booked my reservation here this based more on the Happy Cow ratings than a deep dive on the restaurant. Was delighted to encounter such a unique atmosphere. Food was excellent. I had the sushi and the green mountain ramen.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere

trashbaby

Points +230

Vegan
19 Oct 2023

Awesome experience

High quality food, definitely worth it for the whole experience

Miss.Green

Points +52

Herbivore
12 Oct 2023

Unbelievable tasty Ramen

The best vegan ramen I had so far. You can’t get wrong to eat here. Really cool experience but a bit touristy. Don’t forget to reserve a seat and enjoy the experience also respecting the other guests.

mcallavera

Points +178

Vegan
10 Oct 2023

Incredibly tasty, cool experience

We had the spicy miso ramen and the szechuan pepper miso ramen, which both tasted great, especially the noodles. For starters we had the vegan sushi plate which also tasted incredible. Did not have any desserts.
The atmosphere is really cool and artful, I just found the seating (with strangers right next to you) a bit off-putting. Really nice staff.




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