"Multigenre chef Katsumi Kusumoto opened this little spot in 2019 in the backstreets of Jiyugaoka, and users on the Happy Cow platform quickly chose it as the world’s top vegan restaurant the following year. While the menu is decidedly washoku (Japanese cuisine), Kusumoto’s experience in high-end French cuisine impacts the food from time to time, like a salad made of scoops of lettuce, lime, and rosemary gelato, or a playful blueberry cheesecake that looks like a potted plant. There are several (somewhat confusing) set-course options: If you want an all-out experience, the 8,800 yen ($60) special-course meal gives you a little bit of everything. But you can also opt for the 3,300 yen ($22) prix fixe dinner to try the justly famous unaju (grilled “eel” served over rice in a lacquered box), then order a few extra side dishes, such as the fried yuba rolls. While it’s not as fancy as other award-winning restaurants, reservations are most definitely a must." - Chiara Terzuolo
