"A meal at Nezunoya has the same heartwarming effect as a visit to grandma’s house — if you have a rather health-conscious grandmother. Just a short walk away from Ueno Park, this grande dame of Tokyo’s vegan scene has been providing homey meals since 1978. Owner Fusae Torii serves up old-school vegan cuisine based around the concepts of the brown rice diet, which was popular in Japan in the 1960s and ’70s. Open only for lunch, the place serves a small but lovingly cooked menu consisting of a (highly recommended) daily special, vegetable curry, rice-ball set, and a few desserts. Daily specials tend toward home-cooking favorites like croquettes, fried spring rolls, or veggie cutlets, served alongside a generous bowl of miso soup, all made using ingredients that are mostly organic and grown in Japan." - Chiara Terzuolo
