When I moved to Kyoto 5 years ago I spent a lot of time exploring the city for good places to eat. One of the first eateries I walked into was called “Matsuontoko”. It was a decent little cafe in the Shijo/Kawaramachi area that had some pretty good vegan burgers, a relaxed vibe, and maybe the service was a little too relaxed. I went there a handful of times but it wasn’t one of my must-go dining spots. Late last year, I noticed that the name of the cafe had changed but otherwise it looked very similar from the outside, and seemed to offer the same type of veggie fare. When I went there for a meal, I found not only had the name changed, but it morphed into something special altogether that is now a mainstay for great lunch and dinner entrees, salads, sodas, and some of the most satisfying vegan burgers this side of anywhere.
The burgers…..OMG. They have three on their menu and each is unique and addictingly good. The one pictured above is their Crispy Soy Chicken Burger. Deep-fried soy and seitan (I love that word) with red cabbage and housemade [sic] tartar sauce. Let me tell you, I usually hate tartar sauce. It makes me feel queasy just thinking about it, but I couldn’t get enough of this burger and it was smothered. The potato wedges on the side were a great accompaniment. If only there were more….
Before I get carried away let me tell you how to find this place. It is about a 5 minute walk from the Hankyu Kawaramachi exit. From underground, you’ll want to take the stairs up exit #9. From above ground, just look for the Teramachi shopping arcade on the North side of Shijo street. Teramachi is actually two parallel streets, and you want to be on the Easternmost street. AIN SOPH. Journey is about 100 meters north of Shijo street on your right just outside the covered area. It’ll look like this…..
Outside you can see some of their displays advertising the beautifully presented food, and yes, it does look like that when you order it.
Inside they have two floors. I prefer sitting on the top floor next to the fruit-infused-water dispenser. There are also some sofas around select tables which are perfect for when you just want to chill.
Before we get to the food, let me tell you my favorite thing about this restaurant (besides the food); It’s never too crowded and the service is impeccable. There’s another restaurant that I love up the street, and it is always jam-packed with an average of 30 minute wait times every time I go. So far, this place is relatively un-discovered, and I have never had to wait to get in yet.
The menu here is pretty decent, with salad-based entrees and plates like Taco-rice, a kind of Mexican/Japanese hybrid. They also have a couple kinds of curry and rice. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great, but also the same kind of food I make at home all the time so today we will focus on their burgers. Here is their avocado Ripple-Cheeseburger that I had the last time I went.
I don’t know why it’s called a “ripple” burger. It should be called the “OMFG this is delicious” burger. It had that great charred taste, chewy texture, and cheesy flavor and a nice hint of the mushroom and other veggies the burger is made of. I don’t like when a burger tastes too much like animal meat so getting just a slight touch of the vegetable flavour is a big plus for me. Also I could’ve sworn there were the most delicious grilled onions on it. Maybe they’re hiding…
The first time I went here I tried their Katsu Burger. Katsu is deep-fried cutlet, and I believe this one is using wheat and soy as a pig substitute. i’ll let the pic below speak for itself.
The last, and maybe my favorite, is the aforementioned Fried-Soy-Chicken Burger. Here’s another angle of that one.
Of course, if you’re feeling like a healthier option you could go for the salad. or do what I did and just order both. There are small side salads you can order with the burgers, but I wanted to try the full plate. Their house dressings are wonderful.
Last but not least, are a couple of the sides I ordered. One is their katsu cutlet but served on a plate with some spicy brown mustard, and also they have great cream sodas. Take a look.
What more is there to say? If you are looking for great vegan food in Kyoto city, don’t miss AIN SOPH. Journey.
kansai veg 