VEGAN GYOZA YU

Disappointed

I was really disappointed with my experience here. I feel like the positive reviews might be from desperate vegans who have been struggling to find options during their stay in Japan. After days of searching, they stumble upon this place and are so hungry that anything seems amazing.

Usually, when a restaurant says "no sauce needed," it's because the dish is bursting with flavor on its own. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here. The gyoza skins were dry and completely bland, making a dipping sauce essential. They even had a note saying you wouldn’t need it, but trust me, you do. When I asked if they had something spicy or salty to dip them in, the server insisted that the gyoza had enough flavor on their own. She even mentioned that the black-skinned gyoza had chili oil inside, so I asked if I could get some chili oil on the side. She declined.

I tried to take a bite, but I couldn’t stomach it. The gyoza were just unpleasant to eat, in my opinion.

The strawberry soda was another letdown. It wasn’t listed on the menu that it came topped with cream, which I didn’t think paired well with gyoza. To top it off, after just two sips, the drink was basically gone. I understand that drink portions in Japan are smaller, but this was extreme. You can see the portion size in the photo—barely anything there.

I asked for the bill almost immediately. I just wanted to get out of there.

On the positive side, the restaurant is easy to access by train, and the interior is charming. They also have air conditioning and outdoor seating, which is nice. That’s the only reason I’m giving them a star. But as for the food? Never again.

I understand that creating flavorful vegan dishes can be challenging, and we vegans can be critical. But in my opinion, these gyoza lacked flavor entirely. I’d rather heat up some vegetable gyoza from Costco, HMart, or any chain store before coming back here.

It might be cute for Instagram, but I won't even bother posting about this place. It was a complete fail for me.