Japanese food can seem like easy territory for vegetarians: tofu, vegetables, rice, miso. The catch is that a great deal of Japanese cooking is seasoned with fish, in a way that is easy to miss if you do not know to look for it.
The main culprit: dashi
Dashi is the stock at the heart of Japanese cooking. It goes into miso soup, simmered dishes, noodle broths and dipping sauces. The most common kind is made with kombu, a seaweed, and katsuobushi, dried and smoked bonito flakes.
That means a dish can contain no visible fish at all and still not be vegetarian. Our guide to dashi explains the different types in more detail.
Dishes that often look vegetarian but are not
- Miso soup. Usually made with a fish-based dashi.
- Agedashi tofu. Most restaurant versions use katsuobushi in the broth.
- Simmered vegetable dishes. Often cooked in fish-based dashi.
- Noodle broths. Udon and soba broths are usually bonito-based.
- Dishes topped with bonito flakes. Look for the thin, wispy flakes that move in the heat.
- Instant dashi granules. Many brands are made with bonito extract.
Ingredients that are fine for vegetarians
- Soy sauce, mirin and sake contain no animal products.
- Miso paste on its own is fermented soybeans, although miso soup often is not vegetarian.
- Tofu in all its forms.
- Kombu, the seaweed used for vegetarian dashi.
- Dried shiitake, which also makes an excellent dashi.
How to spot a genuinely vegetarian Japanese dish
Ask one question: what is the dashi made from? If the answer is kombu or shiitake, you are fine. If the answer is "dashi" with no further detail, assume it contains fish until you have checked.
Our two vegetarian dishes
Two of the eight dishes on our menu are vegetarian:
Agedashi tofu. Tofu dusted in starch, lightly fried and served in a warm broth with enoki mushrooms. We make ours with a kombu dashi, which is seaweed-based rather than fish-based, so it is genuinely vegetarian, unlike many restaurant versions.
Veggie mapo tofu. Mapo tofu is traditionally made with minced pork. Ours leaves the meat out entirely and builds the savoury depth with toban djan, a fermented broad bean and chilli paste, plus aubergine and mushrooms.
What about vegan?
Both dishes are made to be plant-based. Even so, if you need fully vegan food, tell us when you book so your chef can check every component rather than assume. We would always rather confirm than guess.
A note for pescatarians
If you eat fish, the whole menu opens up apart from the meat dishes. Miso glazed salmon is a highlight. Note that gyudon uses a fish-based dashi, but it is also a beef dish, so it will not suit you either way.
FAQ
Is miso soup vegetarian?
Usually not, because it is normally made with a dashi containing bonito flakes. It can be made vegetarian with a kombu or shiitake dashi.
Is agedashi tofu vegetarian?
Many restaurant versions are not, because the broth contains katsuobushi. Ours is made with a kombu dashi, so it is vegetarian.
Is soy sauce vegetarian?
Yes. Soy sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt and water.
Does oishee cater for vegetarians?
Yes. Two of our eight core dishes are vegetarian, and you can book a visit made up of only those. Tell us about any other dietary needs when you book.