Vegan
International
Japanese
Organic
Juice bar
Beer/Wine
Fusion

Kyoto branch of Ain Soph vegan restaurant from Tokyo, opened here in 2018. Features plant-based fusion cuisine. Sample dishes such as mushroom hayashi rice, taco rice, and green curry with brown rice. For dessert try matcha pancakes, creme brulee, vegan cheesecake, or ice cream soda. Lunchtime food is served till 4pm. Note that a minimum is required for card payment. Often closed for dinner various days of the week so check their Instagram for details or call in advance. Open Mon-Tue 9:00am-4:00pm, Wed-Thu 11:30am-4:00pm, Fri-Sun 9:00am-4:00pm. Last order is 1 hour before closing time. Hours can be irregular; please call ahead.


Venue map for AIN SOPH.Journey
© OpenStreetMap contributors

519 Reviews

First Review by kat.ross

benshacklady

Points +62

Vegan
23 Jan 2024

Tasty burgers and good atmosphere

Had a fried seitan burger, was simple but done well and tasted really good. Nice smooth beer too. Located in a nice spot just off Shinkyogoku shopping street in Kyoto. Cozy vibes and friendly staff.

Updated from previous review on 2024-01-23

Pros: Tasty and nutritious burgers , Cool, rustic cozy vibe with lots of seating, Located in a good area

Cons: Sides came well after the mains, Very salty fries, a pro if you like salty fries

samgehrke3

Points +54

Vegan
14 Jan 2024

Not bad! 3.5*

Inside the cafe was really cute and the service was lovely too! I thought the food was pretty good but honestly nothing super special, and a bit more pricey compared to other options available in Kyoto so it didn’t feel super worth stopping in. The matcha latte was great though!!

Pros: Matcha latte

Cons: A bit pricier than other options

SandraMirey

Points +21

Vegan
04 Dec 2023

Los mejores pancakes de Japón

Comimos en varias ocasiones allí, el camarero Jun nos explicó la versión de los platos típicos que han versionado.

Muy recomendado el probar el Kara Age (soja jugosa con dashi vegetal rebozada en almidón y frita) y los heavenly pancakes.

Pros: Buenas porciones, Jugoso y sabroso

Cons: Precio alto (precio con y sin impuestos en carta)

cristianac

Points +90

Vegan
04 Dec 2023

Limited menu but decent

The cutlet burger was good, didn’t love the teriyaki soy chicken. Pancakes were very good - not too sweet but more of a bread consistency than I expected (I don’t typically love pancakes but I liked this about them). One of the pricier meals we’ve had in Kyoto

Pros: Service, Pancakes lived up to the hype

Cons: Pricey , Limited options

woutergm

Points +187

Vegan
24 Nov 2023

Good menu and service

Tasty vegan fastfood. The place fills up quickly. Excellent servicd

lgal

Points +51

Vegan
23 Nov 2023

Fave meal in Kyoto

Favourite meal in Kyoto. They have a couple of GF options, namely the salads and they have a tofu based omelette. My salad had the omelette and chicken style nuggets which were tasty. Fries were also vegan and GF. We went at lunch and no queue.

ErinJordanna

Points +472

Vegan
16 Nov 2023

American style vegan food

I went for the matcha pancakes but they were sold out 😢 I did enjoy the heavenly pancakes though! We tried the soy cutlet burger (was yum) and fries. Could miss out on the karaage as it's not the best soy meat I've had - I recommend adding mayo for dipping sauce. The creamy soda was so good! If you're from Australia, it is like a "spider" drink.

Pros: All vegan, Quick service, Filling

LangdonAlger

Points +47

Vegan
13 Nov 2023

Warm atmosphere, beautiful food

We first came to Ain Soph Journey in 2018, and it really hasn't changed at all, much to our delight! Unfortunately, some of the menu items I remember loving (i.e. the pancakes) are unavailable right now due to limited access to ingredients, but honestly, there's enough deliciousness on the menu to make up for the absences.

Would strongly recommend the Green Curry and Brown Rice, it was so wholesome, very filling, and made me feel so much better after a gruelling flight from Aus! My partner had the Ripple Cheeseburger, which was also amazing, for those who love a burger/fries combo.

Also, PLEASE try the cream soda, it really is next level delicious.

Atmosphere and service are both amazing as well, the service ladies are always happy to help, and speak some English.

LaureDeprez

Points +69

Vegan
29 Oct 2023

Good but not unmissable

The food is good (although I wouldn't recommend the karaage), we had the katsu-like burger. The cream soda is delicious. It's a good quick meal but not the best burger ever.

quirk666

Points +222

Vegan
29 Oct 2023

A bit disappointing

A lot of the menu was unavailable due to restricted access to ingredients which isn’t necessarily their fault but it made the menu feel quite small. I got the ripple cheese burger which was very underwhelming. It was just a V2 patty, bun was dry and there wasn’t much sauce. Flavour was lacking a lot. The chilli fries were small, undercooked and only had a subtle flavour. The reason for three stars was the chocolate cake and whipped cream. Absolute redeeming moment of the meal. Whipped cream was so light and fluffy, the cake dense and dark. If you’re looking for a burger go elsewhere or choose something else on the menu.

Pros: Chocolate cake and whipped cream, Atmosphere

Cons: Burger very underwhelming, Small menu due to restricted ingredients, Pricey

CA89SS

Points +2504

Vegan
23 Oct 2023

Bangin’ burgers

Both burgers were incredible. Beers were lovely and cold. Cheesy fries were sooo good and actually tasted like cheese. Karaage was not the best we have had in Japan but still good. They needed some sort of sauce.

TabithaA

Points +5374

Vegan
20 Oct 2023

Very good

Friendly service
Quite busy but quite fast
Plenty to choose from, however they are having issues with desserts so don't expect them at the moment
Good burgers

trashbaby

Points +589

Vegan
19 Oct 2023

Great burger

This place gets packed so we had to get there about 5-10 mins before it opened for dinner to get in line, because anyone arriving later got turned away as they were full. Can only comment on the burger but it was really good. Slightly pricier than some of the other places we ate at during our trip to Japan

BeanByrne

Points +64

Vegan
11 Oct 2023

Avoid

I was excited to visit Ain Soph after reading so many great reviews. When we arrived a sign outside stated No Burgers were available. Disappointing, but ok. When we were given the menu, there were many post it notes stating items weren't available. That's ok, we chose what was. When we ordered we were told the coffee machine was broken... ok... we chose other drinks. Then we waited, and waited. We could see the kitchen from where we were sat. We could see three or four people working in the kitchen. Two staff waiting on tables. To our surprise we started to see burgers coming out of the kitchen. The sign and post it notes said they were out of stock! After a long wait two of the side dishes we ordered arrived. But no mains. We waited for the mains, but they didn't appear, we decided to eat the side dishes... they were greasy and bland. After another 20 minutes my food arrived but not my partners. We asked the server, she apologised and said it was on its way... I ate my food as it was going cold. It was ok, not worth the wait. After 45 minutes of waiting we gave up waiting for my partner's food. The waitress apologized saying they they were just starting to make it!!! Terrible service. Bland and non existent food. Avoid this overhyped establishment. Oh I gave it one star, but happy cow wouldn't allow that and added another.

tofucourtney

Points +379

Vegan
11 Oct 2023

Lovely lunch

We went for lunch and while there were some things missing from the menu, I suspect a supply issue. Everything we got was delicious, I had a taco salad bowl and my partner had a fake meat bowl (can't remember the name) and we also got chilli cheese fries. I had a soda float which was delightful too!
Lovely staff, fairly quick service

AliceRobinson

Points +28

Vegan
11 Oct 2023

Limited menu available

On the day I visited they were unable to do burgers (I arrived near dinner opening time however it was a public holiday, possibly impacting deliveries). On top of this, they also have several menu items listed as "coming soon", particularly dessert options.
Ended up ordering the teriyaki karagge bowl which was quite oily but the rice and avocado was nice.

Pros: All vegan , Friendly staff, Quirky atmosphere

Cons: Limited menu , Oily faux chicken

pdog1

Points +20

Vegan
07 Oct 2023

Meh

Out of 1/2 of the menu and flavor was lacking. I had the soy cutlet burger. Slaw was Mayo heavy and fries were soggy.

Pros: Good service, Friendly staff, Cute atmosphere

Cons: Out of menu items , Blah food

EmiliaLouers

Points +1241

Vegan
02 Oct 2023

a little disappointed

We had come for the pancakes but there was none, there were a lot of things missing. What we ate was still good but we are a little disappointed

kylijshaw

Points +668

Vegan
30 Sep 2023

Yummy

Ain Soph had been on my list of must visits on our trip - the pancakes were what I was really after. At the time of our visit (September 2023) they were out of the pancakes 🥲 I think they were having a supply issue or possibly changing the recipe (at least I think that’s what their Instagram said) Just bad timing on our part!
I had the taco salad which was much more substantial than it looks at first glance. My sister had the ripple cheese burger and she enjoyed it as well. For dessert we had the chocolate banana parfait and oh my god. So good!! The chocolate ice cream was so silky smooth and paired with the whipped cream and bananas it was 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Hoping to make it back one day to try the pancakes!

mysticsonic

Points +890

Vegan
30 Sep 2023

American influenced food done well

The Ripple burger was yummy! Despite this being a menu with more western influence, the amount of fries that came with the burger was a cute Japanese portion size haha! Probably a good lesson for us in the west! I was happy to be a patron a fully vegan restaurant (especially after seeing some horrible and upsetting things at the "seafood" stalls in Nishiki market).

One drawback was the interior design - it was pretty spartan and a little dark on the lower floor where we were seated, but it was not an overly uncomfortable setting. I am just offering this knowledge as a heads up to those that put more importance on these things!

Zerp

Points +26

Vegetarian
15 Sep 2023

Incredible food!!

Everything was delicious staff were lovely!

Pros: Tiramisu , Soy chicken , Chill space, great music

JeremyFenton

Points +23

Vegetarian
05 Sep 2023

Delicious vegan burgers

Absolutely amazing, fully plant based restaurant.
We each had different burgers, and all thoroughly enjoyed them, even the meat eater!

Pros: Delicious food, Great atmosphere, Fully vegan, no hidden surprises (like elsewhere)

Cons: A slight wait for food, but well worth it!

Osnati

Points +52

Vegan
31 Aug 2023

Delicious and comforting Western cuisine

Generous, tasty and satisfying dishes. In the dessert section, there was only one dessert - a very soft and delicious chocolate cake

Updated from previous review on 2023-08-31

adam080

Points +1263

Vegan
26 Aug 2023

Great food and dessert

Went there twice! The Katsu burger is awesome. The French fries are very tasty. The dessert is very tasty. The ice cream comes with chocolate flakes. Sad they didn’t have the crème brûlée!

Ajmaya

Points +198

Vegetarian
10 Aug 2023

Awful

First of all, the food was good, (what we were finally able to get), but everything else was awful. As a group of 3, we went for dinner. Ordered 3 dinner plates. After a few minutes the waitress came back and told us they only had enough ingredients left for one. I then ordered a burger, and my friend ordered a 2nd choice, (can’t remember what it was). After a minute the waitress returned and told my friend they DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH VEGES to make her meal!! At a VEGAN restaurant! She then ordered the curry. And we waited. And waited. Finally my mum got her meal. 10 mins later I got my burger. 30 MINUTES LATER my friend was served her curry. Ridiculous. We weren’t offered anything by way of apology. Shocking. I guess if you go, go at lunchtime!

Pros: Tasty burger

Cons: Lack of choice , Terrible service, Dingy interior

geember

Points +331

Vegan
07 Aug 2023

American-style offering in Downtown Kyoto

Delicious burger with vegan cheese, multiple dessert options. English menu available. Friendly service.

joel_laun

Points +3084

Vegan
23 Jul 2023

Best cheescake :)

We had lunch at ain soph and really liked it. We tried the mushroom stew, taco rice bowl and kara-age. It was all delicious, but what blew our minds was the cheescake. It tasted soo good, especially with the lovely blueberry sauce. I would definitely come again!

Pros: All vegan, Best cheescake, Nice staff

Cons: Desserts are a bit pricy




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