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Japanese
Beer/Wine
Kyoto restaurant inside Nishiki market (錦市場). Look for the half open glass door next to the sweet shop stall, approx. 4 stalls before you reach Fuyacho -dori, at 京都府京都市中京区東魚屋町198-1, 〒604-8055. Previously listed as Oasi @ Hale, rebrand and change to vegetarian reported in Sep 2019. Opening hours are reported to be unreliable. Open Tue-Wed 11:30am-3:00pm, Thu 11:30am-2:00pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am-3:00pm, Fri 6:00pm-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 6:00pm-10:00pm.
69 Reviews
First Review by ahimsa333
Noahxp
Points +20
錦市場裡好吃的素餐居酒屋 - Edit
位於錦市場還不錯吃的素食定食，座位不多。 不能拍照是小限制，其他都很好。重點是全素的，而且很好吃！
Read moreGuest
jencompgeek
Points +311
Excellent lunch - Edit
We had lunch here recently and it was quite good. After taking off our shoes (love that!), we were given an English menu and led to one of only 2 shared tables. It seems the prices may have changed since the last reviews. The 2 sets available were 1200 and 1900 yen each. We chose the 1200 set and it was plenty of food. We received a big bowl of rice and mushrooms, tea, and some sides of tofu, pickled and non-pickled veggies. The food was simple and healthy, yet really tasty.
Read morePros: healthy, delicious, vegan
Cons: limited seating, a bit pricey
Guest
Lenny Travels
Points +40
Great inexpensive lunch, dinner not so much. - Edit
I had my first Kyoto meal in Hale. In fact, I had my first meal in Japan there and fell in love with Japanese cuisine. I had their lunch set meal and was wowed by the variety of tofu textures and tastes. The restaurant offered a number of small plates with interesting varieties of pickeled vegetables, mysterious pâtés, and little pieces of tofu and fu ( wheat gluten). My set came with a container of steamed vegetables and dipping sauce, as well as a delicious miso soup and equally delicious green tea. The dining area is intimate and overlooks a beautifully tranquil Japanese garden. The staff understood my vegan needs. I found the two people working that afternoon to be friendly and helpful. Follow the instructions provided by the Happy Cow web page for the restaurant, and you should have no problem finding it, although you have to look carefully for the door with the name in red lettering. I had lunch there twice during my trip, and it was always a pleasure. Be aware, however, that the price rises significantly for dinner, and as several reviewers have complained, there is a table charge as well as a mandatory drink charge. Lunch is relatively cheap, but the dinner adds up with the extra charges. I'd save my money for a really exquisite, special shojin ryori temple meal instead.
Read morePros: Tasty, authentic Japanese lunch sets., Inexpensive lunch., Beautiful garden.
Cons: Expensive dinner., Mandatory dinner drink., Table fee for dinner.
Guest
arherron
Points +355
we found it ok.... - Edit
.....but unfortunately it was shut with no explanation given on the door. So, as well as the official closed days some sporadic closed days too, tonight veing wednesday. The good news is that cafe matsuontoko is only minutes away and ready, willing and more than able to come to the rescue!
Read moreCons: irregular openinv times
Guest
MermanManly
Points +1683
We couldn't find the mythical door... - Edit
After reading so many good reviews about 'Hale', we went searching for it, but failed to find the mythical door 9or any coridor) that people have described. The area is a very busy marketplace full of tiny shops, and it is hard to walk quickly through the crowds. I would not recommend trying to find this place if you are very hungry or pressed for time.
Read moreCons: We couldn't find it anywhere!
Guest
clark
Points +293
good choice in kyoto but with caveats - Edit
We ate here once on a recent trip to Kyoto. Like other reviewers, we had a difficult time finding the restaurant. It didn't help that they were closed for a catering event on one of the days we went so I would recommend calling ahead. Note: there is no storefront. Instead look for a black glass door with Hale written on it in red lettering that that will then take you through a hallway to the actual restaurant itself.
Read moreWe had their dinner course set, which consisted of a hearty 4-5 courses. It was a lot of food, even by Western standards. We had a hard time finishing it all and we've had some pretty lavish multi-course meals in the past! However, the food itself was very good with a focus on healthy dining featuring organic and primarily local produce.
However, the negative things I can say about the restaurant are the 1) table charge and 2) mandatory drink order. The table charge wasn't too surprising as we had read about it on other reviews here. However, the mandatory drink order seemed unwarranted. I normally like to take my meals with water but was told that I had to order a drink. This was in addition to the cost of the dinner course. It wasn't the money that bothered me, however, but the fact that I had to order something that I didn't want. I ended up ordering some soy milk and gave it to my wife. At least it was fresh.
Updated from previous review on Sunday February 24, 2013
Updated from previous review on Sunday February 24, 2013
Pros: good food, fresh produce, healthy
Cons: mandatory drink order, table charge, hard to find
Guest
slo0go
Points +2476
Hiddem Vegan Gem is Right! - Edit
This place was difficult for us to find. We asked a woman at a candy store just on the corner of the street the restaurant turned out to be on, and she had no idea where the restaurant was. It wasn't until we asked the tea proprietor one store over (who has wonderful hojicha, by the way) until someone was able to point us to the restaurant, which is in a tiny alley.
Read moreOnce we reached the restaurant, we heard what sounded like Shinto chanting. We were told that everything on the menu was vegan. Yay!
Only one of the lunch sets was available, so we ordered two of those. The lunch sets they normally have are priced at 1000, 1200, and 1900 yen. We ordered two of the 1900 yen sets. The only difference I gathered between the 1200 and 1900 yen sets was that the 1900 yen set had steamed vegetables. We weren't sure if steamed vegetables would be worth 700 yen, but we were curious. I'm glad we ordered them! There was a huge piece of carrot, potato, daikon, mushrooms, and some unidentifiable, pink and green vegetable. All were delicious, especially with the three sauces the sets came with. We were also presented with a hot pepper and yuzu (Japanese citrus) condiment that was really interesting and tasty.
FYI the bathroom was outside and it was a squatty potty.
They don't take credit cards.
Pros: ALL VEGAN, Delicious
Cons: Hard to find
Guest
SarahG
Points +28
A hidden gem in Koyoto - Edit
We rang ahead to ensure this place was open and once arrived found the fod to be delicious and healthy,you are sitting virtually in the owners house so it is a very intimate setting but this does not feel strange.
Read moreWe had the set meal which was 2400 yen and very worth the money will be going back again.
Pros: Friendly staff, Got to try new things, Well priced for Japan
Cons: May be hard to find
Guest
fourguitars
Points +57
Delicious and convenient - Edit
We enjoyed our meal here so much that we went back for a second dinner the night before leaving Kyoto. They offer a delicious vegan tasting menu as well as several great a la carte items like vegetable gyoza and fried tofu skin chips. They also have a delicious sake and beer selection. The location is great, right on the NIshiki market, with two small tables that seat six each, a view to a nice little garden, and a bar with the kitchen behind it. It seems to be run by a couple and they are both extremely nice and helpful. The food is great and it's easy to just nosh a bit or eat a huge meal and enjoy the high quality ingredients and preparation. I didn't have anything there that I didn't enjoy. Price was moderate, maybe a bit over 2000 per, including drinks.
Read morePros: location, quality ingredients, friendly
Guest
Jessqi
Points +248
Best Meal on My Recent Trip - Edit
This is the kind of real Japanese place where they have a lunch menu of two items: the lunch set and the special lunch set. I got the lunch set and it was special. Consisting of a rice bowl with a delicious mushroom and unidentified vege sauced topping with divine sides. The flavours were crisp and clear and worked together beautifully. The textures were fantastic. It was a divine meal that made me awesomely happy. If it hadn't been my last day I'd have gone back daily.
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Beautiful Setting
Guest
hascarrots
Points +186
outstanding - Edit
Feb 2012: This outstanding vege. traditional Japanese rest was a delight for eyes and palate.
Read moreRun by some young Japanese, the decor and limited seating was cozy and pleasing. I got the full meal special, and everything was great (and often unfamiliar). Not inexpensive, about $40 for the full meal, it was by no means unreasonably priced for good Japanese food. Note: it's tricky to find - the doorway is small, so watch for it.
Pros: food, service, decor
Cons: none
Guest
PDXTom
Points +63
Good food- when it's open! - Edit
Had a wonderful set lunch there last October (2009) after failed attempt at dinner a few days prior. Inexplicably closed that night (had native speaker with me who found no posted explanation).
Read moreTried to have dinner again tonight (a Thursday). Again inexplicably closed.
Pros: Good food
Cons: Hard to find, Unreliable hours
Guest
Nihacc
Points +1195
Expensive dinner - Edit
Dinner set costs 2,400 yen, plus a compulsory drink, plus 250 yen table service! The place is nice and the food tastes really good, but I wouldn't repeat the experience. Besides, taking photographs is forbidden.
Read moreGuest
Jan Hicks
Points +112
Amazing experience - Edit
This was the best food we had while we were in Japan. Its location is a bit "blink and you'll miss it", tucked away as it is in Nishiki Market, but once you find it, you won't forget it. It's quite small, but there is a large tatami area for a group of friends to sit and eat, plus a couple of tables at the back and a lunch bar. There's a small garden outside, which added to the atmosphere. We had very little Japanese and the staff had little English, but they were helpful and tried to explain all the dishes to us. We had one of the set menu lunches, which was three courses - a soup, a rice dish and a selection of pickles. It was great value for money, as the food was very filling. I would definitely recommend this place to people looking for tasty, filling vegan food.
Read morePros: excellent food, good value, friendly staff
Cons: hard to find, small cafe
Guest
ahimsa333
Points +42
Simple, Good Food, Great Atmosphere - Edit
This place was a bit hard to find within all the chaos of Fushimi Market. Once you find the small door, it's down a hallway. The cafe is very small, with community tables. You sit on the floor, with cushions. There is a small zen garden to view. The staff speaks very limited English, but does have an English menu. I had the lunch set. The food is simple, Japanese style, served all at once on a tray, with tea for about 10-12 US dollars. Nice feel to the place, and very quiet considering the location.
Read morePros: Vegan, Healthy, Nice Space
Cons: Hard to find
Guest
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