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Sister restaurant to Shojin in downtown LA, this one opened in 2013. Offers modern vegan Japanese cuisine with refreshing beverages, a variety of appetizers and sushi rolls, plus ramen and daily desserts. Intimate setting with dim lighting. Located just West of Centinela, look for the lotus root design. For order pickup you must order online. Open Mon-Thu 5:30pm-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm, Sat 12:00pm-2:00pm, Sun 3:00pm-9:00pm.
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12406 W Washington Blvd (at Centinela), Culver City, California, USA, 90066
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 29 Sep 2025 by JacindaV
Update business info -
Added by webmaster on 06 Mar 2013
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88 Reviews
First Review by eric
bmann52
Points +170
A Hidden Gem - Edit
My wife and I were looking for a vegan restaurant while attending a conference near LAX and with the help of Happy Cow found Shojin.
Read moreHowever when I say found we almost didn't - there is no sign on the outside of the building! At least when we were there. I guess that adds to the mystique. We drove by and finally walked block, parking is bad, but glad we did. Pay careful attention to the address.
Once inside we were greeted by 2 young ladies and from that point on add 1-3 servers waiting on us. Perhaps a bit over done, but they genuinely want you to have a good experience .
Many menu options and the food was well presented and good. During the course of our meal when I was asked about replacing a plate that was barley used I said no and was met with a look of utter disbelief. Obviously that wasn't the right answer so once corrected my waitress was happy.
The multiple variations of sushi were wonderful and it is all organic. That of course makes it a bit more expensive but the flavors are great.
The ambience of the inside is quiet and decorated tastefully. What a breath of fresh air over the hotel.
Pros: Great food, a little higher in price, Amazing service
Cons: Hard to find, on busy street corner, Off street parking
Guest
The Veggie Cook
Points +1201
Shojin is a special treat - Edit
Shojin is a special occasion kind of restaurant--one that you go to treat yourself and family, celebrate a milestone, or impress a date. The entire menu is vegan, and the food is carefully crafted and full of flavor.
Read moreThe sushi rolls are especially tasty. I recommend ordering a few different plates of rolls to share with friends.
The desserts are incredible. They usually have several on hand each day, each marvelous. Try the hot molten lava chocolate cake paired with vanilla ice cream--it's divine.
Guest
EemaGila
Points +108
Too slow - Edit
We love Shojin in Downtown LA. But this place leaves so much to be desired. We had 7:15 reservations and we were seated immediately. I informed them that we had to leave at 9:00 to catch a flight out of LAX. They didn't take our order until 7:47, that included our drink order. Not even water before that. The food trickled out, some things were mediocre at best. Most were not worth eating, other than the fact that we were hungry and didn't have time to go elsewhere. Only two things were sent back, the pumpkin soup was nothing special. It tasted like pumpkin purée that had been watered down. Boring. Switch that to miso and it was okay. The Kabocha Pumpkin Penne took an hour to arrive and was barely warm. The kicker was the 20% gratuity that was added to the bill. It is not mentioned anywhere on their menu so I ask. "It's on the website." I informed the server that I wanted that removed and then I would pay the bill and tip accordingly. She complied. I have no intention of returning to this location. When all was said and done, dinner was nearly $30 per person.
Read moreGuest
Gabe
Points +117
Superb food, hard to find - Edit
We almost didn't get to eat here because it's difficult to find. Not because of location or anything like that, because they seem to have embraced this hipster nonsense whereby restaurants don't actually have visible signs above their doors. Once we found it though, we were thoroughly impressed. Presentation was amazing, all the appetizers and rolls we tried were delicious and complex. Highly recommend the creamy "oysters" and the Pirates of the Crunchy roll. Two appetizers and five rolls were enough to put the two of us in a food coma and were well worth the $100+tip we payed for them.
Read morePros: Vegan sushi!, Very polite staff, Incredible, complex flavors
Cons: Expensive, Staff almost *too* polite, No sign
Guest
FullofBeans
Points +27
An Elegant Vegan Occasion. - Edit
I visited Shojin for brunch after my friends raved and raved about great food, kind staff, and beautiful ambiance. They were right on all accounts.
Read moreEverything reflected much care. The sushi was delicious and artful. Our waitress was meticulously dressed and doting. The meal made us feel wonderful.
The only negative thing I can say, is that the AMAZING sake cocktail was tiny- half of a champagne glass, the other half was foam. I wanted more!
Pros: Beautiful/Delish Food, Friendly Staff, Ambiance
Cons: Street parking
Guest
kenvegan
Points +13515
Shojin - New Location! Amazing food and service! - Edit
I joined a couple of friends for a fantastic lunch at the new Shojin location in Culver City.
Read moreIf you don't know, Shojin the restaurant is named after the practice of Buddhist temples in Japan serving vegan cuisine to the public. This practice is called Shojin Ryori.
I had eaten numerous times at the downtown Shojin location, and this has been one of my favorite restaurants in the world since it opened. I was very excited to hear that Shojin had opened a Culver City location which is a mere 25 minute bike ride from where I live.
The new branch of this restaurant is a bit smaller than the other location, and the decor is different, but I believe the menus are the same.
The service at this restaurant is perfect. The waiting staff is very attentive, and don't overlook any details that make dining here an absolute pleasure.
The food at Shojin is amazing, but quite expensive if you come in on an empty stomach.
Here is what we ordered:
Shojin fried egg roll, fried gobo with vegan mayo,
apricot kale salad, edamame salad
purple treasure sushi roll (with fried eggplant cubes on
top), forest sushi roll (with fried broccoli florets on top), east sushi roll (with fried tofu cubes on top),
orange seitan chicken entree with tofu and brown rice
molten lava w/ vanilla ice cream, strawberry cheesecake w/ berry n' plum ice cream, genmatcha green tea
The appetizers and portions here are relatively small, but what they lack in amounts they make up for in the unique flavors and perfect textures. The salads were subtle, yet delicious.
My favorite dishes of this Shojin are their cut rolls. Each roll has its own unique personality and flavors, and are all just mouth-watering. A tremendous amount of care and detail is put into each dish, and I have yet to have a cut roll from Shojin that isn't a perfect "10".
The desserts at Shojin are a wonderful treat and ending to one of the best meals I have ever had. The flavors and textures of the desserts are decadent and delightful, and the final chapter of our lunch left all of us on a high note.
Shojin is not inexpensive, but the food quality and service is so amazing that I find the value here to be quite reasonable.
I really love this restaurant! Thank you again, Shojin, for such a memorable afternoon.
Pros: Excellent food, Friendly Staff, Cozy vibe
Cons: Small portions
Guest
eric
Points +21348
Great to have a closer location! - Edit
I've been a fan of Shojin for years now and often said it's my favorite place in Los Angeles. I've only eaten at the downtown location a handful of times since it's far from where I live so it's wonderful to have this new location, which is at the west end of Culver City.
Read moreIt's a small place, intimate, and from the minute you walk inside you'll feel that you've been transported someplace out of LA. The waitresses are very sweet and attentive. While the menu is smaller than downtown, and seems to focus more on sushi, the food & presentations are excellent and as good as their other location.
We have nothing like this (vegan, gourmet, Japanese) on the Westside, and this place is bound to catch on and develop a following.
It will be great if/when they open for lunch during the week and would be nice if they offer a daily special. It's costly to eat there, but really worth it. I'll be as regular as I can afford.
I'm going again this weekend, can't wait!
Pros: presentation, intimate, vegan sushi
Guest
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