Brand new menu offers a variety of sakura-inspired drinks and meals for vegan and vegetarian diners.

With veganism yet to become a big thing in Japan, visitors from abroad looking for meals free from animal products can have a hard time getting fed on a trip here. However, the good news is that there are more cafes and restaurants now offering vegetarian and vegan options in Tokyo, and one of those cafes is actually owned by a beauty brand called Botanist.

Botanist’s range of beauty products are all made with plant-derived ingredients, and are sold on the first floor of their store in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district.

On the second floor, they have a cafe, which continues the all-natural theme with sleek wooden interiors and plenty of greenery, along with a menu that’s filled with a variety of veggie options. And now that cherry blossom season is on its way, they’ve released a special range of limited-edition sakura-inspired meals and drinks that cater to vegans and vegetarians.

One of the vegetarian options is the pink-hued Spring Bloom Pasta (1,200 yen [US$10.73]), which contains mushrooms, bamboo shoots, greens and garlic oil, topped off with strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

The seasonal Buddha Bowl (1,400 yen) contains seasonal vegetables, including pink-tinged radishes, over a grain mix of rice and quinoa with dry soymeat vegan curry.

Vegans can enjoy the Waffle with Cinnamon Apple Compote (1,000 yen), which is made from green banana resistant starch and white teff grains, and topped off with a soy whip and edible flowers.

Those who want a real taste of cherry blossoms will be able to enjoy the vegetarian Smoothie Bonbon Sakura x Berry (1,000 yen), which comes topped with berries and sakura ice cream.

Cherry lovers will be able to indulge in the vegetarian Smoothie Bonbon Peach x Cherry (1,000 yen).

The real star of the menu, though, is the vegan Sakura Burger, which contains a soy patty, vegan cheese, and pink buns made from purple sweet potatoes. The homemade aurora sauce is naturally coloured with beets, creating a very pink burger, which comes with a drink of your choice for 1,400 yen.

With edible sakura being a plant-based ingredient that can be eaten by vegans and vegetarians alike, we have to say we’re a bit disappointed that the meals don’t contain more of the actual cherry blossoms. Still, it’s an early attempt by the Botanist to create a sakura-themed menu aimed at vegan and vegetarian diners, so we can only hope that next year they’ll dare to be even more adventurous with the edible springtime blossom.

The limited edition spring menu will be available at the cafe until 8 May, which gives us plenty of time to check them out, even after the blossoms begin to bloom in Tokyo.

Cafe Information

Botanist / ボタニスト
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 6-29-2
東京都渋谷区神宮前6-29-2
Open: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00p.m.（Last order for food: 7:00 p.m., last order for drinks: 7:30 p.m.)
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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