RESTAURANTS 45
www.guestlist.net
Issue 52 / 2013
Itadaki Zen
Whatever your position on Itadaki Zen, it certainly has
one thing no other restaurant in Europe can boast: the
title of Europe's only vegan, all-organic, Japanese restaurant.
A diminutive but welcoming space, Itadaki Zen is
nestled in the heart of King's Cross.
With a façade straight out of a high street in Feudal
Japan, Itadaki Zen lures visitors in with rustic, oriental hemp drapes partitioning off the rooms and
authentic Japanese produce for sale on shelves.
Perhaps as a long-time nihongophile myself, it
was my personal affinity for all things Far Eastern that evoked the genuinely Zen-like calm
which descended as I crossed the threshold into the restaurant, but it does, detectably,
evince a refreshing and peaceful atmosphere.
With disembodied, tinkling instrumental music radiating softly in the background, old leather menu
covers and vintage oriental screens, Itadaki Zen
has enough charm to move the most hard-hearted of food critics. If you're a sucker for a restaurant with a heart, look no further than Itadaki Zen with a note in the menu politely reminding visitors
not to waste any food and no expense spared to
keep all ingredients organic (including the excellent soy sauce), it successfully vindicates its vegan food policy. The restaurant's ethics are only
one side of its story, with substantial evidence
that they are an enterprising holistic health project, soothing body, mind and soul with its superfood-rammed menu and medicinal herbal teas.
The service is satisfactory and the variety, for a vegan restaurant, is surprisingly wide and balanced.
For an original take on a traditional Japanese dish,
the oriental herb sushi is highly recommended.
Perhaps a little too pretentiously New Age for
some, Itadaki Zen is not for everyone but for
foodies with a conscience and a penchant for
gourmet Japanese cuisine or in-the-know Londoners, it is a must-visit venue worth deviating from one's well-trodden path to visit. As
for those with a sense of adventure or a taste
for the exotic, it is also well worth a stopover.
Plan your visit on Itadaki Zen's website: itadakizen-uk.com
