veJin: Vegan Ramen

Ramen is one of Japan’s most internationally beloved dishes.

This ultimate comfort food, with regional varieties across Japan, is renowned for its depth of flavor, enriching toppings, and addicting noodles. The versatile dish serves as a satiating lunch, quick after-work meal, post-club favorite, and more—making it a food staple across a variety of demographics.

Traditionally, people with animal-related dietary restrictions were unable to partake in this culinary experience. Fortunately, this is no longer the case!

Opened on November 22, 2023, Tokyo vege ramen veJin (hereinafter veJin) is a specialty ramen restaurant that crafts delectable ramen and side dishes with solely plant-based ingredients. The meticulously-developed recipes are packed with flavor and truly embody the essence of ramen.

Read on to learn more about this unique eatery and its products!

veJin’s concept: “Earth and body friendly”

veJin is a newly launched brand from PLANT BASED TOKYO, a restaurant that uses soybeans and other plant-based ingredients to develop dishes that are “Earth and body friendly.” With this mission at its core, veJin offers authentic-tasting ramen that omits animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.

Since ramen is such an integral part of Japanese gastronomy, PLANT BASED TOKYO opened veJin to help spread Japanese ramen culture around the world without excluding people who do not eat animal-based foods. In tandem with prioritizing health and the environment, veJin wants to contribute to a world where people from diverse backgrounds and food cultures can come together and enjoy delicious food.

veJin’s must-try dishes

Now, let’s talk about ramen. One of ramen’s most important elements is its broth. To craft its luscious plant-based stock, veJin slowly simmers an original blend of vegetables, including shiitake, napa cabbage, green onion, and kelp. The resulting umami-rich broth has a thickness reminiscent of a cream sauce despite its lack of dairy products. From this base, veJin adds flavors, like soy sauce and miso, to create its ramen varieties.

To complement its savory broth, veJin uses medium-sized noodles that have a nice chew and bouncy texture.

Without a doubt, some of veJin’s most unique components are its toppings, including soy meat chashu (Japanese braised pork belly) and burdock chips. The "chashu" is nearly identical to real meat in its appearance, flavor, and texture, and personally, we were blown away by its authenticity.

Together, the broth, noodles, and toppings, create addictive dishes that are big in ramen flavor without having the heaviness that is sometimes associated with ramen.

Listed below are our veJin recommendations!

Salt Special

The Salt Special ramen has a salt-based broth and is topped with perilla (shiso) flowers, yuzu peel, sauteed mushrooms, Japanese parsley, crunchy burdock chips, and of course, soy meat chashu. The variety of aromatic herbs and ingredients craft a flavor profile that is simultaneously refreshing and complex.

If you are looking for light-flavored ramen, we recommend the Salt Special.

Price: ¥1,250

Soy Sauce Special

The Soy Sauce Special ramen starts with a soy sauce-based soup and is garnished with perilla (shiso) flowers, cauliflower, sauteed mushrooms, sprouts, burdock chips, and soy meat chashu. Thanks to the addition of soy sauce, this ramen is slightly more savory and smoky compared to the Salt Special ramen.

If you are looking for umami-forward ramen, we recommend the Soy Sauce Special.

Price: ¥1,250

Miso Special

The Miso Special ramen has a miso-based stock and is topped with a spicy soy meat mixture, sauteed mushrooms, soy butter corn, sprouts, burdock chips, and chashu. This ramen variety also receives a healthy garnish of veJin’s homemade chili oil. The savory miso, spicy elements, and sweet corn create intrigue in every bite!

If you are looking for spicy ramen, we recommend the Miso Special.

Price: ¥1,350

Vegetable Char Siu Bowl

Pair your favorite ramen with a Vegetable Char Siu Bowl! This side dish features a flavorful soy meat mixture of Prime Soy Meat, a sweet and savory sauce, and tangy green onions atop rice. Again, from the textures to the flavors, we could not believe this dish was 100% vegan!

Price: ¥500

Important allergen information

Please review the details below if you have any allergy concerns. (veJin also displays allergen information on its menu in Japanese).

• All of veJin’s dishes are 100% vegan
• veJin does not use nuts in any of its food offerings
• All of veJin’s menu items include the following allergens:
  • Wheat, sesame, and soy products
  • The only exception is its Fried Soy Bean Meat, which includes wheat and soy products, but not sesame

veJin location and access

veJin is located in FOOD HALL BLAST! TOKYO, a short three-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. This American-inspired food hall serves a wide selection of alcohol and high quality food at reasonable prices. The three-floor facility has food on the first floor, craft beer on the second floor, and a rooftop venue on the third floor (only open during summer).

Ramen for everyone!

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, have other dietary restrictions, or are simply looking to try a unique type of ramen, veJin’s offerings are guaranteed to satisfy both your taste buds and appetite. Don’t forget to check it out!