Tokyo is slowly but surely waking up to the idea of dietary requirements and healthy lifestyles, with a relative explosion of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options in the past year or so. That's all well and good, but one thing that was conspicuously missing was any type of guilty pleasure – something to go for when you have an irresistible craving for a bit of fat, sugar or extra carbs but don't want to give up on your diet entirely.
Enter an entire menu dedicated to 'vegan junk food', kindly created to soothe our deep-fry-starved souls by the team at Organic Table by Lapaz in early February.
At this comfy eatery in the backstreets of Harajuku, two veggie burgers take centre stage in spring, with both the Avocado and Soy Fillet Katsu and the Tofu Cheese and Tempeh versions holding their own. The soy 'meat' in the former beauty is dense yet succulent enough to replicate the feeling of sinking your teeth into a piece of turkey, while there are plenty of avocado and sprout fillings to help power you up too.
The Avocado and Soy Fillet Katsu comes with a side of soybean nuggets or veggie fries, which don't actually contain any potato (they aren't legumes, no matter what the French may tell you). The homemade ketchup and mustard are pretty kick-ass too, and have just the right depth of flavour to elevate the humble nuggets.
The Tofu Cheese and Tempeh burger, on the other hand, might sound like an overdose of soy beans but truly makes the most of its layered textures. The tofu 'cheese' is actually tofu pickled in miso, and is somewhere between a ricotta and cream cheese in texture. The coarser, firmer tempeh offsets the softness, with the slightly toasted rice 'buns' keeping the entire thing together.
All of the vegetables used at Organic Table are, well, organic, and brought in fresh daily. The green goodies are also lined up outside on occasion, and the staff are more than happy to discuss their ingredients and cooking methods when they're not too busy.
And what would junk food be without dessert? Luckily, this spot has taken care of that too – with a sublime vegan cheesecake. They've used soy milk cheese, nut cream and lemon to somehow conjure up what has to be one of our favourite cheesecakes ever, complete with an agar and kuzu jelly top layer that offsets the light citric acidity. We were quite sad when we had our last bite...
After powering through the entire menu, we can officially verify that vegan food is neither tasteless nor boring, as some critics would have it. And if you're feeling lazy – come on, it's part of the junk food feels – note that the good folks at Organic Table have teamed up with UberEats as of February 7, which means that your guilty vegan pleasures can now be delivered right to your doorstep. Saving the planet with junk food, bit by bit? Count us in.
See full details for Organic Table by Lapaz here
