When I first introduced you to Shojin last year, the vegan Japanese restaurant downtown, I had no idea this restaurant would quickly become not only one of my personal favorites, but also one of Los Angeles’ best overall Japanese restaurants, vegetarian or otherwise. One of the most impressive things about Shojin is that they’re not content with just having a set menu, they’re always adding new items from fancy new desserts to adventurous entrees that I’m practically powerless to resist. Their menu is constantly growing and there are usually always a number of specials on offer that go even above and beyond their regular selection.

After having not visited Shojin for far too long I ended up recently getting to eat there twice in one week, much to my delight. For the first occasion I took myself there on a date as my reward for having survived 2 1/2 weeks of hell, aka, jury duty. The second trip was for my best girlfriend Michelle’s birthday dinner. If I had my druthers I would happily eat at Shojin seven days a week… I could never get tired of this food.

I’m combining both these meals for the sake of this blog post and will show you all the appetizers, main courses and dessert together so it doesn’t get too confusing. Put on your bib, this might make you drool a little bit…

Sushi. Nearly every Japanese restaurant serves it, and many restaurants these days are jumping on the vegetarian bandwagon and offering fish-free versions of it. No one however does it quite like Shojin. Shown above is the half-order of the Dragon Roll: “shitake mushroom and avocado inside, BBQ seitan and avocado outside with sweet soy sauce”. I really can’t think of any sushi that I’ve had anywhere else that came close to being this delicious. Their BBQ seitan is an experience unto itself, and when put together here with their sweet sauce and fresh ingredients, it turns into the most perfect, delicate mouthful of yum that you can possibly imagine.

Here’s another of their most popular appetizers, the Pumpkin Croquette: “crunchy pumpkin and tofu croquette with Shojin ketchup”. I expected the pumpkin to taste somewhat subdued but I was surprised by a mouthful of nicely seasoned pumpkin flavor. It was pleasantly soft on the inside and nice & crunchy on the outside. The ketchup tastes nothing like any tomato ketchup that I’m used to, but whatever’s really going on there is just perfect for this dish.

Ah, now this is the one item I’ve been most excited to share with you. These are the Spicy Rock Shitake Tempura: “tempura shitake mushrooms marinated with spicy wasabi mayonnaise”. These mushrooms literally floored me. I believe they’re playing on the idea of rock oysters with this dish, but I can’t say for sure having never eaten something as revolting as an oyster. It tasted nothing like the ocean or seafood, which for me is a good thing. Even though I’m pretty good with words, I’m at a loss attempting to describe just how amazing these mushrooms are. The texture is unlike anything I’ve had before. The mushrooms were slightly soft though not limp or mushy like cooked mushrooms tend to get. The tempura batter gave them a slight crispiness while the wasabi mayo, with it’s familiar sinus-clearing bite, elevated these simple mushrooms to something impeccable. I don’t enjoy too much wasabi, a little goes a long way… so when I ordered this I wasn’t even sure I’d like it as I was concerned the wasabi would be too overpowering. It’s not, it’s just right. You get that punch of wasabi but it’s been subdued and transformed into something else entirely. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this shitake appetizer was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. I’ve been fantasizing about them ever since and I can’t stop thinking about when I can get back there to eat them again. I would seriously enjoy just a giant bowl of these, maybe on top of some brown rice and nothing else. Amazing.

Let’s move on to some second courses. This is the Gobo Chips Salad: “crispy burdock chips, mixed greens and cherry tomatoes with house dressing and sweet balsamic sauce”. This was actually my friend William’s salad, I only tried a few of the gobo chips, which were of course great, but I thought you might appreciate a look at it. He loved it and I’m sure both you & I would too.

This is also William’s soup, the Miso Ginger Soba: “Buckwheat noodle in ginger soup with assorted vegetables topped with scallions and sesame seeds”. Again I didn’t try this soup but it looked and smelled so good. Judging by the blissful look on William’s face and the frequent “nomnomnom” sounds that were emanating from his side of the table, it’s safe to assume he loved it.

Alright, lets dispense with the starters and dig into some main courses.

This plateful of awesome is the Seitan Pepper Steak: “pan-fried tender seitan steaks seasoned with black pepper and spicy soy sauce”. Now, it’s important that I get across to you that Shojin are absolute masters of seitan, and this dish is no exception. I feel kind of silly at this point telling you, again, that this is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, but that’s the whole truth and nothing but. The description of tender is right on, I have no idea how they manage to prepare seitan this good or how they get it to this texture. It’s incredibly meat-like, while not really pretending to be meat. I didn’t know if I’d like something that’s pepper flavor (I like pepper, just not necessarily as a flavor base) but man, this was just off the hook. This is the sort of food that makes me laugh when those who don’t know any better complain about vegan food being boring or not substantial. Those people are full of shit and obviously have never had expertly prepared vegan cuisine such as this. It’s the kind of meal that makes me truly realize that meat is something I will never again miss or want, and it’s far better than any meat anyone has ever fed me. I highly suggest you try this pepper steak if you know what’s good for. Trust me on this one.

Trust me on this next one too. This is the Fillet-O-kara Fish: “combination of crispy homemade veggie fish and a seitan nugget skewer served with lemony tartar sauce and miso demi-glaze sauce”. Wow… just, wow. I already implied above that I’m not a fan of seafood or fishy flavors, but I took a chance on this because I actually did like to eat stuff like fish & chips back in the day, and this seemed to be Shojin’s gourmet take on that old classic. Of course it was incredible, how could it not be coming out of that kitchen? The very crispy outside was nice and thick, the okara fish inside perfectly imitating a fried fish taste, without being, well… fishy. Okara is made from soy pulp, which while not sounding particularly appetizing becomes something magical once in the hands of Shojin’s expert chefs. It’s almost a shame to call the sauce a tartar sauce because it’s so much better than that, while still maintaining the qualities that make tartar sauce go so well with fish.

I’ve already talked about how Shojin has a way with seitan, so of course these nuggets are no exception. Fried to a perfect crisp, these exquisite little bites of soy love blow away anything else with “nugget” in it’s name that you may have ever eaten before. Only Shojin can take something called a nugget and elevate it to such culinary heights.

The delights don’t stop with dinner at Shojin because they also make some rather snazzy desserts. Shown above is the Annin Tofu, aka, Sweet Almond Tofu: “sweet and creamy custard dessert that has a distinctively refreshing almond flavor”. True that. While my grainy photo does not do this treat any justice, you can be certain that just like everything else served here, it was delicious. I’d recommend this dessert to someone who’s already so full from dinner that they are about to burst but who doesn’t want to skip dessert entirely. It’s very tasty yet light so it won’t make you feel like you are about to pop.

Last but most assuredly not least, this is the Spiced Pumpkin Tart: “traditional American pumpkin filling in a beautifully spiced crust, served with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce”. So wonderful. This was like the best possible pumpkin pie you can imagine, though toned down in sweetness. Rather than being overwhelmed by sugar and strong spices, they let the natural sweetness and flavor of the pumpkin be the headlining ingredient here, and it was just perfect. The chocolate ice cream was super good too.

I was disappointed to learn that they no longer offer their sesame ice cream which I’d kept hearing was fantastic. I’ve never tried it before but I have a friend who raves about it to the point of wanting to be buried in it so that he can eat his way out! With a build up like that I was eager to see what the fuss was all about. Sadly it’s no longer on the menu. I asked the waitress if they would be bringing it back at a later time she said it was possible but she didn’t know for sure. Maybe if enough of us ask for it, it’ll eventually make a reappearance.

Shojin is one of those restaurants that absolutely must be experienced. If you’ve never been before than you owe it to yourself to go give it a try. It’s great for lunch or dinner, though please note that their lunch menu is condensed and not all the things you might want to eat are available during the day, but that’s not to say that there aren’t many good things there for lunch either (including a delectable seitan sandwich that is to die for). If you want the full experience though, and especially if you’re a first timer, I’d suggest going for dinner so that you can just go wild and order everything you can possibly fit in your face. Even if you’ve been to Shojin before, it’s time to go back as there’s bound to be something new they are serving that wasn’t there the last time you went. This place continues to amaze me and each & every time I go back it ends up being even better than the previous visit… which is saying a lot because each time I’ve gone there it’s been exceptional.

Shojin
333 S. Alameda St.
Little Tokyo Square 3F (Suite 310)
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 617-0305
www.theshojin.com

Every once in a rare while you get to taste something that is so delicious and such a cut above the rest, that even while you’re experiencing it, you realize that this very moment is going to be memorable. That’s how I felt on my recent visit to Shojin, the vegan Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo. Specifically, my rapture revolved around their exquiste BBQ seitan, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

You may recall my previous visit to Shojin restaurant back when my lucky friends and I were invited to their special pre-opening tasting dinner. That meal was excellent in every way, so it’s a mystery to me as to why I hadn’t been back since then.

To correct this oversight, one of my lovely foodeating assistants treated me to lunch at Shojin. The lunch menu had a limited selection from the full menu, but there were plenty of great options to choose from. To start our meal, our main entrees were served with soup and a side salad.

Even though it was a really hot day outside, the warm soup was light and refreshing. It was a delicious quinoa soup made with fresh organic vegetables that our waiter proudly and excitedly let us know had been acquired fresh just a few hours earlier at the nearby farmers market. Awesome! The small salad was crispy, tasty and super fresh as well.

We also ordered the Cold Green-Tea Buckwheat Noodles: Garnished with shiso leaf, grated radish and ume paste (pickled plum), mixed sea vegetables, kaiware sprouts (sprouted daikon radish seeds) and scallions, topped with roasted sesame seeds and nori (seaweed). This was beautiful and came served with a slightly salty, I’m guessing soy-based dipping sauce. I really liked the green tea noodles but I’m not a huge fan of sea-flavored stuff, and this had a bit too much of the ocean going on in it for my taste. If you are a lover of all manner of seaweeds and sea veggies, this one is for you.

Ah, but when our main dishes arrived is when things got really exciting! We both ordered the Shojin Style Bento Box which changes with different daily specials from three kinds of traditional vegetable dishes, brown rice and a choice between the Crispy Seitan Cutlet, Barbecued Seitan or Garden Seitan ball. Thank goodness there were two of us so we could each try the others! I went straight for the BBQ seitan while she got the cutlet.

From top left to right up there, first is the Kale & Mashed Tofu Salad: lightly steamed kale in mashed tofu & sunflower seeds. This was ok but the flavor was very simple, almost bland, so it was a little bit overwhelmed by the other stronger flavors it came served with. On the top right is a hijiki seaweed, carrot and gobo salad which I wasn’t crazy about. I know I should get over it because it’s all so healthy for me, but still I can only take so much of that sea taste. A little goes a long way.

On the bottom left of the bento box are some of the most deliciously prepared lotus roots that I’ve ever tasted. These were so good, done in the traditional Japanese style, but done perfectly. Then we get to exactly what made this a meal I won’t be forgetting any time soon… the barbecued seitan.

Shojin’s BBQ seitan is pan fried with their secret sweet soy barbecue sauce. It’s fantastic, I’m literally drooling right now as I’m remembering it, trying to explain it to you while knowing that mere words just aren’t enough. I’ve never had seitan that tasted anything like this before, the texture was the work of a true seitanic master.

This will probably gross some of you out, but have you ever tried eel before? Yeah, real eel from a sushi restaurant. Well, eel does not have a fishy taste at all and has a very silky, fatty texture a lot like salmon (eel sushi is usually not served raw, but grilled). Ok, gross part almost over- point being that this seitan achieved that same type of texture which reminded me a lot of eel… it was silky and had a fatty mouth-feel to it, without being at all oily or greasy. Slighty crispy on the edges with a meaty bite to it, this seitan is what finger licking good is all about, though I did not use my fingers. The BBQ sauce was totally amazing, sweet and savory and bold and just… wow!

Here’s a close-up of my friends pick, the Crispy Seitan Cutlet: Deep fried crispy seitan cutlet with home made miso demi-glace sauce. This was equally great, the seitan we already just discussed was incredible… so just imagine “incredible” times “fried” and this is what you’d get.

We both loved it, all of it, even the parts we didn’t love. The BBQ seitan seriously blew me away and I can’t wait to go back there to get the full order of just that. The folks who run Shojin are just so friendly and eager to please that the whole time we were there we couldn’t wipe the smiles off of our faces. It’s almost like going to a fancy spa, but with great food instead of a massage. While it’s true that the location is a little odd (inside a Japanese mall on the edge of Little Tokyo that’s about to become a Korean mall), I actually really like going there. It’s a totally different world, and Shojin offers a wonderful way to experience it. Go there for the lunch specials or go there for a more elaborate dinner with unique Japanese desserts. Either way it’s a win/win situation.

Speaking of dessert, it’s one of my favorite reasons to visit Little Tokyo. In particular, my sweet tooth satisfies itself at Fugetsu-Do Sweetshop which specializes in traditional mochi treats.

“Mochi is a Japanese confection, found usually in the shape of a small, round rice cake which can be eaten with condiments such as kinako (roasted soy bean flour), manju (sweet red bean paste), soy sauce dip, and seaweed. Traditionally, mochi is made by pounding steamed glutinous rice in a large wooden mortar, called the usu, with a wooden mallet called the kine. Mochi-tsuki is the Japanese term for the old-style method of pounding the steamed glutinous rice used to make mochi.”

They’re usually filled with sweetened red, white or azuki beans as well as various tasty fillings. Most all of them are completely vegan. I’m 100% addicted to mochi desserts and if left to run wild in their cute little shop, I could do both myself as well as their inventory some serious damage.

We got ourselves a nice assortment. Those on the top row that are wrapped in shiso leaves are my favorite. They are called Kuzumochi: Mochi filled with sweet azuki bean paste. Their website says that this is a seasonal item which is only available in the month of July, but they usually seem to have it available whenever I got there (and this was mid-August when we got them). While they are sweet they’re also slightly salty, a really nice combo. The pink ones are filled with white bean paste and the texture reminds me a lot of… wait for it… testicles. It’s true, but in a good way. Soft, chewy & tasty pink baby testicles. Don’t blame me, I didn’t invent the stuff. I don’t remember exactly what the other two had going on, but you can rest assured it probably involved some kind of sweetened bean (if I recall correctly the orange ones were indeed orange flavored). Mochi treats are awesome, and frankly, I’d rather see mochi take over the world than cupcakes.

I suggest indulging in a fun and filling afternoon in Little Tokyo. Ease the stress factor by riding the Metro into Downtown and choose your own adventure depending on which of the nearby stations you exit at. Head on over to Shojin on 3rd St. at Alameda for a remarkable lunch, then walk on down to 1st to Fugetsu-Do and get your fill of sweet mochi to wash it all down with. Don’t forget to enjoy all the fun stuff in between, you’re going to need to walk off some of that food.

(Update) – I just also discovered that Fugetsu-Do has a branch location inside of the Mitsuwa Market, which guess what… is situated inside of the same mall as Shojin! I have not had the mochi from there and I would still suggest checking out their main shop on 1st because it’s really cute, but now there’s no excuse to avoid the mochi if you’re at Shojin, since all you’ve got to do is walk to the other end of the mall to get yourself some. Sweet.

www.theshojin.com
www.fugetsu-do.com

Remember I told you about the wonderful sneak-peek dinner at Shojin that I got to attend back in January? You know, the new restaurant in Little Tokyo offering organic and natural meals inspired by Japanese traditional vegetarian food? Yeah, that one. We’ll I’m very happy to report that Shojin restaurant is now open to the public and they are waiting to feed you their delicous food! Yes… YOU!

Sohei, the charming and friendly owner, has passed along the following info:

“I am very pleased to announce the opening of Shojin restaurant as of March 5th. Although we are sorry for long delay from the vegan events in January, our dream now begins! We are excited to offer the new style of organic and natural meals. We hope Shojin will be a new standard for a plant-based diet. Not only vegetarians but also people who eat meat can enjoy our food and realize that having pure food is the way to achieve a healthy and happy life. We open Wednesday thru Sunday, opening 12:00pm – 9:00pm (last order). We started with all plant-based (vegan) menu.”

No joke folks… this place is the real deal. These people thrive on creating fine, healthy food and their love for it comes through in the cooking and in the way they treat their guests. Shojin restaurant is an excellent new addition to the growing list of fantastic places for vegetarians and vegans to find great food, and it’s a welcome change from all the Thai vegan stuff you can get everywhere else (not that I’m complaining about an abudance of vegan Thai food, mind you). Seeing as there are not yet that many vegetarian options Downtown, Shojin’s location inside Little Tokyo Square just made finding a healthy lunch or dinner Downtown that much easier, not to mention that much more enjoyable.

Find out much more about Shojin at their website: www.theshojin.com
…and don’t forget to let ‘em know who sent ya!

I am very pleased to announce another new delicious addition to the growing roster of amazing vegetarian restaurants in Los Angeles, Shojin. Shojin restaurant is set to open in Little Tokyo by the end of January, but three lucky little L.A. vegan food bloggers (with their bellies still full from the awesome brunch just hours earlier!) got a special invitation to Shojin’s sneak peak menu tasting. Lucky indeed, as this was no ordinary sampler type tasting but a full-on four course meal (with our pick from two options for each course).

From their website: “Located in downtown Los Angeles, Shojin restaurant offers organic and natural meals inspired by “Shojin Cuisine” Japanese traditional vegetarian food. We provide organic and natural foods utilizing seasonal vegetables to create unique and a new style of Japanese food.”

From the moment we arrived, we were treated like royalty. The staff was so nice and so genuinely eager to please. This, coupled by the fact that they had a photographer on hand documenting the event (and our every move), made us feel like we were rockstars. At first the photo thing felt somewhat intrusive (seriously, who want’s their picture taken while they are forking food into their mouth?) but the girl taking pictures was really sweet and after a while we just got used to it. By the end of the evening we had developed a strange sort of silently agreed upon diner-as-celebrity ignoring the paparazzi kind of thing with her.

As soon as we were seated we were presented with a “Welcome” drink of fresh squeezed sugarcane, ginger and cayenne pepper. It was marvelous, a true palate cleanser if I ever had one! Sweet, fiery and totally invigorating. There was also a wide assortment of beverages to pick from after that, and they kept our libations coming all evening long.

The first drink I ordered was the ‘Organic Matcha Genmaicha’. A special blend of Genmaicha with matcha powder, described as “a slightly sweet and highly aromatic tea”. Yes and yes. It had a full and earthy taste, warming and cleansing.

Here’s a picture of the organic iced green tea. These glasses were really cool and felt nice to hold in your hand. By the end of the night, after many refills, I was on a major caffeine buzz.

For the first course of soup, I had the ‘Sweet Kabocha Pumpkin Chowder’ made with soy milk. Sweet and mild, I loved it and left the bowl well cleaned.

For the second course appetizer, I went with the ‘Tempeh Bacon & Cashew Cheese Wrap’. Grilled tempeh, cashew cheese, potato salad, alfalfa and mixed greens wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. This had the potential of being run-of-the-mill but it was actually rather outstanding. The tempeh had the perfect smokey bacon flavor and the cashew cheese dip was just amazing. Nutty and cheesy but still light and fresh tasting.

While my tempeh wrap was the less Japanese of the two appetizer offerings, Your Vegan Mom had the more traditional ‘Shitake Mushroom Genmai Sushi Roll’ with avocado, and it too was most excellentl.

For the third course entree, I was very excited to try the ‘Okara Crab Cake’, “deep fried vegan okara soybean cake with cilantro sauce and kale salad”. I’ve never had real crab cakes before so I can’t compare these to the real thing, but whatever these were meant to taste like, they were amazing. There was no fishy taste, just a perfectly crispy-on-the-outside and chewy-yet-tender-on-the inside pattie of indeterminate yet delicately and screamingly good flavor. The cilantro sauce was exquisite. The kale salad too was wonderful, served with a citrus dressing and topping of oranges and walnuts.

I have since learned the following from the Wikipedia: “Okara or soy pulp is a white or yellowish pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean which remain in the filter sack when pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China, and since the 20th century has also been used in the vegetarian cuisines of Western nations. On a dry weight basis okara contains 24% protein, 8 to 15% fats,and 12 to 14.5% crude fiber. It contains 17% of the protein from the original soybeans.”

Fancy that!

For the last course of dessert I had the ‘Fuji Apple Tarte with Kinako Custard’ and Your Vegan Mom had ordered the ‘Chocolate Cake with Pecans and Walnuts’.

We all felt that both desserts had room for improvement, but while they weren’t our favorites we all also really appreciated their uniqueness and lovely presentation. I’m sure they’ll work out any kinks on the dessert front and offer some treats that are as outstanding as their main courses. As we were leaving we even each recieved a gift of a rose and a bag of healthy Japanese cookies to take home with us (I loved the cookies).

Overall it was such a lovely experience to get to be among the first try out the wonderful offerings at Shojin. I am certain that they are going to be wildly succesful with their approach of preparing fresh, traditional (yet unique) food and presenting it an elegant environment with outstanding service. Shojin will make a perfect destination for either casual lunches or more formal dinners, romantic dates, birthdays and anniversaries, or really any type of occasion where you want hearty, good and healthy food made by people who really mean it. Be sure to keep any eye on their website (or call) to find out when they’ll be open for business: www.theshojin.com

In a few months from now when everyone’s raving about Shojin on Yelp, Chowhound and the like, don’t forget who gave you the scoop first!

UPDATE: Shojin is now open… go feast!