I visited without a reservation. There were only two set lunch menus available, which were quite different from what was listed on Tabelog, so I was a little disappointed. The staff at the restaurant were very kind, but I think it would have been better if they had encouraged wearing masks and using alcohol disinfectant, which is rare these days. The vegan dishes looked good and were satisfying, filling up my stomach!

This restaurant serves food that is good for your body! It has a cozy cafe-like atmosphere, perfect for lunch with friends. The menu is varied and interesting. I ordered the Seaweed and Barley Tongue Course for 2480 yen. The hot onion and mushroom soup was a great start, followed by the seaweed barley rice topped with beans and kelp. The soy hamburger with tomato sauce was light and tasty. The seasonal tofu dish was a delightful mix of various ingredients. The side dishes included simmered butterbur and deep-fried beets salad, as well as bean sprouts and leek ohitashi. The pink beet salad was a stylish addition. The dessert trio of koji cheesecake, matcha cake, and coffee jelly was a treat. The oats coffee was a nice touch at the end. I also bought some seaweed barley to try at home. Overall, the food was flavorful and good for the digestive system. The restaurant also offers cooking classes and the owner seems to be very active in promoting the business. A fantastic dining experience!

Mid-October, on a weekday. It's been 10 months since I last met up with my former colleague for a girls' get-together. We wanted to go out somewhere, but considering the risk of infection with a large group, we decided to have a lunch and stroll around Maruyama Park with just the two of us. Both of us are in the midst of menopause, so we wanted to alleviate any discomfort we were feeling by searching for a natural food restaurant. We made a reservation the day before, but unfortunately, our first choice was closed. So, we ended up at our second choice. When the dishes were served, the staff explained them to us, but we got caught up in conversation through our masks and my note-taking was a bit hazy. If I got anything wrong, I apologize. The Sea Barley Lunch Set for 1380 yen includes soup, sea barley rice, and three seasonal dishes. The soup was a bit salty, with a surprisingly strong saltiness. The vegetables were cooked until very soft, with a strong celery flavor. I liked it, but for those who don't like celery, it might be tough. The sea barley rice also had a noticeable saltiness but was just right. The rice had a chewy texture and was topped with a soft square piece of kelp, which was delicious. The three seasonal dishes included chickpea stew, a white sauce stew made without dairy, and a soy meat hamburger. The chickpeas had a soft and delicious texture, and the hamburger had a meaty texture. Both were on the salty side. The stew was the only one with a mild flavor, creamy and tasty. The price was not cheap, but the portion size was very satisfying. I initially thought it was too much and wasn't confident I could finish it all due to the saltiness, but I managed to eat everything while drinking plenty of water. I wished for more water, but hesitated to ask for a refill as the staff seemed busy and did not offer any initially. The tap water was delicious, though. There was a corner near the entrance of the restaurant selling sweets, and as we were looking at them after paying, the owner approached us. When my friend asked, "What is sea barley?" he explained that it is barley grown in their own farm in Scotland, bathed in plenty of sea breeze, hence the name "sea barley." I was very interested in flour-free sweets. I mentioned my struggle with sweet cravings and how I tend to overeat sweets and bread when stressed, even though I know it's not good for gut health. The owner shared that when people get all the necessary nutrients, they naturally stop craving such foods. I bought a baked sweet, which was also delicious but had a surprising saltiness within the sweetness. It was tasty, but I couldn't eat it all at once due to the extreme saltiness. There seemed to be a purpose behind such an unusual saltiness. Salt is essential for the body, rich in minerals. Of course, too much is not good, but a deficiency can cause health issues. Though the saltiness was intense while eating, there was no subsequent dryness in the throat, perhaps due to the natural salt. I felt drawn to the restaurant for some reason, despite finding some parts of their website hard to understand. So, I gave it a neutral rating of "3.3" as I feel like one visit may not reveal its true value. The Bibimbap dish the person next to us was eating also looked delicious, so I might go back alone next time to fully appreciate the food and experience. The review may seem a bit scattered, so I apologize for that.

On a certain holiday, I started walking from Maruyama Koen Station and finally managed to dine at this restaurant after noticing it for the third time. It is a restaurant that serves dishes that seem gentle on the body. There is no parking lot due to the location, so please use the nearby coin parking. You wouldn't know from afar, but the entrance to the building is not obvious. Inside, there are 4 table seats for a maximum of 11 people, and there is also space in the back. The atmosphere is lively this time with a group of children. The background music playing is soothing piano music. From the menu on that day, lunch options included Korean-style seaweed rolls, Bibimbap-like dishes, bento boxes, and options with varying portions. After much deliberation, I decided to try the "Tanno Zen" bento box for 1420 yen. The tea served was presented in lovely dishes. The first dish was a black rice porridge with black sesame, which had a rich sesame flavor and a smooth texture. Next, there were four types of vegetable side dishes, each with its own unique flavor. The main dish arrived in a traditional bento box, featuring colorful rice with a crispy soybean topping, accompanied by various vegetable dishes. The meal also included unique fried dumplings with a strong kale flavor, spicy soybean skin, pickled vegetables, and a dessert of barley and cocoa agar with soy milk cream. Overall, the dishes were all vegetable-based with plant protein, well-seasoned, and catered to various tastes. It would have been nice to have more information about the ingredients, but the experience was enjoyable.

Great value for money!! After indulging in a large parfait at a cafe, I visited this restaurant and ordered the 2500 yen course with the fewest items, but I was completely satisfied!! The dishes were mainly seasonal and gentle on the body, with many dishes that I had never tried before. I highly recommend it to everyone. It's a wonderful restaurant.

I was satisfied with the healthy dishes.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm. The lunch has a satisfying portion! I would like to come back when I am tired. Surprisingly, there were quite a few foreign customers.

In late August 2018, I visited Itadakizukushi in the Maruyama area for the first time. I ordered the seasonal vegetable nori roll set, which came with appetizer of black bean porridge, nori roll with seaweed and assorted seasonal vegetables, and today's agar pudding. The decor of the restaurant was like being in a white limestone cave, with antique wooden benches and beaded cushions adding to the cozy atmosphere. The sound of sizzling frying mixed with piano healing music created a pleasant ambiance. The black bean porridge was slightly salty and had a nice thickness, making it a comforting dish. The nori roll was a vegetable sushi roll with kombu, fried tofu, carrot, and cucumber, while the assorted seasonal vegetables included a pumpkin salad, edamame, soy meat, zucchini, carrot, and corn. The pickles were well-pickled with a good balance of acidity and saltiness. The dessert was a cocoa-flavored agar pudding with a topping that had a hint of saltiness from salt koji and amazake. The staff kindly gave me a bag of Greek salt for the marathon the next day, which helped me stay energized during the race. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience at Itadakizukushi in Sapporo.

I visited this restaurant that I had been curious about for a while. A friend from out of town wanted to use it for a lunch bento for a meeting, so I decided to check it out since I had some business in the Maruyama area around noon. I chose the lunch box for 720 yen to report back to my friend. Initially, I thought of eating in a nearby park, but couldn't find a good spot, so I asked if it was possible to eat inside the restaurant, and they kindly agreed. They even provided chopsticks and tea, which was very much appreciated. The lunch box was made of non-wood pulp material that can biodegrade naturally when buried in the soil. Inside, there was mixed grain rice and 4 side dishes. Although it looked quite filling, as a big eater, I found it slightly lacking in quantity. The dishes included a tomato salad with beans and vegetables, simmered wheat gluten, fried carob bean curd, and a noodle and green vegetable salad with a sauce that tasted like namul. The rice had soy sauce-flavored simmered beans and kelp tsukudani on top. The side dishes had a complex and well-seasoned taste, different from the usual perception of natural food. The carob bean curd fry was particularly delicious, reminiscent of miso katsu. Overall, the meal was satisfying with a variety of flavors to enjoy. The atmosphere of the restaurant was lovely, and it seemed to have a good rapport with regular customers. I also saw information about other new restaurants opening nearby, which piqued my interest. I would definitely like to visit again.

I was taken to Itadakizen by a friend who recommended it as a great place to eat. We didn't know that reservations were required for dinner, but they kindly accommodated us for lunch. I ordered the Gen-seihanten set, which was delicious. The black rice porridge was warm and comforting, and the Gen-seihanten had the perfect texture that I love. My favorite dish was the tofu and green pepper stew, while my friend loved the burdock dish the most. The spring rolls had a slightly sour taste, which wasn't my favorite. For dessert, we had pear and a bite-sized cookie that was incredibly delicious. The balance of salt and walnuts in the cookie was perfect. Overall, we left feeling satisfied and content with our meal.

The first overseas vegetarian restaurant in Japan is located at this Maruyama store. The menu is completely meat-free, including seafood and eggs. Despite being a restaurant, it has a casual and at-home atmosphere. I visited for lunch and ordered the Gen Seihan set for ¥1380, which includes 8-9 dishes. The Gen Seihan is a blend of Hokkaido-grown rice and other grains, a specialty of the restaurant. The meal started with black sesame porridge to gently warm and prepare the stomach before enjoying the dishes. While the flavors may not be as strong as those with typical seasonings, I was impressed by the dishes made solely with the umami of vegetables. It made me think about the true essence of food. The dishes were served in beautiful plates, which added to the dining experience. Since the dishes are brought out like a course meal, I recommend visiting when you have plenty of time. It took me a leisurely 90 minutes to enjoy everything, including dessert.

On October 5, 2013, I visited Itadakizen, a vegan restaurant located about a 7-minute walk from Maruyama Koen Station in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The restaurant opened in December 2012 and has a cozy atmosphere surrounded by earthen walls. Itadakizen is affiliated with the "Nou Tetsugakuin" which is an educational institution that teaches the philosophy of farming through practical farming methods and supports individuals aiming for self-sufficiency in agriculture. This Sapporo Maruyama Koen branch is actually the third branch, with the first one in London and the second in Scotland, making this the first branch in Japan. I ordered the lunch "small set" which allows you to try various side dishes with "moto seihan" mixed grain rice. The rice was a unique blend of grains, beans, and seaweed. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was cozy, allowing me to relax and enjoy my meal.

In May 2013, I visited Itadaki Shokudo Sapporo Maruyama for the first time. It is a newly opened restaurant from last year. I was hesitant to visit before because the website was in English and prices were in dollars. I was worried about the language barrier and not having dollar bills. However, after seeing a review from a fellow diner, I found out that Japanese is spoken at the restaurant, so I decided to visit. The restaurant is located in Chuo Ward, Maruyama area in Sapporo. Check the exact location on Tabelog. I visited with my usual companion around noon on a weekday. We drove there, but there is no parking lot, so we were told to park on the road in front of the restaurant. Since parking is restricted in the area, we parked at a nearby paid parking lot. The interior of the restaurant is compact with one 4-seater table and two 7-seater oval tables, as well as tables at the back. We chose to sit at one of the 7-seater tables. The entrance side of the restaurant was busy with customers coming and going, so we sat towards the back of the restaurant. There were 5 empty seats at our table, so there was space for 5 more people to sit. We ordered the "Moto Seihan Tan no U Set" from the lunch menu. As more elderly customers arrived, we were asked to move to a table closer to the entrance to make room for them. We were then asked to move to a cramped corner seat, leaving only space for 2 more people at our table. My companion was not happy about this and felt sorry for them. We followed the restaurant's policy, but... Anyway, we decided to focus on the food. We were served bamboo leaf tea instead of soba tea. After a 16-minute wait, we were served black sesame porridge. 12 minutes later, the Tan no U Set arrived, followed by fried mountain vegetable tempura 5 minutes later. Dessert came 15 minutes later. The Moto Seihan Tan no U Set included: - Black sesame porridge: It had a thick consistency with a strong black sesame flavor and low salt content. The sesame husk wasn't removed, making it slightly rough to swallow. - Mixed grain rice: It had a flavor similar to 16-grain rice. - Today's main dish: Tempura with a fritter-like texture, slightly lukewarm and recommended for those with sensitive palates. It was a bit mushy and needed salt. - Today's vegetables with Zensho dressing: Carrots, sweet potatoes, and potatoes mixed with seaweed miso, which was salty. - Today's side dish: Udo flower with a normal taste and just the right amount of salt. - Grilled Japanese-style chijimi: It had a new texture similar to chijimi with a miso base. - Pickles: A spicy pickled vegetable that was salty and went well with rice. - Peanut tsukudani: Large, soft peanuts with a salty flavor that complemented rice. - Pumpkin pudding: Soft pumpkin pudding that was not too sweet, slightly salty, and went well with rice.

Recently, I visited this place to have a healthy lunch as I have been eating too much at buffets while on a diet. They served a type of rice that I had never heard of before (unpolished rice)??? First, they brought out black sesame porridge and explained that it is good for the liver. It was perfect for me, with a very gentle and soothing flavor. I was confident that the next dish would be great... The rice was cooked deliciously and I wanted to ask for seconds, but I resisted... The bracken fern salad was crunchy and enjoyable in texture. The steamed vegetables were served with a kelp sauce. A well-balanced lunch, I recommend this place for those who want to become fans of simple and delicious dishes.

This is a macrobiotic restaurant. The main branches are in London, and it was so popular that people were saying it should open in Japan too, and this year it opened in Sapporo. There weren't many macrobiotic restaurants around, so I'm honestly happy. There was a nearby shop called Chikappo that I think was also macrobiotic. I visited on a Sunday around 1:30 pm. There weren't many seats, and there were two customers already seated in a calm Japanese-style space. We sat at a table in the back where many people could sit. It was quite calming. They even had a gathering mat, which made it enjoyable. It was a bit dim, but it suited the atmosphere of the restaurant. I ordered the Macrobiotic Lunch Set for 1,380 yen. I was surprised by the delicious tea they served. They said it was a Korean tea with an unfamiliar name, mixed with brown rice and wild plants. The tea had a unique toasty flavor that increased my expectations for the meal. The food arrived in about 15 minutes. It included multigrain rice, kombu and soy stew, root vegetable stew, miso with seaweed, sesame-dressed greens, spicy daikon, peanut miso, tempura of wild vegetables, and sautéed udo skin. Finally, there was a small dessert. Each dish was served in small portions, and I was worried if it would be enough, but in the end, I was comfortably full. However, I felt something was missing, and that was miso soup. I felt a bit uncomfortable without it. My mother, who came with me, said she feels choked without miso soup. The root vegetable stew with potatoes, taro, carrots, and turnips had a sweet and delicious flavor. The lightly seared seaweed with uni flavor was a hit with my mother who loves uni. The sesame-dressed greens were fragrant and lightly sautéed, with an elegant mild taste. The peanut miso was a bit salty. The tempura made from udo stems and leaves was crispy and flavorful, without any bitterness. The pumpkin pudding with a mysterious cream on top was a good ending to the meal. I'd like to visit again someday. This place seems suitable for dining alone.