Vegan Lunch Plate @ Rota Cafe, Daimyo, Fukuoka

 

There is an increasing base of people opting for more meat-free diets. This motivation can range from spiritual, religious, and ethical, to health or even economic reasons. Unfortunately, vegan and vegetarian food is not very well represented in Japan. Fortunately, in one of my weekend sojourns, I found a vegan enclave that is so good, that generic meat-eaters should consider giving it a go. 

Oh what do we have here???

Rota Cafe Daimyo Honten, or Rota Cafe, in short, is a quaint vegan cafe that sells a variety of tasty meals, cakes, and desserts. And despite giving the impression that it may have a limited menu, the place is surprisingly popular. One of their main stars is their set lunch plate, which was what I ordered. For a somewhat hefty 1430 yen, you are served with various bits and bobs, which results in an interesting and filling meal. You can choose one of the various sides to accompany your meal. 

Like a rainbow, but edible. 

For this endeavour I chose the "katsu", which I find interesting as to how they will work around making a cutlet if you do not have a cutlet of meat in the first place. Well colour me impressed as what appeared was great and colourful, pun intended. With a total of 5 different elements, miso soup, and rice, this was a loaded plate. 

Golden

The katsu itself was quite crunchy and had a meaty texture. However, there is a spongy kickback. Well, it is imitation meat after all, so I assume it would be made of compressed tofu. The sauce was the classic tangy tonkatsu sauce which helped make this a whole lot more interesting. 

Sleeper hit

The other sides helped complement the deep-fried treat by cooling things down. There was a chilli con carne potato dish that caught me by surprise on how flavourful and savoury it was. There were also sides of cold veggies which added a bit of texture and variety. And lastly a good serving of salad. With a variety of different colours and even temperatures, this was a plate just bursting with personality. And yet, everything seems to work well harmoniously which was great. Really looking forward to trying some of the desserts in the near future. 

Front of the house. 

Personally, I am quite indifferent to vegan food. When it comes to food, as long it's tasty and I will live to tell the tale, it is good enough. Some of you might be wondering if it is worth paying the premium to get something that cost more than a full-on meat meal. I mean I can get a grilled chicken meal or a burger for lesser. Be that as it may, once you taste this pretty healthy treat, you will probably figure it out yourself. So why don't you fancy a go? If this has piqued your interest, then the location of Rota Cafe is as follows:

〒810-0041 Fukuoka, Chuo Ward, Daimyo, 1 Chome−12−2 Ky Daimyo 1F,2F