vegan, vegetarian, tokyo, japan, vegetarian tokyo, vegan tokyo, macrobiotic
Omotesando Ghungroo
Wed, 20/01/10 – 12:58 | No Comment

Last week I tried out Ghungroo, an Indian restaurant in Omotesando which I actually used to visit often, before they renovated last year.
It used to be a casual nothing-too-special kind of  place, with an okay lunch …

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Japan Times: Macrobiotic master extols joy of cooking
Thu, 25/02/10 – 22:29 | No Comment

Japan Times: Macrobiotic master extols joy of cooking

From the JT today:

Macrobiotics, a diet and lifestyle regimen aimed at longer, healthier living, has enjoyed a boom in recent years due to some high-profile celebrity fans. Along with Madonna, actors Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow are among those thought to be keen on the diet, whose basic principles include eating whole grains, locally-grown organic vegetables, natural seasonings and food without artificial additives.

Mayumi Nishimura is undoubtedly a leader of the macrobiotic lifestyle, having served as Madonna’s private chef for seven years through the end of 2007. She even lived with the singer’s family in London and accompanied her on wordwide tours.

Now back home in Japan, 53-year-old Nishimura hopes to promote a more relaxed, contemporary style of macrobiotic cooking that she calls “petit-macro.” Nishimura’s style sticks to natural seasonings and a largely vegetarian diet, allowing for more flexibility in people’s food choices.

“Macrobiotics is not about dos and don’ts, but about trying to have a balanced diet using a variety of ingredients,” Nishimura said during a recent interview in Tokyo, while preparing an appetizing platter of vegetable burritos using slices of avocado and carrot, and lentils seasoned with sea salt and a maple syrup-balsamic vinegar mixture.

“As long as you base your diet on the whole grain, vegetables and no refined foods or artificial additives, the rest is free; choices are really up to you.”

In her new English-language book, “Mayumi’s Kitchen,” which was released by Kodansha International earlier this month, Nishimura shares a variety of recipes that defy the dull, stoic images of macrobiotics that she said are often confused with traditional Japanese cuisine.

[read in full here]

Vegetarianism takes root in meat-loving Mongolia
Fri, 5/02/10 – 4:09 | No Comment
Vegetarianism takes root in meat-loving Mongolia

From Christian Science Monitor:
More Mongolians are going vegetarian as people seek healthier diets and restaurateurs seize the initiative. Vegetables remain unpopular, though; menus tend to feature traditional meat dishes made with soy.
The first vegetarian restaurant …

SMH: Call meat happy, but it is never humane
Tue, 29/12/09 – 18:49 | No Comment
SMH: Call meat happy, but it is never humane

From the Sydney Morning Herald:
“… the rise of the ”happy meat” movement is not good news for animals. Far from being revolutionary, it is a giant step backwards. Many people who used to be vegetarian …

Fruitcake recipe (gluten-free)
Thu, 24/12/09 – 9:16 | No Comment
Fruitcake recipe (gluten-free)

The Vegetable Japan blog has just posted a great, seasonal fruitcake recipe.
[Check it here]

Comparing Vegan Mayonnaise
Tue, 1/12/09 – 13:27 | No Comment
Comparing Vegan Mayonnaise

Recently, there’s been various kinds of mayo-alternatives out on stands. Depending on which shop you’re at, you’ll see different brands. After trying a few–some of which didn’t have that mayo-richness or flavor, I’ve sticked to …

Call for vegeburgers
Mon, 23/11/09 – 23:38 | 4 Comments
Call for vegeburgers

We need your help.
We’re putting together a post on the capital’s vegeburgers and we need your tips, reviews and/or photos.
Email us at info@vegetokyo.com, or leave info in the comments, and let’s compile a proper guide …

AV Club interviews Jonathan Safran Foer
Wed, 18/11/09 – 5:27 | No Comment
AV Club interviews Jonathan Safran Foer

Awaiting the birth of his first child, novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, an off-and-on-again vegetarian, determined it was time to finally make an informed decision about his family’s diet. He set out to witness firsthand how …

Cafe 8’s tofu cheese
Mon, 16/11/09 – 8:43 | No Comment
Cafe 8’s tofu cheese

For Cafe 8’s ninth anniversary, they produced a nine-piece tapas plate. Everything on the plate was superb, but one item was so tasty I wrote to the restaurant and asked for the recipe. It turns …

Lush and animals
Tue, 10/11/09 – 1:07 | No Comment
Lush and animals

A Lush cosmetics spokesman talks about the company’s animal rights stance.

Non-veg potatoes?
Tue, 10/11/09 – 0:54 | No Comment
Non-veg potatoes?

Here’s a conundrum for the strict vegetarians and vegans out there. The LA Metblog has a post asking whether or not you’d eat potatoes cooked a few inches away from meat. If your spuds pick …

Glenn Beck, my hero
Fri, 6/11/09 – 4:09 | One Comment
Glenn Beck, my hero

Never thought this would happen, but here’s Glenn Beck in perfect accord with Vegetokyo, at least for a little bit, until the Squawk Box of Fox starts yapping about global warming “lies”.
BECK: I’m siding with …