Vegan Ramen at Soranoiro

ソラノイロ



Here it is folks. Vegan, gluten-free ramen. In Tokyo.

Well, it comes as no surprise. With the global ramen trend showing no signs of stopping, the general global food trends are sure to interfere. And after Soranoiro's master Miyajima-san was invited to Paris Ramen Week, he caved!



I shouldn't be so harsh, as the vegan option is simply an addition to Soranoiro's excellent menu.



Let's get the criticism out of the way first. The noodles.



Ramen, by definition, is made using wheat noodles. Last I checked, wheat was not gluten free. But rice noodles are. So this dish makes use of pho noodles.

You're actually given a choice. If you can deal with gluten, the shop's standard paprika-enhanced noodles are used.



And now for the positive; the soup. The soup is a simple puree of carrots and cabbage, topped with fresh vegetables. As far as vegetable soups go, this one is a winner. Sure, the shop's Veggie Soba is better, using a tare rich with the umami flavors of clams and dried mackerel, but if those things are off your list, the simple shio tare in the vegan bowl isn't much of a compromise.



Japan is very tough to live as a vegan. Many chefs don't understand what vegan is, and you can expect to find fish, definitely eggs and dairy, in many dishes considered meat-free.

I'd be very curious to hear from some of my meat-free readers (do you even exist?) about this bowl. How does it look?

Original Review Here