If you are a coffee connoisseur as well as on a plant-based diet, finding a decent coffee shop that serves both tasty dishes, and is sustainable can be a bit of a struggle in Japan. There are of course a few places which are becoming more friendly towards veggie and vegan worlds, but they’re not always perfect and it can still be quite a venture to find one.

But fret no further, as this subsidiary of Komeda Coffee is taking Tokyo’s coffee scene by storm, and is offering a fully plant-based menu to customers.
KOMEDA is □ was created by Komeda Coffee with the aim of providing customers with the chance to “relax with the earth”. The new coffee shop hopes to contribute to creating a more sustainable environment by advocating “plant-based” diets with their menu. Despite being free from all animal products, the food and drink available at the new coffee shop still retains a focus on deliciousness and good texture.

You may have noticed the strange use of a blank square in the name of the new coffee shop. The concept behind this is that the □ represents the way that customers feel when they spend time at Komeda. It can be “relaxing”, “delicious”, “creative”, “comfortable”. There are so many more possibilities that could fill the space, that the company decided to leave it so that customers can fill in the blank themselves. The store is what the customers believe it is.

“KOMEDA is □” was created by Komeda as part of their new project which focuses on creating a more sustainable world; “Relax your heart”. They aren’t expecting customers to drop their current diets and switch to a fully plant-based diet, but do hope that they can at least promote the idea of a “meat-free day” each week.

The menu at “KOMEDA is □” has food suitable for any meal of the day, so customers can sit down and relax with the perfect meat-free dish and drink whenever they feel like it.

For those looking for a meal to give them a boost in the morning, “KOMEDA is □” is serving up toast buttered with soy milk spread until 11:00am. For a topping customers have three choices to choose from; sugar free jam, anko spread or goma confit (a sesame and beetroot syrup).
On the lunch menu, customers can find the Avocado Teriyaki burger, which consists of a soybean pattie, avocado slices and an original plant-based teriyaki sauce.
For those with a sweet tooth, the coffee shop has perfected rice-flour pancakes, and for late night dates they have 100% plant-based alcohol in store. At “KOMEDA is □” it seems that there is a perfect dish for everyone.

The 100% plant-based cafe, “KOMEDA is □” will be opening its doors on Wednesday 15 July, 2020 in Higashi-Ginza, Tokyo.
Located a 2 minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station, the cafe will be open daily year round from 7:00am to 23:00pm.


By - Connie Sceaphierde.