Vegetarian Delights - Starters

In the past few years, having a vegetarian diet has become increasingly popular. Whether it’s a complete abstention from meat and fish or just a desire to limit the amount of meat and fish within your diet and be it for environmental, ethical, health reasons or a mix of all three being a vegetarian (either fully committed or part-time) shouldn’t limit your culinary experiences!

Typically, when you think of vegetarian cuisine your mind probably won’t immediately jump to Japan, and you’d be right Japan is not usually associated with vegetarian food. However, that does not mean that there aren’t plenty of delicious and satisfying Japanese dishes to suit even the most discerning the vegetarian foodie. In part one of this blog, we will be looking at all the fantastic vegetarian starter dishes Japan and Yuhoki has to offer.

 Starters/Light Bites

Vegetarian dishes (especially the Japanese ones!) lend themselves beautifully to starters which are of course great at the start of a meal but also fantastic all together with some sushi as sharing plates. Light and savoury these tasty treats are great in the summer heat.

 Edamame

Edamame is a perfect way to start a meal or to share with friends over a drink. Soybeans blanched in their pods and served with salt they are savoury and moreish as well as being fresh and healthy (minus a little salt).

Agedashi Tofu

A perfect light bite is our Agedashi Tofu, deep fried tofu in a savoury (vegetarian) dashi sauce. Combining the tofu’s crispy outer shell and creamy inside with a savoury dashi sauce you receive a full-on umami experience as the flavourful dashi clings to the tofu’s coating seasoning it perfectly. 

Seaweed Salad

Another super green starter that’s a real winner here at Yuhoki is our seaweed salad. Japanese seaweed marinated in sesame oil (because everything tastes better with sesame oil!), this healthy and refreshing dish has a fresh taste and a satisfying crunch. We love it served alongside sushi or our Agedashi Tofu.

Vegetable Tempura

Our selection of vegetables deep fright in crispy, crunchy light batter just melt in your mouth and are a perfect addition to any meal. The tempura vegetables are perfectly cooked on the inside enhancing the natural sweetness of the vegetables so that they contrast with the savoury, soy-based tempura sauce.

Vegetable Gyoza

Enjoyed steamed or deep fried our vegetable gyozas are comforting and tasty! Little pockets of goodness the soft savoury vegetable filling works perfectly with our savoury dipping sauce. We personally love them deep fried for a really satisfying crunch!

As you can see, there is already a wealth of veggie dishes to try and we are only on the starters! Check out next week’s blog for a rundown of our stunning range of vegetarian sushi and main dishes. Or if you just can’t wait why not book a table and pay us a visit and try for them yourself?