San Bou - Koya

Had the menu shijin (monk) style, it was great. I asked the waitress about the broth, it was in the did katsuobushi (dried bonito.) other than that, eating is great and cheap (about 1400-2300 yen for a set menu.) a must-go!

The dining experience at this restaurant was nearly as delightful as at Fudoin. I made it a point to request in Japanese that my food be prepared without any eggs or milk, and the waitress confirmed my request before placing my order. When I noticed that Katsuo-dashi was being used instead of konbudashi, I politely asked for the change, as recommended in a review I had read. The waitress seemed a bit perturbed by my request, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference in the end. While I couldn't say for certain, the ingredients didn't seem particularly fresh. The prices were a bit on the high side, but still reasonable for Koyasan.

This restaurant says it is vegetarian really clear outside, and on the menu. However, they use katsuodashi (fish stock) in all their dishes. they can instead use konbudashi, and were really knowledgeable and accommodating when I asked if they used katsuodashi. they said no problem and suggested they could take a court with konbudashi (seaweed stock). the set I had was delicious and served just as fast as the non-vegane eating my friend. I recommend it here, but simply ask for the konbudashi option to make it veggie.

We didn't stay in a temple in Koyasan but were keen to try out shojin ryori. The owner of our guest house recommended this place and we weren't disappointed. I chose the lunch box set (which was the most expensive meal at around 2500 Yen) and my friend had a ramen dish with tofu on top. Both dishes were tasty. Mine had, among other things, several variations of tofu preparation, which was nice to try. I can't compare it to shojin ryori at other temple lodgings but I think this was fun and affordable. Pretty sure the meal was vegan but as I'm a vegetarian I didn't check this.

English menu but staff did not speak English. The mountain veggie rice pot was delicious, reminded me a bit of Hangawi in NYC. The whipped tofu over rice we did not eat, it may not have been vegan and was just not appealing.