We’re fresh off a winter trip to Tokyo but we’re already looking forward to our next visit in the spring, this time to the Kansai region.
As always, I’ve already mapped out an event-filled itinerary but one experience I’m particularly excited about is a temple stay in Koyasan. We’ll be joining monks in morning prayer and experiencing shojin ryori or Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Having recently shifted to a more plant-based diet, I’ve enjoyed shojin ryori before but never at an actual Buddhist temple.
People have described Koyasan temple stays as “magical” or “life-changing”. Though certainly not the only thing to look forward to, these humble meals have much to do with the experience.
Enjoying shojin ryori in one of the most sacred places in Japan is certainly a bucket-list-worthy event, but what if I told you it’s possible to experience something similar in the heart of neon-lit Tokyo?
Thanks to Wabunka, that’s exactly what we did at Sougo, an upscale vegetarian restaurant offering kaiseki-style shojin ryori with sake and wine pairing in Roppongi.
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WHAT IS SHOJIN RYORI?
Shojin ryori refers to traditional Buddhist cuisine. It translates to “devotion cuisine” or “food for spiritual practice” and describes a vegetarian cooking style that was introduced to Japan with the arrival of Buddhism in the 6th century.
Adhering to the Buddhist principle of ahimsa or non-violence towards any living being, shojin ryori doesn’t use any fish or meat. Instead, it consists of meticulously prepared plant-based dishes highlighting seasonal produce and mountain vegetables. Because Buddhists believed them to “excite the passions”, strongly flavored ingredients like garlic and green onions are avoided.
To achieve balance – an important concept in Buddhism and shojin ryori – the cuisine draws from the Chinese philosophy of wuxing and applies the rule of five to color, flavor, and technique. The use of five colors (white, black, red, green, yellow), five flavors (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami), and five cooking methods (simmered, fried, raw, steamed, grilled) are required to create balanced and beautiful meals.
Being a cuisine centered on the Buddhist precept of avoiding harm, you’d expect shojin ryori to be vegan but that isn’t always the case. Historically, animal byproducts weren’t used though some dishes today can be made with eggs and dairy products. This is due to some modern monks viewing their consumption as being non-detrimental to the animal’s well-being.
WHO IS CHEF DAISUKE NOMURA?
Daisuke Nomura is the owner and head chef of Sougo. He was born into the family behind Daigo, another highly acclaimed shojin ryori restaurant in Tokyo that has held two Michelin stars since 2008.
With a background in tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and the culinary arts, Chef Nomura wanted to take a more creative approach to shojin ryori so he struck out on his own in 2015 to create Sougo. In his words:
“I wanted to work towards a new generation of shōjin ryōri. I think dishes should evolve with time, and I wanted the freedom to challenge myself and work with new elements.”
He cites the ancient favorite of sesame tofu as an example:
“Cold, it’s quite limited, but when fried it opens up so many options – I’ve served it with umami sauce, even mashed potato. When I realized the difference one change can make, it inspired me, it really represents what I want to do here at Sougo.”
Chef Nomura’s work with shojin ryori and vegetarian cuisine has earned him a spot on the Plant Forward Global 50 – a group of 50 chefs worldwide leading the movement for plant-based cuisine.
SHOJIN KAISEKI WITH ALCOHOL PAIRING: A WABUNKA EXCLUSIVE
In shojin ryori, the various dishes are typically served together but Sougo offers them one after the other in a kaiseki-style course meal. During dinner service, they offer two types of shojin kaiseki – Hasu (aperitif, 9 dishes, 2 desserts) and Zen (7 dishes, 1 dessert).
We had the Zen shojin kaiseki, but with wine and sake pairing, an exclusive offering available only on Wabunka. Each course is paired with domestic wines, sake, and spirits, all of which are carefully selected by Chef Nomura.
The Zen shojin kaiseki with alcohol pairing isn’t available on Sougo’s menu so it’s something you’ll need to book in advance on Wabunka.
If you’ve never heard of them, Wabunka is a tour booking platform that focuses on high-end luxury experiences in Japan. It’s a great site to go through if you’re looking to do something a little more special or unique on your trip.
Sougo is located on the 3rd floor of the Roppongi Green Building. Shojin kaiseki diners will be seated at this 10-person counter for an intimate view of Chef Nomura and his team at work.
The restaurant looks formal but the atmosphere is casual and relaxed.
As an aperitif, we were served umeshu on the rocks while Chef Nomura prepared our first course. Umeshu is a Japanese liqueur made from ume plums steeped in shochu and sugar.
FIRST COURSE: Fried Taro
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Tamura Cidre Brut
Chef Nomura wasted no time in impressing us with his food presentation skills. For our first course, we enjoyed this beautifully plated dish of fried taro served with walnuts, shishito peppers, and puffed rice stalks.
It was paired with Tamura Cidre Brut, a type of Japanese cider produced in Hirosaki in Aomori prefecture. Hirosaki is said to produce some of the highest-quality apples in Japan.
SECOND COURSE: Vegetable Umami Soup
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Densho Gekkeikan Jummai Ginjo
Next was this clean-tasting vegetable umami soup paired with a junmai ginjo sake from Fushimi, Kyoto.
Based on what I’ve read, this may constitute the wan-mono course of a typical kasieki meal. Named after the Japanese word for “bowl”, the wan-mono course refers to a lidded bowl containing a soup or boiled dish.
Served chilled, this junmai ginjo sake is produced by Gekkeikan, a company that’s been brewing sake in Kyoto’s Fushimi district since 1637.
I didn’t realize it at the time of our meal but I’ve actually visited Gekkeikan’s brewery and museum before in Kyoto. I did a sake tasting tour and was given an interesting overview of the sake making process. You can learn more about it in the excellent Legend of Sake documentary as well.
Junmai ginjo refers to a type of sake made with rice polished down to 60%.
THIRD COURSE: Burdock Sushi
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Densho Gekkeikan Jummai Ginjo
For our third course, we were served burdock sushi – uncooked burdock root dressed with black and white sesame seeds and edible flowers. This dish was also paired with the junmai ginjo from Gekkeikan.
FOURTH COURSE: Assorted Vegetable Dish
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Housui Winery Ricca Chardonnay 2021
This next course was perhaps the most interesting and beautifully plated dish of our kaiseki meal. It was made with an assortment of produce like eggplant, brussels sprouts, and a ground cherry prepared in different ways. In kaiseki-speak, I believe this may be considered a plant-based version of shiizakana.
Chef Nomura paired this vegetable course with a 2021 Ricca Chardonnay produced by the Housui Winery in Hokkaido.
FIFTH COURSE: Simmered Daikon Radish From Kyoto
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Nikaido Shuzo Kitchomu
A type of nimono, this next dish consisted of a simmered daikon radish from Kyoto. Topped with green beans and yuba (?), it was paired with Nikaido Shuzo Kitchomu, a type of barley shochu produced in Oita prefecture.
I read that Oita is known for being one of the best barley shochu producing regions in Japan. Unlike sake which is brewed and made only from rice, shochu is distilled and can be produced from different ingredients like barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, and sugar cane.
SIXTH COURSE: Shiitake Mushroom Stuffed With Tofu
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Housui Winery Ricca Lemberger 2022
As expected, the dishes get a little heavier and more substantial with each course. This next dish consisted of tofu-stuffed shiitake mushrooms served with lightly battered and fried vegetables.
Here’s a better look at the tofu stuffing. Like the vegetables, the stuffed mushrooms were also lightly battered before being deep-fried.
Chef Nomura paired the stuffed shiitake mushrooms with this 2022 Ricca Lemberger, also produced by the Hosui Winery in Hokkaido.
SEVENTH COURSE: Rice Boiled With Greens, Miso Soup, and Tsukudani Kombu
ALCOHOL PAIRING: Shiraito Tanaka 65 Junmai
For the last savory course – known as hanmono or shokuji – we were served a portion of rice boiled with greens, a bowl of miso soup, and some tsukudani kombu (simmered kelp). These three components are usually served as the last course in a kaseki meal, to fill you up.
Chef Nomura paired his shokuji course with a junmai sake produced by the Shiraito Brewery in Fukuoka. Junmai is similar to junmai ginjo except it’s made with a little bit of “brewer’s alcohol” to help lighten the sake.
EIGHTH COURSE: Fresh Persimmon
The final course in a kaiseki meal is called mizumono and typically consists of seasonal fruit. We visited Sougo in December so Chef Nomura served us persimmon, one of my absolute favorite fruits in Japan.
No alcohol was paired with this dessert course. Not like we needed any more as were pretty sloshed at this point!
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SOUGO
We enjoyed our meal at Sougo. I’m not an expert but it was easily the best and most refined shojin ryori meal I’ve had to date. The fried taro (1st), assorted vegetable dish (4th), and tofu-stuffed shiitake mushrooms (6th) were probably my favorite dishes of the night. Chef Nomura poured us a generous amount of wine and sake too, all of which paired well with their corresponding dishes.
As of this writing, Sougo has a solid Google rating of 4.3. However, it does have its share of negative reviews. If you go through them, you’ll find many are from foreigners who don’t seem to have enough experience with shojin ryori or kaiseki.
For example, one dissatisfied customer complained about the simplicity of the dessert – sliced fruit. But this is typical of kaiseki meals. We once enjoyed a Michelin-starred kaiseki meal in Osaka and the chef served us fresh sato nishiki cherries for dessert. As I’ve learned, that’s just the nature of kaiseki.
I think the same can be said about people’s complaints about how “basic” each course seemed. I haven’t had too many shojin ryori meals but I think this is pretty much what you can expect from any temple in Koyasan, if not better. And guess what? Those experiences aren’t cheap either.
In any case, I’ll know more after our temple stay in Koyasan this spring. If westerners come here with biases and preconceived notions, then they may be disappointed. But if you come to Sougo with an open mind and a better understanding of Japanese cuisine and culture, then I think you’ll find the experience much more satisfying, even enriching.
You can choose between Sougo’s shojin kaiseki meals at the restaurant but if you’d like to do it with alcohol pairing, then you’ll need to book the experience in advance through Wabunka.
Arigato gozaimasu for the great food and warm reception Chef Nomura!
Disclosure
This article on Sougo was written in collaboration with Wabunka. As always, all words, opinions, and thoughts expressed in this article are mine and mine alone.
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