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A Unique Restaurant with a Chef Dressed as a Monkey in Tokyo

If you've spent a fair amount of time in Tokyo, you’re likely familiar with its quirky charm. From maid cafes to tourists dressed as Pikachu zooming around Akihabara, the city is full of surprises. But one experience truly left me astonished: dinner at Veganic Monkey Magic.

A Special Dinner at Veganic Monkey Magic

Veganic Monkey Magic is a unique vegetarian restaurant located in Asakusa. Upon arrival, I was taken aback to see the restaurant’s chef dressed in a monkey costume, serving what can only be described as one of the best plant-based tasting menus in Tokyo. This was undoubtedly one of the most bizarre and memorable dining experiences I’ve ever had.

Discovering Veganic Monkey Magic

Veganic Monkey Magic is a reservation-only restaurant situated on the first floor of Oyado Matsumura Inn. Run by Chef Monkey-san, a multi-talented woman who handles everything from menu preparation to cooking and serving, the restaurant opened in 2020 as a vegetarian café and has since evolved into a plant-based kaiseki restaurant.

The space is cozy, with only seven seats at the counter, making advance reservations essential. When I visited in February 2026, the cost was 6,800 yen per person. Veganic Monkey Magic operates just three nights a week, from Thursday to Saturday, offering lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and dinner only on Thursdays.

Located just a 5-minute walk from Senso-ji Temple, you can easily find it using Google Maps. Just remember to take off your shoes before stepping inside!

Unveiling the Story of Chef Monkey-san

Chef Monkey-san is the heart and soul of this restaurant. I searched for more information about her but found little, other than her signature monkey outfit when serving guests. It’s clear that she has a passion for vegetarian cuisine, crafting creative dishes using high-quality fermented ingredients sourced from Japan and beyond.

A Magical Tasting Menu

At Veganic Monkey Magic, guests are required to order at least one drink during their meal. The drink menu is quite diverse, featuring everything from beer, sake, and whiskey to tequila and non-alcoholic options like Nippon Beer Ryoma 1865. There's even a section called 'Beer for the Chef,' where I was encouraged to treat Chef Monkey-san to a bottle of beer.

When I visited, the appetizer was a delightful carrot soup with Italian oregano. Next up was a hot pot featuring tofu, mushrooms, and greens, served with a mixture of shichimi spice and freshly ground sesame. The aroma of the fresh sesame was truly captivating. I also got to choose a cute monkey-shaped chopstick rest, which I couldn’t resist taking home!

Following that was crispy bread with pate and black pepper from Cambodia, accompanied by pani puri stuffed with yogurt, vegetables, and herbs. Then came a small serving of soba noodles, a comforting dish I always enjoy when eating vegetarian in Japan.

Perhaps the most unique dish was the monaka filled with natto (fermented soybeans) and banana. Natto can be an acquired taste due to its smell and slimy texture, but combined with banana, it became much more palatable. Next was grilled onion and tofu marinated in sake and soy sauce, which was a lot easier to enjoy than the natto.

Another interesting dish was konjac and tempeh yakiniku from Nagano. While the texture might not fool meat lovers, the flavor was still delightful.

Lastly, there was a daikon 'steak' with tartar sauce, spring vegetables, and wild grape salt. The grand finale was sautéed sacha inchi with burdock, onions, and a rare fried vegetable, drizzled with red wine sauce and Asakusa spices.

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