Bon

Bon is one of Tokyo's most distinctive dining experiences: a fucha ryori (Chinese influenced Zen Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) restaurant that has been operating since 1959 in a quiet residential side street in the Ryusen area of Taito. Fucha ryori was brought to Japan from China about 300 years ago via Obakuzan Manpukuji Temple in Uji, Kyoto. It sits within the broader shojin ryori tradition but is distinguished by its Chinese cooking influences, heavier use of sesame oil, deep frying and stir frying with vegetable oil, and arrowroot flour for thickening broths. The restaurant itself feels like stepping out of Tokyo entirely: a cobbled corridor leads past miniature gardens, fountains, and greenery to eight private tatami mat rooms, each with sliding paper doors and views onto small gardens. All courses are entirely plant based. The meal begins with sakura tea and a sweet and ends with matcha tea and sweets, reflecting the meaning of fucha: a meal that begins and ends with tea, aiming to create friendship and peace among those eating together. The chef and owner greets guests personally and staff explain each course as it arrives.