Yoshinoya is one of the oldest Japanese multinational fast-food chains. The food chain’s specialty is gyudon or beef bowl. The first outlet was established in 1899 in Japan.
Yoshinoya is not entirely vegan. It serves only a few vegan dishes. In addition, these dishes are only vegan alternatives and lack the authentic Japanese taste. However, you can find alternative vegan restaurants serving Japanese food with the unaltered traditional taste.
As the vegan options at Yoshinoya are limited, we have listed the available vegan options at the Japanese food chain company. Moreover, you will find alternative vegan restaurants serving authentic Japanese food towards the end of the article. Read on to know more about Yoshinoya and the vegan options available at Yoshinoya.
Table of Contents
About Yoshinoya
Founded in 1899 in Japan, Yoshinoya runs with the motto, “Tasty, low-priced, and quick.” Initially, the business was hit due to the Great Kantō earthquake. However, the food chain outlet slowly recovered from the losses and saw exponential growth.
In 1965, Yoshinoya earned a million dollars in sales. This gave it enough finance to expand and open a franchise Shinsaibashi in 1968. Later, in 1975, Yoshinoya opened its first American store of the emerging fast-food chain in Colorado.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Yoshinoya became a competitor of brands like McDonald’s for meals such as a regular beef bowl. Through the years, Yoshinoya has evolved in terms of branding and tweaking the menu.
Yoshinoya aims to follow Japanese-inspired cooking, which is the essence of their menu. Ultimately, they intend to share that delicious experience with each of their customers.
The Japanese food chain is famous for cooking their freshly prepared rice bowls to perfection, using quality ingredients, and serving at affordable prices.
Yoshinoya has 2,000 locations worldwide and serves more than 500,000 delicious bowls daily.
Are There Vegan Options at Yoshinoya?
Yes, there are vegan options at Yoshinoya. However, the options are limited to the point that the experience is altered. A vegan wouldn’t experience the authenticity of Japanese food as most of the ingredients have only been replaced with vegan options. Methods to bring the exact taste in vegan meals are minimal.
In addition, the dishes are limited. You will only find vegetable bowls and not authentic dishes such as tempura, sushi, or harumaki. However, you will undoubtedly find vegan options at Yoshinoya. You can get yourself a meal and a drink. Unfortunately, there aren’t any desserts.
You will find only a few vegan options at Yoshinoya. You can find many drinks, but meals are limited. Given below are some vegan options at Yoshinoya, along with the nutritional information of each ingredient.
Meals
At Yoshinoya, you will find very few vegan options. However, the ones available are listed below.
Steamed Vegetable Rice Bowl
Being a vegan, you only have a few vegan Japanese dishes to try. However, a soulful Japanese dish you will surely like is a steamed vegetable rice bowl.
A steamed vegetable rice bowl consists of veggies, rice, and sauces.
The essence of Japanese cuisine lies in sauces. A chef carefully chooses sauces to create dishes, giving it an authentic Japanese taste.
The sauces used in steamed vegetable rice bowls are vegan. Therefore, you can taste the traditional taste while practicing veganism.
Steamed Vegetables
If you want to skip rice from the steamed vegetable rice bowl, you have an option. If you follow a strict diet, understandably, you would want to avoid rice.
The steamed vegetables, along with the flavorsome vegan Japanese sauces, bring the authentic taste of Japan into your bowls. If you’re at Yoshinoya, you can give steamed vegetables a shot.
Combo Bowls and XL Bowls
At Yoshinoya, you have the option to choose your ingredients yourself. You can pick the ingredients, match them with a suitable sauce and relish your vegan Japanese dish. Listed below are the vegan options available for the combo bowl. You can also double the portions for an XL bowl.
Brown Rice
- Serving Size (g): 312
- Calories: 350
- Total fat (g): 2.5
- Saturated Fat: 0.5
- Trans Fat (g): 73
- Total carbohydrates: 6
- Protein: 7
White Rice
- Serving Size (g): 312
- Calories: 410
- Potassium (mg): 90
- Total Carbohydrate (g): 89
- Dietary Fiber (g): 1
- Protein (g): 7
Coleslaw
- Serving Size (g): 113
- Calories: 70
- Total Fat (g): 3
- Potassium (mg): 204
- Sodium (mg): 170
- Total Carbohydrate (g): 11
- Total Sugars (g): 7
- Add Sugars(g): 5
- Protein (g): 2
Mixed Veggies
- Serving Size (g): 113
- Calories: 40
- Potassium (mg): 231
- Sodium (mg): 260
- Total Carbohydrate (g): 7
- Dietary Fiber (g): 1
- Total Sugars (g): 3
- Protein (g): 2
Potatoes
- Serving Size (g): 134
- Calories: 400
- Total Fat (g): 33
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Sodium (mg): 490
- Total Carbohydrate (g): 24
- Dietary Fiber (g): 1
- Total Sugars (g): 1
- Protein (g): 1
- Allergens: wheat, gluten
Sauces
- Teriyaki sauce
- Soy sauce
Spring Rolls (2pc/4pc)
Japanese spring rolls or harumaki are crispy rolls. Originally, Japanese spring rolls have meat and vegetables. However, the vegan option available at Yoshinoya has the choice for only vegetables.
You can find the spring rolls in two serving sizes: 2pc and 4pc. The nutritional information of each of the ingredients is given below.
Spring Rolls (2pc)
- Serving Size (g): 158
- Calories: 280
- Total Fat (g): 12
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Sodium (mg): 812
- Total Carbohydrate (g): 27
- Dietary Fiber (g): 2
- Total Sugars (g): 19
- Protein (g): 4
- Allergens: Soy, Wheat
Spring Rolls (4pc)
- Serving Size (g): 316
- Calories: 560
- Total Fat (g): 24
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Sodium (mg): 1625
- Total Carbohydrate (g): 55
- Dietary Fiber (g): 4
- Total Sugars (g): 38
- Protein (g): 8
- Allergens: Soy, Wheat
Drinks
Yoshinoya, a Japanese fast-food eatery, does not have authentic Japanese drinks. It has drinks and sodas from different companies. Given below are the vegan beverages.
- Brisk – Raspberry Sweetened Iced Tea
- Large
- Regular
- Diet Pepsi (Bottle)
- Diet Pepsi – Regular
- Diet Pepsi – Large
- Dole Strawberry Lemonade (Bottle)
- Mountain Dew
- Large
- Regular
- Pepsi (Bottle)
- Regular
- Large
- Sierra Mist (Bottle)
- Regular
- Large
- Tropicana
- Apple Juice – Bottle
- Fruit Punch
- Regular
- Large
- Pink Lemonade
- Regular
- Large
- Wild Cherry Pepsi
- Large
- Regular
Alternative Vegan Eateries
Although Yoshinoya has vegan options, the options for vegan dishes are minimal. The taste of the vegan meals is not modified to make it close to authentic Japanese food. That is why we have curated a list of alternative vegan-friendly Japanese food chain outlets.
Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya
Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar has entirely vegan options. The Japanese food chain outlet creates the perfect blend of classic shojin and sushi techniques with local, seasonal ingredients creating healthy, cruelty-free, and flavorful dishes.
Shizen uses tapioca, mountain yam, konjac, bean curd, and other vegan ingredients to prepare satisfying dishes. In addition, the chefs incorporate vegan alternatives without changing the authentic Japanese taste.
At Shizen, you can find several vegan Japanese dishes such as:
- Miso soup
- Edamame
- Wakame sunomono
- Nimono
- Agemono
- Osusume
- Ramen
Shojin
Based in Los Angeles, Shojin serves meals that are vegan and gluten-free. Given below are some of the vegan dishes on the menu of the Shojin food chain outlets.
- Spicy Baked Scallop Roll
- Shojin Dynamite Roll
- Spicy tuna crispy rice
- Truffle Maitake and Shiitake Tempura
- Shojin Shiso Gyoza
- Spicy miso bolognese
- Wafu kinoko pasta
- Yuba “Handkerchief Pasta” With Shiso Pesto
- Sweet Orange “Chicken”
Tane Vegan Izakaya
Tane Vegan Izakaya is an entirely plant-based Japanese food chain outlet located in Honolulu. Given below are some of the vegan dishes on the menu of Tane Vegan Izakaya restaurant.
- Miso soup
- Edamame
- Gyoza
- Konnyaku Ceviche
- Wakame sunomono
- Goma ae
- Zaru soba salad
- Ramen
- Tempura
- Kappamaki
Kajitsu
Kajitsu has several vegetarian meals available. Some of them are vegan too. The ambiance is much-adored as it is tranquil and minimalistic. Below are some of the vegan dishes on the menu of Kajitsu restaurant.
- Omakase
- Mukōzuke
- Owan
- Soba Noodle
- Takiawase
- Matcha Green Tea
Red White Japanese Vegan
Red White Japanese Vegan is based in Boston. As the name suggests, it serves vegan Japanese meals. The authentic Japanese flavor is uncompromised even after offering vegan meals. Below are some of the vegan dishes on the menu of Red White Japanese Vegan restaurant.
- Sapporo Buddha
- Masterpiece
- Dragon Breath
- Tokyo masala
- Mix well
Cha-Ya
Cha-Ya is a vegetarian Japanese Restaurant located in Berkley. The restaurant has some of the best vegan options that do not alter the authentic Japanese taste. Below are some of the vegan dishes on the menu of Cha-Ya restaurant.
- Sunomono salad
- Agedashi tofu
- Miso soup
- Sukiyaki
- Tempura rolls
- Sake
- Gyoza
Summing Up
Although there are vegan options at Yoshinoya, you wouldn’t find the authentic Japanese taste in vegan meals. The dishes aren’t awe-inspiring, and a better vegan alternative for Japanese cuisine can be easily found and are preferable to Yoshinoya Restaurant.
Yoshinoya is a perfect choice for Japanese fast-food meals. However, not an ideal eatery for vegans looking for authentic Japanese cuisine.