Itadaki Zen in King's Cross

What brought you to this restaurant and how many times have you been here?

It was my first time trying it and what a place it is! I absolutely love Japanese food. However being vegan it is often hard to find a place with an extensive vegan menu, so to find an all-vegan Japanese restaurant was like a dream come true.

How would you convince a friend to come with you?

They just need to take a look at the photos I have taken of the food! They won’t need much convincing, vegan or not...

What did you eat and how was it?

I had the Omakase five course menu which consisted of five assorted appetizers followed by five beautifully presented pieces of sushi handpicked by the chef, assorted tempura, Itadakizen’s signature noodles and, just in case you needed anymore food, a delicious dessert. It’s a big meal but for £40 per person it’s definitely worth every penny and I must repeat its all VEGAN. One of the things I liked most is that the restaurant only offers three set menus and you must confirm your menu selection to them when booking. This really helped reduce FOMO when trying to pick from a big menu but, more importantly, it really helped the restaurant get our food out in good time. 

Can you show us a picture of the best thing you ate?

It was all so good I just couldn't decide which to share with you so here are photos of two of my favourite dishes: the chef's daily sushi selection and Itadakizen's signature noodles.

How about the atmosphere of the restaurant?

The restaurant itself is small and as a result very intimate, it is also very plainly decorated with touches of Japanese design dotted around. Do not expect a big fancy London style restaurant - as it's simply not that type of place, the emphasis is on the food, not the Instagramable surroundings.

What did you think of the staff, were they nice?

Our waiter for the evening carefully explained every dish being presented to us whilst giving us time to enjoy the meal and relax. Five star service.

Ok, hang on a minute:

Can we let the staff know we heard about them through you?

Well of course, I am sure they would be delighted for the feedback.

Can you give a practical tip for those who come to this restaurant for the first time?

If you are travelling via tube into King's Cross take the Pentonville Road exit from the station, everyone forgets it exists and it's much closer to the restaurant...

Have you been to similar restaurants before in London and other UK cities?

I have tried lots of Japanese restaurants in London and across the UK but this is my first 100% vegan find.