[Himeji City] A vegan cafe where you can eat delicious food and be healthy for both body and mind, and visit again and again

• Table of Contents
• The name "Rhino" was chosen with a sentimental meaning.
• Supervised by a chef with a vegan restaurant title
• The recommended lunch is the "Saisai Course"
• The cafe menu is also recommended.
• Easy access by bus
• Access Information
• Great value bus tickets
• basic information

The name "Rhino" was chosen with a sentimental meaning.

There is underground parking for 8 cars.

SAI CAFE, which opened in April 2023, is one of the few vegan cafes in Himeji. It serves a menu created by Chef Katsuzo Kusumoto of Saidou in Jiyugaoka, which holds the title of the world's best Saido restaurant.

The name "SAI" is a combination of the vegetable "Na", the signature dish "Saimen", Mr. Kusumoto's restaurant "Saido" for which he supervised the recipe, and the animal "Sai". "Sai" is a Buddhist term meaning "meal". We put our heart into the idea of ​​"meal = Sai" where many people gather and everyone smiles.

The concept is the same as "Saido", that is, "delicious food is one and the same". We aim to be a restaurant where you can eat delicious food and beautify your mind and body.

Store manager Eitaro Yano

The opportunity to open this restaurant dates back 5 or 6 years ago, when the owner of a restaurant in downtown Himeji attended a seminar on veganism. He learned that even though Himeji City has many foreign visitors tourists and residents, there were no vegetarian or vegan restaurants.

First, he served vegan dishes such as Akashi and mapo tofu at his own restaurant. He felt that there was a good response, and decided to open a restaurant with a menu entirely designed by Chef Kusumoto.

The interior is like a foreign cafe

The interior of the restaurant is spacious and stylish. There are a variety of seating options, including tables and sofas for groups, as well as long tables and counter seats where even single diners can sit comfortably. There are three clocks on the wall at the Oku. These clocks show the time in Himeji , New York, and London, which have large vegan populations.

There are also counter seats with a view of the garden.

The sofa seats are also relaxing.

Supervised by a chef with a vegan restaurant title

3 types of noodle dishes + spicy curry

">

"Spice curry"

This dish is a menu supervised by Chef Katsuzo Kusumoto of " Saido " in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo . Chef Kusumoto is a leading expert in the field, having been ranked number one in the world on "HappyCow," the restaurant information site most used by vegans and vegetarians around the world. He creates vegetable feasts without using any animal products, refined sugar, or umami seasonings.

All the vegetables used in the dishes are sourced from Tamba Vege, which delivers carefully selected seasonal vegetables packed with the passion of producers from Tamba and surrounding areas.

Their signature dish is the colorful vegan ramen, which is low in carbohydrates, has no animal fats, and is a non-junk food noodle dish with plenty of vegetables. They also have a spicy curry made with a soup full of the flavor of vegetables and a variety of spices, which includes local Himeji lotus root.

The recommended lunch is the "Saisai Course"

">

One of the course menu items: "Smoked Five-Grain Bean Salad"

The recommended lunch is the "Saisai Course" (1,850 yen), where you can enjoy the deliciousness of vegan food. You can choose your main dish from ramen or curry, and for an additional 200 yen you can get a salad and dessert, so it's a great deal.

Let me introduce you to the course. First up is the "Smoked Five-Grain Bean Salad." When you remove the cork cap, the smoke rises along with the aroma of smoked food, making you exclaim, "Ohhhhh!" The visuals of this dish are outstanding.

Inside is a small garden, with five-grain beans representing the earth, topped with potato salad made with taro, vegan cheese, and nori seaweed, and topped with sprouts. The smoked beans have a unique aroma and crunchy texture.

">

"Ginger Miso Saimen" with colorful vegetables

For the main course, you can choose between noodles or curry. The noodles are mixed with domestic powders with different nutrients. You can choose from three types: "Ginger noodles" for those who are concerned about poor circulation, body fat, and metabolism, "Ashitaba noodles" for those who want to take in beta-carotene and vitamin K, and "Chlorella noodles" for those who are looking for effects on high blood pressure and detoxification.

There are also three types of soup available: "Shoga Miso Saimen," a warm noodle soup with a rich, thick ginger miso soup; "Abura Soba," a warm mixed noodle dish with mala sauce; and "Tamba Saisai," a cold salad noodle dish with a cold sauce made from taro, rice malt, and black vinegar. It's fun to choose.

Eggs and naruto are both vegetables?!

I selected the "Ginger Miso Saimen" from the "Ginger Noodles". The toppings are seasonal vegetables from Tamba. I understand that there are colorful vegetables such as purple daikon and tomatoes, and although it looks like a boiled egg, it is not an egg. The topping that looks like naruto is not naruto either.

What it's made of is a trade secret, but it's fun and playful. The noodles are thick and curly with a bit of texture, and very delicious. If the sugar content is reduced, you can eat it without feeling guilty.

The soup, which is flavored with ginger, is quite rich and goes well with the curly noodles. I wonder how they made the stock.

">

The visually cute "Tree Raspberry Mousse" (500 yen each)

And here is the dessert, "Tree Raspberry Mousse." How adorable! It really stands out. The green part is vegan matcha pound cake, the trunk is pretzels, and the soil is made with almonds and cocoa powder, with a mousse inside. It doesn't contain any dairy products. Still, I can't get enough of this playful design.

The cafe menu is also recommended.

">

"Cafe au Lait" (650 yen)

In addition to the food menu, the drinks and sweets menu are also vegan. Animal-based ingredients such as whipped cream, milk, cream, and yogurt are replaced with soy milk and oats.

The coffee is delivered from Kobe Coffee, a popular coffee shop that roasts its own beans in Rokko, Kobe. It is a special blend of "Specialty Coffee" (500 yen) made for this shop. You can choose between soy milk or oat milk for your "cafe au lait."

">

"Fresh Strawberry Gelato Parfait" (1,280 yen, seasonal)

This is the most popular parfait. It uses fresh strawberries, organic granola and berries, and soy milk for the cream. This parfait is just as good as a regular parfait. Another nice thing is that you don't feel guilty about eating it.

">

"Fully Ripe Melon Gelato Parfait" 1,980 yen (seasonal)

The parfaits change depending on the season. In summer, they offer a melon gelato parfait, which uses a generous amount of melon. It is a vegan parfait made with a luxurious amount of melon gelato and cream.

"What makes me happiest is when customers who have come once bring a friend the next time they come. I hope that not only vegans looking for a place to eat, but also non-vegans will feel free to drop by," says manager Eitaro Yano.

The rhino ornament is also cute

The suitcases belonging to the owner's late father, who loved traveling all over the world, blend seamlessly into the store's atmosphere and seem to support the creation of a worldwide store.

Easy access by bus

Finally, to get to SAI CAFE, you can take a bus from Himeji Station. There are two bus stops nearby. At Johoku Koen-mae bus stop, which is a six-minute walk from the cafe, many bus routes pass by on the east side of Himeji Castle every 10 minutes. There are also buses that run two to three times an hour at Johoku-Shinmachi bus stop, which is a three-minute walk away. If you board the bus at Himeji Castle Otemon-mae bus stop, it's a short ride to Johoku-Shinmachi. Either way, the fare is just 220 yen per trip, so it's easy to use.

(Writer Utami)

*This article is current as of July 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may be subject to change.

Access Information

Take the Shinki Bus from Himeji Station (North Exit) platform 7 or 8, get off at the "Johoku Koen-mae" bus stop, and then it's about a 6-minute walk to the cafe. Alternatively, take the Shinki Bus from Himeji Station (North Exit) platform 9, get off at the "Johoku Shinmachi" bus stop, and then it's about a 3-minute walk to the cafe.

Great value bus tickets

Hyogo Amazing Pass

With this ticket, you can not only ride Hyogo Prefecture's route buses (orange Shinki buses) all day long, but also ride the City Loop and Port Loop that connect Kobe's major tourist spots! Why not take a local trip by bus? *Limited to foreign visitors tourists visiting Japan

Click here for details and to purchase the Hyogo Amazing Pass

Luggage storage service

Would you like to go sightseeing empty-handed?

basic information

SAI CAFE

Address: 1-1-14 Hyogo Prefecture Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture

Phone number: 079-280-6661

Business hours: 11:00-17:00 (last orders for food are 16:00, last orders for drinks and sweets are 16:30)

Closed: Open everyday (*There may be temporary closures, please check social media)

Parking: 8 spaces

Social Media: Instagram