GOOD LIFE FACTORY - Healthy And Delicious Food And Drinks Near Shibuya

Japan offers some of the healthiest food in the world. This might be also the reason why they haven't expanded as much into the health food market as many other parts of the world. Their traditional diet has provided them with a long, healthy life for centuries.

However, health-conscious visitors or ones with dietary restrictions often have difficulties to find places that cater to them. Vegan and gluten-free restaurants are still very rare even in big cities such as Tokyo.

In this article, we will introduce you to the GOOD LIFE FACTORY. This new restaurant in Tokyo offers a great variety of delicious, and filling salad bowls which can either be ordered from a menu or custom created. Let's have a look!

GOOD LIFE FACTORY - Inviting, Healthy and Delicious

The GOOD LIFE FACTORY belongs to the global dining group which owns many popular restaurants throughout Tokyo and Los Angeles, namely the famous Gonpachi chain. The company is very passionate about food and always tries to introduce innovative restaurants to the Japanese market.

Global dining has taken their inspiration for a salad based restaurant from the salad bars in Los Angeles. The concept of GOOD LIFE FACTORY is to create salads bowls delicious, filling and provide you with a lot of energy. 

The interior was designed by the same designer as Gonpachi NORI-TEMAKI, which we recently introduced. It invites with the same warm wood colors dipped in soft lighting. A couple of plants, health-conscious cookbooks, and a small outside garden give it a homely and organic feel. You will have the feeling that you are about to do something good for yourself as soon as you step into the restaurant.

GOOD LIFE FACTORY Salad Bowls - Colorful, Filling and Never Boring

The salad bowls come with three different bases:

1. Green: kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, nuts, and dried fruits

2. Quinoa Mix: quinoa, wild rice, rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruits

3. Enzyme Brown Rice: brown rice, red beans, and multigrain rice

You can either create your own salad bowl by choosing a base, dressing, and toppings or use the fixed menu to order. Even if you choose from the fixed menu you can switch out dressings or toppings you don't like.

Green Salad Bowl - The Light Choice

The green salad bowl is the perfect choice if you just want something light, yet filling. No grains are used in this mixture.

I choose "VITAMIN BEAUTY" from the menu. It comes with marinated fresh salmon, cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, broccoli, avocado, and feta cheese. The dressing is a vivid pink beet and yogurt dressing.

The salmon and avocado make this dish surprisingly filling. The dressing is slightly sweet but also refreshing because of the yogurt. The nuts and dried fruits give the salad an interesting flavor. The feta cheese was truly delicious and I highly recommend getting it as topping no matter which salad you choose.

Quinoa Mix + Green - A Great Source of Protein

Especially people who are into fitness will know it is important to keep your protein intake high for muscle gain. Protein also helps to feel full longer. 

Quinoa is a seed that has become very popular in recent years. It can be used the same way you would use rice and is a great source of protein and fiber. The quinoa mix also contains fiber-rich rolled oats and wild rice which offers many additional health benefits.

I tried "IRON GIRL" but if you want as much protein as possible we recommend "PROTEIN MAX". IRON GIRL contains grass-feed lean beef steak, hijiki ( a type of seaweed) and edamame (green soybeans), cherry tomatoes, boiled egg, broccoli, and red cabbage.

Quinoa has an unusual texture which might need some getting used to. It is light and fluffy but also a little grainy. It has an earthy flavor which, in this case, is elevated by the wild rice.

The toppings are the perfect mixture of light and filling and the pickled plum dressing gives it a sour edge. Later, I decided to try it with some of the beet and yogurt dressing and I liked the slightly sweet taste with the beef in particular.

Enzyme Brown Rice - Filling and Powerful

The enzyme brown rice is the most filling option and great when you are really hungry. Red bean rice is a common healthy choice in Japan but normally it is made with white rice. In this case, it is made with brown rice and multigrain rice. 

I was curious about the "VEGAN" option. It comes with vegan meatballs, beets, roasted tofu, lotus root, carrots, red cabbage, and broccoli. I am always happy to see vegan options on menus in Japan. The vegan meatballs are especially delicious. Very flavorful and juicy. The Japanese sweet and sour sauce adds an additional freshness.

Seasonal Menu and Other Options

GOOD LIFE FACTORY also offers seasonal options. In winter, for example, you can get warming soups, coconut curry, and vitamin-packed salad bowls. 

You can also choose from a small side menu containing items such as pita bread, beet hummus, and soup. They make great additions to the salad bowls or can be eaten alone.

Drinks and Smoothies - Healthy and Refreshing

The GOOD LIFE FACTORY also offers a vast variety of beverages. You can choose between smoothies, juices, coffee, tea, and even organic beer and wine.

I highly recommend trying one of their smoothies or almond lattes. All their smoothies contain milk which can be substituted for almond milk for 50 yen extra to make them even healthier and most of them even vegan. 

I tried the protein gold smoothie which was developed together with GOLD'S GYM, a famous fitness club. It contains GOLD'S GYM PROTEIN, banana, mixed berries, and milk. This is a nutritious protein shake which is perfect after a workout or for people who are on a high protein diet. 

Please note that GOLD'S GYM PROTEIN is a whey protein. Whey is derived from milk, so even if you choose the almond milk option, it can not be made vegan.

This shake is fruity, creamy and tastes like a milkshake. It is not too sweet and would make a great healthy choice instead of a milkshake in summer even for people who don't watch their protein intake.

As for the almond latte you can choose between a kale matcha latte, an almond cocobeets latte, made with coconut milk, beets and fruits, and an amazake almond latte. The amazake almond latte seems to be the most popular so I decided to try it.

I was surprised to see that the amazake used in this drink is made from brown rice. Amazake is a fermented rice drink with many health benefits but normally it is made from white rice. Brown rice amazake is rather rare in Japan, so you won't see many drinks made with it. 

The addition of crushed almonds compliments the taste of the amazake. Even people who normally don't like the traditional health drink might enjoy it in this form.

Lastly, I ordered the "self drip specialty coffee". It is a freshly ground coffee and you will just be handed the cup and a filter with the grounds. Now all you have to do is to go to the coffee corner and slowly pour the hot water from one of the kettles over the coffee grounds to create a delicious fresh cup of coffee.

Nuts, Seeds and Dried Fruits as Snack on the Go

The GOOD LIFE FACTORY doesn't only offer delicious meals and drinks, you can also order healthy snacks as well as quinoa to take out. At the counter, they offer a variety of nuts, seeds and dried fruits you can buy by weight.  You have to buy at least 100 gram but the prices are very reasonable. It is actually cheaper than picking up smaller amounts in supermarkets or convenience stores.

Have a Healthy and Fulfilling Break at GOOD LIFE FACTORY

No matter if you want to make healthier choices in the new year, searching for a high protein meal or drink after a workout, are vegan or just hungry, GOOD LIFE FACTORY is always a good choice. The salad bowls are plentiful and filling and you can even create your own.

Even if you are not hungry, how about ordering one of GOOD LIFE FACTORY's smoothies or almond lattes as a healthy but delicious refreshment instead of a sugary milkshake? You can also use their free Wi-Fi to get some work done while you enjoy your drink.

They are located just a short trip from Shibuya, so why drop in and recharge after a long day of shopping.

In cooperation with GOOD LIFE FACTORY and Global Dining

Good Life Factory

HT Minami Aoyama Building III, 7-11-4 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo...