RECT SAND CAFE

Vegan Food You’ll Want to Eat Everyday
[updated August 2022]

Rect Sand Café is a delightful little all-vegan place in a quiet side street a few minutes’ walk from Koenji station. It’s open every day except Sunday and has a regular menu with daily variations from lunch time through to evening dinner. It’s tastefully decorated and refurbished using reclaimed wood but the narrow space allows only counter dining with room for 9 seats.

The café started in 2013 as a sandwich shop, then followed a few different formats, but it is now a café/bar (though it no longer serves the rectangular rice “sandwiches” which gave the place its name and cute logo). Their enzyme brown rice has been a main feature for a long time. It’s not only soft, chewy and delicious but extra nutritious as it’s cooked and fermented over 4 days with red beans added.

The café’s motto “Min’na de Onaji Gohan” – “The same food for everyone” sums up the proprietor Mouri-san’s ethos of offering a place where everyone, regardless of food allergies or intolerances, can eat together. Everything is prepared from scratch and some items are gluten-free as well as vegan, wholesome and enzyme-rich.

There are “daily special” plates which are planned for the whole month so you can check online for which days have your favourite dish.

The daily specials include things like vegan versions of karaage, gyoza, Korean bibimpap and even kaki-fry (deep-fried faux oyster). These come in a set with soup and sides, you can also add a drink with ¥100 discount. Regular menu includes kurumafu cutlet, tofu dry curry, onigiri plate and pizza which is ideal size for one person and well worth waiting the extra few minutes to make. Available sweets can differ day-to-day but usually there is a very tasty, creamy tiramisu or fruit tart.

There is a wide range of drinks, teas and coffee (decaf too), wines, highball and beer, non-alcohol organic wine and beer also. A must-try drink is the Kraft Coke with (or without) Soy milk. The cola is made from fruits and spices. It sounds like an odd combination but it works! There is also a seasonal smoothie on offer. An English menu is available.

The café has a handy window at the front for ordering and collecting takeaways or buying snacks or sweets. They also sell bottles of the Sawachina craft cola so you can always make more at home to go with the irresistible cakes, muffins or energy balls that you take away. There is also an online shop (external link) where you can order various snacks, sweets and packs of the enzyme brown rice.

Rect Sand is an ideal place to take a quiet break and enjoy a healthy snack or full meal and drink before returning to your busy day of vintage clothes shopping or rocking out in Koenji!

ACCESS

Writer: Rie
Photographer: Diego
Updated by Ian and Minako