ATARI GALLERY & CAFE (New! 12/16)

Healthy Eats and Great Local Art
[published December 2025]

Atari is a cozy café/bar and art gallery in a side street just a 6-minute walk from Koenji Station, which is about a 7-minute train ride from Shinjuku Station. The friendly owner, Ms. Hamada opened Atari in 2018. After she studied nutrition and natural food, especially fermentation, she relaunched Atari in 2022 as it is today, with a food menu focusing on healthy eating. Everything is organic where possible and free from chemical and artificial seasonings.

Hamada-san uses koji to make fermented seasonings. Koji (kōji) is the traditional essential ingredient to ferment foods such as miso, soy sauce and sake, with a history spanning thousands of years in Japan. It is “a treasure trove of enzymes” adding sweetness and umami as well aiding digestion, rich in nutrients, supporting gut health and boosting the immune system. Hamada-san uses it to make her own soy sauce koji, salt koji, and tomato koji. She is clearly passionate about the health benefits as well as the great flavor-enhancing power of koji. The rice is polished in-house and the noodles contain whole grain flour.

Atari’s Menu
The menu items are mostly plant-based but also some chicken or fish options, and there is an English menu available.

The lunch set menu currently offers Mazesoba or vegan spice curry. The Mazesoba is either plant-based or with chicken. The chicken version has three flavors: soy sauce koji, tomato koji, or salt koji. The vegan Mazesoba is in soy sauce koji with minced soy meat and sesame oil. You can choose the size of your noodle serving from small (890 yen) to extra large (1,090 yen). Mazesoba means “mixed noodles”, served without broth. Make sure to mix them well and enjoy them as is at first, then try adding some vinegar and chili oil for “ajihen”, which means adding condiments midway through eating a single dish to create a new taste experience. It’s so umami-rich with the magic of koji! The vegan curry, served with rice, is made with minced soy meat, coconut milk and exquisite spices that are full of flavor without being too hot.

The set includes a drink choice of coffee or tea (990 yen), banana juice (organic banana and soy milk) (1,290 yen) or a whiskey Highball if you’d like something with alcohol (1,290 yen).

If you fancy a light bite, there is a banana muffin and drink set (both 690 yen). The homemade rice flour muffin is vegan and gluten free.

There is also a bar which offers draft beer, whiskey and other spirits, wines and various shochu (Japanese distilled spirits). Soft drinks include fruit juices including the popular banana juice, ginger ale, and cocoa as well as teas and coffees.

Also a Gallery!
One of the most unique aspects of Atari is that it also functions as a gallery with several artworks on the walls, with handicrafts and accessories by various artists for sale also displayed on shelves. The art exhibitions are changed every fortnight and are well worth checking out during your visit.

Atari is an ideal place for dining on healthy, nutritious, microbiome-friendly and flavorful food at very reasonable prices in a relaxed arty environment in the center of bustling Koenji, Tokyo. Be sure to check Instagram or call before visiting for the latest information.

ACCESS

Writer: Ian
Photographer: Minako