CORET (New!)

Everyday Vegan Meals!
[published August 2026]

Coret – pronounced “koreto” was named as such because in Japanese you would say “kore to, kore to, kore…” – “this and this and this…” when choosing from the menu or the display case. Coret is also an anagram of Recto, alluding to Rect Sand (pronounced “recto sando”) Café which is 5 minutes from here in Koenji and was the first café opened by the proprietor, Ms. Mieko Mori, in 2012.

This all-vegan café which opened in June 2025 is located in the “Koenji Apartment” area, which features several unique independent shops and cafes on the ground floor of an apartment block, roughly midway between Koenji and Asagaya.

Compared to Rect Sand Café which is a cosy, counter-only place closer to Koenji Station, Coret is spacious, airy, light and green. The interior features warm wooden furniture and plenty of leafy plants, and there is also some seating outside. It is pet friendly, too!

Mori-san’s ethos is to provide meals that everyone can eat together. Everything here is plant-based and some items are gluten free such as rice flour bread. She and her team bring you nutritious meals that have a good balance of protein and vitamins. A signature item is the umami-rich enzyme-fermented brown rice, considered a complete food it is flavorful and easier to digest than standard brown rice.

The café is well-loved by locals and increasingly popular with visitors from overseas. The printed menu is bilingual, and the staff can take orders in English as well.

As the name suggests, Coret offers a delightful variety of food, drinks and sweets for you to choose from. The special menu items change daily and are announced on Instagram (external link) at the beginning of the month. The set plate consists of the fermented brown rice, a bowl of soup, a portion of salad and a main that changes each day such as deep-fried koyadofu karaage (deep-fried freeze-dried tofu) karaage, nanban-style kurumafu (wheat gluten fried with vinegar and tartar sauce), vegetable fritters, or seasonal curry. In addition to these, you can select 5 side dishes from the 6 on offer. The side dishes change with the seasons, on the day we visited there was carrot rapée, sliced corn, tomatoes in vinaigrette, sliced zucchini, daikon with mushrooms and red cabbage rapée.

Alternatively, you can choose items individually from the à la carte menu and there are onigiri sets with flavors such as miso, ume (salty pickled plum), sesame & salt or other pickles.

Be sure to save room for dessert! There is a display case full of sweets, from matcha cream tarts, gateaux chocolat, muffins, cookies to ice creams as a treat. All vegan of course!The wide selection of drinks includes teas and coffee (including decaf), sodas flavored with homemade syrup, beers, plum wine, juices and iced coffee float with soy ice cream!They aim to make their food, sweets and drinks from scratch as much as they can including seasonings and plant-based mayonnaise, produce is delivered fresh every day.

Take-out is available and items such as various foods, seasonings, craft cola, and cosmetics are on sale. Plus, there are a range of frozen foods all made in-house so that you can also enjoy Coret’s flavors at home.

Coret organizes events such as Halloween buffet, bread days, yoga, manga gatherings and workshops. The proprietor Mori-san hosts vegan Japanese Bento cookery workshops listed on the Airbnb Experiences website (external link), that are suitable for English speaking visitors.

After whizzing around vintage fashion shops or having a stroll to soak up the vibrant subcultural vibes in Koenji, why not head to Coret to sit back and taste their delicious, nourishing lunch or coffee and irresistible cakes in the relaxing, friendly atmosphere?

ACCESS

Writer: Ian
Photographer: Minako