Amongst all the vegan-friendly restaurants in Takayama, Heianraku (平安楽) is probably the most popular one. While the cozy restaurant isn’t a high-end spot, nor does it have anything unique on the menu, the Chinese restaurant was still once ranked first on Trip Advisor!
Heianraku was opened in 1963. The couple who currently runs it is the second generation. Their friendly and gorgeous smiles will definitely leave a great impression when you visit the restaurant. What is better than their cooking skill is Mr. and Mrs. Furuda’s hospitality!
A Chinese restaurant in a small town like Takayama in Japan is somewhat special. Although most of the dishes on the menu are Chinese, the menu is multi-cultured. In fact, the Heianraku is so accommodating that it sometimes gets requests from customers to cook fresh ingredients for them!
Thanks to the restaurant’s flexibility, a vegan menu has been available for over a decade. In fact, no matter what you order, they all taste like heaven. If you have a food allergy, let Mr. Furuda know. He will cook you a delicious meal without the ingredients you can’t eat!
Dining at Heanraku
You will be amazed by how much they know about the ingredients that go into your order. When Naoko-san (Mrs. Furuda) brings out your food, she will explain how the dish was made and what was used to make it. The portions of the food served at Heianraku are generous and reasonably priced.
Tip: The Veggie Dumplings (ベジ餃子) is a must-eat!
Besides the homemade side dishes on the counter, the cooking process only starts after receiving an order at Heianraku. Although this means you will need to wait a little longer, you won’t be bored while waiting. Naoko-san does a great job ensuring that her guests are being looked after in the restaurant. Offering complimentary healthy local snacks is one of the many tricks up her sleeve. This is why customers who appreciate the hospitality would revisit Takayama just to dine at Heianraku!
Don’t worry about language barriers. The couple speaks great English!
Important: Make a booking through their website HERE before visiting.
Tip: You can ask for an English recipe for the complimentary dish.
Heianraku and the Local Community
Enjoying the local sake is also what you can do at Heianraku. Because there are many choices, you might end up sampling most of it before getting an entire bottle. Other than drinking the sake, Naoko-san will also give you a brief background of the sake you ordered. By doing so, the couple also supports local businesses because the customers will know where they can buy the sake to bring home!
There are only 12 seats in Heianraku. The locals are usually really nice and sometimes give up their seats for overseas tourists because they can always come back another day. Appreciating the kind act, the couple gives them freebies the next time they visit the restaurant. Witnessing this scene and kind gesture really warms our hearts.
Heianraku’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Heianraku is open from Wednesday to Monday from:
- 11:30 am to 12:30 pm (last order)
- 5:30 pm to 8 pm (last order)
- Please refer to their business calendar HERE.
- The restaurant is a 7-minute walk from Takayama Station.
Discover Other Vegan/Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in Takayama
Because the region’s typical must-eat food is Hida Beef, you might think that it would be hard to find vegan or vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Takayama. However, that isn’t the case! The city is rather vegan-friendly compared to many other regional destinations in Japan. Besides Heianraku, there are other restaurants you can head to for vegan and vegetarian food in Takayama!
Refer to Guide to the Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Takayama for more information!
The Top Attractions to Visit in Takayama
Now that you know where to find vegan/vegetarian food in Takayama. Let’s find out which spots in the rural city you would like to visit. We are sure you will enjoy the city’s old, well-preserved townships. If you like sake, there are a few sake breweries you can also visit for sake tasting. Moreover, the Shinhotaka Ropeway at the far back of the city is Takayama’s best spot for those who love nature.
For more information, refer to our article on Takayama!
