
A Vegan Café for Vegans and Non-vegans Alik “Optimus Cafe”
The vegan café that’ll keep you coming back day after day
“Lots of people don’t even realize we’re vegan,” says a staff member. “They think we’re just a regular café, but they leave just as satisfied as everyone else.”
Optimus Cafe was opened in 2019 by “sort of vegan” Kazumi Takao after a long period living outside Japan. Her idea was a vegan café that even meat and fish eaters would want to come back to day after day. It is now one of Osaka’s most popular vegan cafés among locals and tourists alike.
Home of the famous Buddha Bowl
Optimus Cafe’s signature dish is the Buddha Bowl, a varied, hearty meal of soy meat croquettes, hummus, corn fritters, and shredded carrot salad or similar. Rather than overloading it with spices as with some vegan cuisine, the Buddha Bowl is flavored judiciously with salt, pepper and a touch of homemade ketchup or thousand island dressing.
Breakfasts to desserts and everything in between, Optimus Cafe is the ideal place to drop-in at any time of day for a meal or just tea—even better in the outdoor terrace area when the weather’s good.
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Name: Optimus Café
Address: 2-1-14 Kitahama, Chuo-ku, Osaka City
Phone: 06-4256-1664
Hours: 08:30-16:00 (last orders); Sat., Sun., hols.: last orders at 17:00
Closed: New Year’s holidays
Getting there: 3 min. walk from Kitahama Stn. on the Osaka Metro
Seating: 5 counter seats, 12 table seats, 10 terrace seats
Menu: Breakfast sets start at ¥550; smoothies start at ¥780
English-language menus available
Website: https://www.optimus-cafe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimus_cafe/
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