JINYA Ramen Bar’s Vegan Menu: A Culinary Adventure with Japanese Origins

Tomo Takahashi: The Visionary Behind JINYA Ramen Bar’s Authentic Japanese Cuisine

JINYA Ramen Bar‘s founder and CEO, Tomo Takahashi, developed his passion for food as a child growing up in his parents’ restaurant in Japan. Tomó studied culinary arts for years and eventually owned seven successful restaurants in Tokyo. Though he had much success in Japan, he still desired to share “delicious and authentic Japanese cuisine” with diners across the world, especially in America. Takahashi began to realize his dream when he opened his first JINYA Ramen Bar in Los Angeles in 2010, taking the name from Samurai culture. He began to expand from there, and today, JINYA is the largest ramen restaurant in the U.S. and Canada.

Exploring JINYA’s Extensive Vegan-Friendly Menu

We had an amazing time sampling all of JINYA’s Vegan Lovers selections. There are plenty to choose from, and they are all delicious. You cannot go wrong, no matter which dish you opt for. While all of the ingredients are plant-based, the JINYA menu calls some of these dishes vegetarian because the food is made on shared surfaces or fried in the same oil, so cross-contamination is always possible. If this is not a problem for you, read on. Here are our thoughts on JINYA’s plant-based menu options.  

JINYA’s Vegan Ramen Bowls

Flying Vegan Harvest Ramen: Savory Miso Broth Meets Impossible™ Meat

The Flying Vegan Harvest has vegan miso broth with Impossible™ meat, tofu, bean sprouts, broccolini, green onion, corn, red onion, crispy garlic, and chili seasoning. It is served with thick, pillowy noodles. This dish has a delicious combination of savory broth and sweet, plant-based meat. We were not fond of the silken tofu, but the remaining ingredients made an excellent ramen bowl. We gave this dish 5 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Vegan Red Fire Opal Ramen: Spicy Yuzu Infusion with Shiitake Mushrooms

The Vegan Red Fire Opal Ramen is a yuzu-flavored hot and sour soup that comes with tofu, sauteed bamboo shoots, simmered shiitake mushrooms, cilantro, chili thread, chili oil, and lime. It is served with thick noodles and the presentation is gorgeous. The soup is very spicy and quite flavorful. We added Impossible meat and corn for an extra level of flavor. The Vegan Red Fire Opal gets 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen: Garlicky Comfort in a Bowl

This tasty and creamy vegetable broth comes with tofu, onion, green onion, spinach, crispy onion, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil, and sesame seeds. It is served with soft, thick noodles. As the name implies, it has just a touch of spice, but not too much. It was a little bland, so we added a bit of flavor with Impossible meat. We gave the Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Irresistible Plant-Based Small Plates at JINYA: From Salads to Impossible Gyoza and Tacos

Impossible Gyoza: Delicious Stuffed Dumplings

JINYA’s soft and fluffy Impossible Gyoza is stuffed with delicious and savory Impossible meat. Each order comes with six pieces, or four if you get them in a combo with ramen. We thought they tasted like egg rolls. They don’t come with any sauce but be sure to ask for a side of the soy teriyaki sauce that they put on the tacos. The Impossible Gyoza gets 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Impossible Bun: A Vegan Bao-Style Delight with Guacamole & Vegan Mayo

The Impossible Bun is simply yummy. It is a bao-style bun made with an Impossible meat patty topped with cucumber, guacamole, and a tasty vegan mayonnaise on a fluffy, plant-based bun. We gave the tasty Impossible Bun 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Brussels Sprouts Tempura: Crispy, Truffle-Kissed Vegan Appetizer

These golden, crispy tempura Brussels sprouts with white truffle oil were salty and fresh with just a little char. They were delicious but a bit messy and greasy. Overall, we enjoyed them and gave them 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Impossible Tacos: Flavor-Packed Mini Tacos You’ll Want to Order Twice

The Impossible Tacos were one of our favorite things on the menu. They are small, but they pack a lot of flavors. The Impossible meat has a sweet and savory flavor, and the guacamole tasted amazing. A squeeze of lime topped them off perfectly. The tiny taco shells are crunchy, flaky, and super cute. They were so good we had to order seconds. The Impossible Tacos get 5 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

House Salad: Garlicky Greens with a Hint of Bitterness

The House Salad combines kale and baby mix greens with Japanese dressing. The greens were a little too salty and bitter, but the dressing had a nice garlic flavor. We gave the House Salad 3 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Seaweed Salad – A Chewy, Sesame-Infused Appetizer

We are not normally seaweed fans, but this Seaweed Salad was surprisingly good. It had a chewy texture reminiscent of bright green relish. The salad was a touch heavy on sesame, but we were impressed overall. We gave the Seaweed Salad 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Impossible Rice Bowl: A Hearty Vegan Feast with Curry Ranch Dressing

JINYA’s plant-based rice bowl comes with Impossible meat, chickpeas, kale, pickled red cabbage, garlic, and roasted pine nuts over a bed of steamed rice with a vegan curry ranch dressing. We really enjoyed this tasty dish. The Impossible meat and pickled cabbage gave it just the right amount of flavor. Mix everything together for the best taste. We gave the rice bowl 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.  

Edamame at JINYA: A Simple Yet Satisfying Vegan Snack

Edamame is another vegan-friendly dish on the Jinya menu. This dish is lightly salted and makes a great light starter.

JINYA Ramen Bar is a perfect place to experience traditional Japanese cuisine and culture. The atmosphere is inviting, and the food is incredible. Every selection on JINYA’s plant-based menu is delicious and easy to customize however you like. We really enjoyed all their plant-based dishes and will return soon.  

Don’t miss out on our other chain restaurant and fast food vegan restaurant guides including TGIFridays, IHOP, Taco Bell, and The Cheesecake Factory.