For a country home to tofu, Japan might be mistaken for a vegetarian's paradise. Surely there are hundreds of dishes to try? But as many vegetarians have found out, the concept of vegetarianism hasn't really caught on over here. Even if you ask whether something contains meat or fish, the odds are your waiter or waitress won't think about the fish in the dashi soup. A set of vegetable tempura almost always contain prawn. An innocent vegetable curry can be full of tiny pieces of beef. So when I saw Pan Flote, subtitled “Vegetable dining”, I didn't immediately make assumptions.
Pan Flote is an interesting restaurant. The name is, unusually, taken from German. It means “panpipes”, perhaps a reference to nature. Although it isn't exclusively vegetarian, it is vegetarian-friendly. The menu is mainly vegetable-based, sourced from local, organic farms. It has an almost exclusive atmosphere – nice, but perhaps a little posh – which its limited seating only adds to. It's also reflected in the prices, which are somewhat cheaper at lunchtime, but that's the price of good quality vegetables. It's fairly easy to get to though – only a short walk north from Kitayobancho subway station, on the right as you walk with your back to City Hall, opposite a Lawson convenient store.
The vegetarian dishes range from the rather ordinary pasta to the very interesting vegetable sushi. I haven't tried the latter, but it looks impressive. The Spanish-style tortilla I did have though was nice, if a bit Japanese-style – rice instead of potato and of course filled with vegetables. The tomato sauce it was served with was flavorful. I had more mixed thoughts about the salad pizza, which was basically salad on a round flatbread. The salad was fresh, but the dressing wasn't sufficient and it did feel like two separate things rather than a whole dish. However, the desserts are wonderful. If you can go with a friend, I would highly recommend the dessert platter. It's a selection of their current desserts and I found them all delicious.
Pan Flote is a nice restaurant, but it has limited appeal. It doesn't feel particularly Japanese, and most of the food doesn't stand out enough to merit a special visit. But if you're struggling to find vegetarian food, or want a meal that is guaranteed to contain some of your five-a-day, Pan Flote could be a tasty option to consider.
