Exploring Tokyo’s Fermentation Culture in Ebisu
During my last trip to Tokyo, my husband and I visited KOSO CAFE Bio Rise in Ebisu.
KOSO CAFE Bio Rise is a 100% vegan café in Ebisu with a strong focus on enzyme-rich, plant-based cooking. Beyond the beautiful food, I was impressed by how dietary-friendly the café is, with gluten-free options and a halal-compliant kitchen, making it accessible to a wide range of diners.
KOSO means “enzyme” in Japanese. A 100% vegan, dietary-friendly café in Ebisu where fermentation, wellness, and quality ingredients come together beautifully.
The word “koso” means “enzyme” in Japanese. In modern Japanese wellness culture, it is often connected with fermented foods and drinks that are believed to support digestion and overall wellbeing.
fermentation is deeply rooted in Japanese food culture and has been part of everyday Japanese cooking for centuries, through ingredients such as miso, soy sauce, sake, amazake, and pickles.
How the Lunch Set Works
Like many Japanese cafés, KOSO CAFE Bio Rise offers a flexible lunch set system.
You first choose your main lunch plate, then you can add a drink or mini dessert if you like.
For an extra ¥300, you can add a drink to your lunch set, while mini sweets can be added for an additional ¥350.
Lunch set: Start with your choice of main dish, then add a drink (+¥300) and/or a mini dessert (+¥350). Simple and flexible.
Choosing just one drink wasn’t easy! Even as a Japanese health geek, I found some unique options I’d never tried before.
Our Lunch Order
I chose the Vegan Chicken with Miso Mayo Plate. I was especially curious about the miso mayo because I LOVE Miso Mayonaise! Some vegan mayo is not so tasty but this vegan miso mayo was delicious. It was creamy, rich, and very satisfying without feeling heavy.
Vegan Chicken with Miso Mayo Plate – ¥1,250
Deep-fried mock chicken with miso mayo – a combination that never goes wrong!
One thing I noticed during our visit was how many people ordered the curry.
Plate after plate kept coming out from the kitchen, and after tasting it, I understood why.
The curry had a very thick and deeply flavourful sauce, with quite a serious level of spice by Japanese standards. I personally loved it, but my husband was struggling a little.
What I really loved was the concept behind the dish.
Eighteen kinds of vegetables in one curry!
It is such an amazing way to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables in a single meal.
As someone who is passionate about balanced Japanese home cooking, I really appreciated how nourishing and comforting it felt without being restrictive or “too healthy.”
From what I observed, this curry seemed to be the most popular item during our visit.
18 Kinds of Vegetable Curry – ¥1600
Such an amazing way to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables in one meal.
A Rice Ball I Still Think About
We also tried an onigiri mixed with hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and homemade ginger tsukudani.
Tsukudani is a traditional Japanese condiment made by slowly simmering ingredients in soy sauce and other seasonings until they become deeply flavourful. It is often enjoyed with rice and adds a rich savoury-sweet taste to simple dishes.
Honestly, this rice ball was such a treat.
The rice was softer and fluffier than the rice served on the lunch plate, and the homemade ginger tsukudani gave it a beautiful strong kick that I absolutely loved.
I genuinely wish we could easily get this kind of thoughtfully made onigiri in Sydney.
Onigiri with Hemp Seeds, Sesame Seeds & Homemade Ginger Tsukudani – ¥380
Priceless for me. While I can make a simple onigiri at home, this kind of wholesome, nutrient-dense onigiri takes much more time and effort to prepare.
Drinks with a Wellness Twist
Enzyme Soda
“Enzyme drinks” have become popular in modern Japanese wellness culture, especially among people interested in fermented foods and gut health.
While health claims around enzyme products can sometimes be exaggerated, many enzyme drinks are made using fermented fruits, vegetables, and plant ingredients that have long been part of Japanese food culture.
At KOSO CAFE Bio Rise, they explain that their house-made enzyme drink is created by fermenting 65 kinds of fruits and vegetables. They also use their enzyme drink and paste in cooking to enhance richness and umami in their dishes!
I found that detail especially amazing because the café does not simply treat fermentation as a trendy drink concept. It feels genuinely connected to their cooking philosophy.
The enzyme soda itself was refreshing and easy to drink, although personally I found it slightly sweet.
Azuki Tea
In Japan, azuki beans are traditionally appreciated not only for their flavour, but also for their nutritional value. They are naturally rich in fibre and polyphenols, and are often associated with supporting digestion and reducing heaviness in the body.
The azuki tea at KOSO CAFE Bio Rise had a very clean and comforting flavour. It did not taste artificial
Sometimes azuki drinks can taste a little vague or watered down, but this one had a lovely roasted depth.
Enzyme Soda & Azuki Tea (+¥300 each with lunch set) The enzyme soda is made from 65 fermented fruits and vegetables, while the naturally sweet, caffeine-free azuki tea is enjoyed in Japan for both its flavour and nutritional benefits.
Desserts That Actually Felt Special
Healthy desserts can sometimes feel a little disappointing.
But not here.
Lemon Tiramisu
I was honestly a little skeptical about lemon flavour in tiramisu, but somehow it worked beautifully.
It was incredibly creamy, with a deep flavour from the chocolate powder on top, while the lemon added freshness without overpowering the dessert.
It was a very clever balance.
Lemon Tiramisu – Added to my hubby’s lunch set (+¥350)
Lemon and tiramisu sounded like an unusual combination, but it worked beautifully.
Parfait
The parfait was another lovely surprise.
The cake inside the parfait was served warm, which was such a small detail, but it made the dessert feel extra comforting and thoughtful.
And very importantly for me, it was not overly sweet. Again, chocolate powder on top is so yum (same one as Tiramisu).
Seasonal Parfait – Added to my lunch set (+¥350)
The warm sponge cake hidden beneath the layers was a wonderful surprise!
From Enzyme Café to Premium Beer Culture
After lunch, we continued our fermentation-themed afternoon with a visit to YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO nearby.
YEBISU beer has long been positioned as a premium Japanese beer. It is traditionally brewed with more malt and a longer fermentation process, which gives it a richer and smoother flavour profile.
Even if you are not a huge beer drinker, the brewery is still interesting from a cultural perspective because it highlights another side of Japanese fermentation traditions beyond miso, soy sauce, and sake.
YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO – Free Entry
Home to one of Japan’s most iconic premium beers. Entry is free!
The atmosphere also feels very “Ebisu”, stylish, relaxed, and slightly more refined than a typical tourist attraction.
One thing I especially enjoyed was the building itself. You can take the lift up to the Sky Lounge and enjoy beautiful views over Tokyo.
Honestly, even the lift ride felt exciting.
After spending time in the calm and earthy atmosphere of KOSO CAFE Bio Rise, seeing Tokyo from above created such a nice contrast.
It felt like modern Tokyo meeting traditional food culture.
Sky Lounge, YEBISU GARDEN PLACE
Don’t miss the lift ride to the top. The panoramic views over Tokyo are worth the trip alone!
More Than Just a “Healthy Café”
What I appreciated most about KOSO CAFE Bio Rise was that it did not feel extreme or preachy.
The food was nourishing and clearly designed with health in mind, but it was still deeply satisfying.
These days, parts of Tokyo’s vegan dining scene can feel a little too focused on trends and tourist pricing. I have checked quite a few newly opened vegan cafés recently where the prices felt hard to justify for the actual quality and care behind the food.
KOSO CAFE Bio Rise felt different.
It was not necessarily cheap, but it genuinely felt worth the price.
For example, they use vegetables grown in their own lactic-acid-bacteria-enriched soil. That attention to ingredients really reflects the overall feeling of the café.
You could sense the amount of thought, preparation, and care behind each dish, from the balanced flavours to the quality of the vegetables and even the desserts.
As someone passionate about Japanese fermented foods like miso, koji, amazake, and other traditional ingredients, I always love seeing modern cafés reinterpret Japanese food culture in a fresh way.
Together with YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO, it became a surprisingly interesting little “fermentation journey” through Tokyo.
Yebisu Garden Place, 4-20-1 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8522 Because at the end of the day, fermentation is deeply woven into Japanese culture, from miso and soy sauce to sake and even beer.
KOSO CAFE Bio Rise
Address: 1F, 3-25-3, Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0011, Japan (3-minute walk from Ebisu Station)
Website: https://www.ko-so-cafe.jp/
BREWERY TOKYO
Address: Yebisu Garden Place, 4-20-1 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8522
Website: https://www.sapporobeer.jp/english/brewery/y_museum/
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