Wakatobi is known for Halal steak and seafood, but plenty of tables include someone who doesn't eat meat. The good news: there's a vegetarian option in nearly every section of the menu. Here's what's marked vegetarian, what to ask about, and how to order with allergies in mind.

Everything Marked Vegetarian on Our Menu

These 11 dishes carry the vegetarian label on the Wakatobi menu:

  • Hibachi: Vegetable & Tofu Hibachi at lunch, and Vegetable & Tofu at dinner
  • Sushi rolls: Kappa Maki (cucumber), Oshinko Maki (yellow pickled radish), Avocado Maki and the Veggie Mix Roll (cucumber, avocado and romaine)
  • Nigiri: Inari, seasoned tofu skin over sushi rice
  • Starters: Edamame, Gyoza (five vegetable potstickers) and the House Salad
  • Dessert: Green Tea Ice Cream

Vegetarian Hibachi: Vegetable & Tofu

Our Vegetable & Tofu hibachi is tofu grilled to order with zucchini, carrots, onions and broccoli.

  • At lunch: Monday to Thursday, 12:00 to 3:00 PM, the Vegetable & Tofu Hibachi comes with soup and steamed white rice. See our lunch hibachi guide.
  • At dinner: served all day, the Vegetable & Tofu plate comes with soup, salad and steamed white rice. Dinner hibachi plates normally include two pieces of shrimp, so ask us to leave them off.

Hibachi plates come with soup, and our soups aren't marked vegetarian, so ask about it when you order. The same goes for swapping your rice for fried rice or fried noodles: ask how they're made if you avoid egg or animal-based sauces. Our kitchen also cooks meat and seafood, so if you need your food kept separate, tell us when you order.

Vegetarian Sushi

Four rolls on our vegetarian roll menu contain no fish or meat: Kappa Maki (cucumber), Oshinko Maki (yellow pickled radish), Avocado Maki and the Veggie Mix Roll (cucumber, avocado and romaine). Add Inari nigiri, seasoned tofu skin over rice, and you have a full vegetarian sushi order. You can also add avocado or cream cheese to any roll for a small charge.

Pescatarian? Most of the Menu Is Open

If you eat fish and seafood, nearly the whole sushi menu is yours (everything except the Chicken Teriyaki roll), along with seafood hibachi: shrimp, scallop and the Shrimp & Scallop combo at lunch or dinner, plus salmon, calamari steak and lobster at dinner. From the noodle menu, the Wakatobi Seafood Noodle comes with shrimp, scallops and green mussels in a spicy seafood broth. New to sushi? Start with our sushi for beginners guide.

Vegan? What to Ask

We don't label dishes vegan. Some vegetarian items contain dairy, like the green tea ice cream, and rolls can come with cream cheese or mayonnaise-based sauces. Japanese sauces, soups and dressings are also often made with fish stock or egg. The simplest starting points are edamame and the plain cucumber, pickled radish and avocado rolls; ask us about anything else before you order.

Food Allergies: Tell Us When You Order

Our menu's allergy notice puts it plainly: the kitchen handles fish, shellfish, soy, wheat (gluten), eggs, sesame and dairy, and while we do our best to prevent cross-contamination, any item may come into contact with these allergens. If you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, tell us when you order. A few things worth knowing:

  • Shellfish: dinner hibachi plates come with two pieces of shrimp as standard, and crab and shrimp appear throughout the sushi menu.
  • Gluten: there's no gluten-free menu; tempura batter and traditional soy sauce both contain wheat, and so do sauces made with soy sauce.
  • Dairy: cream cheese is in several rolls, including the Philadelphia, Volcano, American Dream and King and Queen.
  • Sesame: the Dragon Roll and Super California are topped with sesame seeds.
  • Egg: spicy mayo is mayonnaise-based, and the Nabeyaki Udon comes with a poached egg.

Ordering for a Mixed Table

This is where Wakatobi makes things easy. Because the entire menu is Halal, a table of Halal, vegetarian and pescatarian diners can all order from one menu: steak or chicken hibachi for some, Vegetable & Tofu or vegetarian rolls for others, and a sushi platter or gyoza and edamame in the middle. Planning a group? See our birthday and group dinner guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Wakatobi have vegetarian options?

Yes. Wakatobi Japanese Grill marks 11 dishes vegetarian, including Vegetable & Tofu Hibachi at lunch and dinner, four vegetarian sushi rolls, inari nigiri, edamame, vegetable gyoza, the house salad and green tea ice cream.

Is there vegetarian hibachi at Wakatobi?

Yes. The Vegetable & Tofu hibachi is tofu grilled with zucchini, carrots, onions and broccoli, served with soup and steamed rice at lunch and with soup, salad and rice at dinner. Dinner hibachi normally includes two shrimp, so ask to have them left off.

Which sushi rolls are vegetarian at Wakatobi?

Kappa Maki (cucumber), Oshinko Maki (yellow pickled radish), Avocado Maki and the Veggie Mix Roll (cucumber, avocado and romaine) are vegetarian, along with Inari nigiri made with seasoned tofu skin.

Does Wakatobi have vegan options?

Wakatobi doesn't label dishes vegan. Edamame and the plain cucumber, pickled radish and avocado rolls are the simplest starting points; ask your server about sauces, soups and dressings, which can contain fish stock, egg or dairy.

Is Wakatobi gluten-free?

Wakatobi doesn't have a gluten-free menu, and wheat is handled throughout the kitchen: it's in tempura batter, traditional soy sauce and the sauces made with it. If you avoid gluten, tell your server when you order.

Can Wakatobi accommodate food allergies?

Tell us about any allergy when you order. Our kitchen handles fish, shellfish, soy, wheat (gluten), eggs, sesame and dairy, and while we do our best to prevent cross-contamination, any item may come into contact with these allergens.

Plan Your Order

Browse the full menu and look for the vegetarian label, order online for pickup, or call Newark at (510) 894-6155 or Seaside at (831) 713-2223 with questions before you visit.