Hikari, Chepstow: A sushi and noodle bar with a difference… And its very own temple upstairs

Stephen Price

One of the biggest misconceptions about living a vegan lifestyle is that your diet becomes ‘restricted’, that you’re forced to compromise, made to go without – but for me this couldn’t be further from the truth.

For most vegans, the omission of the things that aren’t ours to take in the first place becomes a doorway to trying new foods, trying new places, championing new products and being part of a movement for peace for all kinds.

When I travel, heading straight to Instagram and Happy Cow, and hunting down good vegan food wherever I am in the world is one of my biggest joys – akin to an adult playing Pokémon only with much more hate from those not in the gang.

One (mostly!) plant based/vegan spot in Wales that has so far flown mostly under the radar is Hikari – a pan-Asian restaurant in the charming Monmouthshire town of Chepstow.

The eagle-eyed among us will note the inclusion of egg in some dishes – a choice made to lure in the anti-vegan in some respects, but other than this easy-to-sidestep clunk for those on the pro side, the menu is free of all meat and dairy.

And boy is it a menu!

As any eater of a meat and dairy free diet will attest – even in 2026, finding even a vegan ‘option’ can be hard work, with said ‘option’ being a case of ‘it’s this or the door’.

I’ve also lost count of restaurant workers not actually knowing what veganism means which doesn’t instil much confidence, and often results in me and those with me leaving before even ordering drinks.

Eating at a place that knows the score, with actual choices – that’s where the fun is.

Enter Hikari

Hikari is a family run restaurant, started by Chew and Yvonne, husband and wife, both of them Malaysian Chinese.

Chef Chew was born in Malaysia on the island of Penang, which is known throughout the culinary world as a melting pot of cuisines with Chinese, Thai, Malay and Indian influences.

To learn the art of Japanese food which now makes up the majority of Hikari’s menu, Mr Chew lived in Japan to study the cuisine before working as the head chef in Japan Centre near Piccadilly Circus in London.

The couple later fell in love with Chepstow, and they knew that it was the right place to begin their mission to raise awareness of healthy meat-free dishes.

Fortune shone upon them, and an opportunity came up for them to buy a premises – one previously operated as Shangri-La.

They share on their website: “Next here is a truly magnificent story to be told, both Yvonne and Chew are both buddhist in religion and they believe that vegetarian cuisine has so much potential that the world is yet to discover, with mouthwatering dishes from the roots of Asia.

“These dishes aren’t like any other, these are revolutionary to our planet and are able to translate to good karma for their customers and even for them.”

So there you have it – food and philosophy in one.

And who doesn’t want good karma?

And the food…

Having built up the visit since the autumn (none of us actually getting on with booking it despite making plans to do so ‘some time soon’), there was a chance that we were going in with too high expectations.

We each had starters – sushi, spring rolls, tempura and the like, and from the word go we knew we were on to something good.

The difference in the tempura there vs anywhere else I’ve tried – let’s not mention attempts at home – is night and day. The sweet potato especially.

Of course, we had to order sushi to share – with extra Inari, an all-time favourite.

Onto our mains – I had the trusty yakisoba which rendered any bought from a chain obsolete. The levels of flavour, the textures, the clean bowl that got taken away… an utterly blissful dining experience.

My friends had satay tofu, pumpkin croquette, mushroom noodle dishes and spicy tempura rolls.

And every single dish was a success after success.

Hikari’s accomplished dishes stem from the care taken over every single detail. The spices, the oils, the simplicity, the intensity of flavour that suggests honed talent and mastership of their craft.

Naming no names, but a few eateries I’ve championed and frequented for some time have been hit hard by ongoing price increases and there’s no mistaking the change-for-the-worse in dishes that just aren’t living up to the standards they once did.

This? This is food without compromise. For the experience, you truly get more than you pay for.

In a word, Hikari’s food was simply exceptional.

Writing about it, reading about it, cannot do it justice.

Temple 

Being a chopsy bugger, after paying up, I naturally had a few questions to ask about the history of the business, and I might, just might, have threatened trouble if they ever close – testament not only to the incredibly good food, but also the absolute need for fully inclusive establishments like Hikari to keep going.

Mid-conversation, the (lovely) waiter, who worked in the building before its current owners took over, shared that the upstairs is a temple – a space for quiet contemplation and reflection, and a place for talks on Taoism and Buddhism.

We didn’t see that coming, but the care and attention and respect paid to each dish was the proof in the pudding.

Usually during any meal with friends, I’m the pickiest of the bunch, but anyone sitting near the table would have grown tired of the constant gushing, praising and sharing of each other’s plates.

The agony of one-by-one finding ourselves at our stomachs’ limits was real.

Anyone who’s read any of my previous beforehand will know that ‘best ofs’ and ‘top tens’ aren’t for me. But this isn’t pub grub, this is something very special indeed, and 250 plus five-star Google reviews confirm I’m not alone in my findings.

Hikari is somewhere I plan not to ‘kill’ by visiting too often – it has to be a little bit special and out of reach for me to keep this wowed feeling alive… but like Arnie, I’ll be back (again and again – who am I kidding).

Vegan, Veggie or otherwise, I implore you to get booking. You will not be disappointed.