M Cafe de Chaya
Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian [Edit]
Neighborhood: West Hollywood7119 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 525-0588
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
159 Reviews for M Cafe de Chaya
if you want a healthy, guilt-free, tasty meal, this is the place. do something good for you body and go here!
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I like this place,
I feel really good when I eat here.
The food is good for you and also tastes good.
Most of it.
Its great for people who are trying to follow diets and healthy lifestyles.
very LA.
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Personally, I'm generally not a big fan of places that try to make things that aren't meat taste like meat. If you can do it, you have to do it REALLY well. Otherwise, it just tastes like veggie mush and liquid smoke.
So, alternately, let's just accept the fact that some things aren't meat, and enjoy them for what they are.
M Cafe is really good at that.
Let's start with the side salads. Yesterday I had wasabi sweet potato salad. I swear, it was a little piece of starchy heaven right there in a neat little pile. They have lots of crazy side salads, that I'm truthfully blanking on, but I'll attribute that to the fact there are combos I wouldn't ever imagine.
And the sushi. With a strangely wide variety of Inari, there's a refrigerator case full of love in little bean curd cups. Ranging from eggplant to seared tuna, they only use brown rice. There's also a delectable selection of salmon/tuna rolls.
And last, the sandwiches (I've heard the breakfast and dinner is stellar, but given a girl can only eat so much...) are fantastic. The California Club is a delicious mix of tempeh "bacon" (which I'm pretty sure is only called bacon to appease those who would focus on "tempeh" and get scared), avocado, carrots, sprouts, tomato, and veganaise on the most amazing multi-grain bread. Served just like a club sandwich, so you're not even missing the experience.
The only negative is that I honestly feel a little yuppy coming in. Yes, these are my own issues, but perhaps next time I'll wear some leather and spikes. Might make me feel better.
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YUM. I went twice in two days. I have been struggling with what Macrobiotic means for a couple years now, but when it's presented at this place, it just =s YUM.
Super nice/ cute cashiers. Good prices for the freshness of food. Celebs are all over the place. It's nice because there's no real service, you just get your food rung up and take a table. I love it.
The tofu, salads (especially seaweed), sushi, baked goods...so f-ing good. If you haven't had enough amazingness and you're a little more mainstream, there's a Pinkberry next door. You can be all healthy and shit.
Absolutely the best in vegan-cafe fare in Los Angeles. The servers are always friendly, albeit very busy these days. If you aren't a fan of crowds and having to elbow your way to a seat you should probably avoid lunch on Saturday, but otherwise M Cafe is flawless.
I particularly recommend the fries + ketchup, the club sandwich, and the strawberry canton. Their coffee cake, cookies, and cupcakes are amazing also....and all of the soups. Basically everything I have ever had there is amazing. You don't have to be vegan, or even vegetarian, to fall in love with this place.
Yummy-yum-yum! I come here a couple days a week, sometimes more. I'm a fanatic for the Kale and the Gado-Gado salad. I love the sushi, the BLT, the tuna, etc. Really, the list goes on. I'm afraid to try the fries, though - might like them too much. Do I wish it were a little cheaper? YES. But, I'm willing to pay for the good that goes into my body temple. I hope you aren't reading this in hopes of good writing. I don't have it in me today. ; )
My mission is to find more faves like this as I am leaning away from meat for the most part. Steak has to rot in your tummy before digesting - ick! A lot has changed since I wrote my Yuca's review. I don't retract my review at all. That place is still amazing and cheap.
M Chaya has good food. Okay they have really good food. My boyfriend got a bbq seitan burger that he somehow managed to woof down while incessantly talking about how good each bite was ("wow - this is so juicy!" "I mean, this is really really juicy!" "this tastes better than chicken!") I got something made with "spicy salami." It's pretty cool to be able to walk into a place and get an already made seitan sandwich.
I personally thought it was a little pricey for a cafeteria type eatery (macrobiotic or not) but I guess they got it like that.
The salads looked too small to be $11 so I stayed away and ordered a sandwich and fries (wow - its not until I wrote that it I realized I actually used that flawed logic. Thats pretty fat ass of me.) The sandwich was really good and I recommend that everyone at least try the fries.
I was gone there last Sunday with my friend. Food was very good. But the service was just terrible. They should keep their eye on the customers. (i.e. No. of ppl, need extra plates for shared and etc) My friend and I felt more like, you pay the food and just wait. When I asked for extra plate, the lady at the casher looked at me with upset. If the food was horrible, I would never wanna come back. But since the food was so good, I would go to different place in Culver City soon. No more on Melrose.
Organic fries and Macro ketchup with the brown rice tuna rolls are the best. And the tea.... oh man. I had the minty green tea, and it was amazing. A little pricey, but I didn't mind because I had wanted to try this place. The parking is horrible :( but its a really cute place.
The good:
-I love the food here, and I find it's just my speed for lunch-- light, but satisfying. My favorites are the M Chopped Salad (nuts, faux bacon bits, greens, etc) and the Gado Gado salad (tempeh, peanut sauce, etc on greens). But pretty much everything I've tried was good, even the baked goods and desserts.
- I love that you can see all the food to help you make your decision. Their tantalizing glass case is a lovely way to store and display the food. (I do wish they labeled it better though.)
- They have a to-go line if you just want to walk away with some pre-prepped, wrapped food.
The bad:
- Their lunch rush gets pretty out-of-hand. You have to find your own table, and sometimes when they're very full, you have to hover a while and dodge the poor frantic food-runners.
- On the same note, their space is small and they've crammed in a lot of tables so you'll usually be sitting elbow-to-elbow with other diners.
Word to the wise: Go for an early lunch. If you get there right around noon, the rush hasn't really hit yet. Mid-afternoon is fine, too. 1 pm seems to be their busiest time.
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opened by Gwyneth Paltrow // Madonna's former personal chef...
in~~~turrrr~~estting ...
*shrugs* seems like everyone and their freakin moms own SOMETHING in LA...
soooooo, MOST people would check this place out, given that it WAS owned by GP/M's former chef, while folks like me, come in because they love healthy food and because they love chaya overall ...
yeup, it's true ... i am a beverly hills chaya brasserie fan... not the one in venice, not the one in sf, but in beverly hills ... prior to my move to SF, you would most likely find me at Chaya, literally once a week... my favorite spot to be ... since i have gone on a strict diet for the next 2 months, i squeezed in a vegetarian place despite of all the cravings i had in LA ... not a bad place ... hasn't changed much since i last came. i guess, the only difference is that it's just MORE crowded ...
even though i consider chaya to be a slight chain, it never fails when it comes to service ... don't be fooled by their long ass line... line moves fairly quickly..one register for those who want to sit down and eat, and another for those who want it to go. what a great concept!
let's see ...
you walk in, you order up at the counter (large deli filled with salad galore, sushi (made with brown rice) and pastries (made with natural grain sweeteners) and walk outside and enjoy the scorching sun on the back of your spaghetti tankys ... or you can sit inside, but that's stopid, because the weather is gorgeous... despite the fact on how it ruined my tan for the summer, the weather never fails to disappoint... and of course, the cute lil umbrellas that adds to a sweet charm...
scrambled tofu $9.25 was quite good.. that is, if you are a tofu lover... $11.45 for gado gado? well, considering the fact you are paying for such "rich organic leafy-ness" you might as well pay for your time that is well spent in digesting them leaves... but yes, i would order that again ... Madras Tempeh Wrap* ~ well, for $10.75, it wasn't ALL that ...
i'd rather have gone to CA Chicken Cafe...
sadly i didn't get to try their brown rice stuffed sushi, but in being an LA girl at heart, i always have time for LA...
PS. have fun circling around LOOKING for parking.. you think SF is bad for parking? shiet. m cafe de chaya is worse. only 2-3 in front... don't be fooled and park in the Pink's Hot Dog lot, unless you want a ticket... hahaha.. what did WE do? my friend didn't really care for tickets that she just parked somewhere illegally.. and fair enough, we come out, and got a ticket, but didn't care to shed a tear.
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It seems so cliche for me to be giving M Cafe a great review. Everyone loves it, it's trendy. Lotsa pretty people on the patio, usually a celeb sighting. I have to say, I understand why people love it. I'm not even a health nut, I just love good food. Everytime I've gone here I've seen a celeb. Lindsay Lohan in her car in the parking lot, sending her boy toy of the moment in to get her food. Meanwhile she is trying to hide from no one, putting her lap dog over her head. No one was bothering her, not a Papp in sight. I've seen Jason Schwartzman, as well as Hayden Panatierre. I'm a sucker for a celeb sighting, and I see them all the time at work...anyway the food, it's fucking great. Love the breakfast Enchilada there. Oh and the Dessert's are to die for.
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The food is spectacular. Cafe M is pretty Asian fusion, with all their sushi rolls, soba salads, use of sesame paste.
The Kale salad is super delicious. It is a perfect blend of sesame paste,spices and other asian influenced flavors. It has a great light flavor.
The chick peas salad is also pretty yummy. I ordered the falafel hummus wrap and pretty satisfied with it. Parking wasn't easy, found something and ran across the street.
The place itself was full of beautiful looking people, gay people, people who look very Melrose. There is limited seating, so we had to be like vultures, and stand next to a table that was almost finishing their food. Oh also, the barley tea is very refreshing. They add some crushed mint to it.
I decided to go to this cool place because I saw it in an episode of the hills....yes, i'm lame...
Ok! So, headed over here after church on Sunday, and it was a pleasant surprise. It's a small place, and actually looks like a deli. After standing there like an idiot for a few longs seconds, I realized that there were menus propped up for ordering. I picked it up and looked at the menu...and looked at the menu...and looked at the menu.
I did not know what I was looking at. Tofu cheese WHAT? WTH is that....Ok, well...let's order...wth should we order? OK...I see the word seitan "salami"...let's order that...and oh, fries..ok..and..pea soup...and...the chopped salad.
Well, food arrived. Pea soup was just GROSS. boo. Fries were GOOD. Chopped Salad was pretty good. and the sandwich with the 'salami'...
....you know, while I was eating that, I really said, "i can't identify a single thing in the sandwich, but it is freaking GOOD." soo...it was good...and I just found out right now while writing this review, that seitan salami...is NOT salami. oops. ANYHOW, it was good. :)
I really walked out of the place feeling healthy and as if I did something good in this world. I like that feeling....I think I'll go back there again.
*picture posted*
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Veggie burger so good!
cous-cous good
mint iced tea thumbs up
falafel wrap thumbs down
parking thumbs down (got a parking ticket dammit)
oh well id go back again just to try more goodies
Love it! Love it! Love it! If you are Vegan, Macrobiotic or Veggie there are so many choices. Soup of the day is always Delicious!
I love M Cafe. I used to try to not go there because of all the lame hipster, wannabe actor, botox types that would frequent the Melrose location but low and behold they have opened a Culver City location for us regular folk.
So on to the food..... all the food is delish. the soups are perfect (especially the barley mushroom soup). I usually go for the deli combo. for around 10 bucks you can pick 3 different deli options. I always go for the spicy peanut kale, the wasabi potatos, and the Moroccan couscous. This is the deadly combo people. You can't go wrong with these 3. Try them out and if you don't like it i'll give you a refund personally.
I also like the fries with the fancy organic beet ketchup they make.
I wish the prices were better at M Cafe since I eat there every single day but i've come to terms with going broke for delicious, healthy vegan food in a beautiful and clean atmosphere.
Terrible, disorganized service and drastically under-seasoned food (i.e. bland)
To make matters worse, a friend gave me a $30 gift card to this place. When I presented it, I was told that they had changed the computer system the day before (!) and the card was invalid, which will thrill my friend to no end, I'm sure.
They seemed to have a macro-attitude against respecting their commitment to customers.
RFD does a better job of making this style of food interesting to eat, definitely!!
The cole slaw wasn't bad though. Everything else needed some type of seasoning. This was an average eating experience at best and an awful customer service one.
Yo Yelpers,
To kick off the start of what I hope to be a long lasting yelp relationship, I'm going to review my all time favorite neighborhood breakfast-lunch-dinner-dessert-snack-etc spot, M Cafe de Chaya.
Life changed after I found this gem, located near the corner of Melrose and La Brea - right on the same block as the overrated Pink's Hot Dogs. (By the way, I don't under the ridiculous lines that nearly wrap around the block for that "world famous" hot dog stand. For a hot dog? Really? I just don't get it.)
If there was a line that wrapped around the block for M, I'd probably be in it, with lawn chair and all. Actually, I'd prob pay extra to get closer to the front of the line, though, if the cravings kick in. IT'S THAT GOOD.
M is a cute little bistro, serving macrobiotic and vegan dishes to a hip crowd of locals that would much rather indulge in a seitan bento box over processed meat in a bun. Although I do have a few friends who eat both ways, but admit that M's healthy dishes can easily win them over. Almost everything offered on the menu is displayed deli-style behind glass, so patrons have a first look of what they're ordering. And it all tastes just as amazing as it looks.
My perfect meal consists of the Madras Tempeh Wrap (filled with masala-baked tempeh, basmati rice, toasted almonds, raisins, vegetables with curried soy yogurt), and a side order of kale with peanut sauce. Finish it off with a berry tart (made with no refined sugar or dairy!!!) and you'll be thinking "why not eat right every day?"
I mean, who would have thought that kale would be on anyone's top dish list? This is a place that makes even kale taste like an indulgence. Trust me, you've never experienced healthy dining like this before.
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I know everyone love-love-loooooooves this place, but I do not. Unless you're a vegetarian and already enjoy shitty-tasting food, or unless you're hoping for a celeb sighting, there's no reason to go here. Blech!
This place gets so crowded that the customers become aggressive, not a good sign for the business, but the food makes up for it, we were there last week for lunch and it was worth the wait.
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Surprisingly this place has the freshest sushi I've tried in LA. Considering they only have about 10 rolls, that is all I need for now. The spicy tuna rolls reminded me of Hawaii, the smoked salmon rolls and shitake mushroom avocado rolls were all rolled to perfection. These are two huge rolls per order for $2.50!
Their tempeh bacon in their California Clubs and BLT is the real deal. This is the closest thing I've tasted to real bacon and I love it. I continue to go back weekly and try new things, but I've been stuck on the Club sandwich and sushi for now :)
2 bottles of water, 3 orders of sushi (2 large pieces per order), HUGE California Club = $22
INEXPENSIVE EXCELLENCE RIGHT HERE FOLKS!
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I gave up meat for Lent and took it as an opportunity to check out a few of the vegetarian-friendly places in town. Boy am I glad I stumbled about M Cafe (which I continued to visit after Easter).
Though not strictly vegetarian (they are macrobiotics, which is basically vegan + seafood) they have a plethora of vegetarian friendly items, from wide range of gorgeous looking deli salads to assorted wraps, sandwiches and entree items filled with fresh veggies and deliciously-flavored veg-proteins (tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc.)
I am not a big fan of meat substitutes, so didn't order any of their imitation meat stuff, but all the items I have tried are delish -- including the madras tempeh wrap that had a wonderful smoky-nutty flavor and texture to the sweet and aromatiic sesame soba noodle salad.
The only downside is that given it's healthy image and offerings, I am hesitant bring any ole friend/acquaintance to M Cafe -- but it's a definitely a good & not -too-pricey spot for any health-conscious dining companions.
Review & photos from my Lenten excursinon here: http://la-oc-foodie.bl...
Hate the location, like the restaurant! Came here for Sunday morning brunch and ordered...I can't remember. You know why? It isn't on the friggin' menu, but I could have sworn it wasn't a special. Weird. But it was really good. They even have a vegan eggs benedict, which I plan on trying the next time I come here. After brunch, my friend and I ordered chocolate and strawberry cupcakes and brown rice pudding(?), all of which were egg-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and delicious.
They also have macrobiotic cuisine, if you're into that.
Oh and we sat next to Ali Larter, who was raving about her food the entire time she was eating. That was pretty cool.
A couple of friends recommended this place to me, and I've been on a course of experimentally treating my hangovers with "healthy" fare like RFD and Flore Vegan as a variable on my usual diner-greasefest.
This is not a place to come with a hangover. It's bright, it's friendly, and there's absolutely no room to stand and squint at the counter amid the chipper, fit weekend crush. I pointed at "the big macro" (veggie burger, "special sauce," lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a whole wheat bun) and chose sesame noodles as my side dish. My brunch date ordered the "panino margarita" (sandwich with soy mozzarella, tomato, and basil) and a side of fries.
It's one of those "take your number on a stick to your table" joints, and we spent about 20 minutes hanging out on the patio, watching busboys with armfuls of vegan food wander around, trying occasionally to foist it on the right parties with varying degrees of success. As in other places where there are a lot of customers and not much space, this system blows. Can we please dispense with it, Los Angeles?
The fries totally missed the party. My buddy had to visit the counter twice to get a lead on them. I would have cancelled, but I'd already paid and we had no real "server" so there was no one to ask. Like a lot of the other reviewers, I definitely felt good AFTER I ate the food, but during is another story. What was the weird sugary pink-red sauce on my veggie burger? Strawberries? Beets? The noodles were good (though not as good as RFD's version), but my buddy's panini was cold (was it supposed to be?) and tasted like silken tofu on matzo. Not tasty. It also arrived about fifteen minutes after my food. It still managed to beat the fries, which, when they finally arrived, were pretty good.
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A friend of mine is a vegetarian, and she drags me all over town to every single meat-free whole grain carrot juice place she can find. I have never had a bad meal, but never as good as at M Cafe. I find the service for some reason is particularly good at veggie places and this is no exception. Technically this place is macrobiotic which means fish is on the menu. We both had sandwiches, I ordered a scarlet salad which is like quinoa soaked in beet juice and she got fries. Her fries were outrageous and they serve a vegan ketchup that, as a ketchup lover, is the best things featuring tomatoes I have ever had. My sandwich had "salami" and "cheese" and this incredible olive spread which resulted in a fantastic smoky and complicated flavor. We shared an apple tart which was a little plain but I did not have high expectations of dairy and egg free pastry. Theres a serene and inviting environment with lovely patio seating and a diverse menu that includes sushi. I would come back for lunch, dinner, and anything else they got goin on.
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This is one of my favorite spots to chill at with friends as we grab great tasting FRESH foods, I've tried so many things here and taken my fair high numbered share of people. all so tasty soba noodles are wonderful, spicy tuna sushi with avo is yum, inari with lotus is wonderful, ahi tuna salad is great etc. Its ALL just great. The wraps are great tasting as well and if you have room at the end of your meal; they have the most delicious vegan strawberry cupcakes with an amazing topping that will make you feel much better about yourself instead of going next door to Pinkberry for frozen non-yogurt. word ;)
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Great place for vegans and people on a macrobiotic diet. There are no refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry in any of the menu items. The sushi rolls and bento boxes are pretty good... especially the spicy tuna rolls. They use this wholesome, organic brown rice that is soo delicious in their sushi and rice dishes. Love their deli-style side dishes... I recommend the kale with peanut sauce or the cous cous. For dessert, try the fruit kantens (a type of gelatin-like pudding, made from agar (seaweed), or the chocolate fudge cake (made without eggs, dairy, or refined sugars!)
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YUM YUM YUM...I had the Bibimbap and I was surprised. I've been eating Bibimbap all my life and theirs was very, very good. Their chili paste was all homemade and I think it's better than the Korean chili pasted, used in bibimbap. I think their Bibimbap was better than some Korean restaurants. I also had their inari's and they were so good! Everything is fresh and totally organic. The only thing that sucks is the parking. The parking lot is so daing small! I had to park in the residential area. But still, I think the food is worth it...
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M is a great place to take people willing to branch out in terms of the usual cuisine, and even better place to take people who like to flirt with the raw food trend.
The really extensive, macrobiotic menu has all the usual salad and tempeh fare, but also features a slew of sandwiches (including burgers ?!) and even pastry to help make eating macrobiotic food feel like simply EATING-- a pretty notable feat for the uninitiated.
The tuna tataki salad was perfectly fresh and light, and the club sandwich and the fries came with raving recommendations from my friend.
Of course, that unceremonious, unpretentious atmosphere is seriously hampered by the usual bougie clientelle that is bound to flock to any melrose alt-eatery next door to a pinkberry. I mean seriously-- in that respect M Cafe is kind of the "Perfect Storm" of post-op cougar plastic surgery patients and large-sunglasses clad Robertson bunnies.
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Propped square in the middle of see and be-seen you will find M Cafe. Thank goodness my friend and I arrived early for the lunch rush otherwise we wouldn't have had anywhere to sit.
We tried the mushroom barley soup (good) and the breakfast panini (not so good) as well as the dark roast mate which my friend enjoyed so much she bought a box to take home.
The decor is minimalist deli, open and fresh, but the tables are too close together. Getting up to greet all of my see-and-be-seen friends I had to squeeze in between the tables several times which made me feel uncomfortable, like my booty in someone's face was ruining their macro-biotic meal.
Still not quite sure what I feel about this place yet, may have to try it again if I am in the area and feeling the need to eat healthy.
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Organic fries with macro-ketchup? At this small, brightly lit health-oriented cafe, the salads--tuna tataki, gado gado with tempeh, veggie--are displayed deli-style. You can order a sandwich, panino or California Club (tempeh bacon, tomato, avocado, soy mayo, etc.), or take-out sushi (with brown rice). The desserts are egg, dairy and refined sugar free, for better or for worse. Good food, no guilt.
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I've always seen this place next to Pinkberry and never thought it would be a a vegan/vegetarian place! Was I excited when I walked in! Unfortunately, it's ALWAYS busy. I waited in line for the to go items and took forever. I ended up getting shitake inari, shitake and avocado rolls, and a spring roll. They were really good and only $6! I really love inari, it's sweet, tasty and filling. The shitake mushrooms on top really did it justice.
So please excuse the 3 star rating as I did not have a full experience at this place. However, I am planning to go all the way very soon. ;)
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Although it can get obscenely crowded at lunch time, M Cafe is one of my favorite spots for picking up something simple, healthy and completely unique. It is a thrill to simply stare into the display cases, with offerings as colorful and delicate as a fine jeweler's case.
What I most love at this health foodie haven are the desserts. While it isn't that hard to make Cal/Asian vegan cuisine taste great when you start with high quality products, vegan, macrobiotic pastry is a serious challenge. But Pastry Chef Ivy Haaks has come up with some terrific innovations to satisfy a sweet tooth without adding unwanted sugars and fats. I love her brownies - yep, vegan brownies! I dream of the fruit puddings and the latest creation, croissants, seem to defy the limits of dairy-free baking.
Very cool, very creative food.
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I can't give it five stars but I really want to. The food is worth five stars but something about the atmosphere or the parking, something isn't quite right.
But the food!
The macrobiotic burger - yummy!
Side of kale, seaweed salad, or quinoa - all very well done.
Tuna burger - delicious
Fries - you have to try them. They also make their own ketchup (I think) and it's tasty.
Club sandwich - I'm into club sandwiches and this is a new favorite.
If you can't be bothered by the noise, people, parking, etc. then I would suggest ordering it ahead or to go and take your food and a friend to the park. Take the food home and enjoy there! But if you take the time to find parking then you should eat your food there.
(I usually find either street parking or parking in the back. I HATE trying to find parking in front of the place because it's not the most convenient place to get into or out of.)
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Hardly inexpensive, but actually good...if you order the right thing.
And if you don't, just send it back. They understand. I'm sure it happens a lot. Get something else. I've eaten here a couple of times, and got some pretty mediocre stuff, but I've also gotten a couple of really delicious things. Can't say I've tried any of the fish -- seeing as I'm vegan, maybe that's good.
The Big Macro is awesome.
Bottom line, too expensive to eat often, not nice enough for a night/day out. An occasional treat that I'll only eat when work is paying for it. Hey, at least it's not thai vegan bull.
I totally love this place. I am there many times a week. You can find me in between Anthony Keidis and Orlando Bloom. I'm the one with bandages from my recent plastic surgery (no joke). The staff is friendly and professional (but check your togo orders because they sometimes make a booboo). I love everything there except for the bento boxes. I love Big Macro, Terriyaki Cod bowl with tempura vegetables, all desserts especially strawberry muffins, sushi, mufuleto, soups, all of their case salads. Parking is weird but just watch THE SECRET and u can get a spot. Sometimes it is hard to find a seat. The irony is that they are located between barfy fake health food Pink Berry and Gonna get a heart attack Pinks Hotdogs! The price of healthy food is expensive sadly but 9 out of 10 people I invite love M Chaya!
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When I am in the hood I always make a point to stop here whether it's for prepared macrobiotic salads, or for a full on lunch. My go to dish is the M chaya chopped salad, it's fresh, tasty and makes you feel good after you eat it.
It can get really crowded, especially if the weather is bad. It's happened to me a couple of times that my food comes out before I was able to acquire a seat.
Don't get the sushi here - ick.
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Man, I want to hate this place, I really do. Every snooty, smug looking Hollywood richbitch and douchebag are here every time I go, and this last time (today) I noticed a very significant price jump. I suppose with the plummeting value of the dollar, increased cost of goods, fuel, and rent, it's absolutely inevitable, but I'll still bitch about it and leave L.A. eventually anyway.
I digress.
The food's good, no two ways about it. 4 stars. I really want to hate and give them one. But I shouldn't. I probably can't afford to go back which means I have to start actually cooking at home.
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Simple, fresh, light and "good for you" food- loved it!
The wide variety of food make it so easy to be completely satisfied without the usual meat dish. It's a bit confusing when you first walk in.. where to order, where to sit, it's a cafeteria style setting which makes it an extremely casual place to dine.
I had the mozzarella, tomato with pesto panini- wished it was served slightly warm but overall it was delish! Also, I got a side of the soba noodles which beat the panini in flavor. It had these scrumptuos perfectly cooked tofu pieces. Delightful!
My bestrfiend ordered the M veggie burger- it was good and the serving was huge. Definitely filling for a veggie one.
I loved walking away with a full tummy and yet feeling light and healthy.
I will definitely come back to try the other dishes.
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