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Cafe Jay
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Asian Fusion Vegetarian, Asian Fusion [Edit]
9450 Scranton RdSte 114-D
(at Morehouse Dr)
San Diego, CA 92121
Neighborhood: Mira Mesa
(858) 558-8598
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10:30 am - 3 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
44 reviews for Cafe Jay
Review Highlights
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"The Coconut Milk Soup is delicious." In 3 reviews -
"My favorite is the Panang curry with brown rice." In 5 reviews -
"I like the Spicy Noodles the best." In 5 reviews
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44 reviews in English
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Review from Ben M.
San Diego, CA
3/13/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Good Asian food.
So far I've had the Eggplant and the Pad See Ew with Tofu. Both are delicious and quite large portions. I'm 200lbs and if I finish the entire thing I feel stuffed.
The service is very friendly and prompt.
It's nice to have more vegetarian options in the area.
Definitely becoming one of my regular places to eat at lunch. -
Review from Ro M.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2012
Missed the 5 star mark by *that much.*
I found the food to be great for the price- they give you a good amount of food that includes an appetizer, soup, salad, entree and rice (can you believe that there are Thai places out there that CHARGE for RICE with you CURRY? What the F?!) I LOVED their food compared to another Thai place in the same food court (I won't mention names, but *ahem* I did review them not too long ago). The service was great, the workers were very friendly and it didn't take long for them to fill my order.
I felt that the food was pretty darn Deee-lish! So why 4 and not 5 stars? Well....
1) The mock meat was weird, it made funny noises while I was chewing (I don't know how else to describe it)-- but I'm not a huge fan of mock meat anyways. I do like to give it a try to see if there is any really good fake carcass out there but, eh, no real luck yet.
2) The hours are set to accommodate the weekday lunch rush- they close at 3 p.m. Thus, they do not serve dinner. Boo.
3) The traffic around the food court was crazy when I went there! Probably best to go when they first open in the morning or nearer to closing time. You'll remember this when you try to go there and almost get hit by some guy speeding in the parking lot (yup, that is exactly what happened to me and I look both ways when I cross the street).
I really wanted to give them a 4.5, not a 4. But I just couldn't bring myself to give them a 5 (mostly because of the hours). All in all I will def visit Cafe Jay again!
p.s. After talking with some of the employees, it sounded like there's a possibility that they may open a new location. If so, PLEASE do! And open for dinner hours, PLEASE?! -
Review from Joshua K.
2/9/2012
I saw this place YEARS AGO...and just ignored it. Walked past it every time in the food court that serves the local business parks for whence I spawn every weekday at around lunch time. The neon lit sign was hard to read and I just read it as "vegetarian." It should probably say Vegetarian Asian Fusion Explosion...with Thai food.
I discovered this place on Yelp after trying to find a Thai place close to work I could walk to that wasn't Thai Chada. The search is over. Cafe Jay is it. In the very same food court.
The Pad Thai is really awesome here with just vegetables. Portion size is OPTIMAL - not too much ala enough to fill you up without bloating you. The dead animal wasn't missed.
I told my fellow vegetarian co-worker and now he loves the place for the Yellow Curry. -
Review from Walter M.
12/22/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I'm usually not a fan of many Asian places because sometimes their fusion or owned by non Asians or pretentious and gastro pubish without that sense of tradition and authenticity. Café Jay was not enticing because it's in this kinda grimy food court where yuppies from Sorrento Valley come for lunch/break from boring jobs. Ok so maybe I am a little bit of a yuppy, but also this place is nothing what I thought it was be.
Vegetarian Asian food tends to be bland due to the usual food having a high sodium content. Being Vegetarian doesn't necessarily make you healthy, but I really like their lemongrass seitan. The perfect amount of main dish, rice, a decent soup starter, kinda boring salad and potato empanada things. Yes they have many other Asian dishes like Pad Thai, Sweet and Sour Chicken, excuse me Seitan, but the fact that they are using much healthier ingredients and no meat make this place a great addition to vegetarians looks to spice up their diet aside from boring bean and cheese burrito's.
My only real grip is the spring rolls, somewhat fresh, but bland, boring and the peanut sauce was overloaded with cinnamon(unexpected, but not in a bad way) I just wanted more from my spring roll than lettuce, sprouts, noodles, carrots. -
Review from Patricia Y.
San Diego, CA
1/3/2012
I tried Cafe Jay on a whim and have never regretted it! Surprisingly good Thai food for being located in a food court. Prices are reasonable for good portion sizes and the workers are very friendly.
I eat here once in a while for lunch and have always had leftovers. I've only eaten their curries but they were all good. Took some home to my boyfriend once and he was surprised that the food was from the food court.
Honestly think this place is better than Spices up the street! -
Review from Beverly A.
San Diego, CA
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I agree with my fellow yelpers, it IS pretty weird that its in the food court! The girls that work here are really nice. You order at the counter, they give you a number, and call your number when your food is ready - it's as simple as that!
I got the pad see eu and it was delish! The soy meat is a little different from Sipz, but maybe i need to order a different dish to notice the difference. My girlfriend got another dish (unfortunately I forgot what it was!) but she loved it too! I can't wait to try other things on their menu - I'm so glad this place is close to work! -
Review from Carmen T.
2/8/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Pure crap sold as a healthy alternative to the rest of the rubbish sold as food in this strip mall. Food is overly sweetened, tofu is mostly fried, other mock tofu stuff is gross and, guess what? It's processed. So you are probably better off eating a thousand parts franken-patty from Mc Donalds than what you eat from this menu.
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Review from Angela C.
San Diego, CA
3/2/2012
Better than the standard food court fare. However, I was a little disappointed in their Spring Rolls, they don't taste very satisfying. Maybe it was too "healthy" for me. Which is odd because their other dishes didn't seem that "healthy" to me, quite a bit of grease. As far as their Spicy noodles go, it was tasty enough. Again, those were a little bit on the heavy side but that is what I already expected from a fast food thai place. It would be great if they offered the an un-fried tofu option, the steamed kind.
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Review from Trang T.
San Diego, CA
3/7/2012
I tried this place for the first time today at lunch. I got the red curry with mock meat. It came with a side salad and side cabbage soup.
Curry was very good, full of flavor and just enough spice. The only thing that turned me off was their mock meat. It is weird. I ate a couple of pieces then as I went for my third piece, I noticed it had ridged indentations on it. I hope it was mock meat, but nonetheless I picked the rest out of the curry and just ate the bamboo shoots and bell peppers.
Salad reminded me of coleslaw minus the dressing and soup had flavor but too much cabbage scent.
Overall, it was just OK. I'd much rather prefer Thai Chada. -
Review from Robert F.
10/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Food courts in Asia has some of the best eats.....and as it turns out, this food court at Scranton Rd has a couple, including Cafe Jay. I am not typically a vegetarian type of guy, but the flavors here are clean and very fresh, helping me to forget there is no meat and none is needed.
I really like the Mee Kee Mao, a spicy noodle dish with basil and garlic, the Pad Thai and the Panang curry. All of them are good with tofu, and their fried tofu with peanut sauce is great here. Be ready for some heat, if you don't normally like it that way, you may want to request less.
Overall, one of my favorite strictly vegetarian places in SD. -
Review from Vickram J.
Brooklyn, NY
8/14/2011
Some of the best Thai food you'll ever have, vegetarian or otherwise. I eat here at least a couple times a week -- the food is that good!
The best dishes, for my money, are the Eggplant and the Red Curry. Super nice staff too -- especially Tara! -
Review from Lana R.
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great place to have lunch! The food is amazing, except some items are unbearably spicy for me.
It's located in the food court by Qualcomm and PwC in Sorrento Valley. It's a bit tricky to find if you do not know the area. -
Review from DeAnne P.
San Diego, CA
It's weird being in the food court.
The vegetarian and vegan choices are SO ONO! -
Review from Kate G.
San Diego, CA
Nice lunchtime spot, filled with a lunchtime work crowd. It can be tough to get a table here as the food court gets really busy. It's all vegetarian here, I haven't gone for any of the mock meat so I can't comment but the tofu and vegetable dishes are great.
I love the noodles, Pad Thai and Spicy Noodles are the best. Some people said that the spice levels aren't that high, but I found the Spicy Noodle in particular to be pretty spicy, and I can normally tolerate relatively hot stuff. So maybe it's too subjective to judge from Yelp reviews.
Always friendly, wait not too long, everything tastes fresh. Can't ask for much more from a food court lunch spot. -
Review from Amanda H.
12/18/2011
Amazing! Fast, convenient, delicious. I went here today for the first time and had the pad thai at a level 2. It wasn't as flavorful as what I'm used to but delicious none the less. I will definitely come here again!
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Review from Jill J.
San Diego, CA
8/10/2011
Even though I am DYING right now because for once a 6/10 spice level is actually spicy, I still give this place 5 stars.
Although I have only been once, I have really enjoyed the food and the service at Cafe Jay.
I ordered the daily special which was cubed tofu, garlic, basil and green beans (yum) and a side veggie soup. Both were fantastic. I will probably order a 4/10 next time and add my own spice, but at least it is getting me to drink my extra large bottle of smartwater!
I cannot wait to try other dishes here. I LOVE that there is a healthy, meat free option in the food court. And you can tell I am not the only one...this place is always busy! I wish there were more locations...maybe they should open one up downtown/hillcrest/north park - just saying... -
Review from Shane R.
San Diego, CA
3/24/2011
Website says they're open until 8PM M-F, but came by yesterday at 6 and they were closed.
I'm going to give it another shot tonight.
UPDATE: Who knows what their hours are, but their food is great! I've had the lemon grass chicken, by recommendation of the very friendly cashier and it was good. I'm not typically a fan of mock meat but it had a great taste and texture.
Today I had the See Eu Noodles and they were great. It's hard to describe, but the food tasted more "real" than other restaurants I've eaten at. The quality of their food is definitely far above what is expected at a fast food joint. -
Review from Cindy H.
San Diego, CA
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is so good you'll forget that it's vegetarian!! I always get their spicy noodles or spicy fried rice and it has always been consistently delicious.
WARNING: Their spicy scale is intense! I LOVE spicy food (hence my two favorite options) and I my nose is running at a 7-8. So good though... yummmmmm -
Review from Reina K.
Santa Ana, CA
1/4/2011
I come down once a month to help edit an Orange County magazine, and although they buy us free lunches, I often hope they won't so I can be brought back once more to Cafe Jay.
The first time I ate there, I had the Soy Shrimp with Walnuts, and I was so surprised... it had a very similar texture to shrimp, although it wasn't the real thing. Everything was delicious, and I was so happy eating this food. The next time, I ordered the chow mein with soy shrimp again, and it was so delicious and satisfying.
Typically, since I am pescetarian when I go out to eat, I never find great Asian food. This is one of those wonderful exceptions. Looking forward to going to Cafe Jay again! -
Review from Sarah H.
Really excited that there is decent and fast Thai in the workforce abode. I used to go to thai chada next door but I couldn't stand that lady with the long witch hair yelling out order numbers so loud that the windows could almost crack. This place is vegetarian and I'm a meat-lover but the food here somehow makes me enjoy all the veggies in the world without ever letting me wonder where the meat it.
The staff is very friendly and I've seen them on numerous occasions taking their time to explain the menu to their customers.
If you like spicy food, I would recommend you to try the PANANG CURRY. It comes with tons of veggies and you may even find yourself not being able to finish the whole plate and asking for a take-out box. I think each dish comes with two fried dumplings.. YUM!
Of course.. be careful during rush time and try to get their early before 12! -
Review from Eddie P.
San Diego, CA
11/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
What a great little place! Delicious Thai-esque food in a thriving food court in Sorrento Valley -- and guess what? It's vegan/vegetarian for all of my friends who don't eat the meat like me. That sounds wrong, but seriously, this place is good.
If you like fast Asian fusion vegetarian/vegan than you're sure to like it here! -
Review from Lannice M.
San Diego, CA
5/20/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This place is delectable! If I had more vegetarian friends, I'd bring them here. The mock meat is really good, and the food is always really fresh and made-to-order. The guy at the counter is really nice and always has a helpful recommendation if you can't decide.
I like the Spicy Noodles the best. Pro Tip: Get veggies AND mock chicken and you'll be a happy camper! -
Review from Melissa M.
San Diego, CA
3/15/2011
I really enjoy Cafe Jay. I didn't think I could get this great of veggie/vegan cuisine in a food court!
My favorite is the Panang curry with brown rice. so good! They give me enough to split into 2 meals, so that's only about $3.50 a meal.
I've also tried the spicy noodles, tofu tod, coconut milk soup, and red curry and they are also great.
If you work or live in Sorrento Valley, I'd highly recommend Cafe Jay! -
Review from Meredith W.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 9/21/2010
Staff is still excellent, as is their food.
The Coconut Milk Soup is delicious! Just tried that for the first time today, because I'm sick and need some comfort food. First it's sour, then it's sweet, then it's tangy, then it's a mouthful of veggies. So, so good.
I like their fried tofu as well, although I wish it came with peanut sauce as the default, instead of this sweet/sour/duck/whatever sauce.
Still, I am extremely happy with my lunch today.Listed in: Lunch Money!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/26/2010 First to Review
Cafe Jay is located where Eggstra used to stand. And thank god for the change, because Eggstra was… Read more »
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Review from Justin F.
San Diego, CA
5/16/2011 20 Check-ins Here
Vegetarian/Vegan review: located in the Staples shopping center at the NW corner of Scranton and Mira Mesa Blvd, Cafe Jay is one of a handful of vegetarian options in this food court, except their entire menu is veggie.
You can get a very filling combo lunch here for about $9. It includes: entree (stir fry or curry), gozu, small cabbage salad, and a cup of soup. I've had the cashew stir fry and it's very tasty--it comes with vegetables, tofu, and imitation chicken. The plain veggie soup is also very good, but the lemongrass soup I had once was far too strong--I couldn't finish it. They have other curries and stir fry entrees along with the expected starters such as spring rolls. So far, it's been good enough to keep me coming back. Looking forward to my next Cafe Jay lunch! -
Review from Deniz T.
San Diego, CA
6/4/2010
It's Friday 5:30pm, and I don't know what to eat. I am Yelping for nearby restaurants most of which are already closed because I am in a business district. I am looking at a foodcourt restaurant with good reviews in the search results, but I am sure it's closed already. Wait, they are open until 8PM! Yay!
I was greeted by a nice lady who was very helpful by explaining me the menu items. She recommended the default hotness level of 4 out of 10 (This is in Thai standards, so 1 is mild 10 is Chernobyl). I got the Panang Curry with brown rice. I could pick tofu or vegetables with my curry, but I wanted to try their soy meat. Usually soy meat looks and tastes like rubber but this one was little different. It was cooked long enough so it was softened and absorbed all the good flavors. The dish was complete with small salad and 2 pieces of potato dumplings
(I am sure there is a Thai name for it). Oh, and 4/10 hotness was just right. Ingredients look fresh too - if it was heated-up lunch leftovers I would be having BP style spills in the bathroom by now. -
Review from Amiee L.
New to the food court and went to Café Jay today for some food for the girls at work...and boy they were pretty happy with my choice. I got the tofu with Panang Curry and they really like it - it was super spicy but a nice change from our normal lunches.
The ladies behind the counter were very helpful and friendly...
I have a feeling we will be back soon.... -
Review from Stephanie D.
San Marcos, CA
12/3/2010 2 Check-ins Here
This place is actually really good. My boyfriend brought some leftover Pad Thai home once and I liked it to I asked him if we could eat there again one day. I decided to get the yellow curry with soy meat, vegetables, and brown rice and he got the pad thai with soy meat and vegetables. I actually really liked the curry. I'm really picky with my curry and this one was great.
The service was nice. The guy at the front gave me some samples when I asked him which curry he recommended. I love places that do that so you don't end up buying something you don't like. He also gave my boyfriend and I a free drink. I would definitely come again! -
Review from Monika C.
8/28/2010
I honestly passed up this place in the food court several times just because their menu is IMPOSSIBLE to read unless you are standing right at the counter.
I met a vegetarian friend for lunch at the food court though and decided to try the place becuase she was as well. Luckily they had printed menus at the counter that you could look at, but hello, if you printed the 8 foot menu up on the wall in a legible font then you wouldn't need them!
The menu had a variety of asian dishes and I wasn't sure if this place was supposed to be Thai or Indonesian or a mix of various asian foods. My friend and I both ordered stir-fried noodle dishes which were pretty good but too greasy for my taste.
Overall I've eaten here twice and would eat there again, but the Pho place is still my favorite in the food court!
Food: Good, not great
Service: Fast
Price: Moderate
Selection: Good for a vegetarian place with options for each dish to be made with veggies, tofu, or fake meat. -
Review from Matt S.
El Cajon, CA
5/10/2010
First a little rant. Those of you who work in the Sorrento Mira Valley Mesa Blvd, you feel my pain. We eat lunch every day, choosing between the same set of 20-30 restaurants. We need some good stuff to keep us going!
The Scranton Road strip mall used to have a crappy Chinese restaurant, then they shut down and in came Sipz. Sipz was Vegetarian Asian Fusion and it was awesome. I ate there 2-3 times per week. Then Sipz closed and in came another crappy Chinese place. WTF?
Meanwhile, the fake L&L Hawaiin BBQ (can't remember what it was called) closed and in came Eggstra; weird quiche pita sandwich thingys. The food was OK, but not good value for money. Also they never really got heir message straight, people weren't even sure what they were eating.
Now to the present. Cafe Jay moved into the former Hawaiin BBQ place and I couldn't be more excited. It is mostly Thai food, and is mostly yummy. I am steadily working my way through the menu. Curries are great, noodles are pretty tasty, the eggplant needs to be cooked more. Also some small hint at a garnish wouldn't hurt. The girl working the counter is super nice and cheery; makes you happy to be eating healthy vegetarian food! -
Review from Rob K.
San Diego, CA
5/21/2010
This is an AMAZING addition to our boring and dull food court. I pretty much only eat at the Greek Cafe, but now I have another choice to alternate from on a weekly basis! YUM! Healthy vegetarian food with a Thai twist! I love their yellow curry, it is ALMOST as good as Spices Thai (although not as spicy) ... And that's a huge compliment given that Spices Thai is one of the best Thai places in the area.
I haven't tried anything else yet, but I've had the yellow curry twice and enjoyed it. The lady working the counter is super nice, and I will definitely be frequenting this place. -
Review from linda t.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2011 4 photos
The pad thai is really nice, even better with a splash of the sauce that comes with the taro tod appetizer. The flavors will totally enhance by 5x's. Nice to know I can have Thai food without having to worry that there is fish sauce involved. And big BIG kudos to the vegan thai iced tea!
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Patrick G.
San Diego, CA
12/18/2010 3 Check-ins Here
The red curry with soy meat & brown rice is tasty. I've had it twice, both times exceptional. Looking forward to eating there again trying another dish. Friendly staff, dude asked me how my day was going, I indicated it kinda sucked & he gave me a free soda.
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Review from Pump L.
San Diego, CA
11/17/2010
Four stars really is about right for this place. Pretty good food, generally decent service, but just a touch hit or miss. The prices are just right, I think.
I think the yellow curry is in particular terrific, and it's great to get veggie gyoza that didn't get fried with fish sticks. The tofu is high-quality, a big plus.
I recommend trying the Taro Tod at least once when feeling a little daring. Although the texture of the taro might not suit everyone, I was glad I tried it--wouldn't get it every time, but it was pretty unusual and pretty good. The peanut-chili sauce is a must!
All in all, a worthy addition to your weekly lunch rotation; or a near-godsend if you are a vegetarian. -
Review from Rene P.
San Diego, CA
5/11/2011
this place tastes really good, i've been here a couple of times and they give you plenty of food to get your belly content.
i don't care for vegetarians or vegans or whatever but i do care about food and this place has the flavors.
their soup that comes with the plates is very tasty, their gyoza it's good too but i wish they would make it steamed instead of fried, their curry, etc. -
Review from Timothy V.
San Diego, CA
6/16/2011
I am not even a vegetarian and I love this place. The tangerine chicken(soy) is soooooooo good.
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Review from Michael G.
San Diego, CA
1/4/2011
Their spicy noodles are really good. The flavor of the flat noodle is well pronounced. The dish as a whole is light but filling. Spice level 5 was a bit too spicy for me though.
The half moon wasn't amazing it was just okay. A better sauce would take though appetizer from okay to good.
This place is too pricey for what you get. I actually ended up going to a second place because I wasn't full. -
Review from Jessika P.
San Diego, CA
6/15/2010
This place kind of sucks. The Scranton food court gets crowded and they don't seem to have a really great way to deal with the crowd. When you order you food you get a number but when they called my number I set it down and picked up the food and the girl acted weird about it. I guess she didn't notice me set down the number. The guy at the cash register pointed out the number that I put on the counter and she relaxed. Weird. Plus there was a hair in my free sample that they give out while you wait. There is a slight possibility that the hair fell from my own head, but doubtful. I ordered Pad Thai which sucked. I would skip this place.
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Review from jessica z.
San Diego, CA
8/11/2011
the food is excellent and the staff are very nice. a real hidden gem, since vegan/vegetarian only places are sorta hard to come by. the food isn't greasy even though i wouldn't mind that, but is satisfying and lighter than some other vegan/vegetarian cuisine. the food is more complex and therefore better than Sipz.
the menu is interesting and diverse, offering neat dishes like fake shrimps. the prices are very good considering the portions. a regular order + appetizer is enough to make 2 meals for me.
i think i overheard an employee saying that her mom/the owner owns or has a part in jimmy wong's in hillcrest. i haven't been to that restaurant since the remodel, but i used to frequent it after hours. i plan on going back if it's related to Cafe Jay.
i would be very interested in Cafe Jay opening up a real restaurant, or opening up a location closer to the northpark area. -
Review from Rene S.
Spring Valley, CA
10/21/2010
This place ROCKS!!
We drive half an hour each way, which is why we only go at least once a week, but its worth the trip every time!
The portions are humongous, and each dish has its own unique flavor that makes you want to try everything on the menu- or just keep ordering the same dish 5 times (I'm talking to you Tangerine Chicken!)
The curries are devilishly intoxicating, but don't fret, the huge heap of brown or white rice is there with you every step of the way.
It's delicious, super friendly, fast, cheap, and you'll leave stuffed every time!
PS
No animals were harmed in the making of these meal.
