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Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Vegetarian Japanese, Vegetarian [Edit]
762 Valencia St(between 19th St & 18th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 252-7825
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
718 reviews for Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Dare I say the best miso soup I have ever had." In 76 reviews -
"Don't forget it's cash only." In 80 reviews -
"Agedashi tofu is my most favorite dish here." In 28 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
718 reviews in English
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Review from Kai C.
Alameda, CA
5/15/2012
I hate vegetables. I really do. But I love Japanese food, and I like to try new things, so I decided to give this place a chance when I was in the Mission.
It was great! I got the hot pot, and I don't know what they do to those vegetables, but those veggies made me think they were actual morsels of meat. It was full of flavor, and I forgot that I wasn't consuming any meat (under normal circumstances, I would probably be hyperventilating at some point during the appetizers).
The server wasn't too fluent in English, which was fine--she was very nice. Come with an appetite and WITH CASH. You won't be disappointed! -
Review from Evelyn N.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012
As a Vegan I reeeaaaally wanted to love this place, but I wasn't really impressed with the flavors or the price. How does this place have 4 stars? It must be all the poor tourists from non-veg friendly places who are just so thankful for a veg japanese restaurant.
Sea Vegetable Salad: It tasted too ocean-y for me (not a good quality wakame), and it also came with this HUGE glop of sasame dressing. Not sure what that was for? Typically if Japanese dishes have a dressing it is very delicate and subtle, not here! I guess it was to cover the mediocre taste of the seaweed.
Vegan Roll: This one REALLY disappointed me. It was $8, and we only got 4 pieces. The roll came out immediately, so it was obviously that it wasn't freshly made. The rice tasted dry, hard and old. The pieces were also too big to fit in my mouth. This is such a simple dish. Fresh rice, freshly rolled, more pieces that are slightly smaller, that's not too much to ask for a bit of rice and chopped veggies at this price!
Gyoza: Bland, had almost no filling at all, no flavor. I don't understand why they cheaped out on the filling. It would have been so easy to double up on the filling and it would cost them next to nothing.
Sansai (Wild Vegetables) Noodle Soup: Tasted like salt, not much else.
Again, I'm not sure why this place is so popular. I'd be happier going to a regular sushi restaurant and ordering the veggie rolls there.
When I looked around the restaurant it appeared that many people were ordering the tempura and cha-ya roll, so maybe people come here for the deep fried? -
Review from Shephalie L.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2012
Japanese Veggie food?!
Exactly what I said. I visited Cha-Ya on a rainy, rainy Friday with a few coworkers who were vegetarian. Since my knowledge of great veggie places on a friday night is somewhat limited, I decided to go along. Great choice in the end!
WARNING: THEY TAKE CASH ONLY!!! However, there is an atm inside the restaurant
The stuffed eggplant dish was my favorite. The curry udon soup was delicious as well - large enough for us to fill our bowls up twice!
The other tempura dishes were a little bland with the flavorless sauce as well - but that just may be my aversion to tempura.
Overall, an interesting experience - would definitely take other veggie friends there again. -
Review from Jen X.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2012
I can't believe I didn't try this place sooner! I love the soup with the gyoza in it. The broth is so flavorful. And save room for the desserts.
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Review from Nadiyah S.
Imperial Beach, CA
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good, heathy...and sort of tasty.
The mushroom noodle soup was the best dish we had with a great mushroom broth. Cha ya roll was good and the seaweed salad was just okay. One qualm I had was with the 'nirgiri.' The vegetarian eggplant sushi, which comes with 2 pieces had actual fish nigiri prices. You know how much eggplant I can by for 3.75? Give me a break! -
Review from Linh H.
Winnetka, CA
5/21/2012
This was was okay but there wasn't very much flavor in the food. I had the cha-ya roll, the summer roll, the soba roll, tempura, and the fried stuffed eggplant. The soba roll wasn't very flavorfull and the soba noddles were bland. The Cha-ya roll and teh summer roll were almost the same...stuffed with seaweed salad. Prices were okay. Everything was okay but nothing spectacular.
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Review from Jean Y.
The entirely vegetarian menu at Cha-ya has a lot of options, such as soups, appetizers, rolls and nigiri, udon and soba. Both entrees that I tried were pleasing to the eye but not so much the palate. While they tasted healthy and were rich in vegetables, the dishes could have used more seasoning.
* Chaya nabe - $10.25: Kabocha, lotus root, sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, other veggies, and silver noodles in sukiyaki broth
* Tonchi nasu - $9.75: Stuffed eggplant with tofu, edamame, corn, hijiki, and other fillings
Cash only. ATM available in restaurant if you get desperate for cash. -
Review from Pane M.
Laie, HI
5/8/2012
It was my first vegan sushi restaurant, and I loved it. Big shout out to Scott for taking me there. I'm not a vegan but I could go here everyday to eat. I love sushi and this place delivered. The Chaya nabe is also very good. My only regret is that they didn't have bigger portions.
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Review from Veg V.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/28/2012
Great food, particularly love the moon garden (tofu custard) and agadashi tofu. A bit pricey because portions are small, but wonderful place.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/17/2008
With locations in Berkeley and San Francisco, Cha-Ya is a rare gem: a vegan Japanese restaurant with… Read more »
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Review from Lisa S.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2012
The curry soup is the best thing I have had yet... but honestly, the veggies could be nicer and more diverse- it was a lot of button mushrooms and zucchini... maybe I am being too picky, I guess I have higher hopes for a vegan japanese place! I still go there because I like to support vegan businesses, but the % of fried items to raw items is not good, and also their salads could be greatly improved, as well as their sauces.
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Review from Jaye C.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
A superbly unassuming vegan/vegetarian Japanese restaurant in the Mission District (Valencia and 19th), and could very well be easily disregarded as just 'another SF restaurant' if you don't know what this place is about. Ever since my first encounter with LA's Shojin in Little Tokyo, I've been craving vegan Japanese food, and it's a kind relief that I can find it here in my neck of the woods - though it's not as mind-blowing as the former mentioned.
The ample lights & lackluster decor doesn't trump the fact that they do indeed serve hearty and delicious ramen here, so I won't hold it against them for far too long. The soup wasn't bland nor was it overtly salty, and there was just the right amount of vegetables floating around to satisfy even the most stuck up meat-loving Mission District dweller.
Over all, a good dining experience was had, so I'll definitely come by as soon as I'm out drinking in the hipster-central SF neighborhood.. which will probably be this weekend.
P.S. CASH ONLY -- there's an ATM inside the restaurant. -
Review from Molly M.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Here's my breakdown of stars:
Food: 5
Ambiance: 3.75
Service: 2.75
Overall: 4 stars
Yes, so the woman servicing us wasn't one for conversation and probably said no more than 4 words to us, but since the food was so amazingly good (and vegetarian, extra bonus) I will let that slide.
Decor was simple, clean and quiet...very zen. I would have liked to hear meditative music or something calming in the background, but that's just me. It felt a little too quiet with out it, however it's a good place to eat and read. The location is in the Mission where there are lots of shops and bars nearby. Parking is not hard during the day, but very challenging at night and on the weekends.
I recommend starting with the fired tofu which comes with 4 pieces (if tofu is your thing.) Since it is light and won't fill you up too much. But the spring rolls did look yummy. The vegetable curry, soba noodle soup was amazing and I was blown away by the flavors and how fresh the vegetables tasted. I was dreaming of that soup the next day. I cannot believe it took me so long to go here. I will be back again and if service is better next time I will bump up my star rating to 5!Listed in: Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurants.
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Review from Camille R.
Somerville, MA
2/10/2012
Food is bland, service sucked, and it's expensive - and they don't take cards.
I don't know why, but I still want to give them another try. -
Review from S C.
San Jose, CA
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
A new and delicious discovery! What I like most about this place is that its vegan dishes are comfortable in their own skins--of what I've had and seen here is not trying to be a substitute for anything.
An omnivore friend (and sushi lover) brought me here with another friend from out of town, and it was delicious! I had the Hangetsu (deep-fried portobello mushroom layered with tofu and served with kiwi sauce) and it was positively divine! We also ordered the Cha-Ya Roll and Vegetable Tempura Roll for the table, and they were both good (although I think the Cha-Ya Roll was the better of the two). I will definitely be back next time I'm in the area :D
The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is the service. It's not that the staff wasn't nice, but they weren't terribly attentive or inviting. I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the lighting and decor, but since we were here for lunch and we were seated by the window, I probably didn't notice anything about the lighting. The decor might have been a little sparse, but it seemed fine to me--perhaps I have low decorating standards or something. The place was clean when we were there, and that's what I care most about.
Either way, if you are a vegetarian or are with a vegetarian, this is a great place to try! I know I'll be back again :) -
Review from Elaine L.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
I like my fair share of veggies once in a while, but this place is ridiculously good to a point that I need to eat here at least once a month. I crave the Curry Udon Noodle Soup and the Senroppon Salad (shredded daikon radish, carrots, etc.). Everything is fresh and delicious. Make sure you have cash. They do have an ATM in the restaurant should you not have any. I also think that they have the cleanest kitchen in SF!
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Review from Hella Stella Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
LOVE this place. Great service, and even better food. It's a keeper.
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Review from Byron L.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Expensive expensive expensive. But the food does taste good. The ambiance is like cafeteria style so I don't really want to pay that much for food.
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Review from Sabrina A.
Oakland, CA
2/11/2012
When people are saying it is hella expensive. They're not kidding. I ordered takeout.... I got 2 skewers, a soup, and a salad.... it came to 47.93 without tip. OUCH!!!!!
I did get an entirely vegan gluten free meal. It was delicious. I felt well nourished and there you have it.
My roomie says go for the lunch specials. I went for dinner. -
Review from Danny C.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/27/2012
It was pretty good! I tried some of the sushi and it was fresh and light,.. very tasty!
I ordered the seared Ahi special and I really liked it. I could be wrong but it tasted like it was cooked over a wood-burning grill.. great! Plus, it was a nice, big piece.. not skimpy, which is nice for the SF prices that you are paying. My wife ordered the "lump" crabcakes and they were anything but. Server was apologetic and took them back, not sure if she took them off the bill, though (my fault for not checking, we were with a party of 8). Overall, a solid 4 stars. Staff was great, too! -
Review from Jan L.
Mountain View, CA
5/9/2012
Had problems with their ATM machine. We tried 3 different ATM cards and never got any cash. And then their machine company charged my account. Be careful about using their machine !!!!
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Review from Yvonne K.
San Diego, CA
1/1/2012
I really wanted to love this place after hearing so many good things about it but I think we just came on an off day.
There was only one waitress for lunch and the later it got, the more people there was and I think it got a little overwhelmingly. We waited a long time before we could get the check and a box. I was in a bit of rush so I was a little irritated by the slow service. Two of the men came out from the kitchen but they did not help her with anything.. It may be time to hire another waitress for lunch rushes..
Anyways, I got the shredded salad which is the size of a big appetizer really. She asked if that was all I wanted, and I said yes because I was thinking about the possibility of me eating a second lunch haha.. Anyways I was there longer than I thought I would be so I finished it before my companions finished their noodle soups and I was left kinda hungry still. It was delicious and almost all raw except for the few edamame that was tossed in it. I thought the dressing was a little too sour for my taste though it did compliment the shredded veggies (which were essentially very thinly julienned).
I also ordered the mochi in red been soup dessert which was okay. It took longer than I thought for them to prepare it. I ordered it after I finished my salad and I think it took about 20 minutes, long enough for me to think she forgot about it, until it came. I would just order that particular dessert in the beginning if you decide to get a salad too. It came with three rectangular pieces of mochi, which felt a little grainy to me. I don't know if it supposed to be like that but having made mochi cakes with Mochiko before, I think they may have used that in making their mochi.
The lunch combination deal is probably a better deal since it comes with two things to try and miso soup and rice. I would order that next time.
Parking was not too difficult since we came day after Christmas and the meters were free! Metered parking is found along this part of Valencia and 2 hr parking can be found on the cross streets in the area. -
Review from Mayur A.
San Bruno, CA
4/1/2012
Very unique place with lots of options for vegetarians/vegans especially considering the type of cuisine... however the food was just good (not great)
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Review from Greg G.
11/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I am not a vegetarian, but have been curious about this place for a while. Actually it's good. I came in late at night on Thanksgiving no less. (I didn't eat too much at dinner, go figure). And this place was open.
Lots of sushi options (weird for a veg place). Turns out the sushi is mostly mushrooms and yam. It was pretty cold out so some tempura and some hot udon noodles sounded awesome! Really good broth overall and the tempura was really nicely done. Not too greasy, very lightly battered and very tasty. Udon came out piping hot. Hit the spot soo well.
I would come back for more.
FYI: Cash Only -
Review from Jon T.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I always hear people talking about this restaurant, asking me if I've been. I finally decided to go recently because I was looking for some light, fresh food. While Cha-Ya was decemt, I was a bit let down overall.
First of all, the interior leaves a little to be desired. My first thought when I walked in was that it reminded me of one of those hole in the wall chinese restaurants you find in every city. It wasn't dirty, but it was sparse. When I say this, I don't mean in the cute Japanese aesthetic way. The tables and chairs were really basic wood sets and each table's only decoration was a bottle of kikoman.
But really, the interior design wouldn't be that big of a deal if the food was really excellent. So I put aside my thoughts and took a look at the menu. While I was browsing through all the items (which looked quite attractive), I also noticed it said they only took cash. This wasn't too much of a shock considering the look of the place, but still annoying.
Back to the food. I decided to order the Cha-Ya Nabe. The mix of vegetables with non-fried tofu seemed exactly what I was looking for. When it first came out, it was extremely hot. As it cooled down, I started eating pieces of veggies from the soup. Most of the vegetables were cooked well, but some of the asparagus wasn't quite right. But what really got me was how flavorless it was. I love vegetables, but anyone can put them into a broth and call it a meal. It seemed like it should have something more of a distinctive taste, but instead it was just a little too bland for me.
I wouldn't be opposed to coming here again, but I won't go out of my way. If I do, I'll be likely to try some of the sushi or a dish that has fried tofu (because at least I know what that will taste like.) -
Review from Dominic H.
Seattle, WA
1/22/2012
Great food and for a pretty good price. My wife and I got two combos, which meant we could just share four items on the selection menu instead of just two. The soup, the salad, the sake, and all of the food items were awesome. Delicious!
It was packed though - got in right before the rest of the neighborhood.
Great vegan options for sushi lovers!
Cash only. -
Review from Natalia C.
Westminster, CA
1/17/2012
Only reason why I give it 4 stars is because I had to get up twice to get our tempura sauce and then pay since they were so slammed no one would come help us...
Other than that- food was delish!
Had the soba noodle tempura soup, the tempura was crispy and included eggplant, kabocha (my fave), asparagus, mushrooms, and broccoli. The soba noodles were cooked to perfection, tender and flavorful, and the broth was amazing, not too salty and just the right amount of sweetness.
It's in The Mission where there are tons of restaurants to choose from, but this one was packed and is fully vegetarian.
Go! -
Review from Jennifer H.
11/5/2011
This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in the world and I have been craving it ever since I left San Francisco.
Cha-ya serves prime veggie Japanese food and has soups to die for. The restaurant gets really packed, so either go during off-hours or prepare to wait for a bit. I have tried multiple dishes here and they all have been amazing. I wish I knew how to make some of their dishes on my own, because they are that good!
The interior is very basic and they tried to squeeze in as many table as possible and it could still be more if looking at the demand. Also, Cha-ya only takes cash (they have an ATM inside, but it charges a fee). -
Review from anya a.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2012
Don't get the hype...very mediocre food with bad service at a cheep take out looking restaurant with HIGH prices.
I am a vegetarian and have been eating it all my life, there are tons of flavorful vegetarian restaurants all around SF bay area...stay away from this place -
Review from Nancy S.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2012
I LOVE Cha Ya! Everything I've ordered has been delicious. Prices at lunch are totally reasonable. This restaurant is totally unique. Its not about decor or ambience. It is about delicious, vegetarian food that you can't get anywhere else. Service at lunch is always fine. If someone paid more than they wanted then they didn't read the prices on the menu. I always go there for lunch with my niece.
I'm giving Cha Ya 5 stars for its unique contribution to the diversity of amazing food we can find only in San Francisco--at excellent prices. -
Review from Rachel J.
2/14/2012
I'm confused as to why this place is so special. Hasn't anyone ever seen the veggie-only options in sushi places?? There's tempura, and all manner of rolls with a medley of vegetables. It's delicious, always. The fluorescent lighting here made me feel like I was in a HS cafeteria, and the service was lacking. They get crowded quickly and apparently don't take reservations (which I was scolded for not knowing when I called to make one - so don't call!!!). The mere fact that they don't serve fish is definitely different, but not particularly exciting.
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Review from Amanda S.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2011 2 photos
Cha-Ya never fails to satisfy. Vegan and yum.
I meant to try something new, but when I looked at the menu and spotted the battered portabello, my mouth started watering and I was incapable of ordering anything else. Succulant, juicy mushroom, with tofu, dipped in batter and lightly fried with a fruity kiwi & edamame dipping sauce. Possibly the tastiest combination ever.
Between 12 and 2 it comes as part of a lunch special, which means miso soup and rice, all for about 9 bucks.
Winner.
Apparantly the soba, udon and sushi dishes are also delicious, but I don't know if I will ever have the willpower to try them. -
Review from Queenie C.
San Francisco, CA
2/14/2012
Well, I didn't dislike it. I just didn't like it enough to push the review to an A-okay level. I do love meat, but my mother has also been a vegetarian since I was 2 so eating vegetarian is not unfamiliar to me and I do actually really enjoy being occasionally meat-free. I feel like the prices are a bit too high for what you receive and that what we ordered, I could've easily made myself (and probably with a bit more flavor). Also, we had to wait a while for a table to eat a meal that I wasn't too crazy about and for service that was meh, so these are other reasons why I was left feeling underwhelmed.
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Review from Cerina C.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've wanted to try this place for a while. So when my SO and I had a night off, we came here. It took a while for us to look over the menu. After 15 minutes we decided on:
Cha-Ya Roll - deep fried goodness
Mushroom Soup - all the mushrooms in one soup!
and the 21.50 Combination Dinner (we picked stuff eggplant and a vegetable broth) -yummy!
Everything was pretty much aesthetically pleasing. Service was good (: Will come back soon. -
Review from Josie L.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2011
The good: Chira Ae, the seaweed salad and many great vegan dishes
The bad: Bright lighting, boring ambiance and that WAITRESS who seems SO MISERABLE! (every time). What's her true calling? If she were a wedding planner would she be joyous? A piano tuner? A cat sitter? -
Review from Tom I.
Astoria, NY
Awesome. Traditional Japanese are vegetarian, and cha an did great job following traditional style cooking implementing in modern age.
Very authentic Japanese meal. All traditional Japanese meal do not have any meat, and this place really delivers both traditional and new age with great balance.
My dengaku was perfectly prepared, just the right amount of sweetness and good amount of rice & miso soup.
Preparation was rather fast (lady said 15 min, ready in 8min!)
Service, on the other hand, was not so friendly and rather fast food venue attitude which was disappointment.
Overall I was very happy to eat here And can't wait to try again.
CASH ONLY, btw. -
Review from Miss Information X.
San Francisco, CA
2/10/2012
I love this place! Granted it's not pretty inside, it's very basic almost cafeteria-like, but the food is SO good. My favorites are the agedashi tofu and the cha ya roll, but really I've never had anything bad here. I love that I can order anything on the menu and come up win. Yay!
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Review from Cody W.
Berkeley, CA
12/3/2011
I have been to the one in Berkeley. Slow service, but this one is absolutely horrible in the service department.
My miso came out quickly, then my colleague's meal came out. After 10 minutes of awkward looks the server comes out and says my lunch will be out soon, something about the kitchen being backed up with phone orders. Another 15 minutes, my friend is done eating and here comes my steamy soup bowl. And they don't even care.
It is nice to not have to sort the menu for vegetarian items, but the service is a hassle.
No tip! -
Review from Jessica C.
San Francisco, CA
6/27/2011 5 photos
Cha-NO!!
$9 for TINY vegetarian sushi rolls, of very average flavor and quality, and a lot of them are fried. Please!! I could really make these myself! Well, MAYBE the Vegan Roll was kinda good but that's because I don't have these ingredients on hand - "a large roll" with spinach, atsuage tofu, cucumber, broccolini, seasoned shiitake and kampyo gourd, pickled burdock, and pickled ginger, I swear it didn't contain all these stated ingredients though.
DO NOT be fooled by the menu descriptions - "A large roll"...LOL LIES!
The seriously tiny Cha-Ya Roll (which consists mostly of deep fried batter and mushy rice) comes with some kind of special house made sauce - I was totally not a fan of it. The sauce was very thick, sticky, sweet, and had a strong spice-y / herby flavor.
Agedashi tofu was very unlike other Agedashi tofu that I've had. Three large, fat rectangular pieces of tofu, that had less fried skin than usual. The special sauce was very flavorful too...I liked this Agedashi tofu even though my friend didn't, maybe because I love plain & raw tofu.
Very bland bland bland watery noodle soup. There was NO seasoning in there. It seriously tasted like the kind of soup that you would make for yourself if you had a cold and your sinuses were stuffed so you couldn't smell or taste anything. The vegetables in the flavorless soup were also flavorless (guess that makes sense), and there were barely any in there. It seemed like they were just plopped in there for decoration. What is the point of going to a vegetarian restaurant that gives you tiny vegetable servings?
The redeeming piece of heaven - The large square piece of VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE with 2 layers of chocolate frosting - such a rich, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate explosion. You can't even tell it's Vegan. I wonder where they got it from. (I wonder if it's even Vegan) -
Review from jane n.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2011
Refreshing change for vegetarian parents and boyfriend. They all loved it!
I'm no vegetarian, but I enjoyed this place as well!
The waitress is prompt, but not too friendly. The decorations are lacking. The furniture not too impressive.
But come here for JUST the food and you won't be disappointed! Nice presentation, good variety. Everything was very yummy.
I want to go back and try it all! -
Review from Sadie G.
Oakland, CA
11/6/2011
This place is an all-vegetarian Japanese restaurant! Awesome! Unfortunately, it was just "meh" tasting. We love veggie-sushi, so we got a few rolls to share. Cory and I didn't even have to fight over who got the last veggie-tempura pieces of sushi... he could just have them.
The restaurant itself is kind of tight-packed, lots of people eating here. The kitchen is huge... bigger than the dining area.
I really wanted to like this place, but it just wasn't the sushi just wasn't that great. We won't be coming back.
