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Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Chinese Vegetarian, Chinese [Edit]
754 Kirkham St(between 11th Ave & 12th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
(415) 682-0826
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 11 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Chris N. said: "Simple and delicious. Perfect thing for a cold day. I got the noodle soup with dumplings. Substituted for the home made noodles and pork and chive dumplings. The soup base was flavorful and not overpowering. Dumplings were great-…" read more »
324 reviews for Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Eggplant w/ Sea Bass- my SECOND FAVORITE."
(in 25 reviews)
"My favorite is the fragrant crispy chicken."
(in 13 reviews)
"...but the crispy chicken and shark fin soup are must-haves."
(in 19 reviews)
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324 reviews in English
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Review from Constance C.
East Bay, CA
Updated - 12/20/2011
Combination Platter. With Soybean Sheet, BBQ Pork, Tofu and Sweet & Sour Wheat Gluten. Large Size. This was super good, but not as good as it was last time. Definitely love the larger size though because there was more for everyone and it's yum.
Chicken Nuggets. With Sweet & Sour Sauce. This was super good, tasted exactly like McDonalds chicken nuggets except in veggie form! It even had the texture of chicken. Plus I loved the sauce with it, I think they use the same sauce for spring rolls also. Noms!
Pickles. We didn't get this last time but they gave it to us free. It was pretty good. A bit of sweetness, it actually reminded me of Sprite.
Mongolian Beef. This was pretty good, the texture was surprisingly as similar to beef as you can get with tofu. The flavors were pretty good though I think I'm more of a fan of their chicken and fish dishes.
Eggplant with Sea Bass. Super good as usual! With the same texture and flavor of fish! I loved it with the eggplant. It's too bad a lot of times I'm digging for the sea bass in the dish and I end up with eggplant because it looks the same on the plate. But it's so delish and worth a try even though it's not the most picture-perfect dish.
Steamed Bok Choy. Pretty good, had some ginger flavor to it so it was pretty interesting. As interesting as steamed vegetables can get!
See photos of food, http://potbellypanda.t...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/31/2011
Combination Platter (Small Size). Soybean Sheet, BBQ Pork, Tofu, Sweet & Sour Wheat Gluten. This was… Read more »
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Review from E K.
Fort Lee, NJ
12/27/2011
Overall, I can rate this a solid home-style Chinese restaurant I'd be happy to order from anytime. The food is clean and fresh, and the flavors are spot-on.
I've been pesca for a few years and not a big fan of meat-substitutes (the chemically flavors are a little jarring), so ordered the Hot and Sour Soup and the Pine Nut & Spinach Fried Rice, while the bf ordered the Eggplant w/'Seabass'.
Hot & Sour Soup: I loved this soup. While nothing revolutionary about the flavor, I was really happy with the freshness of the veggies. I'd order this again in a heartbeat.
Pine Nut & Spinach Fried Rice: The subtle flavors were great, and I especially loved that it wasn't greasy. Rather, some of the rice was gently toasted from the pan.
Eggplant w/Seabass: Reminds me of the fried eggplant stuffed with shrimp at dim sum. Very good, but since I'm not a fan of fake meat, the 'seabass' wasn't my favorite. It wasn't bad, just not very exciting.
Overall, the people here are really nice. It's a bit far from the Irving restaurant strip and no ambiance, but it's a sweet place I look forward to eating at again. -
Review from angela n.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
The "fragrant chicken" is so terrific! It tastes just like chicken! (Well maybe it won't fool meat eaters, but it's great for us vegetarians). These fried crispy nuggets are superior to the "chicken nuggets" that are also on the menu (those had too much breading).
I don't like eggplant, but I do like the eggplant with sea bass dish. The bass tastes remarkably fishy and has a really fishy texture. I just gave the eggplant parts to my family.
I also like that they have illustrations of animals on the front door. The caption says something like "Love us. Don't eat us. All lives are precious."
(Review co-authored by my awesome 4th-grader vegetarian nephew). -
Review from Vinh N.
Providence, RI
1/18/2012
Lettuce Wrapped with Shredded Mushroom, Veggie Chicken, Vegetable & Pine Nut is my favorite dish. Honestly, this is big enough for 2. I have tried a lot of the dishes here now (both dine in and take out) and I have to say it is hit and miss. Ask for a recommendation from your server. They tend to lead you down the enlightened path to great food.
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Review from James P.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/20/2012
been back several times, enjoyed each and every item I've tried. Great addition to the neighborhood...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2009
Totally enjoyed a dinner at Enjoy Vegetarian. We had the aptly named Fragrant Crispy Chicken, Walnut… Read more »
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Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011
My favorites are still the
1) Pine Nut Spinach Fried Rice
2) Eggplant and Seabass
3) Friendly staff
3) The gluten pork and spicy vegetables were okay. The dessert (sesame ball with rice wine rice was okay).1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/23/2011
I'm by no means a Vegetarian expert so please read my review as a first time patron to a Vegetarian… Read more »
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Review from Stephanie C.
Brookdale, CA
1/18/2012
This place serves dee-licious Chinese food... And the best part? All 100% vegetarian. A gem indeed!
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Review from P A U L.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
I went here with 3 friends tonight and it was pretty good. Being a vegan, I like to influence my company into eating good vegetarian & vegan food with me (and seeing as though I'm a man of impeccable tastes, I never let my company down when it comes to dining).
Between the four of us we had a lot of variety in what we ate. We split the combo appetizer, which was good but surprised my one friend because it was cold despite consisting only of fake meat. I really liked two of the things on the platter; the other two, not so much...
Typically I go to Shangri-La for my vegan Chinese food fix, but this place had the kind of Chinese-American style junk food that Shangri-La doesn't, like Sweet & Sour Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Walnut Prawns, etc... We got those three in addition to the Mongolian Beef and Veggie Chow Mein (which are two dishes we always get at Shangri-La)
In terms of quality, the food was great, but it still cannot touch Shangri-La. The service was extremely friendly and I really enjoyed the place's cozy and obscure, albeit a bit inconvenient location. If Shangri-La is the 5-star standard for vegan Chinese food, this place is going to have to take a 4/5 star rating, for being second best and having a not-so-convenient location. -
Review from Ann S.
Cottonwood, CA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Vegetarian Heaven! Not only was I incredibly impressed with this restaurant, but my meat-eating husband said that many of these veggie dishes were better prepared than their meat-containing equivalents at other restaurants. Can't wait to eat here again! Also, a very helpful and friendly staff.
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Review from Brittany B.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012
I've been to and ordered from Enjoy at least a dozen times since I moved to the Inner Sunset three years ago. Usually I'm a little skeptical of places that rely heavily on meat substitutes. Often when restaurants try too hard to make non-meat taste meaty rather than let it shine on its own, the result is a disaster. Enjoy however seems to have gotten it just right. I've had many of their dishes and their veggie "meats" are consistently crave-worthy.
The dishes at Enjoy are basically the standard take out Chinese food fare, but lighter and with fresh, balanced flavors. Apart from the soups which are a little watery and bland, I'd recommend everything I've tried. Their lemon chicken and chow mein is just the thing I crave after a tough day at work. -
Review from Kim D.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/25/2011
Satisfied yet again. Perfectly cooked brown rice+vegetables with the perfect crunch steam and stir fry. Every dish delectable. The palate is beyond satisfied! Can't wait to go back!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/20/2010
Enjoyed it so much! Beyond delicious. Perfect!
We were sat down for our 6pm reservation promptly.… Read more »
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Review from Bailey Z.
I was really looking forward to trying a good vegetarian restaurant recommended by a vegetarian friend, but this place was just a disaster. I've had restaurants run out of dishes on the menu, but not when I was the first person for service. I wanted to try the fragrant crispy chicken, but they were out. How do you run out of something before you even open for dinner? It was the middle of the week too. The waitress recommended we try the vegetarian dumplings instead, which were terrible. It tasted like the vegetables from the inside of an eggroll, but stuffed into a dumpling. The shark fin soup was bland (although I'm told by vegetarian standards, it was pretty tasty). The most disgusting thing was when my friend said that the pickled vegetables were moving. There was a bug crawling around in it. I later realized that there were fruit flies flying everywhere around us.
The saving grace dish was the eggplant and sea bass. I loved the imitation sea bass, which was made from soy wrapped with nori. I like the texture of how the soy was cooked and the eggplant was delicious as well. Unfortunately, it couldn't make up for an unappetizing and disappointing meal. As we walked out, a fly flew out the door with us. It was pretty appropriate and summed up how I felt about this place. -
Review from H E.
South San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
Love this place from the picnic style plastic chairs to the wonderfully friendly and helpful wait team (Rachel and Miko are standouts) to the simplicity of their fresh and delish food. The menu is huge (125 items) and takes a few minutes to scan if you're a newbie to this veggie haven. We ended up ordering:
* #52 Braised Spareribs w/ bean curd, taro, napa cabbage in a clay pot. WOW! The faux spareribs looked and tasted like pork spareribs but really "good ones." 5/5 stars.
* #58 Eggplant, Tofu, and Fresh Basil in Satay Sauce. Great flavors and the fresh basil was a standout! 5/5 stars.
* #92 Pai Pa Tofu Balls w/ broccoli. Good but prefer the tofu balls to be crispy (since they are deep fried) like they are at Shangri-La's. 2.5/5 stars. Will pass on ordering this again.
* #120 Spinach & Pine Nut Fried Rice. Simple, fragrant, light, and tasty. Would have been perfect if the dish had more spinach mixed in with the rice. 4/5 stars.
* Iced Passion Fruit Green Tea with mango pearls. Very good...especially the mango flavored pearls. 5/5 stars.
* Dessert was fried sesame balls with black sesame paste. Crunchy and rich with black sesame goodness. 5/5 stars.
With 18% tip, this great meal came out to be $65. We were pretty happy and looking forward to trying the other 120 items in the future! -
Review from Rylan C.
8/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I love meat and believe that animals have the right to remain delicious. I came into this restaurant a skeptic but left one of their biggest fans.
Since I live a few blocks away, I was curious to see what all the fuss was about because it's rare that anything over 4 stars exists and that meat-eaters also rave about this place. Anyway, I ordered the Lemon Chicken, Eggplant & Sea Bass, Gluten Veggie Rolls, and rice. All of it was delicious and I can't wait to come back. I didn't miss the meat at all because the vegan meat-replacements all tasted good and had the consistency of meat. My father is vegetarian so I've tasted some pretty nasty things but I can tell you that this place was not nasty at all.
I highly recommend this place and I can't wait to eat here again.Listed in: My San Francisco Spots
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Review from chl p.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/9/2011
I am in no way a vegetarian, but if I were to ever become one, this would be the place I frequent most! Especially if I missed chicken. Their lemon chicken dish really DOES have the texture of chicken. And kind of the same flavor too! It's really amazing. I also like their pine nut fried rice, and vegetable dishes. They have a pretty extensive menu with lots of things I want to try. I LOVE broccoli and I saw they use it quite a bit in some items' pictures, so yay for that! And they have lunch specials, too.
The service is good; they are always friendly!
I am so glad I live nearby! I've been coming here for awhile, and their food is always consistent.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/17/2007
pretty good vegetarian. i got the pre fixe meal, it was worth it i think. the lemon chicken's good,… Read more »
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Review from Joi B.
7/12/2011
Enjoy Restaurant is what my favorite Chinese restaurant in New York, Vegetarian Dim Sum House, used to be (before recent visits where I felt the quality had gone down).
Enjoy is cheap. If you can, go with 2 or 3 people so you can order a ton of stuff, as the menu is unbelievably varied (fake meats, tofu, vegetables, dim sum, soups, noodles, rice dishes) and you'll want to try a bunch of stuff. Most important for me, however: there is bean curd skin, aka yuba, (in some places it's known as vegetarian Peking Duck, due to the crunchy, skin-like texture) used in a bunch of dishes.
It had been several days since I had eaten a nutritious meal. I'm the kind of vegetarian who doesn't do well if I don't get a large portion of actual vegetables (preferably some greens in there) on a daily basis and on this particular day, I had been on and off of planes and into three airports for the majority of it, so as is typical for me when traveling, all I had consumed was a pretzel and coffee.
So, there I was, craving some fresh, healthy, dare I say *alive* food, something awful (I've been known to look at inedible plants and leaves and start drooling. I know... how glamorous of me). I was dining alone, but decided to pretend like I had another person with me, because I just couldn't decide on what to order.
My imaginary dining partner and I settled on lotus root, one of my favorites and not so easy to come by in my current city, and the salt and pepper fried tofu, based on the recommendation of my trusted fellow yelpers, in addition to a bean curd skin and vegetable stir fry.
Oh. My. Flavor and texture sensation commenced... I may have blacked out. Details, I know you want 'em: salt and pepper tofu is lightly fried and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. And it's delicious. Lotus root came sauteed with a light sauce, also perfect, as was the chewy, slightly sour and salty bean curd skin. Due to the black out, that's all I can remember at this time. Of course I appreciated the hot chili oil/flakes to make things extra spicy, as is my tendency.
Eyes bigger than stomach syndrome plus no fridge= sad, wasteful me. And that imaginary dining companion? Useless. Go with someone real, people!
Just some notes: No liquor, no ambiance, so not really a special occasion place, but sometimes you all you need is an enormous, nourishing and delicious meal. -
Review from Tracy L.
El Cajon, CA
10/7/2011
I went to lunch with a vegetarian friend today and he told me of this place that served all vegetarian food. I was skeptical of it because it is Chinese food and I don't know how much I can trust an all vegetarian Chinese place but I agreed on going.
I got the lunch special of the Kung Pao Chicken. It came with the choice of brown rice or white rice, soup and a spring roll. It was pretty filling and the Kung Pao Chicken was flavorful. I've had better spring rolls before and the soup they served was Miso Soup. It was alright but it wasn't excellent.
I am a meat eater and I especially love chicken so I was wary of trying the fake chicken meat but alas it wasn't too horrible. I actually couldn't tell for the most part that I wasn't eating chicken, so that's good. My friend had come here before though and said it did not meet his previous expectations.
All in all, a completely vegetarian Chinese restaurant is a bit skeptical but if you stick to the simple stuff it should be fine. Not super impressed but also not disappointed. -
Review from Yumi N.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2011
The food was not bad, but the service was great!
The servers know the menu inside and out and are very sweet. They are quick with the cold water (if you ask for it) and give you time if you are chatting up a storm with your dinnermates.
They have over 100 items on their menu so I want to come back to some recommended dishes, like the lettuce wraps.
When I went, I tried Lion's head, singapore noodles, and the fragrant chicken. I liked the fragrant chicken (although I felt it needed a sauce) but the noodles and the soup (lion's head) were ok. It was good, but I will opt to try something new.
In all, I will come back. -
Review from Audacity L.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2011
They should change the name of this place to "I Can't Believe It's Not Chicken!" Ok, maybe that doesn't make this place sound any more appetizing, but that was what was going through my head each time I bit into their faux chicken.
Usually vegetarian places leaves my stomach empty, my palate bored, and my bank account unjustifiably dented even tho the decor may have been pretty, sustainable, and sparkly. This is one vegetarian restaurant that defies those standards on all fronts. She's not a looker, but she sure knows what she's doing in the kitchen. -
Review from Angela C.
San Francisco, CA
9/12/2011
This place is great. My favorite is the fragrant crispy chicken. It's heaven.
I didn't like the bbq pork appetizer - it was pretty flavorless. other times I've come here, everything was great. But that fragrant crispy chicken, oh my god. -
Review from Nathan W.
Nashua, NH
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of the best veggie joints I've ever been to. I had the eggplant with sea bass after reading reviews. I was skeptical, but quite pleased when I tried it. If I lived close by I would eat here often.
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Review from Katalin G.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2011
My favorite is hot and sour soup which is quite difficult to get right without meat. Well, this one is delicious! So is the Kung Pao Tofu with crunchy veggies and yummy sauce. The place looked grimy from the outside, but it is clean on the inside and you can tell that the food is made with high quality ingredients. Highly recommended!
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Review from Candice B.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2011
For religious reasons, vegetarianism has been around for a long time among Buddhists Japanese and Chinese. The reason is the same: don't harm living things. But the cuisines vary greatly. Japanese vegetarianism, exemplified by Cha-Ya, is all about restraint, simplicity, and enjoying the taste of vegetables. Chinese vegetarianism, however, is all about the faux-meat.
Sorta like the 5 stages of grief where you lost the ability to eat meat. Chinese vegetarianism is in the denial stage: I am still eating meat! Really, it looks like meat, it tastes like meat, it must be meat. Meanwhile, Japanese vegetarianism reached the acceptance stage: I am at peace with no more meat; I accept veggies for who they are and I accept that they don't taste like meat, and will never be meat.
Now I have digressed far enough, let's talk about Enjoy. It's a great Chinese vegetarian restaurant. Like any Chinese restaurant, the menu is abundant with choices and prices are cheap. You have your selection of veggie stir-fries and then you have your choices of "meat."
We ordered eggplant seabass and #63 (lotus root, ginkgo nuts, lily bulbs, etc.) Both were delicious. Seabass not only tasted like fish, but the texture and look (fish-like skin) is impressive.
Enjoy doesn't use MSG, garlic or onions. So for them to create tasty dishes, they've got mad skills.
The service is also super. It's our first time, but you can tell that most diners are regulars. So much so that the waitstaff talks to them like old friends. Now that really makes a nice neighborhood gem. -
Review from Em S.
5/28/2011
Arrived a bit late for lunch ... 12:20 PM. Luckily Alan G. was there to hold the table for six. This is a favorite of the local Buddhist temple, and the monks and nuns were happily chatting and munching with the fellow practitioners at group tables. I'm definitely placing a reservation on the next occasion. This place is not so surprisingly very well attended for Saturday lunch.
I'm not a big fan of tofu or wheat gluten pseudo-meat or seafood dishes. This is a truly vegetarian restaurant in the Buddhist tradition of not even onions and garlic ... and of course no MSG. No onions or garlic to risk "stirring the qi", as it were.
Wow, the medicine soup was superb. Those of us eating two bowls did very, very well on our walk to Sutro Heights and back in the rain (in late May!). We "took refuge in the soup" and the soup truly protected us. This was #25 - Reishi, Supremen Mushroom, Medicine Soup (Huang Er, Huai Shan, Jizi, Dang Seng, Bei Qi, Hong Zhao). This made the restaurant 5 stars by itself.
We also had the sliced Lotus Root, Lily, Vegetables, Peas & Ginkgo ... which I knew would be my favorite vegetable dish. It's #63 on the menu.
Other curry and spicy dishes were ordered and met everyone's approval (I'm not a spice person) ... the green vegetable fried rice done with brown rice was our grain. Good choice. Our waitress was extremely caring and accommodating. There were many older patrons in attendance and well cared for by the staff. Truly everyone was pampered ... quite wonderful to see.
I'll be returning often to this establishment as the prices were simply amazing on top of the extensive menu of great foods and the really doting service. The six of us were stuffed for $54 total billing. We paid out $11 each so that we could give a proper tip. Can't figure out how people rate the pricing with two $$. Seriously. A "small" $7 soup gave bowls to four people with seconds. We got two soups and had lots of left overs. Our food came to $9/person before the tip.
Can't wait til next Saturday to try it again. I've no doubt that this venue is okay for patrons arriving by themselves for lunch, but the pricing and portions are far more ideal for groups of three or more. -
Review from Cydney B.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
Just a quick note to add my highest praise to Enjoy's accolades. We went on Christmas Day. You can't tell from the outside, but when we stepped through the door we were surprised to find it packed with a waiting line. Food was delicious. Best of all, it also accommodates food allergies, and has several excellent items on the menu that are gluten-free!
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Review from Subrosa I.
Palo Alto, CA
5/27/2011
Vegetarianism is anathema to a dyed-in-the-wool carnivore like me. If I were a Buddhist anchorite, I'd probably spend my meditation time cogitating on ways to get around the rule against eating meat. It appears that the culinary alchemists at Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant had a similar notion.
Using soy, gluten, and other plant-based ingredients, these imaginative chefs have confected dishes that look like and, more amazingly, taste like meat. The imitation chicken, pork, beef, fish, and shrimp dishes were so flavorful and tasty that we forgot we're actually having a vegetarian meal.
The cheerful waitresses and budget-friendly prices also contributed to the pleasant dining experience.
Just one caveat: As delectable as the dishes were, they served as a mere anodyne, not an antidote, for animal protein cravings. Even after a big dinner here, I still found myself hankering for a cheeseburger. -
Review from Tiffany C.
Los Altos, CA
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Probably one of the better vegetarian places I've been to, and I've been to many since my mom is vegetarian. Generally when it comes to vegetarian food my mentality is along the same lines of Anthony Bourdain's. However this place is on the better end of the spectrum.
We ordered:
- vegetarian shark fin soup
- stirred fried rice cake with mustard greens- too much cabbage, tasted a bit off
- lettuce wrap- very good, taste like the real thing
- golden knot- well done, sometimes this is chewy at other places but this place was good. -
Review from di a.
Claremont, CA
7/3/2011
No msg. No garlic. No onions.
Heaven right?
This is a very humble restaurant with exceptional food. The staff were very sweet and attentive. The atmosphere very relaxed and simple. Such a nice way to experience super good food!
We had beef & green bean and the spinach/pine nut fried rice! Both dishes were perrrrrfect! The beef really knocked our tube socks off! We couldn't believe how dynamite the taste and texture was! I actually am still thinking about how much I want that dish again! And the spinach/pine nut fried rice...COME ON!!!...this really made my stomach do cartwheels. It wasn't oily, wasn't overwhelming...it was so good!
Soooo definitely go here! Like go here now! NOOOWWWWWwwwWW! -
Review from Grush K.
San Francisco, CA
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
As a vegetarian living a couple blocks from Enjoy I find myself coming in almost every week. The lunch specials are a fantastic deal Tuesday through Friday. They come with a soup, egg roll, rice, and enough entree to bring some leftovers home. This is a vegan fake meats establishment, but my biggest surprise is always how fresh and plentiful the vegetables are. There are a lot of great dishes and I haven't tried most of them. I've only had one or two I didn't like. Some of the highlight dishes from the lunch menu are:
Sweet and Sour Chicken
String Beans w/ Beef (Black Bean Sheet) w/ Chinese Satay Sauce
Eggplant, Tofu & Basil 2/ Satay Sauce
Mongolian Beef
Gluten, Black Mushroom, Tofu & Green Vegetables
I wasn't a big fan of the Coconut Sauce w/ Taro, Gluten Puff & Pumpkin.
The waitress is very kind and will remember you if you come in a couple times. -
Review from Katia T.
San Francisco, CA
4/21/2011
I'm not a vegetarian. But I do love veggies. Went here with a few friends a couple of weeks ago. A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!!
We had like 3 or 4 dishes family style. Great atmosphere. A bit hard to communicate, but eh, can live. The dish I definately remember though is the Eggplant & Sea bass. Obviously, it's not real sea bass, but a veggie substitute. But it tastes just like it!!! I love this dish.
I'll be coming back here soon enough. -
Review from Lilian T.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2011
1 star for good Chinese vegetarian/vegan food
1 star for lots of options
1 star for great taste
1 star for great price
1 star just cause I LOVED it
Went during lunch but called in my order--a good amount of people were eating during 1-2pm but it wasn't crazy busy. Nice lady also. -
Review from Karen Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2011
I came here with five others over the weekend and we ordered a dinner set of one appetizer, one house special, one soup, and four dishes as well as a Spinach & Pine Nut Fried Rice. The total was about $68 for the set (total per person was $14-15). Here's the breakdown of what we got:
-Crispy Chicken- tastes just like boneless chicken, crispy and just right but I think a sauce to dip it in would be nice
-Lettuce Wrapped w/ Shredded Mushroom, Veggie Chicken, Vegetable & Pine Nut- this is my FAVORITE dish of the night. Lettuce wrap is something I'm very accustomed to and I love how filling and delish the stuffing is.. don't forget to use the Hoi Seen sauce that comes with it!!
-Shark Fin Soup- good but slightly bland, texture is similar to the real deal but I do not support eating real fin at all (send me a message if you want to know why).. I added vinegar to my bowl which made it a lot better.
-Spinach & Pine Nut Fried Rice- this is a light but still yummy fried rice, not too much to say about it but honestly I could have plain white rice and it wouldn't make much difference (my boyfriend really liked this fried rice though)
-Sweet & Sour chicken- almost couldn't tell this wasn't real chicken, the flavors are just right but the shell could be a little more crispy
-Chinese Satay Sauce w/ Cuttlefish & Basil- this one is just alright, the satay is too salty for me and I didn't care for the "cuttlefish"- the texture of it is surprisingly slippery and crunchy like the real thing though.
-Eggplant w/ Sea Bass- my SECOND FAVORITE. The "sea bass" is actually nothing like the texture of the real fish so don't be too disappointed if you don't get that melt-in-your-mouth sensation.. the sea bass in this is actually rather chewy, but if you pay attention closely you'll notice it has some kind of seafood flavoring that gives it a salty fish taste! The sauce and texture of eggplant in this dish is just right.
Bean Curd Rolls w/ Vegetable ( stuffed w/ Cabbage, Mushroom)- this is decent, made very well and the little bok choys that came with it were cooked just right.
OVERALL: Lots of options and the food is well-prepared, each unique with its own flavors and textures. Service was very helpful and friendly. I'm happy to have found a decent Chinese vegetarian restaurant that doesn't make me miss not having meat. I learned the owner is vegetarian and the restaurant uses no MSG in their food, that's pretty awesome considering all the right flavors were there (duplicating the real meat-version dishes). This place is good but I left out a star because a few dishes could have been less salty and the food is not really traditional Chinese-- if you're wandering what I mean, go check out Mayflower or Hong Kong lounge on Geary. -
Review from LoLo A.
San Francisco, CA
4/17/2011
Yes, the staff are friendly and offer tea/water while you wait for takeaway food, but I have to rate my experience based on the food and how appetizing (e.g. taste, smell, appearance) it was.
Firstly, the smell in the place wasn't typical of a Chinese restaurant where I've ordered good veggie, non-meat food from before; it was also musty. So there I am, sitting there, taking in the smell, looking at the pictures and descriptions on the menu. I was just stunned...almost every dish was fake meat this and that. I wanted flavorful vegetables and/or tofu/beancurd. Plus, the fact that much of the fake meat had gluten alarmed me a bit. When I then saw that there was no garlic or onion in the dishes, I just started to feel a bit uncomfortable with following through with ordering; I ordered anyway because I had been waiting to try this place for 4 years, and I wanted to give it the benefit of my many doubts...also, there is no egg in the dishes. I thought this was a vegetarian restaurant, not vegan.
I got a safe option of spring rolls. I also got clay pot soup. The soup really did gross me out. The chunks of mushrooms, the tripe-looking bamboo thingy's, and the chewy/rubbery bean curd in a bland broth were not appetizing at all. For ~$14.50, I know that I could have done better purchasing food elsewhere.
I wish that the restaurant offered more vegetable, tofu/beancurd (non fake meat), egg, and garlic/onion options. I have yet to find a vegetarian Chinese restaurant like this...I even went to one in London, and I had a similar experience w/ it being unappetizing...I'm not too keen on fake meat. -
Review from Crysthel C.
Alameda, CA
1/26/2011
Recently decided to embark on a new experience by becoming vegetarian this year. So far it hasn't been as tough as I imagined it to be, but maybe because I had the help of the delicious food at Enjoy Vegetarian.
I am so glad I found this little hidden treasure in the streets of San Francisco. All the reviews on here are right about this place. I ordered the top recommended dishes: the eggplant with sea bass and the lunch special sweet and sour 'chicken'. The food tastes amazing, and the sea bass is ridiculously tasty. I've never been a fan of eggplant, but this place definitely turned me on to it. Dishes are served with either brown or white rice, which is a huge plus! I love having the option of brown rice without paying an extra fee for it.
This particular location sits in a nice quaint neighborhood in the Sunset District, so it's not too busy or hard to get parking nearby. The restaurant itself is a cute and clean place. The service is good and very attentive.
Definitely a great vegetarian restaurant to try out! -
Review from Kata D.
San Francisco, CA
10/20/2011
Been rethinking my eating habits and have decided to try becoming a vegetarian. Saw great reviews for Enjoy and I'm lucky to live nearby. My husband and I tried the Fragrant Crispy Chicken, Eggplant with Seabass, and the Mongolian Beef. They were really good! Our little toddler liked the chicken too, so that's a plus! Will try the other dishes here soon!
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Review from Michelle Y.
Daly City, CA
2/23/2011
The husband is still amazed that it wasn't really chicken! haha
So one night we decided to try this place...my husband would never eat at a vegetarian joint, he is a strictly meat and more meat kind of guy.
We ordered :
Taro and Sesame Chicken (delicious but a little to heavy for me)
Spareribs (very good...tasty and felt to me like I was eating meat)
Some basil chick dish (my favorite dish of the night)
Seabass and eggplant (just ok for me, the eggplant was a little too mushy for me)
I will def be back to try the other dishes.
Needless to say, when we got home my husband ate a whole bag of beef jerky....lol MEN! -
Review from Kristen B.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2011 4 Check-ins Here
1. Get the Lemon Chicken
2. Get the House Special Fried Rice. Do not make the same mistake I did, and order the Chow Mien. It's a poor substitute.
3. I love sesame balls. From what I hear, I'm the only one. But I still think they're good.
I've eaten here more often than any other restaurant in the city. To sum it up, the good stuff is always good. The bad stuff is never any better. Fortunately, the good greatly outweighs the bad. The chicken is an outstanding substitute, so chances are, you'll like most chicken centered dishes.
The service is always sweet, friendly, and accommodating. Chances are you'll get the same waitress almost every time.
As I mentioned, steer clear of the chow mien. Otherwise, you'll be juuuuuust fine.Listed in: Do Vegetarians Eat Animal…
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Review from Faina L.
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2011
Came in for lunch, had the $7.50 lunch special which came with tea, soup with corn and tofu, spring roll and large portioned main dish (with choice of brown or white rice). Got the mongolian beef and lunch partner ordered coconut sauce w/pumpkin, taro and gluten. Both were amazing, very flavorful, and fresh, and couldn't finish the large portions. Not really a fan of the deep fried spring rolls, but everything else was amazing. Service was very quick and friendly. Looking forward to coming back and trying the other menu items!
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Review from Lesley H.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2011
Over 130 vegetarian choices, GREAT service (our server explained their "no meat" policy, her favorites, and was just the sweetest person ever), and tucked away in Inner Sunset away from the hub bub of Irving St.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I am cutting back on meat. This is the place to be. Their selections don't "try" to be like meat - they taste exactly like it! I recommend the lettuce rolls and the sweet and sour chicken. I've tried Herbavore which I found lacking in flavor and reasonable prices. This place has it all over Herbavore.
I've lived in the neighborhood for two years and I'm only mad that I waited so long to try Enjoy! I'll be back soon. -
Review from Jo S.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2011
Yes, I am one of those stodgy Midwesterners who was raised on meat and potatoes, but a writing-group participant of mine recommended this place, and it's only three blocks from me, so why not?
I placed the order for take-out, but the restaurant itself is clean, bright, and the staff is warm and friendly. I had the sweet and sour "chicken" lunch special, which includes entree, rice (and choices--I picked brown rice), miso soup, and spring roll. I'm not much on miso, and the carrots in the sweet and sour dish were a little overdone, but the rest of the meal was mouth-wateringly good. The "chicken" had a hint of some kind of spice that created instant addiction, the spring roll was just as tasty as an egg roll anywhere else, and the rice was cooked to perfection.
Just a quick warning--not only is this place vegetarian, but they do not cook with garlic or onions. (I was told once why they do that, but I've forgotten.) It's not a big secret that they purposely leave out these ingredients--statements are made all over the menu. Strangely, though, the food was good enough that I didn't miss either garlic or onions, and I'll definitely be back to try everything.
