Jyoti Bihanga
Category: Vegetarian [Edit]
Neighborhood: Normal Heights3351 Adams Ave
(between 34th St & Felton St)
San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 282-4116
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Wed 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Sat 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
58 Reviews for Jyoti Bihanga
The last 30 billion times we've been in here, our orders have been screwed up in some way or another. Sometimes we get home with a takeout order and realize that we were given someone elses' order entirely. The food is still awesome (even though they've taken some of our favorites off the menu) but the service leaves much to be desired.
Also, I've discovered during one of those times that we were given the wrong order (but ate it anyway, since we were hungry and it was still veg) that the Buddha burger is just gross, so don't order that one. Whoever got our meal that day was a lucky bastard.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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01/20/2008
Awesome, quick, healthful vegetarian food served by people who may be in a cult.
I may be in their… Read more »
It's a shame the name is so hard to pronounce, because after eating here you'll want to tell all your friends about Jyoti Bihanga.
The atmosphere here is very calming, one that is great for lunch either solo or with one or maybe two other people, but that might cramp the style of larger groups. The waitstaff are dressed in some kind of religious garb, and there is low-volume world music playing (think: Enya, without Enya).
The food is fantastic, and all seems very healthy. A great place to go for vegetarians or people with vegetarian friends. Also an interesting place to take out-of-towners.
Tip: When you enter, there is a sign that reads: "Please, Be Seated." This means seat yourself.
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I eat meat, I love meat and most of the time it loves me back...luckily I enjoy an occassional meatless experience and Jyoti fits the bill perfectly. I am an out and proud omnivore.
The neatloaf is AMAZING. I've had other fake-loafs, People's Market, comes to mind and none of them compare to Jyoti's. All the waitstaff seem to have some interesting accent, except for the Mexican who has a decidedly common, not as interesting, accent. Service for the most part is well paced, at times I have had to snap them out of their trance and meditative state to get me a napkin or refill and they happily oblige.
I'm kind of a creature of habit...I always get the Enchanted Garden Salad, cup of soup, cornbread muffin and nirvana tea....great meal. I always steal a bite from somebody else's neatloaf too.
My husband and I went here yesterday for lunch to help celebrate our 1-year anniversary.... we were looking for a new vegetarian place to try out, and thanks to you fellow yelpers, this looked like a good call.
We ordered the "Never Say No Nachos" as an appetizer, and thoroughly enjoyed them. In fact, our meals came out and we did not want to stop eating the huge mound of nachos because they were so tasty.
For our lunches, we each ordered a Turkey Avocado Wrap, mine with salad and the Vegan Sesame Herb dressing, my husband substituted his salad for the mashed potatoes with gravy.
This was SO good, I can't even tell you. As soon as we left, despite being absolutely stuffed, I was thinking of when we could return so I could try more things. I dig a place like that.
We also ordered two desserts to go, which, sadly, I have yet to devour (I don't know why, really -- they're in the fridge awaiting us -- a slice of Vegan Chocolate Moussecake, and another slice of cake that has chocolate and peanut butter, my husband's choice). I'll let you know how it goes, ha!
The thing that is slightly off about this place, is the fact that the wait-staff are dressed in saris, but none were Indian. It's not a bad thing (heck my husband is Indian and I occasionally where Indian clothes to family events), just slightly odd to have Latina and white women in saris in a place with an Indian name (that and the food is "American").
I was still very comfortable in this place, and the staff was friendly, and, again, the food VERY good.
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After much hype, and a failed raw vegan attempt, we decided to try this place out last weekend.
When I hear "brunch buffet" I'm thinking hearty, sausage, bacon, home fries, eggs over medium, corned beef hash, french toast with extra butter, fried chicken a-la Hometown Buffet. That said, I was highly skeptical that this place would even come close.
Surprisingly enough, this place totally won me over!
The apple cake is simply amazing, the vegan pancakes are lighter-than-air and hardly as dense as many we've had in the past. The potatoes and mushroom gravy are superb, and the yogurt, nut, seed, fruit station is a nice little touch.
As the servers floated around in their own little universes, some mumbling what could have been Sanskrit, I thanked myself a bit that we'd come to the buffet breakfast and weren't relying on them for actual service.
Somehow, amidst all the gorging, hippies, cultish followers, and hungry San Diegans, I left the place with a deep and profound sense of peace... must've been that apple cake.
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I went for the first time yesterday--the food was amazing. I got a veggie ruben. It was perfect. It completely fulfilled my sauerkraut craving and the side of mashed potatoes was a nice tough. I got a chai and it tasted home-brewed (yum!). I had cherry apple pie for dessert. It was really nice, not too sweet.
The only thing holding me back from a 5-star rating is the mediocre service.
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Added another star for their dollar off their entrees if you eat before 4pm. Pretty cool! I ordered the BLUE PLATE. Delicious. Comes with Lemon Zesty Soup and some organic bread. Blue Plate is veggies with brown rice, and some tamarind tofu sauce. YUM!
I swear I need to come here for a buffet soon!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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05/22/2008
Sri Chinmoy fan base here. Right when I walked in I noticed the ever so bright syk blue walls.… Read more »
Good vegetarian food. Not the cleanest place in the world.
Minus a star for putting too many faux-meat and soy items on the menu. Vegetarians don't need to pretend like they're eating meat. And soy is man-boob material, no thanks.
I've eaten here half a dozen times and have always enjoyed it. It was a great place to come when my daughter was vegetarian and I treated a friend to lunch here once for her birthday. I finally broke down and got the Neatloaf because I kept hearing such good things about it and everything wonderful I'd heard was true. Mmmmmmm. Can't wait to go back and get it again.
The only disappointing time, which wasn't that bad, was the one time I made it there for the brunch, which was somewhat tricky since they don't have it available every Sunday. I was looking forward to an all-you-can-eat of a wide variety of their items only to find out it was just eggs, French toast, tortillas, beans,"sausage", I don't remember what all else but certainly no Neatloaf or other non-breakfast fare. The quality was just average, not wonderful. For the price I felt like I would have done better elsewhere--though I might not have eaten as healthily.
The service has always been friendly and sincere and I love the soothing decor. We would usually combine eating here with a trip to the Prince and the Pauper children's Book Store but I think it may have closed unfortunately.
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I would like to pack these people up and kidnap them in my rental car. It was that good.
Well, not all the people in the restaurant, but the cookers in the kitchen. Just them. And maybe the cute waiter.
My review is based on lunch a recent week-day while I was in SD for business. I feasted on a lunch curry platter that had curried garbonzas and spinach and rice with little portions of raita and chutney. I opted for the salad (versus soup) with tahini dressing. I also got naan with my meal.
+ 1 Star - Veggie! I love vegetarian restaurants that have no meat at all on the menu so I never have to worry about some wierd item slipping into my food. These guys have faux meat dishes, too, but I didn't try them this visit.
+ 1 Star - Take out available. I wish I had found this place on my first day and I would have done take out every night to my hotel. Sigh.
- 1 Star - Parking. Good luck finding a meter. Be brave!
+ 1 Star - Cute waiter. Yes, I am shallow, but when the saucy serving girl pawned me off on the adorable, stuttering, slightly clueless waitier, I was in heaven. Cos he was pretty.
+ 1 Star - Many many choices on the menu. Some places have such narrow veggie choices its like 2 minutes to decide what to have. This place I not only had the massive number of choices on the menu, but also the daily specials board. And I looked around at all the yummy stuff my neighbors were getting. And smelled the smells that walked by in the cute waiters hands. Yum. Oh. Yum. (the food. and the waiter)
+ 1 Star - Value. I am totally not down with spending more than $10 for lunch. My lunch was $9.64 and I tipped him excessively. If it had been take out it would be under $10, obv. Value also included cuteness of server, and apparantly the girl as liked by the men, so as they say, something for everyone....
Really, I want to give this place like 4.5 stars cos the decor is a little blah, but the food is so great and prices super reasonable, it had to go for the 5 red stars rather than the 4 orange. You know what I mean.
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I love vegetarian cult food. Cult food made by vegetarians? Vegetarian food made by a cult ? I dont know.
Well whatever. I made it out ok . I'm still able to retain my own values and I can still think for myself so thats good.
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I am concerned that I am getting sucked into this place somehow. I ate here twice last week and would totally be happy to go again today. The Buddha burger is so damn good. I actually think it tastes better than a real burger. I have also liked the chili (super cheap too!) and the neatloaf sandwich. This place tastes like a good argument for going vegetarian.
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Just want to add my 2 cents on Jyoti - consistently very good for - what? 20 some years now?
Very healthy, fresh, simple, honest, tasty vegetarian food. No surprises on the menu, but something for everyone. My favorites are the neatloaf, which unlike a previous reviewer's assessment, doesn't seemed to have changed at all. I also love the salads, Buddha burger, tofurkey wrap, soups and desserts.
I'm not freaked out by the Sri Chimnoy-centric atmosphere and keepin-it-super-casual disciple/servers. They are blissed out, friendly,
and attentive. Besides, you go here for the reasonable priced, well-prepared food. Oh man, just talking about it makes me want one of those salads.
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NEATLOAF...The neatloaf is great. I get it almost every time. I know what is in it because you can find the recipe. It isn't worth making yourself because of the number of ingredients etc....The service is not great but I always get mine to go... I order by phone..and pick it up...and drive home with it...where the service is....well the service is me...
I like the people who work there..they are very cordial and have a nice vibe..but...they do seem to live in a different time reality than most people...I believe they follow a spiritual leader..they seem oddly happy..or at least...not unhappy...
Anyway...get the damn neatloaf fool...its tasty...
they have vegan and almost vegan versions...they're both good.
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Jyoti Bihanga is my favorite vegetarian place to eat in San Diego. I crave the Veggie Reuben any time I see the same shade of light blue the walls are adorned with. The ambiance is peaceful, and everything is consistent each time I come back.
The service usually leaves something to be desired, which is why I only give it 4 stars.
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I met up with the best friend here last week for lunch. Amongst my circle of friends this place is referred to as the "cult/vegetarian place". I thought I had never been here before, but right when I walked in I had this feeling of deja vu. It was the light blue walls/tables/chairs and the gigantic picture of the cult leader that triggered my memory.
I am not a vegetarian myself, but I do enjoy eating healthy shit once in awhile. The food here is not bad. I liked the Neatloaf, and their salads are pretty good, especially their sesame dressing, yum. I also had their Zucchini cream soup (this was good too, but was served lukewarm). Service here is slow, so expect lunch to take at least an hour.
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I have been coming to this restaurant for almost ten years now. The service is rather questionable. I have been through times when it was so so bad that I just couldn't believe it. But most of the time, the service is just slow, not necessarily BAD. The staff is a little bit, shall we say, spaced-out. I am not sure what exactly is going on back there in the kitchen but the staff changes very frequently and they are all seemingly followers of Sri Chinmoy. That's okay with me, just give me my yummy vegetarian food.
I have had almost everything on the menu and in all the years I have been going, they have changed the menu once that I could notice. But something happened to the neatloaf. It isn't as good as it used to be and now seems to be overwhelmingly spiced with an unidentifiable herb. Sad, because I used to love it and now I feel like I could make it better at home.
Their salads and salad dressings are delicious. Their dinner salad is so great. It is a good size and they put grated beets, grated carrots, cucumbers, sprouts and cherry tomatoes on top. Top two favorite dressings, sesame herb (#1) and lemon tahini. They used to have something called Ensalada Mexicana which I loved... please bring it back!
Their soups are sometimes really fab and sometimes totally off the mark. Keep in mind, they are almost always pureed which I don't appreciate. I don't like baby food texture in a soup, except for certain soups that benefit from it. I really like broth and I have only had a handful of brothy soups there.
I had the reuben last time I went and it was really nice. I love their bread. It has millet in it. They do really nice smoothies - some places do a banana base in every smoothie and I really hate that.
I hate their curries so much that I have never tried them again after I ordered two about five years apart. ICK! And I love curries. But who knows, maybe they are hit or miss.
Their PLB burger tends to be really mushy and thick, which I don't like. But I still order it now and then cuz I always hope it will be different. My husband always gets the hummus wrap and sometimes I think their hummus is really mustardy and off somehow.
It is starting to sound like I don't like this place but I do. It is the only place I know of that does a vegetarian mashed potato and mushroom gravy (which I can make and do make better myself!).
Try their herbal chai. Very good if you can get it before your meal comes... a very rare event.
Last time I went, they were super nice to my son and we all had a wonderful time.
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As my friend is fond of saying, "Nobody goes to a vegetarian restaurant for the service."
The first time I went was in January. A coworker swears by the Neatloaf, but I had the very good fortune to try the Thai Stir Fry. It was SO GOOD that it made me want to eat past the point where you know just one more bite will push the limit.
This place made me realize that you can actually be vegetarian (or even vegan) and still have a plethora of tasty choices available. At this particular place, the servers (as many have stated) are definitely not at your beck & call, it's more like a group of people decided to start serving food at random. However the food they serve is simple, tasty, and leaves you feeling full and happy. Great for anyone who's considering a veggie lifestyle, and it does leave you with that slight buzz of good karma.
With tip, our two meals totalled under $30 (if I recall correctly), however it's been a few weeks since we've visited. We found seats pretty quickly, and my yummy salad (plus filling entree) were served up sooner rather than later, but our person was very slow on the drink refills and never came back to see if we were doing alright. This is my main pet peeve with any restaurant staff - especially if they have more open tables than not. Don't hassle your customers, but at least make sure their drinks are full and they've got everything they need! It took a long time to get the check as well, luckily we had some tea to sip (and a nice chat) while we waited.
The service during a prior visit was much better and balanced out this last visit, however I will always return for the food despite knowing their service isn't up to par. That's my reason for the missing star.
In conclusion, I recommend it to anybody looking for a healthy, reasonably priced, filling, tasty meal.
The food here is quite good and I'm not vegan. Ive gone about 5 times and had something different every time and i was satisfied every time. The Mock Duck is probably the best dish I had. The service is so-so, but they seem like good people and the quality of the food and the reasonable prices makes up for the lacking service. Oh and their hot teas are excellent.
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This place impressed me the least of all my Adams Ave ventures so far. Maybe this is because i am a carnivore, and for unexplainable reasons seeing "chicken" or other names of meat in quotations bothers me. Why eat imitation stuff when you can have the real thing-don't answer that, I've heard it plenty of times. But really just come up with a new name for it or something, like call it whatever it is, because it sure ain't chicken or beef or fish or whatever it is trying to be. Whatever wrap that I got was decent, but nothing special, and the staff kind of weirded me out. The soup was really good though. Don't get me wrong I like vegetarian food, but something about this place was a little off, maybe it was the company I was with, that could be.
All in all, it wasn't bad, maybe i just need to make some different menu choices and get over my issues with the names of the dishes.
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A serene bubble in the middle of Adams Avenue.
No matter where I am in this planet, I find my way to a vegetarian restaurant ( I tend to say that I'm a vegan in the closet, and that may be true.)
I was pleased when I found this one in the heart of Normal Heights. Not that they have plenty of foods to choose from, that's not the point. In fact, very little of their menu gets changed (which may be a plus for, say, their Neatloaf fans, such as myself. ) Customers who like to try new things may prefer to check out their daily specials.
I like the food and the atmosphere -- it does actually seem like you're in India (the blue walls, its slow pace, waitresses wearing Sari, the drawings and pictures of Sri Chinmoy and the guru followers doing their spiritual "serving" career by serving us.)
Overall my experience has been good at Jyoti Bihanga. They're food is wholesome and healthy, the presentation is nice without frills. Their house salads are delish and multicolored! The chai tea is dreamy.
I have always liked their Neatloaf, but have tried other dishes and they're all satisfying and interesting. Most of the soups are hearty and full of flavor (they're eager to give you a sample in case you're unsure of what soup to order.)
Having a parking lot behind the restaurant is definitely a plus -- I don't think I'd go as much if I had to look for parking in the street.
In general, I good little place to get your healthy fix.
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Donny R.
Im going to slap you silly !
bungis the fungis.
Anywho, this is prob the best
veg food in all of san diego.
LOVE IT.
get the buddah burger !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wish they were open a little later
though.
otherwise than that...pretty freakin
amazing.
The food is five star. However, you got to take a star away for the music. Some complain about the guru, the cult like zombie help or whatever. I can handle that, but the guru's tunes, whoa! Someone should have told him to stick with guru stuff. Anyway he passed on but left his music. My other big complaint, if you have a business open to the public, it is a business not a recruiting depot for the kool-aid crowd. So run it like a business. I can't tell you how many times I have driven to Normal Heights for a Buddha Burger only to find that the place is closed due to a brain-washing seminar in New York.
Now, about the food. As I mentioned the Buddha Burger is the best vege-burger in town. It comes with mash potatoes that taste like potatoes with a great gravy. The Neat-loaf sandwich is tasty but a little too much for most meals. Their soups are all good, very fresh with real food. My only complaint is the soups are too bland which surprised me given that the guru is an Indian. You would expect a little more zip. You can get the zip by dashing in some Tobasco sauce.
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Quite a few tasty non-flesh treats here on Adams Ave. if you're not into meat that day (or any day).
When you first go in, you'll be greeted by women in Indian type sari's they will seat you and show you the menu. All of them can explain things pretty well, there is usually a few features of the day including soups that are worth checking out.
One of the things I love to eat there is the baked potato it's very savory a touch salty but I inhale it right quick! I've had the fake chicken wrap, and the chili without meat, and the lentil soups, and it's all quite good.
If you have Vegetarian friends that come to town or that already live here, take them here it's quite a treat and rather a unique dining experience.
The staff tends to come off a bit like stoners even though they are in pastel sari's however they probably were just meditating so give them some slack \ : )
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I'd always passed this place driving by adams, and heard many good things about it. I finally went in a couple of weeks ago, and I've been back at least 4 times. The neatloaf sandwhich is delicious! I had the veggie burrito and I was suprised to find broccoli inside, which actually tasted really good. The indian dal soup is yummy. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would probably be they're mashed potatos with mushroom gravy. MMMMMM
They have strange hours, and are closed on SUNDAYS.
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**My first visit was in 1992**
For any veggie / vegan with a frequent flyer card, you should know the Sri Chinmoy deal... wacky spiritual place with too much powder blue (go Chargers!), but a strange penchant for making kick ass veggie (lots o' vegan) grub.
San Diego's version has about a 50/50 veggie to vegan ratio. The staff is very transient so don't rely on them for answers to your "is there whey in the the fake meat" questions. Instead, skip the nonsense and get the Infinite Blue all vegan style and you will be in heaven. A heaven of your own choosing mind you, and not necessarily the 7,000 pound lifting - sitar soloing - bird painting version that they offer.
I used to live a few blocks from there and I can say that I really miss these crazy folks who make an awesome variety of food. We still make a rather long journey to get their weekend brunch. You should too. I mean go to their brunch, not so much make a long journey... that's up to you.
okay, do it...
Awesome, awesome, awesome!!
I love this place! So does my omni boyfriend. It's fresh, cheap, and delicious!! I highly recommend for taking meat-eating friends.
I always get the (completely vegan) bbq mock duck sandwich with mashed potatoes! They put some kind of hummus/tahini/mayo on it that is SOOOOOOOOO delicious. My boyfriend always gets the neatloaf or the neatloaf sandwich. They're mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy are hella good, too.
The first thing I check when I walk in is the desserts on the specials board. It's all about the vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. Make sure to specify for vegan whipped cream because once they almost gave me regular! The regular chocolate pie is good, but nothing to write home about.
One of my favorite Sunday activities is the (not every Sunday) all-you-can-eat brunch here! Biscuits, gravy, tofu, potatoes, pancakes!! It's so wonderful. Just beware the annoying hippies who don't understand that a buffet line is designed to move. Last time, I thought this couple was fixing to pull up a chair in front of the apple bread station.
You must call or drive by to see which Sundays it is being offered in a given month. Actually, you should call beforeevery time you go, because sometimes they take random days off.
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Jyoti Bihanga, pronounced "these people are hypnotized". Really, kind of strange in there. Food is ok, but I feel like the cult van is warming it's engines out back. Good luck, have fun on the space ship.
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I should first point out that my reviews are immediately heightened when a spot has good parking. Which Jyoti does. So really, the peacefulness (for me) begins even before I've walked in the door.
Sure, the vibe is something unusual in here, which is made worse by my friends' laughing, but I like it. It's nothing like reality, and I like that as a side dish with my meal. The servers are not chatty, but don't take it personally. They're just evolved.
Recommended: The Veggie Neatloaf and the (soy) Turkey Wrap and the Brahma Burrito. Perfection.
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I decided to try Jyoti Bihanga on a lark with some friends, and I was glad I did. Such a random place, JB is a delightful combination of esoteric bookstore, vegetarian restaurant, lecture hall, and odd spiritual center, where the waitstaff--largely pale, dreamy Caucasian people in neo-hippie robes with a far-off expression that makes them miss your water on occasion when they're refilling it--are pretty attentive.
There are oodles of Sri Chinmoy pictures filling JB, and it makes for pleasant conversation as you say "wow, there's another picture. They really must enjoy worshipping this homie." I enjoyed my sandwich, and a I couldn't help but sneak a bite or two of a friends chilled avocado soup--strange in texture, but decidedly tasty.
If you enjoy the occasional vegetarian meal and are intrigued to do so in a slightly strange, quasi-religious location, you might want to give Jyoti Bihanga a taste.
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The name is hard to remember, so we call it JB's Diner or the cult'ish place. Whatever it's called, their food is tasty and priced well. Personal favorites include: hummos, chili, and avocado sandwich. The drinks are nice as well.
Service is lacking and as a couple others have pointed out, they seem high (on life I'm sure).
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The food was alright. This place feels like a cafeteria. My boyfriend ordered a buddha burger and I ordered a neatloaf entree that came with either a soup or salad ( I got the corn and potato soup). Let's just say that we were still waiting for a table even though there was already a table open for at least 10 minutes. They finally sat us down. And the waiter took a really long time to give me my soup. When he finally gave me my soup a minute later he shows up with our entrees. My boyfriend and I were already have done with our meal and then he decides to give us our shake and chai tea latte. I dont know about you but I expect my appetizer to come shortly I order along with my drinks and then my entree. The food was alright. My neatloaf had this syrup thing on top of it that taste like bbq sauce and my boyfriend really liked his buddha burger. Their drinks were good too. The soup wasn't anything fantastic. It lacked a lot of flavor, it seemed like they just put potato, corn, and cilantro in a pot and called it a day. Disappointed... I had such high hopes for this place.
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If you're a vegetarian and you're TOTALLY bummed about the demise of Kung Food, you'll dig Jyoti. It's run by a bunch of monks and they make some bomb-ass vegetarian/vegan food.
I usually get the turkey/avocado wrap...yumo! (to quote the not-so-great Rachael Ray).
Other Divine choices include their hummus dip (organic and orgasmic!), neatloaf (faux meatloaf) and their infinite blue salad!
Personally, I find the overall vibe a little freaky, so I recommend you order for take out.
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Best vegetarian comfort-food in San Diego.
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Jyoti is decent vegetarian food, but nothing special that I couldn't make at home myself (i love to cook). The staff was..interesting...a bit spacey but they got the job done. And personally I found the pictures of Mr. Sri absolutely hilarious. Especially the picture of him lifting 6035 pounds hahaha musta been all of that "neatloaf."
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Remember in the 90's when it was cool to have an odd object of sorts in your house called "a conversation piece"? Well Jyoti Bihanga is the conversation piece of Adams Ave.
Is it true that they pray while they make the food here? That's kinda creepy taking Paula Dean's "..and a pinch of love.." way too literally.
If my memory serves me right, walls are decorated with autographed (assuming vegan) bodybuilder photos. Ok.
The NeatLoaf is indeed good for a fakey. But I always wondered why a vegetarian would want to eat food that even remotely resembled meat dishes. And how do They KNOw that it's a good replication if they never Ate real meatloaf before??
Doesn't matter really just curious. 4-stars for the entertainment and good conversations with friends.
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This place has good food. I've ordered the portobello wrap and portobello quesalla and have been very pleased with the taste, portions, and sauces. All the ingredients tasted fresh and the flavors from the different side dishes in the meal complimented each other very well.
The downside to this place is the service. The wait is ALWAYS long and you're never acknowledged right away. The last time I was there I had to stand in front of two servers and wait for them to finish their 10 min conversation before they even bothered to look my way, and it took 42 mins to get my food. If it wasn't for the food I would not come here again.
A helpful tip:
-order ahead or don't go there already hungry because you will have to wait a long time.
Also, the restaurant's decor is interesting.....if you go to this restaurant you'll know what I mean.
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If you don't mind the creepy cult staff, which I don't, Jyoti Bihanga is excellent. The neat loaf is a classic, but don't stop there. The twice a year closing for a pilgrimage to see the Sri Chinmoy is annoying, but the food makes up for it.
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OK. I don't love everything about my neighborhood. Jyoti Bihanga is the exception to the rule.
Cults don't impress me much. They're like organized religion, only shadier. And when cults get the idea that they should open up a vegetarian restaurant to further the causes of their cult icon, that really makes me shudder.
Hi Im Sri Chinmoy! Come do some yoga at my studio! Visit my rip-off bookstore! Buy my books! Eat massive amounts of poorly produced vegetarian food at my restaurant! Come to my concerts! Join my cult! Join my freakin' cult!
Just DONT come to Jyoti Bihanga for the vegetarian brunch where the food sucks and the server throws his dirty rag on your table while he pours your water. Not cool.
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It's really great food, and it used to be even better about five years ago.
Now, San Diego has moved on and Jyoti Bihanga has kind of stayed in the past. It's not like I don't come here once in a while, it's just that it's not longer my favorite place in the Adams Ave/Hillcrest area.
The photos on the wall used to be insane. I don't know if they still have those up there anymore.