On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Loading...
I'm not vegetarian, but I do like to eat vegetarian meals for all the standard reasons. With Merit Vegetarian, unless you insist on steak with every meal, you won't miss the meat. If this were a Seinfeld episode, I'd suspect they were cheating.
Excellent sauces and curries. Everything we've had here has been delicious.
Most of the time when we go out to eat, we favor one of the restaurants in the neighborhood that we can walk to. Merit is too far for walking, but it's worth the drive.
I would give this place a good review for its "yummy in my tummy".
Have been here a few times and love all the soups. The unfried eggroll is good and seems fairly healthy stuff...and what do u know,even tastes good. Most fo the Tofu dishes are good. Don't eat the "fake meat" and go for good old Tofu for the protein.
The service is good...but almost too fast,the appetizer and main dishes all come together...just dig in I guess.The food is flavourful and not spicy.
SO I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy. When my buddy decided that we should try out a vegan place, I thought he had been smoking something.
Long story short, I was finally dragged, mumbling and grumbling the whole way, to my first vegan experience. Suprisingly, it's good! The food was surprisingly delicious and service was quick and friendly. I had a soup and a clay pot dish that was really good.
My suggestion is to stay away from the "fake meat". I am okay with tofu as tofu. No need to dress it up in an attempt to trick me.
In the immortal words of the beloved George W:
"Fool me once.. shame on... you... ... fool me twice.... fool me.. you can't get fooled again"
i have subtracted a star because of their shenanigans. In the soup and other dishes, i found myself avoiding the fake meat. All the vegetables and tofu were good and flavorful though.
Trust me though, if you actually eat meat - stay away from the "chicken and beef" here. It's not what you think it is.
This is another one of the vegan restaurants associated with the Supreme Master cult that are popping up all over the bay area.
As with most of the others, the food is delicious! it's asian, primarily vietnamese, and they have a lot of the fake-meat products that make it fun for non-vegetarians too.
I really liked the place - the service is fast and courteous, the food was yummytastic and the atmosphere makes it a perfect lunch spot.
Lunch on weekdays is HELLA cracking here.
WOW.
$7 lunch specials.
mad love.
Was just here last night, I was thrilled to find another vegan place in the bay since going vegan… Read more »
May I suggest not having so much fake meat items on the menu? Also, it would be nice if there is less meat in the fake meat dishes. Let's be honest here. Fake meat tastes nothing like the real thing so not only would it reduce complaints about how fake meat being disappointing, it would also leave more room to add the delicious veggies you cook so well. I personally do not care for fake meat products. When I want soy protein, tofu is a way more appetizing option. MFH (a mostly carnivorous creature) ordered the Mongolian beef and I had to hear him bitch about how the meat chunks were too big and there weren't enough veggies. However, he likes the other stuff (pan fried chow fun and house special tofu clay pot) enough that he wants to go back often.
I can always count on Merit for crunchy, beautiful looking veggies. Thanks for that.
How was I to resist the temptation of a restaurant opened by the folks who own Golden Era and Golden… Read more »
Aside from the SMTV stuff - this place is super solid for really delicious vegetarian food. Favs are:
Lotus salad
Ginger fish
Bun Bo Hue
Eggplant Clay Pot
Really good stuff. Save the planet, Be Veg, Go Green, Thanks to the Supreme Master
I can't believe I've never yelped this place!
I always get the vegan thai milk tea :) I like that the soy milk makes it a bit thicker, very filling! I'me a HUGE fan of their mongolian beef. The first time I had it, I had no idea that I was eating fake meat (My friend ordered it to go, and I had no clue that it was a vegetarian restaurant). Since then, I have tried everything from their menu (My girls and I dine there all the time! It's healthy!) The food is seasoned very well.
My faves:
-The salads! Try the Papaya salad :)
-Mongolian beef and the Lemon Grass Beef
-Anything with the chicken nuggets
-The srping rolls
-vegan chocolate cake and the cheesecakes!
-The wontons
-The Claypots
-Any of the tofu oriented dishes
The restaurant itself is pretty big. The place gets packed during dinner service, so I recommend calling ahead of time. The lunch specials are pretty sick. $7 for a healthy filling lunch!
Came here for lunch on a family style plan and thought that overall the food was okay but there were a few things that made this place not entirely a four star for me. I am bearing in mind that yes, this place *is* vegetarian however that doesn't really mean to me that it should lack flavor.
Got the vegetarian soup to start as well as the vegetable buns. The vegetable buns were okay, too much bun and not enough filling and also not enough flavor since the bun is dough and has no flavor to it. The soup was pretty good but was it worth $10.50? I don't know.
Got Indian fried rice, Thai spicy fried rice, spicy potato curry and clay-pot eggplant and tofu. The eggplant and tofu was too sweet for my liking and it seemed like instead of adding salt as eggplant typically has no flavor, they just added on the sweet sauce. Over all not impressed, I've had better eggplant at Chinese places that are vegetarian and still delicious (vegan I might add as there is no meat products in tofu or eggplant). The spicy potato curry was not very spicy at all and it had soy "chicken" in it which ... was just kind of lame. You can make a fantastic tasting potato curry without fake chicken. However, it was just okay, again I've gotten much better vegetarian curry or even vegan curry at Indian restaurants.
The Indian fried rice and spicy Thai fried rice were both of the same caliber, they use white rice which I don't really like, because they do serve brown rice as an option (so I think they should give you an option to make the fried rice with brown rice instead). The rice was dry, there was very little 'material' vegetables in the rice dish versus just a load of rice which is not really the point of fried rice. The Indian fried rice was more or less unflavored or even if it was, it did not taste like Indian food. The Thai spicy fried rice was good only because it was spicy, but was it Thai spicy? I don't think so.
Overall I was less than impressed by their menu, their dishes and their interior (very dingy, dark and tables are sticky). I might come back again with my vegetarian friends because of lack of other choices, but at least if i go to Loving Hut in Milpitas, I can see my food.
I was really impressed! I'm a fan of crisp fresh veggies, and this really hit the spot. People should eat here if they like vegetables, why would someone go here wanting something overcooked limp and soggy with butter? Or at least that's how I'm interpreting some of the negative reviews here.
Anyway, I ordered the things on the menu with pictures, figured I couldn't go too wrong with that and it was sooo right. The spinach salad had a nice vinaigrette, topped with avocado and pine nuts. I didn't get that furry mineral feeling on my teeth, the tomatoes weren't very red, but they were a good texture and a better sweetness than expected for being out of season. The spicy noodle soup had these perfectly chewy noodles and a surprisingly tasty assortment of mushroom, gluten and soy products. Not quite sure what I was eating, but I liked the flavors and textures. The gourmet "chicken" was really flavorful and tasty, spicy and served on a bed of lettuce and well prepared vegetables.
Service was prompt and the interior was comfortable. I don't know what supreme master TV is, but I liked watching all the animals I'm not eating run around, all alive and not dying to feed me. Very peaceful and scenic.
Went here for lunch with my main squeeze Sarah M. (yeah, we're practically lesbians). We split the sesame eggplant tofu and spicy mongolian chicken lunch specials. The eggplant dish was probably the better of the two; the sauce was tastier and the eggplant was cooked well. The "spicy" mongolian "chicken" was really not spicy at all. The sauce on both dishes seemed kind of thick and syrupy to me. Whatever . . they were decent and it was $7 per lunch special.
Also, sort of a weird ambiance . . . bright yellow and red walls with paintings hung up that look suited for a grandmother's house. An eclectic mix of music played - went from Michael Bolton (my first concert . . yeah!) to Whitney Houston to The Eels.
Swung by here for a quick visit before Bike Party one night - I'm not often in the area, so it'll have to wait a bit more for a more thorough review. It's a welcome refuge to find a pleasant-looking place serving delicious food in the midst of one of the least-welcoming, ugliest areas around: Lawrence Expressway near 101. Uck!
My friend and I both enjoyed our dishes, and I'd definitely go back...even if I have to wade through miles of banks, gas stations, office buildings and off-ramps to get there! Biking here is definitely not trivial, though a couple of posts outside made for easy chain-up parking.
What a great surprise. The food was excellent. The meat eaters in our group loved it. The owner came out and greeted us and gave us tips on what to order. Very friendly. Will definitely tell friends and be back for more.
Went here with my girlfriend for a quick, lighter dinner on a Tuesday evening around 7PM. Located in a strip mall on Lawrence Expy, the outer decor is standard, yet I was somewhat intrigued by their signage. An average sized restaurant was decent decor - not shabby, not overtly modern either. I am a true carnivore, but can appreciate good food no matter what it is; I have had vegan food before and was very impressed. The way some restaurants can imitate meat with soy products is insane. If I had a personal chef to prepare meals like this all the time for me, I'm sure I could become a vegan and I'm sure I'd lose a lot of weight in the meantime ;)
Staff is of Asian decent and were quite friendly; the man working was having a pleasant conversation with a table of regulars/locals. Service was excellent during our entire stay.
Onto the food:
Fresh spring rolls - so fresh and tasty. I love these and the peanut sauce accompaniment was excellent as well.
Thai Iced Tea with Pearls - pretty standard, pretty good.
Hot tea - I love the tea here. Light and tasty - it reminded me of the tea I've had at another vegan restaurant. Tea leaves, not a bag.
Vietnamese Crepe - Really was blown away by this entree. After reading other people's reviews, it seems like this is their claim to fame. A must try if you eat here. I cannot believe they constructed this without an animal biproduct - you would swear their was some kind of egg holding it together. Taste was excellent, but I did get a little used to / tired of it towards the end. It was served with a mountain of different, strong flavored greens such as basil, mint and arugula. The sheer quantity of the greens was too much and we ended up not finishing even a quarter of them.
Caramel Chicken - A lot of the menu is imitation meat of sorts. This is actually some kind of soy concoction I believe. For the second time in my life I have been thoroughly confused and thought it was actually meat. Of course I know it is not, but damn it is close! The 'chicken' was served on a bed of spinach and circled with sliced tomatoes. The quantity of the greens was more than sufficient and I was barely able to finish all of them.
White and brown rice - no complaints here...pretty standard.
All of this was $36.05 after tax. What a great meal at a great price. I will be gladly returning.
Great place for vegetarian food.
Since I discovered this place via Yelp a couple of years back, I keep going back to try their all vegetarian menu.
This is a nice cozy place and mostly half filled during dinner time, the staff are nice and friendly.
Recommend the Indian Fried Rice, Spicy Thai Fried Rice, Teriyaki Chicken.
This a large place, so they can handle large groups easily.
This place is really good, even if you're not vegetarian/vegan. Service is pretty attentive, might be a bit slow at lunch if you're in a hurry. The curry is good, and I really like how the eggplant is prepared. In general I find the food that doesn't pretend to be meat to be better, but the fake meat dishes are pretty good, and there is one fried dish ("chicken") that is particularly tasty.
The only gripe I have is with the big screen TV, which extols the virtues of vegetarianism/veganism. It's just a little creepy. I'm all for being nice to the animals, but there's something almost cult-ish about the serene landscapes/faces with the 7 sets of subtitles.
I hate vegans. I can't stand their hypocrisy, unless they truly live life under a rock. If they do, then perhaps I will recant my statement. Prove to me that veganswear clothing that doesn't contain any traces of silk or wools or if they currently own any jewelry. Prove to me that vegans don't use any type of plastics or use a sponge to wash dishes. And most importantly, the use of animal products for medical treatment for burn victims and blood transfusions. Get my point? just like my views on religious groups, if it's a decision that you have made and it is the way you'd wish to live, you will have my support. Just don't preach others to join you.
My business partner and great friend is a vegetarian, not a vegan. I decided to treat him out to this magical place. The place wasn't magnificent from the exterior view, but carries no relevance once inside. When the non verbal, robotic waitress brought me the menu, I was tricked to order from the meat section as I believed it was for non vegans like myself. I was suspicious. How could they serve this here? No worries my vegan pals, since every meat products listed are made from soy.
I grew anxious, worried about the taste. This has to be nasty, right? Yes and no. The so-called meat dishes truly represented meat texture made from tofu and other vegetable by-products conveniently prepped to seem like the real thing. The taste however can't beat the real thing, but came close. Very close. One of the particular dish served with fake fried meat with tomatoes and onions really did taste like fried beef. I was impressed. The sweet and sour soup featured some sirloin looking tofu slices that was good, but the soup itself needs some getting used to.
Overall, this is a great place for every vegans and vegetarians including non vegetarians like myself and you won't be leaving here dissatisfied.
I'd recommend:
Vietnamese Crepe. Incredible. Who says I'm going to add bean sprouts when making crepe? Genius.
What's up with:
The raw onions. Every Vietnamese place I've been, the raw onions are always suspect.
And also with:
The $10 charge for bringing your own cake?
And finally with:
Vegans and vegetarians always eating meat-shaped products? Now that's not kosher!
Memory lane:
The sweet and sour soup smells like my Vietnamese ex. Yuck.
I'm surprised that the food at this place is pretty good. I don't usually eat vegetarian food. The only gripe that I have is that prices are a bit high for food that doesn't contain any animal products.
I tried the Steamed Veggie Bun ($3.95) which had tofu, carrots, water chestnuts, peas, and mushrooms. The flavor of the stuffing was pretty good. I thought the dough was a bit chewy since it wasn't as soft and moist that I'm used to in Chinese buns.
In addition, I ordered the House Special Rice Claypot ($9.50). The dish was exactly like fried rice as it had tofu, mushrooms, soy chicken, and onions. I couldn't really tell what items were which as the pieces were sliced thinly. The rice dish had some good flavor, and I would recommend this dish. Next time, I would request some chili flakes or something to give the flavor some more oomph.
Overall, it's a good place to go to for lunch.
I've been going to this place almost since it opened. The owner knows my face (I don't really talk to him but he knows who I am). The waitresses there know me too. They aren't the friendliest in the world and English is obviously not their first language, but if you point out what you want on the menu or you speak clearly, it's not hard to get what you want. Usually, I'm greeted by a smiling waitress who already knows the things I order off the menu.
The ambiance is alright. The music is kind of strange for a Vietnamese restaurant. They have the propaganda videos playing near the register but I don't understand the words and I don't care to understand it anyways. I'm vegetarian but I'm not into guilt tripping people into becoming vegetarians. The seating is soft and comfortable. the place is never dirty and the bathroom is big, roomey, and clean.
Now on to the food! It's so tasty. I always order some combination of the following: Spicy Noodle Soup (it has a subtle flavor but it becomes very addicting very quickly with all those different types of tofu they put into it, and the noodles are filling), Pot Stickers (always a great appetizer with some sweet ginger sauce that goes well on other things not just the pot stickers), Vietnamese Crepe (soooooooo tasty! It tastes like a vegetarian omelet with no egg and it comes with crispy green lettuce wrappers and more of that sweet ginger sauce), Garlic Chicken (don't eat this with a date! It comes with onions too. It's really good but don't plan on kissing anyone the whole day afterward. I like it crispy. :) ).
Prices are a bit on the high side but I really love the flavors here so much that it's hard for me to keep myself from coming. Overall, I really love this place. I've tried to replicate the soup with only half getting it right. In the end, I just ended up going back to the source for a really tasty meal.
Probably my most favorite place to eat out at. Menu look virtually identical to Golden Era/Golden Lotus, which is no surprise as the owners are related - but the food just seems that much better here. Very high quality food. Big clean modern restaurant. Staff are super friendly, specially the owner. If you like GE you'll love this place. Close to Fry's Electronics for the geeks among you.
Fav dishes: Lemongrass tofu, Spicy Mongolian Chicken, Lotus Salad - and of course the vegan choc cake.
During my last months in the bay area, I must have come to this restaurant about 20 times - finding every excuse for lunch and dinners here so that I could try everything off the menu. I've managed to turn a bunch of meat eaters, indian vegetarians into seeing that Vietnamese food isn't always full of meat and could be tasty!
Lunch here was full but you'd get seated right away. I'd probably name off the whole menu as what I liked here. Let's see...I loved all the "fish" dishes, the canh chua (hot/sour soup), the salads (papaya), the claypots, and the pineapple beef. Oh and of course - the (vegan) avocado milkshake!
If you work/live in the area, try this out !!! The prices are pretty reasonable and the decor is nicer than expected. I like the consistent taste of the meals everytime I came back.
If there's a place like this in Vancouver, let me know!!!
I am a lifetime vegetarian (as are my parents) and generally I find most vegetarian eateries catering to socially unique individuals. I was hungry & debated between here & Una Mas. I found very ordinary guests and a semi-typical Asian environment. Normally, I look at menus for a long time to find the vegetarian option... This I stared for a while as I had too many good options. I enjoyed the potstickers & the spicy potato curry.
My only dislike is related to my biggest vice... Soda. They sell it, but only by the 12 oz can.
Just went here for lunch, the food is pretty awesome.
We got seated right when we got in, it wasn't too packed yet.
The servers were ok, they weren't that friendly or anything and didn't talk much.
I ordered vegetarian spring rolls and sweet and sour soup.
The spring rolls were a hit, i loved the stuffing the used.
The sweet and sour soup was very unique, never really had soup like that before.
My coworker had fake "bun bo hue" and that was also really really flavorful! He's always against eating anything vegetarian but he finished the whole bowl!
The setting of the restaurant is nice, they had soothing music playing in the background.
Overall, the food is delicious.
Great place! The food was good (I ordered the lemongrass dish) and the price and service are good too. I would definitely come back and the location is ideal, right off 101 on Lawrence Expwy.
To quote Yo Gabba Gabba: so yummy, so yummy, so yummy in my tummy.
A vegetarian's dream restaurant. I can do without the cult propaganda but otherwise the food and the service are flawless and the interior decor qualify for a date night!
When it comes to vegetarian cuisine this is my top rated spot. It is a little pricey and the Supreme Master on the TV can be a bit tiresome, but the food is fresh and tasty. The owner/chef usually pays our table a visit to say hi to the twins, and the hostess's are exceptionally nice.
My personal favorites are the Vietnamese Crepe (the perfect amount of Tumeric and mountain size platter of veggies), Spicy Gourmet Faux Chicken(My favorite dish here just PRICEY), and Vegetarian Pho. The place is not only vegetarian it is also 100% Vegan.
Wow ..... this place is awesome !!!!!! i would turn Vegan if this place was in my town ...service fast and very pleasant .. desserts are awesome
1st time at Merit and was pleasantly surprised. The place is clean with tables and booths. Food was good and prices are excellent.
Yep...Jenny R. and I dined together again...and we are not =p...hehe...anyway...I should mention that I was a vegetarian for 12 years and it still sort of bugs me that so much of a menu at a vegetarian place is fake beef and fake chicken. Come on people...if you're a vegetarian, you don't eat meat. Why pretend? I realize it gives you different flavor options but let's call it like it is. You're eating tofu or seitan or soy. That being said...this place is decent. We (as Jenny R. mentioned already...man she's fast...) split the seasame eggplant tofu and the spicy mongolian tofu. The eggplant was vastly superior. Perhaps I liked it better because it didn't pretend to be a giant piece of chocolate cake? Alright, not super relavant but whatever. I eat my vegetables and I like them damnit! Not parsnips. Parsnips don't count. Also not relevant. Relevant: The spicy *chicken* was not spicy. Like at all. In fact it had sort of a weird sweet flavor to it. But at seven bucks each it was all decent. I'd go again. And I'll definitely eat the leftovers for dinner. The girl servers were all pretty young and nice enough...the older guy (dad probably) was sort of gruff but no biggie. Overall, a solid lunch place. I don't know that I'd necessarily want to go there for dinner but maybe take out? Just doesn't seem like a destination enough for a going out to dinner experience.
This place is quite de-licious. I stopped by here for dinner last week based on the reviews that I got from my fellow yelpers! I was the only one in the restaurant which was a bit perturbing but I had faith in the ratings so I ordered away.
I got their summer rolls and it was super yummy. I totally did not miss the usual shredded pork at all. (I'm a newbie vegetarian so I'm trying to find new veg. places to eat so that I'm not lured back to my old carnivorous ways)
I then ordered the banh xeo (vietnamese crepe) which is one of my favorite dishes of all time. Holy smokes, I didn't know they could make this veg style. It had chopped up mushrooms and carrots and tofu and sliced jicama with bean sprouts served with a huge helping of fresh veggies to eat it lettuce wrap style.
The service was excellent, my glass of water was never empty (and let me tell you, I hella drink water).
I definitely recomment this place. Their servings are huge and the food is oh so yummy. When my check came it totalled $15 and let me tell you, I had to pack up more than half of my banh xeo cause I was so full.
For a first review, I feel it is my duty to start with a 5-Star review.
Having vegan leanings, I did a search on Yelp for local vegetarian restaurants. After reading the reviews for Merit in Sunnyvale, it seemed like a logical choice: reasonable prices, relatively close to home, positive reviews.
Not only did it exceed my expectations with the first go round, it has passed the kid test, the meat eaters test, and the take out test.
Favs: Lotus Salad, Vietnamese Crepe, Spicy Potato Curry, Tofu Eggplant Claypot, Thai Iced Tea with Soy Milk. Kid's Favs are the Cheeseburger/Fries and Chicken Teriyaki/Rice.
Service is just average.
Have tried all the appetizers, the German Choc Cake, and the Carrot Cupcake. Nothing really stands out. Suggested to owner that they offer sorbet or soy ice cream as an additional choice.
Overall, the freshness, uniqueness, and flavor of the food make this one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area.
If I were a die hard vegetarian, I'd eat here very often. At least once a week. Especially if I were craving Asian food.
The place is a little scary in the sense that they have those Vegetarian Master Posters, and they show a propaganda video about why you should be vegetarian (and ties it into religion, world events, etc).
But if you're not facing those posters or the TV, then the meal is quite pleasant. A few friends and I went tonight and ordered the following:
1) Fried 'wontons' - I didn't like this, just tasted like a giant ball of fried dough with crispy tips
2) 'Chicken' drumsticks - Kind of strange, stringy soy deep fried into the shape of a drumstick; didn't like this one too much either
3) Sweet and sour 'chicken' - This I did like - the nugget texture and flavor was great (almost chicken like, not quite) and the sauce with the onions and pineapples made a neat dish
4) Sauteed jalapeno tofu - My most favorite dish. Lots of mini rectangles of deep fried tofu sauteed with bell peppers and jalapenos, and served with steamed broccoli and raw cucumbers and tomatoes - yum! Not spicy too, just savory.
5) Fried rice - came with peas, carrots, corn, seaweed, and chicken on stir fried brown rice - very very tasty, you don't even notice there is no egg
6) Vietnamese crepe - I think this was made with mung bean (instead of egg), but very filling and full of fresh sprouts.
Overall, a decent place to grab a vegetarian bite to eat! Not too crowded, and service is fast and efficient. Inexpensive too!
eh..unimpressed.
Decor is very nice aside from the fact its in a strip mall. I appreciate a vegetarian restaurant but i didnt think it delivered, especially for its high prices.
They have lunch specials for $7 so I went with cashew and vegetables. The veggies were barely cooked and the cauliflower and carrots were hard. The sauce they were in was good but on the bland side so i had to add soy sauce to my rice.
The fresh spring rolls I had to start were pretty tasty but nothing special.
Id be interested to try one of their soups next time...
Went on Monday around 5:30pm for dinner, around 3 other couples, plenty of seating.
Ordered the spicey gourmet chicken, the spicey green been and tofu and the tofu and eggplant claypot, 2 orders of brown rice and a thai iced coffee. $37. Everything was really good, was surprised I was charged for the brown rice. I am an omnivore and loved the chicken and the marinated veggies that came with it. Chicken was a soy product, not tofu. Vegetarian friend loved the claypot and the sauce was so good, he took the leftovers home to make rice and eat the rest.. Green beans were fresh, but be prepared for SPICEY.
Staff was friendly, had to track her down for the check and a bag to carry our leftovers. I would go again and I am not a vegetarian.
Plenty of parking.
This is by far, one of my favorite restaurants in this area. We get takeout whenever we drive by. The won ton soup is to die for, and I love the spicy noodle soup. Yes, the options are just like any other Vietnamese restaurant, but I'm vegan, and to be able to eat anything on the menu is so rare for me. And I know, vegans/vegetarians aren't supposed to like fake meats, but I DO! I don't them often at home at all, and I certainly don't get them in most restaurants, so it's fun for me to be able to order the orange "chicken" and the spicy "beef!" My husband and kids are not vegetarian, and they love this place, too. In my opinion, it's much better than the Loving Hut chain.
It's a pretty good vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Nice. Clean. Well-designed. Not as lovable as "Loving Hut" in Milpitas, but certainly have good dishes and good customer service.
Try "Spring rolls", "? Salad", "Curry Chicken", and "Spicy Thai Fried Rice"
I love the dishes I've tried so far.
Will come back!
I DON'T REALLY LIKE VEGETABLES, but I decided to be a nice husband and friend and head to Merit last weekend with my pescatarian wife and vegan friends.
Overall, it wasn't too bad. I had the orange "chicken" nuggets. They were certainly edible, but I didn't love the texture (spongy). I tried my wife's caramelized chicken, and I'll definitely be getting that next time. Yes, a guy who doesn't like vegetables is willing to go another time, so that's why this gets 4 stars. If it was just me deciding, it would probably be a 3, but that wouldn't exactly be fair to those more in the market for this type of eatery.
The spring rolls were very good, and I agree with the other reviewers about the thai iced tea not being like other restaurants (hey, isn't it all about the condensed milk anyway, so what do you expect?).
Oh, the Supreme Master propaganda wasn't nearly as prominent as I feared. You get more religion in your face on some airlines these days.
I'm glad I tried Merit.
It's my best friend and her boyfriend's birthday so we wanted to take them somewhere for their birthday. Now these two crazy kids don't eat meat, don't eat dairy and are pretty much vegans except for seafood. So where the heck do we take these two? Brandie S. recommended Merit for her birthday dinner!
My husband wasn't too thrilled about going somewhere that is purely vegan dishes but I was up for it. I am one of those that likes meat but I can take it or leave it. I could never be a true vegetarian because I love Thanksgiving dinner wayyyyyy too much! ;) And I could never be a vegan because cheese and butter are my staples in life.
This place is really cute and I liked the decor. Service is super friendly here and they filled our waters continuously. I think I drank about 5 glasses of water tonight.
We ordered the Lotus salad and Drumsticks to start. I wasn't a huge fan of the drumsticks. I think they were made with gluten. The texture was weird to me so I only had one. The Lotus salad was good too but I probably could have done without it.
Moving on to the main dishes we ordered the Tofu eggplant claypot, Spicy Chicken and Jalapeno Tofu. All were sooooooo good! The Spicy "chicken" was really spicy and I really liked it. I thought I would be weirded out eating faux chicken but I liked it! The claypot was probably my favorite dish and the jalapeno tofu was fried with jalapeno pieces. We also ordered a side of brown rice for all of us. I was very impressed with our meal considering it was completely vegan.
For dessert we had Vegan German Chocolate cake and Vegan strawberry cheesecake. I liked the chocolate cake a lot. The cheesecake was okay. I probably would just stick to the chocolate cake for next time.
Overall a great place and I really enjoyed our dinner. Prices are reasonable too. Now I know where to take Brandie and her boyfriend when we do go out. Convincing my husband to go back....thats going to take some work. ;) But I loved it!
sure, the Sepreme Master runs these restaurants as a front for converting people into their cult, but the food is so good, I can ignore it. Same delicious pan-Asian menu as Golden Lotus in Oakland, Vegetarian House in San Jose & Golden Era in SF. our faves are the carmelized chicken, tofu rolls, steamed buns, & chicken salad, but everythign here is good.
I had the Szechuan pineapple beef, and thai iced tea (see photos). The fake beef was good; slightly rubbery, but a good "beef" texture, and great flavor. This dish is actually quite spicy, so be forewarned.
The spicy gourmet chicken is very good: it's flavorful and juicy, without being too hot.
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Vegetarian
Mountain View, CA
Category: Chinese
Milpitas, CA
Category: Vegetarian
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Thai
San Jose, CA
Category: Chinese
San Jose and the South Bay is no match for more…
Either veggie or veggie-friendly, yummylicious…
Good and mediocre places to have lunch in the…
It's true that I'm not a vegetarian but that…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
...But I sure do like fake meat! Here's a list of…
(formerly known as "herbivore") here are some…
