Vegetarian House
Categories: Vegetarian, Asian Fusion [Edit]
520 E. Santa Clara StreetSan Jose, CA 95112 (408) 292-3798
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
57 reviews
San Jose, CA
"I walked out planning when I would come next... The food was really good... The lamb tangine was just about perfect for my tastes. The…" read more »
74 Reviews for Vegetarian House
I had high expectations for this place and was a little disappointed after my first visit.
The man and I shared musu rolls to start, they weren't very good. Pretty bland and the dipping sauce had an odd tang to it. I would get something different for sure next time. We shared the pad thai noodles and the spicy kung pao "chicken". The pad thai noodles were pretty good, but the tofu in the other dish was almost slimy. Not good.
We shared some soy milk and their carrot cake for dessert which was a nice note to end on. I was amazed the way they made a delicious vegan version of carrot cake.
I might go back if I'm in the area to give them another chance, but I'd much rather go to Garden Fresh in Mountain View or Good Karma down the street.
LOVE IT! This place has the most delicious vegetarian style foods ever. I'm usually not a vegetarian, if I had vegetarian house food all the time I definitely would! The waiters there are very patient and will help you with your order.
Here are some of my favorite dishes:
1. Sizzling Salmon ( I don't think it's on the menu anymore, but it's my favorite dish there!)
2. Beef Noodle Soup (when I think about it I drool... )
3. Chow Mein
4. String Beans (it's drizzled with lemon and sprinkled with pine nuts)
5. Fried Icecream (*DROOL*)
Even if you're not a vegetarian, I highly recommend this place for the great vegetarian experience! ; )
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Boy's family lives in San Jose.
On this sunny day, we drove out to have lunch with the coolest mommy, the quietest daddy, the most intense brother, and the sweetest grandpapa.
With two vegans in the bunch, we decided on Vegetarian House. And we went to TOWWWNNN:
- raw noodle salad (aka the noodles are really jicama/celery root/some yummy shit like that in an almond dressing with pistachios and red peppers and cucumbers)
- won ton soup (veggie wontons! yesss!)
- spring rolls
- summer rolls
- three cup wonder (dates, goji berries, and the meatiest tofu stuff EVER!)
- another soy protein dish in brown sauce
- another tofu dish over crispy noodles
- brown rice
- vegan coconut cake
- vegan carrot cake (both cakes had like an inch high spread of fanstastical icing!!!!)
- complimentary CUSTOM-MADE vegan fortune cookies (although the fortunes were religious and not exciting...)
- organic lollipops on the way out
Hot damn!!!!
GO HERE!!!! (if you ever find yourself in San Jose)
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I never thought the day would come. Oh vegetarian gods, how did you brainwashed this happy carnivorous person? For some reason, I've been cutting back on meat so when a friend suggested this place, I was all in as Scotty Nguyen would say.
This is really a 2.5 star review. First off, I didn't order anything here. It was 10 till closing and my 2 friends who got there first took the liberty to order for the table.
Fried mushrooms - not bad but you have to eat them ALL in the first 5 mins otherwise they get soggy
Lemon grass chicken - my number one pick in all 5 dishes
Thai soup - tasted like tom yum with curry in it. Tons of flavor. It tasted like a mix between thai and vietnamese soup. I liked it so much I had 3 bowls.
Beef dish - not good at all. Tasted like faux glop of sauce instead of faux meat.
Fish wraps - we ate this vietnamese style with rice paper, noodles, veggies to wrap with. The fish arrived with peanuts galore...very good. Cut the fish up and wrap it all up B. I said wrap it up! (anyone know where this line is from?)
For some reason, the fish came last when it should've came out first. Definitely docking points for that. If I knew this was coming out, I wouldn't have ate so much of the other stuff. I had 1 roll and was done. I think we "rolled" a total of 9-10 rolls from this dish.
We had WAY too much food for 4 ppl. I think if we've done without the beef dish, it would've been perfect. Bill was $67. Ouch.
Don't think I'll be back.
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While the decor is a bit odd and yes "cultish" it's a lot more friendly and frankly makes more sense than any Christian or otherwise fundamentalist BS....Also the food is supremely good.
Walking down memory lane....
We used to go to Santa Clara street a block from our apartment and visit Suma Ching Hai's Vegetarian House. This is before I was a veggie and I still loved it.
They don't serve hard alcohol, but they have a crazy juice bar. Even the water boys have a weird glow, like they have been brainwashed or perhaps have had a lobotomy. Don't be alarmed. This makes for an ideal dining experience.
The food here is mostly good. The variety is amazing. The service is always great.
The only thing that keeps me from going regularly is the creepy cult atmosphere. But if I can work past the "EE-MO-TEP" feeling, then the noodle soups and "meat" dishes are soooo worth it.
Don't let the eclectic environment throw you off. My family goes here all the time - for lunch, for brunch, for mother's day, for birthdays. It's an all occasion place for our family. Primarily because it's one of the best places to get international vegetarian fare. Everything from pho, to roasted "duck," or "chicken" parmigiana with spaghetti. It's all good and the service is super friendly.
It's very difficult for me to recommend any specific dishes, since I've tried so many and they are all so tasty.
I've recommended this place to a lot of my friends - no matter if they are vegan, vegetarian or carnivores. It doesn't matter. It's just plain good.
It can get pricey, however....
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How I love this place!
My bf and I no longer call it the Vegetarian House - we call it the "Shrimpie House" - Why? Because of those delicious veggie shrimps (called Crumbled Sensation).
I don't even have to look at the menu when I go - I get the shrimps every time!
I also love the Ocean Basket with the breaded mushrooms and chicken like pieces.
They also have a permanent Raw dish on their menu!
Yeah! Shrimpie House! :)
Well, I was veggie for 10yrs, ate meat for a few years and am back to being a veggie head again. I was getting sooo frustrated with menu selections until I found this place. I was happy to find that the menu is extensive and All Vegan! The pad thai is excellent... as is the baba gunasch (sp?)... but I think everything here is worth a try so I plan to go back as often as possible.
The organic coffee is brewed fresh for you and tastes *perfect*.... the desserts (tried the chocolate cake, vanilla cake and 'cheese'cake) are amazing... They bring you really yummy soy milk as well as raw sugar to accompany your coffee.
I have found that the best places to eat often have owners that are spritual by nature and I don't have a problem with the environmentalist messages. I have partially read one of the free texts available (with no pressure from staff, etc)...... and in fact, took a free DVD home. It is full of information about vegetarianism and global warming with subtitiles in many different languages. I just appreciate people with purpose... maybe because I'm relatively lazy. I guess it makes you feel like you're doing something good for the environment by being there. The outreach materials are inspiring and refreshing, regardless of your religeous background, if you have an open mind. Bottom line, GREAT FOOD.
You are encouraged to bring your own take-out container to reduce waste (a small, unintrusive note is posted under the glass tabletop)... but they do have take-out containers available with No Problem. The prices are not too expensive..... especially given the large portion sizes!
The environment is relaxing with an ~extremely~ nice staff dressed in Hawaiian shirts... It's right in downtown SJ but feels very private as it's enclosed with textured window panes in the front, giving it a tropical 'hippie' vibe that I find creative and fun. There is a convenient parking area also.
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Of all vegetarian restaurants I've been to, this is my favorite! People coming for the first time may seem kind of weirded out by the cult leader or whatever, but honestly, I think that makes it so much better!
The staff is very nice and gentle and they all wear these awesome bright hawaiian print shirts. Of course, they never impose beliefs on anyone, but they do have plenty of reading materials for anyone interested in reading into vegetarianism or more about the...um...'cult leader' haha.
Despite the fact that people may stray away from the literature, pick one up and read it while you wait for your food. There are valid points that any animal lover can agree on.
The food is delicious! Everytime I come here I'm stuck on whether to order something new or order something I've eaten before and love. I highly recommend the Guru's curry. There's also this dish that use to be called 'Chef's Special' but they renamed all the dishes. It's the first beef option.
Everything is worth trying and the environment is very calm and family friendly. I've never tried the desserts as I never have any more room after all the great food!
However the fortune cookies have quotes from the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Reminds me of those quotes that begin with 'Confucious says:' =D
They do provide take out boxes but do encourage diners to bring tupperware for leftovers. It's one of many ways they're trying to raise awareness and encourage people to be more eco-friendly. I'll be sure to have my own box ready the next time I come!
I went here for my Senior Prom, mother's day, graduation, birthday, whatever! I always enjoy coming here and I never get sick of it!
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This place seems like it's a glorified vegetarian house.
I think for as much propaganda it pushes out the place lacked any soul whatsover. The service also appropriated that. It was weird, staggered and congested all at the same time.
I left with a bad taste in my mouth from food that was only decent at best.
I don't think I'd return... I'm still in love with Di Da down on the east side of San Jose. And beyond that the crack den decor is quite distracting...
Aaaah....
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Interesting joint. Think Thai restaurant meets the hippie 70's meets your neighborhood Buddhist temple. I was a bit apprehensive when my colleagues suggested this place for lunch. First off, I am a meat lover, secondly, the thought of a spiritual lunch experience didn't appeal to me. After my initial push back, I gave in (the last time I reluctantly went to a vegetarian restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised). In all honesty, the place was not bad at all! I wouldn't jump at going back but I wouldn't be dead set against it. The curry soup was tasty, and the hot and sour soup wasn't bad. The fake shrimp that was served in the pad thai was interesting to say the least, but it was palatable. Overall, it's worth a try, you might end up really enjoying it.
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The weirdest place ever when you walk in and see the "cult" weirdness any where from the video that is playing to the DVD collection you can buy... But they have great dishes!
I totally recommend their clay pot sensation and their curry soup!!! Those are my favorites!
If you're scared, let me know I'll come with you...
But you can always get your food to go and it's just as good!!!
The food here is pretty decent. My cuzzo took me here and ordered like 5 dishes. Did I mention it is familia stayle? So we had a ton of food. Well more like 13 lbs of food.
All were decent, but the one that stuck out was the dish where you get steamed white buns (the kind that you usually get with peking duck) and this soy protein that taste similar to "thit xa xiu" or roast pork. Ba ba ba bomb! 'Cause I was on it.
If you read the other reviews you will hear about the cultiness, but whatever son! I'm there to eat!
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Don't let the crazy cult-esque devotion to their leader scare you off. This place has fantastic food and isn't too pricy. I've had a lot of the dishes there and they are all fantastic, and the vegan deserts are great too! It's visually pleasing, with awesome stained glass windows.
I've never had quick or reliable service there, but it's alright because it's a great place to sit and talk.
I highly recommend it.
I was very disappointed when they raised prices a few years back. That caused me to come 1/2 as often. I was a regular until about 2002 from the day they opened in 1993.
The cult aspect is entertaining. I find it semi creepy and humorous. I cannot fathom how that lady thinks the God awful clothes she designs looks even remotely attractive! You must view her "creations" in the 2nd room. Looks like JC Penney but WORSE.
However...they remain a major favorite of mine in vegan food.
The traditional Au Lac Pho soup is just awesome. I noticed they changed some of the ingredients recently, and the texture is not "as good"...but it is still yummy.
I love the french iced coffee. It was better with the condensed milk, but I respect the switch to 100% vegan (it is still worthwhile).
Too bad lately they tend to forget to bring the coffee during the meal, and I usually just go without it because we are already done eating by the time they check back.
Try the very fresh Heavenly salad. A lovely summer treat.
The tasty Mushu vegetables.
Summer Roles...
and...
do skip any stir fries or indian cuisine. I have found these dishes prove to be only OK, nothing to scream about.
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I am absolutely in LOVE with this place!! Okay, yes. Just like everyone on here, they do have some strangeness with their ambiance in the entry of the restaurant, but once you get past that, it is a vegetarian's heaven.
FOOD: We started off with the House Special Soup (Silken tofu with bean curd, peas, carrots, nori, soy protein and cilantro. $7.95 md/$10.95 lg) which was good and subtle in flavor. We had to add chili sauce and soy sauce to kick up the flavor a notch. It was good though, but since their menu is so extensive, I would probably try another soup next time. Next we had Spicy Cha Cha (Yam flour crescents crumbed and seasoned with select spices, bell pepper, basil, Chinese celery and chili. ( Yam flour gluten can be replaced with exotic mushrooms on request). $12.95, which is like faux shrimp. THIS WAS YUMMY. Actually, I can't stop thinking about the shrimp and will most likely get some more of it this weekend. It is a bit spicy folks, so consumers beware. We had Simple Greens (Steamed green beans with pine nuts in a light lemon sauce. $8.95), which was good and crunchy, but it had ginger flavors in it - and i'm not so big of a ginger fan. Lastly we had Crispy Joy Luck Noodles (Crispy yellow noodles topped with vegetables, veggie 'ham' & 'chicken' strips, tofu, sauted in a special brown sauce $10.95), which is a favorite of mine when I go to the local vietnamese spot, so this was definitely a hit. We had yummy Ceylon Jasmine Green Tea and the meal was definitely an A+.
EXPERIENCE/SERVICE: I don't know what it was, but I was sweating profusely as I was eating my meal. It was something my BFF and I kept laughing about, but I felt like I needed to open a window of some sort. Anywhoo, Lorna was our server and I thought she was totally adorable. She gave us reading matieral on their spiritual leader, Supreme Master Ching Hai and also a DVD on Global Warming. They encourage that you bring your own tupperware from home for your leftovers, or take out, and they all see so "earth" friendly. I don't mean to sound like a cult-recruit, but I love them. I just love people with positive energy and vibe.
I'm definitely going back here for that shrimp!!!
UPDATE: I came back two days later. Of course I tried the shrimp, but this time I got the Crumbled Sensation (crumbed yam flour crescents, served with our own specially prepared vegan tartar sauce $12.95), which tasted like a shrimp version of "fish and chips" with yummy tarter sauce. We also tried the Clay Pot Sensation (Tender bean curd cakes sauted in a brown sauce, topped with pepper and green onion; cooked and served in a metal pot $10.95) which tasted exactly like fish. It was crazy awesome. I even ate the leftovers and they tasted just like they did when it was first served. Now, the Summer Rolls (Fresh rolls of shredded tofu, bean threads, roasted rice powder, lettuce, and fresh herbs; served with an Au Lac sweet sour sauce $5.50), not really a big fan. They tasted dry and I believe it was due to the shredded tofu.
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I didn't understand the menu at first. Heaven, oceans, earth? I finally figured it out. Heaven-poultry, oceans-seafood, and earth-beef/pork. Pretty clever! The menu is pretty overwhelming though. I had never really had "vegetarian" food. It was very tasty and actually had right texture too. This place is definitely worth a try but the prices are pretty high. I don't think I will go back because of the prices. The cultiness is pretty creepy too. Also, they use a lot of garlic so if you don't like garlic, this isn't the place for you.
I'm not a big fan of vegetarian food, and so I wasn't really sure how I felt about going to a restaurant thats all vegan because usually "healthy places" dont fill me up at all and I end up hungry an hour later and scarf down a bunch of unhealthy snacks LOL!
Having said that, most of what we ate was fantastic! The fake meat was textured so perfectly that if you didn't know it wasn't real meat you wouldn't be able to tell. The shrimp OMG the shrimp!!! It even had a red casing around it like a real shrimp that was amazingly flavored! We also had Won Ton soup, excellent! The only dish we got that was not good was teh vegan lasagna. The noodles were tough and the marinara sauce was bland and flavorless. As an Italian, this didn't make me happy.
Unfortunately, the service lacked a bit. The food was brought out in a timely manner one dish after another which was great, except that they didn't bring out any drinks but water until I flagged down a waiter and reminded them that they hadn't given me my tea. And BTW, the jasmine tea is excellent! I even wrote a note down in my phone so I would remember the brand LOL!
This place gets 4 1/2 stars for mostly excellent food and -1/2 for the service.
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I've been dining here since they opened back in '93. Back when I was a kid and there was a homeless guy living in their bushes in the back of the parking lot. We said w'sup sometimes and then he suddenly disappeared. I didn't even get to say b'bye! boo hoo.
About the restaurant. Pricey, entree's aren't consistent, service is hit or miss- mostly miss. And they charge you for white rice. Nothing irritates me more than an asian restaurant charging you for white rice!
My au lac sweet and sour soup was lacking it's sweetness, so we alerted the waitress, and she gave us sugar packets to add into the soup. WTF. Cook it again bitch!!!
I only eat here when my mom makes me. Otherwise, tofoo com chay down the street it is!
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i came here once and it was decent. it was a bit cold inside though. I got a few plates like some fresh vegetables, tofu, and something that looks like meat, but its not. we also got a fried ice cream dessert. there was no milk added to the ice cream, so that was cool! seems like a lot of people go during dinner hours, so there was a wait time for me. i think this place is the best place for vegetarian food so far for me
My friends thought of treating me for lunch as a post-birthday celebration (I already celebrated with them on my birthday, but they just needed an good excuse to eat out and justification to meet-up and spend money, hehe). Anyway, one them suggested Vegetarian House, and I hesitated because I wasn't vegetarian, and I wanted my meat fix that day. She finally convinced me that they had good food, so we went.
It was a quiant cottage-like building outside with colorful stained glass windows, and I could already smell the aroma of good food outside. Inside, I was creeped out by a huge picture of this lady (we were all asking the same question, who is she and we started to dig into their pamphlets on their grand piano and racks to seek answers while waiting for our table). Okay, so I guess the people who own the place are part of her cult, but nevertheless, we were there for the food. The place was packed and colorful (I felt cozy aside from the entrance), but the wait wasn't too long. We were so hungry so we ordered food right away. I wanted my meat fix so i decided to try their soy protein. The veggie dishes were excellent, but I hated the soy protein dishes! But I would definitely come back (minus the soy protein stuff).
My dad took me here, knowing I'm not much of a vegetarian food fan, but I opted to try it any way. It's sort of creepy looking, with a huge picture of this lady in the front entrance as you enter. The interior looks sort of fruity and colorful, almost church-like? The waiters all dressed in white dress shirts and a little blue bow. It's kind of a creepy-cute? I don't know how to explain it.
The servers are just SUPER nice, though. So it balanced out. As I went through the menu, I was skeptical at first. I ordered the Namaste Set (Paratha, Potatos, and Chickpea Curry). My dad ordered Tofu and Eggplant with Blackbean sauce. I have to say... the food was DELICIOUS! I enjoyed every bite and even came back a second time with my boss the next day.
It was definitely a treat, minus the weird-creepy-cute? atmosphere.
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The first time I went to the Vegetarian House, I must admit I was creeped out by the pictures of the "Supreme Leader." But the food more than made up for the "cult-iness."
The babaganoush is an amazing appetizer, while the mu shu rolls are scrumptious as well. I've had a number of their entrees at this point, and I am thoroughly impressed. Besides being healthy, the braised tofu melts in your mouth like braised short ribs would. The pan-fried tofu pieces were tasty and had a consistency similar to that of cooked chicken. And the red rice was different--a little grainy, but a novel change.
The desserts are damn good too--tofu ice cream, sorbet, and even carrot cake! I can't wait to try the banana fritters. It's all fairly affordable as well--dinner for three with appetizers and desserts for less than $60 is definitely reasonable.
The service is outstanding. The waiters are polite and engaging, and it seems like there is always somebody coming to your table to refill water or ask if you need any further help.
I love this place and will be going back. I hesitate to give this place a fifth star because of the creepiness factor. I'm sure the "Supreme Master" is nice and all, but all the portraits, satellite video feed, gift shop items, etc. affect the ambiance negatively. I know that's their thing (and I'm not looking to rail on it), but it's just a little too "Jim Jones/Nike Cortez and $2 in change" for me.
Just my two cents.
Bit on the pricy side, and salty, but other wise okay. I had a meat like dish and chinese brocolli with sauce. Both dishes were alright, not spetacular, but just alright. I'd probably go back here if I was in the area, but wouldn't go out of my way to go here.
Just arriving off the flight from L.A., we are on our way to drive into San Francisco for the Jens Lekman show in North Beach, and realize we need to eat dinner before the show. Our friend takes us to the Vegetarian House which looks a little questionable when you walk in. Interesting vibe, but the food was cheap and yummy! We sipped on hot tea, and each ordered a plate of food for all of us to share. The Red rice was amazing, and we got some BBQ plate, that was made of seitan. That was really good too. Then the yellow curry with veggies, which was OK. The first 2 plates would have been enough for the 3 of us. I'll def go back for the red rice fo' sho'!
So our original plan was to go to Tofoo Com Chay because of all the amazing reviews on yelp; however it was closed so we decided to go to Vegetarian House since we were taking our vegan friend out to dinner. The menu said "all vegan" so this turned out to be a good find. The food was amazing--everything was fresh, looked great, and tasted phenomenal. I have a new found respect for tofu! ^^
We ordered the deep fried tofu as an appetizer, which was really yummy. Nice and soft on the inside and light and crispy on the outside. It reminded me a lot of agedashi tofu. It was served with dipping sauce and pickled veggies (I LOVE pickled veggies).
For the main dishes, we got Chinese veggie noodle soup. The broth was really good--not too salty, not too sweet, and it just had a nice home cooked taste to it. There was soy protein (fake meat), tofu and PLENTY of crisp, fresh veggies including bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The second dish we got was the 1000-layer tofu. It wasn't a soup, but it came in a metal pot with a broth-type sauce. There were large triangles of tofu, shitake mushrooms, yams (mmm), and carrots. This dish reminds me a lot of oden! The broth was a tad too salty, but overall, it was really tasty.
The last dish we ordered was the sea fruits platter. This was the freakin bomb!! It is basically spring rolls with a vegan twist. So the waiter brought out the round rice paper wrappers, a bowl of hot water, and then a huge platter that was filled with fresh lettuce, thai basil, rice noodles, and something that looked like a fish filet. It was actually bean curd wrapped in nori (Seaweed), yet it had the flakey texture and even TASTE of fish! You dip the rice paper wrapper into the hot water, you assemble the lettuce, basil, noodles, and "fish" onto the wrapper, and then you roll it up like a burrito. There is also a tangy sauce (tastes like nuoc mam) that you dip the wrap into. This is by far one of the most unique and tastiest dishes I've ever had in my life. =) Yummers!
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Inside I felt like i was eating in Noah's Ark.
The food was ok, nothing spectacular. The service was slow at times and great in others.
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I've been a vegan for 3 months and this was the first restaurant I went to that was completely vegan. It felt so good to read a menu and realize I could order everything plus dessert -- the world was my oyster (ugh, perhaps a different reference). It's been the pits to only have one or two vegan-suitable options at non-vegetarian restaurants. My friends were kind enough to accommodate my desire to eat at a vegetarian restaurant that day. I thank them for this experience.
The decor of the place was kind of off but not enough to deter us from eating. The servers were very welcoming and treated us nicely. We went in the afternoon so very few people were dining. We ordered spring rolls (not too impressive), Happy Crispy Rice (divine), Singaporean noodles (yummy), eggplant tofu (yummy), fake meat chicken (I'm not much of a fake meat person but it tasted pretty good). Thai Ice Tea tasted awesome (meaning like the dairy version) and the Mocha Chocolate Cake... Wait, it deserves its own paragraph!
Their Mocha Chocolate Cake was the best thing I ever had in my life!!!
Well, maybe not the best thing but pretty damn close. Cutting eggs and dairy out of my diet has made me very appreciative of good vegan baked desserts. The Mocha Chocolate cake was moist and not overpoweringly sweet. I almost wept out of joy because I didn't think I'd be able to eat a cake so tasty again.
I'm not sure why non-vegans/vegetarians need to complain about the texture and taste of fake meat. If you want to taste meat, go eat at a steak house! Besides, be appreciative of the fact that no animals had to die or suffer for your meal at the Vegetarian House.
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This all vegan restaurant is surprisingly busy and quite charming. Their menu is enormous and incredibly eclectic, and so I feel a little strange writing a review after only have tried maybe 1% of their menu, but I don't know when I'll be back in San Jose again soon. I was eating at deli style restaurants most of the week and wanted a nice sit-down experience.
Supreme Master Ching Hai (SMCH) rules this place. I don't really know much about her except that hella vegetarian restaurants follow her, put up her picture and pamphlets everywhere and play her videos and their food is always good. Oh yeah, and this one time... she dyed her hair blonde and she looked totally freaky, but some places still have her blonde hair pictures up everywhere. Anyway, props to SMCH for teaching them about being one with the Earth and not eating animals out of respect for all life and shit like that. But what I don't get is this: what is SMCH teaching these people about service? Cause it's nice that she's telling them to open a vegetarian restaurant, and make good food, but she's leaving out some crucial stuff about how to deal with customers. This is true of Golden Era, Golden Era 2, Golden Lotus, Alice and Friends in Chicago, and now Vegetarian House.
The order was not taken in a timely manner. They use the multiple server model here, which means when executed poorly (as it usually is), that you never know who your server is, and every other server thinks that you are being taken care of, but really you're not. I hate the multiple server model.
My husband got his food before 1) a good 5 minutes we got our appetizer and 2) 10 minutes before I got my entree. I hate bad timing in restaurants. No one checked on us to find out if our food was OK, and we had to flag someone down in order to get hot sauce.
On to the food. Well, I don't know what came over me, but I shared a tempura vegetable appetizer, got a Thai iced tea, and then ordered their Eggplant Parmesan. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was pregnant cause that combo just ain't right. They serve eclectic International cuisine, but I don't necessarily think you're supposed to eat it all at once. Oh well. Everything I ate was really good, but my husband was severely unimpressed with his Kung Pao Tofu dish.
Probably the highlight of the meal was the strawberry cake we shared for dessert. It was light and fluffy with a cute little white chocolate heart on top (vegan white chocolate!!!) and the whipped frosting was delightful, and the fresh strawberries were nice, and the whole thing was like eating a strawberry-flavored angel's pillow. On top of that, it was adorable. I took a picture, but I'll have to upload it later and link to it if I remember.
I hope this review is sufficiently useful. I hope to come back here again to delve more into their intriguing menu if I'm ever in San Jose again (hopefully not too soon). For a review of a restaurant that I don't know that much about, this is pretty freaking long. But I have one more tangent...
I also noticed there were several monks eating here. For some reason, I end up eating at restaurants with monks quite often. I don't know what that means (am I righteous or do I really need spiritual guidance?) but either way, it's kinda cool to say you eat the same food as monks. Cause I'm pretty sure that whatever monks eat is what God eats. Cause if I were God, I would definitely eat all kinds of vegan food and just make it appear in front of me on command. I know for sure that if I were God, there would be a perfected vegan macaroni and cheese in heaven.
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Another fine cuisine in the heart of San Jose. I love the picture menu and the fact that everything here is Vegan made. My girlfriend and I always have a hard time deciding what to order, but after we finish our meals, our tummy's are always filled and satisfied (with extra to take home). The service is a little slow, but only because they are busy with limited staff. they are friendly and courteous and as you walk out you get to grab a hand full of candy out of this big bowl of treats!
This baby-blue restaurant serves up great vegan food in a sit-down environment. The menu is very eclectic, pulling from several Asian countries as well as Italy, and portions are hearty and reasonably priced. Service during my visits has been good, too.
I have been here a handful of times, and I especially liked the Malaysian curry dish I once ordered. I had some sort of seafood clay pot once and didn't like it, but a meat-eater I was dining with loved it and the food went to good use. Another meat-eater I've been here with absolutely loved the spaghetti with "meat" sauce. Needless to say, this restaurant is satisfying for vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores alike.
Yes there is a photo of the Supreme Master on the business sign, which can turn passers-by off, but the cult material is not readily noticeable inside. What is more distinctive is the paint scheme: white walls with a sky blue ceiling.
Next time you want to eat at Vung Tau but don't feel like waiting for a seat, why don't you walk across the street and try Vegetarian House? You'll be happy you did.
A vegetarian restaurant located in downtown SJ. It can get pretty busy during the dinner hours, most likely you group won't be the only people in the restaurant.
This is a nice little find for vegetarian/vegan food. I'm not vegetarian or vegan myself, but I like to try different food. They have mostly Asian-type dishes, but there is also a small selection of Western food that I have yet to try. But from what I've tried from their Asian dishes, it's pretty tasty and flavorful. I personally don't like soy protein that much, so I tend to stick with the veggie or tofu dishes.
It's a good place for vegan/vegetarian food, and all meat eaters, including myself, had a good meal here and was satisfied.
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Very authentic vegetarian dishes. Highly recommending the Indian naan with chickpea curry, the soy protein slices sauteed with lemongrass, and the rice noodle with vegetarian egg rolls.
My vegetarian friend and I are planning to return often to work our way through the menu. The dishes we have sampled reminded me of those served when I was growing up in Saigon, Viet Nam.
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They make non-meaty food with meaty consistencies... okay. But I didn't miss the meat, so that must be a good sign. Decent food, but it didn't make me want to run off and be a vegan or join the lady's cult or anything like that.
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More yummy vegetarian food! Here's a picture of what I ate: http://statemental.net...
The interior design is definitely avant garde. There's pictures of a strange woman all over the walls, but it was cute. We were given immediate service, and they placed us near the Exit sign (turn off, but I didn't notice much)
The rice was SO good! I could of eaten the rice by itself. We ordered pad thai, kung pao ficken (fake chicken), and salty sea salmon. Everything was delicious! My friend is a big meat eater (he loves to tease me! Him:Stella, I only eats things that have no shadow.Me: How do you do that? Him: I eat in the dark!), but LOVED the food. He ate everything off his plates except for some spare veggies.
When we got our food, the pad thai looked like it lacked flavor (the pad thai at other places are red, this one looked as if they threw noodles on a plate and gave it tofu), but the moment I put it in my mouth -- flavor upon flavor blasted through out my mouth. I've forgotten what real pad thai tastes like (my regular home meal now consists of tofu, soy, and rice, and occasionally a slab of fish, thus I have forgot what everything tastes like), but my friend commented that it was better than the regular pad thai.
We got this awesome waiter that waited on our hand and feet. He wore the cutest uniform and gave us his utmost attention (when there were five or six other parties in the restaurant)
I realize how airheaded this post sounds like, but I absolutely LOVED Vegetarian House. The funky decor, good food, and waiters made the atmosphere nice. They were true to their word when they said NO MSG.
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If you like being served chilled Kool aid in a plastic cups you have come to the right place. The weird lady on the wall is known as the "supreme being" scary very scary.......don't drink the kool aid but you can take a chance on the food. Overall 4 thumbs down I'd rather eat at white lotus down the street.
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