Vegan
Japanese
Delivery
Take-out
San Francisco vegan restaurant serving Japanese food. Menu features various vegetable sushi, appetizers like gyoza and fried tofu, udon and soba noodle, rice bowls, vegetable tempura, seaweed salads. Its first location is in Berkeley. Open Wed-Fri 12:00pm-2:30pm, Wed-Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 12:00pm-3:00pm.
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762 Valencia St (at 18th, Mission District), San Francisco, California, USA, 94110
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 08 Sep 2023 by villain
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80 Reviews
First Review by Baza
RuthCheesley
Points +119
Amazing food, lovely staff - Edit
I went here with some local friends who recommended it and it didn't disappoint! Everything on the menu being vegan was a huge plus, and the food we had was outstanding! Definitely highly recommended and my favourite place in SF so far!
Read morePros: Great range of authentic food, Lovely staff, Pretty reasonably priced
Cons: It's not massive, so it does get quite busy!
Guest
stephaniel
Points +41
Happy hour is a great deal - Edit
I have eaten at Cha Ya many times and have always have a great experience. I recently tried the Happy Hour combo. It’s a great way to try multiple dishes while eating out alone.
Read morePros: Healthy
Cons: Difficult to get waiter’s attention
Guest
vegansheep
Points +2767
Tasty gyozas - Edit
It’s hard for me to rate this place as I could only order one item on the entire menu (due to intolerances), but the item I did have was great!
Read moreGuest
jollieduck
Points +2267
Warming and tasty Japanese - Edit
This place is cozy and delicious. I loved both items I got, especially the kitsune (sweet tofu pockets) udon bowl. The broth was so tasty! Looking forward to going back.
Read moreThey take credit cards but prefer cash.
Guest
sterrcole
Points +92
Great place with so many options! - Edit
Great high-quality vegan Japanese food! The menu has a wide range of options and they have a really good lunch special where you can get half orders of three things on the menu for $16. The service was great, the women working there were so sweet and caring, you can tell they take a lot of pride in serving their customers! They also give you a QR code to scan so that you can see pictures of each of the menu items which was really helpful. The gyoza and the cha-ya roll were to die for! Excellent place, will definitely go back when I’m in town 😁
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-28
Pros: All vegan , So many options , Great service
Guest
maltman23
Points +4962
Very good vegan Japanese - Edit
I really like this place. I ate here all of the time when I lived in San Francisco. The menu is really big -- full of flavorful, filling vegan Japanese food. The staff is friendly, and the service is good.
Read morePros: Excellent vegan Japanese food, Friendly staff, good service
Guest
Serena-Myjer
Points +60
All vegan!!! - Edit
Everything here is delicious and there are so many options! Definitely recommend
Read moreGuest
pklehm
Points +101
Great vibe, great food - Edit
Great food in a soothing ambience — friendly, very helpful staff. What’s not to like? A respite from the urban SF mission.
Read morePros: Food’s very good, Friendly staff, Atmosphere
Guest
m@earthville
Points +9580
Uniquely creative take on Zen temple cuisine - Edit
Cha-Ya has been a favorite of ours for over 20 years (starting with the original location), with mouth-watering creative adaptations of shojin ryori, the traditional Zen temple cuisine focused on mindful preparation of plant-based ingredients in harmonious combinations, with mouth-watering results. Cha-Ya is best enjoyed with a group so that one can try many different items. Thanks to the salubrious ingredients, it’s a place one can feast without feeling heavy afterward.
Read moreHighly recommended. Enjoy!
Guest
The_vegan_itch
Points +52
Awesome atmosphere! - Edit
The tempura fried sushi was INTENSE! And I'm a total sucker for good udon, absolute beauty of a place. Very much worth the visit!
Read morePros: Right off the street, good for people watching. , Very quiet, good zen ambiance. , The best dang sushi I've ever hsd
Cons: Our chop stick game got some pratice.
Guest
hydomel
Points +390
Delicious agadashi, impeccable service - Edit
The agadashi tofu was immediate swoon worthy, so delicately flavoured. Then I had the hot udon noodles soup with tempura veg - the soup was a bit bland but the tempura veg on point. A definite A coming again place on the whole. Peaceful vibes sitting outside.
Read moreGuest
hailseitan9
Points +253
Good place - Edit
Pretty good food here. Friendly staff. Portions were a bit small, but I guess that’s SF.
Read moreGuest
Gopala108
Points +3227
Traditional Japanese Vegan Cuisine in SF - Edit
I grew up in a martial artist family. I started teaching karate in Japanese at the age of 13. I have backpacked around Japan. I would love to visit Japan again.
Read moreOne of the most challenging things traveling in Japan was the language. There is Western Comforts like in the West yet followed Happy Cow in Japan to get some amazing vegan meals as don't think Yelp was in Japan when I was there.
Enter Cha--Ya! Cha-Ya might be my new favorite restaurant in San Francisco. A few years ago when I lived in the East Bay went to Cha-Ya there yet now in the Mission went here today for lunch.
I went with the Cha Ya Delight seasoned brown rice bowl. It comes with carrots, kombucha pumpkin, broccoli, lotus root, cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, atsuage tofu, hijiki seaweed, yamamoto, shinzo and ginger.
The ingredients are fresh, well presented, and found the dish nourishing. It was healthy and came with a miso soup. The cuisine is based on traditional Japanese cooking popular in Buddhist centers in Japan I found and reminds me of that. So you might find the food a bit bland yet don't worry you can easily add a little soy sauce and chili powder like I did to give it a bit more flavor.
Vegan, vegetarian, and vegetable forward is the wave of the future right Now. I have been vegan 22 years now and seen the evolution of the movement. Many fast food restaurants now offer Beyond meat and the impossible burger yet it is refreshing to find places like Cha-Ya offering healthy and wholesome traditional cuisine.
For a trip to Japan in San Francisco come here. I look forward to coming back with friends to explore more of the menu that includes various sushi, noodle soups, tempura, and traditional salads that would be good to order family style.
Thank you Cha-ya! Arigato. I look forward to returning soon.
Updated from previous review on 2023-05-31
Pros: Traditional Vegan Japanese in SF, Friendly Service!, No reservations needed
Cons: Food is a bit bland yet can spruce it up, portions could be bigger
Guest
SaraStrickler
Points +132
Amazing curry udon - Edit
One of my favorite spots in the Bay! The vege tofu curry with udon noodles is my go-to order, with delicious broth and fresh veggies. Definitely worth a visit!
Read moreGuest
livegreenwearblack
Points +313
100% vegan homestyle Japanese food - Edit
This is the SF outpost of the original Berkeley Cha-Ya -- everything is equally delicious and amazing to the Berkeley location.
Read moreI highly recommend that you order the avocado tempura urumaki - it's my favorite dish. They also have an outstanding kinoko miso - and the kinoko noodles are also really good.
Do not miss Agadashi Tofu! Berkeley Roll & Shattuck Roll are also amazing - along with the Goma Ae.
This is the Mission - parking can be tricky. Weekends they have this section of the block closed for "slow streets" - and you can eat outside but people are generally oblivious and rude, I had pedestrians cutting past the back of my chair and a dividing marker - bumping my chair while I ate despite there being plenty of space to go around.
Pros: Agadashi Tofu, Avocado Tempura Urumaki, Goma Ae
Cons: Parking
Guest
stprevic
Points +136
Delicious, Fresh, Filling! - Edit
Really enjoyed eating at Cha-Ya. The Mission location offers a few sidewalk seats that are great for people watching. The service is amazing and the food is spot-on. Had the miso soup, Cha-Ya roll and hot pot. Everything tasted fresh and yummy. This will definitely be a new SF favorite!
Read moreGuest
veganwalrus
Points +168
Awesome Japanese. - most dishes vegan - Edit
Ordered a very filling 3 course lunch special for $16. Well worth it. The food was great and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-04-22
Guest
joerayme
Points +177
Great lunch spot - Edit
I don't know why we were the only people in this place for lunch, it was so good! We all had the lunch menu ($16 for 3 dishes) and each had a mixture of sushi rolls, tempura, miso soup, gyoza and agedashi tofu. I really liked the fact that the sushi rolls weren't just the regular cucumber/avocado you get as a vegan; one of them had tofu in and both had a mixture of veg. 3 dishes plus a miso soup was almost too much for lunch so seemed like good value to us (for SF!).
Read moreGuest
jeffsheldon
Points +1356
I never was a sushi fan. But this place is incredible. - Edit
So many places offer process vegan food. This is definitely not one of them. Fresh vegetables and flavors
Read morePros: All vegan. Something for everyone , No processed vegan meats. , Incredible flavors.
Cons: A little heavy on the ginger root
Guest
andyjng
Points +5359
Yes to Cha-Ya! - Edit
Cha-Ya was an amazing experience incorporating heart healthy Japanese cuisine that happens to be vegan. It goes back to its plant based roots with fresh ingredients and amazing flavors.
Read moreI came upon this by accident as another vegan shop in the Mission was closed the day I visited. I started with their Goma-ae with Broccoli Florets ($6) which was a fantastic, light appetizer. Who doesn't love steamed broccoli with a sesame-tahini dressing to go on top?
Our mains included their Cha-Ya Sukiyaki Nabe ($18) which was a medley of vegetables, tofu, and glass noodles in a sweet-savory broth very reminiscent of the former meat sukiyakis that I had consumed. The presentation was gorgeous, the flavors from the vegetables infused with the broth was a delight, and it made for a very satisfying meal. We also ordered their Sansai Soup Noodle ($15) not realizing we already had noodles in the sukiyaki. It wasn't bad but was too similar to the sukiyaki for it to stand on its own. If I were to go back, I would've ordered a Zaru Soba or something similar.
They have a few outdoor tables available for seating which is perfect on a nice day. Thank you Cha-Ya for your incredible dishes and focus on healthy, fresh ingredients that just happen to be vegan.
Pros: Fresh, seasonal ingredients, Comfort Japanese food
Guest
SergAMox
Points +442
Delicious - Edit
If you want a large healthy meal full of veggies and tofu, this is your place. Fast and friendly service.
Read moreGuest
TobieTusing
Points +65
Kitsune tofu Udon! - Edit
Highly recommend the kitsune tofu udon and Chaya roll. Staff are so friendly!
Read moreGuest
Chachachacha
Points +68
Cute, but food is not good - Edit
I gave this place a few tries, and each time it was equally bad. The idea is great, as there is so much great vegan food in Japanese cuisine — I SO wanted to love this place as a vegan Japanese who lives nearby — but can’t really take their food, sadly. Flavoring is so off, sometimes I was confused what dish it was supposed to be.
Read moreGuest
Conniemm
Points +1763
Will come back! - Edit
We had a great meal at Cha-Ya. As with other vegan restaurants, it was so exciting to have SO many choices! We ended up getting the gyoza appetizer and four sushi rolls which were all delicious. Different plates were brought out one at a time giving us time to enjoy them.
Read moreThe restaurant is beautifully decorated and comfortable. The staff was attentive and helpful.
I had read in reviews that they accept cash only and made sure to have cash but they do have an ATM machine in the restaurant if you don't have cash on you.
I'll definitely come back again!
Pros: great choices, indoor or outdoor seating, pretty atmosphere and dishware
Guest
StaceyP
Points +675
Delightful! - Edit
Delicious unpretentious Japanese food.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-02-06
Pros: Good wholesome food, Kind staff, Many options
Guest
Nooncares
Points +56
Very good vegan Japanese. Traditional dishes well made though not bold flavors - Edit
Very good vegan Japanese. Traditional dishes well made though not bold flavors
Read morePros: Tons of vegan options, Large sale list
Cons: Traditional flavors lack boldness
Guest
Mandelo
Points +60
Yummm 💚🌱 - Edit
Rolls, sake, tea, soup, tempura. Everything vegan and done so well.
Read moreGuest
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