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Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant

Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant, Sushi Restaurant, and Japanese Restaurant$$$$

Mission Dolores, San Francisco

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7.8^/10

415

ratings

Ranked #7 for vegetarian restaurants in San Francisco
"Soba salad was delicious, unconvinced by the tofu stew"(6 Tips)
"The kinoko miso is great, with lots of mushrooms!"(3 Tips)
"Get the curry soup with soba noodles!"(5 Tips)
"The mushroom miso soup & Starlight Roll were delicious."(11 Tips)

104 Tips and reviews

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Japanese food
vegetarian food
gyoza
casual
curry
great value
good for singles
gluten-free food
gardens
barbershops
asparagus
cocktails
tea
eggplant
mushrooms
stew
dinner
avocado
clean
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Luke BornheimerApril 15, 2013
The vege-tofu curry soup with soba noodles is delicious as are the goma-ae and cha-ya roll! If you're unsure of what to order, ask your waitress; They're friendly and helpful for navigating the menu.
Gayle MacciaApril 1, 2016
Third time here. We all order and share. It's so delicious, you can't go wrong. Pumpkin soup -- don't miss. Shattuck role amazing. Stargazer also tremendous!
SFistAugust 3, 2014
You don't have to be vegetarian or vegan to love Cha-Ya's delicate Japanese dishes, which stick to fresh ingredients and simple compositions that show off the vegetables and fruits on your plate. Read more
Jaki LevyMarch 31, 2016
Every thing is awesome. Save room for sake, try the kinoko mushroom soup and sample some sushi. Going w a few other peeps helps on the sampling bit, but great even on your own.
SFistAugust 3, 2014
This vegetarian joint is a classic hit for vegans. Sushi rolls options like the vegan roll, and the legendary soba salad, are just two of an array of delicious dishes that won't disappoint. Read more
Kerri VertJune 14, 2019
8 of us ate here to celebrate a birthday. The food and the service were amazing. Try the curry, you won’t regret it!
J JohnSeptember 2, 2023
A gem in the Mission, incredible Japanese vegan food. The mushroom miso soup & Starlight Roll were delicious. Good service; love this place. A+++
VegNews MagazineAugust 30, 2012
The vegan Japanese restaurant's namesake dish (the Cha-Ya Roll) is a sushi roll stuffed with asparagus, avocado, yam, and carrots, battered and tempura-fried, then drizzled with a sweet sauce.
JennySeptember 30, 2014
I love this place. I think I've gotten the mushroom udon twice because it's so delicious, but I've tried other things, and they are also wonderful.
Nimalan MahendranDecember 18, 2016
Mushroom medley soup with iron noodles was fantastic
BommyAugust 5, 2015
Cash only and super friendly staff. Dishes taste fresh and don't leave me with that gross, heavy, full feeling.
Christine BrynnSeptember 14, 2017
I love everything they're doing here, but honestly the flavors aren't as great as I hoped. Tempura batter on rolls was cake-like and held a lot of oil, and the curry soup was too salty + lacked flavor
ValJune 25, 2017
Been here 5+ times
If you're vegan, don't skip the gyoza app - which is rarely vegan at other spots. The curry veg noodle soup is another staple.
AvaJuly 19, 2016
loved the mushroom medley with soba and sake flight! cash only and the atm charges a fee, so come prepared
Mina RAugust 16, 2011
Been here 5+ times
There is so much choice here that it's almost overwhelming for the typical veg*n who only reads a small subset of the menu. I often go here to satisfy noodly cravings.
KidhackApril 16, 2016
Been here 10+ times
I really like the veggie gyoza because the come with a mini side of asparagus tips in sesame sauce.
Isha GujaratiJanuary 29, 2015
Great place if you like vegan sushi. Their cha-Ya rolls are really good. However, the best part of the menu was agedashi tofu
Ben MackeySeptember 25, 2018
The food here was so amazing I forgot there wasn’t any meat. Get the agedashi tofu and the eggplant dish.
cyn kApril 2, 2013
i recommend the special miso soup and the shira-ae salad, which is a variety of veggies with a delish tahini miso sauce.
Josh WhelchelDecember 4, 2016
Vegan Udon is to die for and now our ramen dreams are not dreams any longer 😍
Chris EdwardsAugust 18, 2014
Veggie nigiris were unimpressive, but the noodles, tempura and rolls are excellent.
Robbie SandbergSeptember 12, 2015
Good, quick service. The Starlight and the Garden Roll are sublime. Never had such good vegitarian food.
Sean GJanuary 25, 2012
Are you concerned veggie sushi you've had at other restaurants may have touched dead fish? No worries here - it's all vegan! And plenty of choices!
Soph AhmMarch 13, 2020
Gyoza and noodles were tasty! Loved the miso soup, too. Their mushroom sushi 🍣 wasn’t worth it.
Jenna SJune 14, 2016
start with the cold soba noodles, my fav! curry soup or any roll then, its all so clean and good.
cyn kMarch 28, 2014
i love the special miso soup and the shira-ae salad. their tempura is great too.
Lisa PadillaAugust 9, 2010
This place was busy even though it was cold out. People stood happily in line for over 1/2 hour. Good pot stickers. Very, very good tempura -- fresh vegetables. Yellow moon friend banana dessert is al Read more
AleOctober 17, 2015
Soba salad was delicious, unconvinced by the tofu stew
Wandering BaileyAugust 25, 2014
Amazing find! Everything is veggie :) Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the menu.
Yusun ChungApril 2, 2015
Surprisingly delicious Japanese food. Everything here is vegetarian yet the selection of food is endless.
Markus AarstadOctober 18, 2014
Japanese cuisine endowed with a vegetarian and vegan sensibility, very fresh and calming.
Nimalan MahendranDecember 18, 2016
This sake was really tasty, whether hot or cold.
Jillian RogerJuly 27, 2013
Yasai soba was very light and fresh. You can't go wrong with the sushi either.
Danielle DavisOctober 7, 2016
Pumpkin curry soup! Dumpling soup! Avocado topped sushi roll!
René MachelSeptember 6, 2011
Miso Soup was really good but the Rolls where kind of disapppointing. If you are not a veggie/vegan try one rather go to one of the indian or thai places arround!
Tessa JohnsonFebruary 24, 2014
I just ate the best udon soup I've ever had. Definitely try the mushroom udon.
Emily ChangJuly 20, 2019
Been here 10+ times
Vegan gyoza are the best!
SarahJanuary 14, 2016
Been here 5+ times
Pretty filling. The Cha-Ya roll is delicious, especially since it's tempura-fried.
Jeanelle PetrilloDecember 29, 2012
Starry Eye roll was noms. We should have ordered from the recommended list. By the end of the meal everything tasted the same – deep fried and mushy. I am totes not up to being a veggie head.
Kelly 🍰June 9, 2013
Surprisingly not bad for veg Japanese food. Rolls are tasty but small portions. Noodle broth is mushroom based- lots of umami
Joe Murphy LibrarianApril 18, 2013
Great food, good choices, great service, fun but unamazing menu
c0uPSeptember 16, 2013
The vege tofu curry is seriously incredible. Dat broth.
Pelle FrankAugust 23, 2013
The kinoko miso is great, with lots of mushrooms! :-D
Alex WapniarskiFebruary 3, 2015
Been here 5+ times
Excellent vegan gyoza. The curry is delicious.
Diana GalvisAugust 10, 2014
Been here 5+ times
The kinoko miso soup is awesome. Remember to bring cash.
Yotam TroimJuly 9, 2015
Been here 10+ times
Everything we tried was delicious, especially the gyoza.
Graeme BoyApril 13, 2015
Been here 10+ times
One of my favorite places to eat in the mission
Lilian TellezDecember 7, 2013
Delicious cha-ya nabe soup. The portions are big!
GT BarryFebruary 5, 2012
Been here 5+ times
Dig the Yasai soba noodles. Tasty healthy hearty lunch on a cool day. Let's hope we have a few more of those this winter.
The FeastJune 13, 2011
A staggering amount of menu choices thankfully doesn't equate to unfocused dishes. A rare place where avowed meat eaters don't feel deprived. Read more

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