Why: For yummy vegetarian, no! make that VEGAN, food
Where: Downtown, San Jose
Who: The restaurant, inspired by the "Supreme Master" Ching Hai (the name sent me into a major Googling spiral), opened in 1994 and has been serving organic vegan food since then. Through the philosophy of non violence in food (i.e. no animal slaughter/animal product use), they aim to spread the message of harmonious and peaceful coexistence of all living beings.
BayMonkey two cents: True to the saying "the proof of the pudding lies in its eating", you have to let your tastebuds make the decision as you dig in to the amazing platter of nature's bounty, brought to your table by Vegetarian house. Who knew that food could taste this lip-smacking good without meat or diary products? Vegetarians, lactose intolerants, vegans, gluten-intolerants (they have lots of soy dishes)-come as you are; There is plenty for everyone!
On to the food. VH has a pretty extensive menu and showcases green food from almost all over the world (Americas, Europe, Asia). On my first visit,we picked a mango salad (to soothe my poor stomach's upset cart) and the spicy cha-cha (yam nuggets with veggies) and both were utterly delicious; light and flavorful and oh so satisfying! The mango salad (a seasonal dish) had lots of thinly sliced mango strings and the fruit was neither too ripe nor too tarty. The crushed peanuts and veggies complemented the sweet-sour taste of the mangoes. The spicy cha-cha, true to its name, packed a spicy punch in the crunchy red nuggets which was high on flavor and minimal on the fried,oily after taste. For the second time, a trio of us sampled even more food (Sizzling tofu, Szechuan strips and Pad thai) and all three items were finger-licking good! Special mention for the pad thai since it wasn't sweet-ish as is served in most Thai places. We finished off by sharing a soy vanilla flavored ice-cream akin to attaining perfect Nirvana! WILL BE BAAK (Arnie style)!
MONKEY METER
Overall impression:
Food:
Green quotient (vegetarian friendly): Restaurant serves organic, vegan food. Need I say more?
Interior/decor: Here comes the interesting part. The place takes its name very seriously, as is evident from the house shaped restaurant (it literally looks like a house from outside). In an attempt to create a relaxing place with a bit of everything (including a a piano for the musically inclined), the interior looks like a mish mash of a lot of funky objects (painted glass panels on windows being one of them). Surprisingly though, the sitting arrangement is anything but ornate (regular table and chairs), but overall the dining areas (there are two separated by the welcoming corridor in between) are huge and roomy. I guess, they were striving for a comfort zone for people to chill out/find their own "zen" without being too ostentatious with distracting wall and furniture decor.
Service: We had friendly and attentive servers, even when the place was packed. Pretty good service!
For more reviews and what-nots on Vegetarian house, visit the link on YELP.
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