Food was very good, and it's vegan/vegetarian for those who like it.

Best Japanese meal we had, hands down! The well balanced flavors of the vegetarian food are sumptuous and delicious. The vegetarian sushi is so flavorful that you don’t really miss the fish for the pescatarians. And the food doesn’t put you in a food coma afterwards leaving you fulfilled and refreshed. Lastly, the ambience is comfortable and the service wonderful. This place is a breath of fresh air amidst a bustling street.

This is a vegan Japanese restaurant with so many dishes on the menu. However, the food is quite average and honestly, bland. The service is great with a lot of seating.

Cha-Ya is a family-run restaurant serving traditional vegan Japanese food that is beautifully presented, absolutely delicious, healthy, and compassionate. I’ve been eating here for years.

The friendliest service and cleanest vegetarian food! Finally vegan sushi and dishes not smothered in sauces and oils 😊 Most dishes are light but nutritious and filling. The agedashi tofu and gyoza are great for non veg eaters. The dumpling “hotpot” has a light but umami soup based and is filled with veggies. The tempura noodles are nice but nothing special. The rolls are nice too but again nothing special. Chaya roll for a heavier option (fried) and mushroom avocado one for a lighter option. Would love to come back again to support plant based family businesses 😊

This place was amazing!! The food was so good and the folks were so kind! Loved it ❤️

Great for vegetarians, the old gripe is it can sometimes be a little too healthy and lack some flavors. Still solid eats.

serene spot for vegetarian japanese home cooking. i got the yasai soba, gyoza, and cha-ya roll. i’d probably pass on the roll because i didnt need much more rice, but the soba + gyoza were yummy :) the servers were really attentive too! i’ll definitely come back.

Ordered some white and wheat noodles with some fried and traditional sushi and all vegetarian. It was awesome food. Very well maintained With safety measures for Covid. Friendly staff.

Friendly service, healthy vegan food. Generally, after ordering something here, I would try to make the same thing at home as the recipe appears to be simply. But Of course the effort is in vain and I’m back in Cha-Ya again for a Zen experience.

Staff is very nice, outdoor dining is cute and convenient with pretty flowers on the table. Food was amazing and we got it super quick, within 5-10 minutes.

All vegan place with sushi, noodle soup and more. The street is closed to cars and there is a big outdoors dining area. Good vibes and yummy food!

They have indoor and outdoor seating. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you within 5-10 minutes. On the left is Full Moon Plate, and the one on the right is Natto Roll. The food was great and the service was too. Highly recommend, especially if you love vegan sushi.

Food is tasty! it use to be so good you don't mind it's vegan. Now it's OK but nothing felt as good as fish or meat. One of those old sf establishments that I believe won't stay open for long unless they find a way to go back to the old quality. Since it's on Valencia Street the vibe outside is always great and inside feels like a small Japanese oasis.

Healthy vegan food Not oily Even the tempura was light Clean Eggplant roll is good

I took a lot of accidental live photos here, I would have preferred stagnant. I just wanted to capture one moment, I didn't need any of the moments leading up to that one moment. I'll smile for photos because I want to believe I'm happy in most moments of my life. Live photos are showing me that sometimes I look miserable right before smiling. Anyway, at least food doesn't change much with live photos. It looked and tasted great.

The food was good, the lady that served us was stunningly kind and nice about explaining the foods to us, the atmosphere was nice. They serve you water immediately after you get your seat and they come check if your glass is empty or not and keep re-filling it. The food arrives almost immediately and they give you wood sticks. There is a paper menu and an online one where you can check out the photos too :) The prices are acceptable and there is one bathroom at the end of the room and you kinda have to walk through the kitchen to get there, maybe it’s not the best thing, at least they are transparent about the cooking process though. We payed $61 for 4 meals + 1 desert. Much fair. I would recommend it! Very cute place for vegetarians and vegans as well. I think a lot of the stuff is gluten-free, too. All is cute and fun. Thank you love youu

Tasty food and generous portion. Fast and friendly service. Prices reasonable but maybe a little above average. Very nice restaurant but rather small with limited number of tables. Filled up when I was there.

The vegan Japanese restaurant. I don't know of any others.

ATMOSPHERE: Located in the middle of the lively and vibrant Valencia street area. There are a few tables set up on the sidewalk (no cover or separation from pedestrians). Not a fancy setup, but still nice to have some outdoor seating available. OVERALL: If it is important to you that you can order anything from the menu with piece of mind that it will be vegan, then Cha-ya is the place for you. There is something to be said about not having to worry and having the freedom to order anything you want if you're a vegan. However, judged on an absolute scale (and if veganism is not your demographic), then the food is slightly under the bar for flavor. FOOD: Curry udon: Nice Japanese-curry flavored broth with typical Udon noodles. Veggies were a bit on the firm side (e.g. kabocha). If you enjoy japanese curry, then this would be a good dish for you. Soba salad: The dressing is the winner of this dish. The vegetables were a little underwhelming, most of them were chopped raw vegetables like onion and bell pepper. The edamame was the best part of the vegetable mix.

The food wass very bland for my taste but my family said it was very flavorful. The service was very attentive and I liked the no frills atmosphere. The tempura was very crisp and tasty.

Food was good. Being vegetarian this place is like haven

It was a delight being able to order anything off the menu as a vegetarian! The staff here is so sweet and respectful. We ordered a hot sake, couple sushi items, hot pot and noodle soup. Everything was flavorful and delicious! Definitely worth a visit!

We tried the Mushroom Udon Soup and Inaru. They both were delicious and filling. The staff was super sweet. I never thought that I would find a vegetarian Japanese place. The inside has few tables and with cute decor over the lights. There was a decent crowd too. Totally recommended.

Friendly ppl, delicious food and great vibe.

OMG this place was so nice! The food was delicious, especially the gyoza because they were soooooo crispy and flavorful. The prices are a bit high relative to other asian places, but the quality of the food and the ambience is elevated. Our waiter was super nice and helpful, and the food came quickly. And, as a vegetarian myself, it was nice knowing that the whole menu is vegan! 10/10!!!

Cha-Ya has been consistently great forever, and they still are! Everything is vegan and delicious, from the sushi rolls to the noodle bowls and house made miso and mochi!

Overpriced, mediocre food, long serving time, broken lights, why is this place rated so high? The three of us ordered different dishes and they looked and tasted basically the same. It's just plain vegetable soup with nothing special. It's not that bad but I expected better for the high prices. The service wasn't great either. Even the chopsticks were cheap single use ones. I definitely won't be coming again.

Had a really amazing dinner at Cha-Ya. Food was super fresh and tasty. Was struggling to find healthy unprocessed tasting stuff to eat out in the states and was really happy to find this place! Best meal I had in San Fransisco.

We had a family lunch here and we enjoyed most of not all the dishes. I recommend the soba salad, curry tofu noodles and I made it a Kansai combo for the larger appetite. Service was great as this place was somewhat busy for Sunday lunch.

Definitely a place to eat. The fact that they are full vegan makes it really easy. I got a combination for a lot of sushi’s. I think you can’t go wrong. The lime soda was also amazing! The veg curry udon noodles was probably my favorite dish among all

It is a vegetarian Japanese restaurant. Soup noodles is very tasty. Will try different food next time.

Great food! Hot pot was well seasoned. Very nice owners

I wanted so badly to love this place! The food was very tasty but the portions are quite small for the price. $17 for one small sushi roll (4 pieces) is just a bit too steep. It was very busy and people seemed to really enjoy the meal so I may go back to try more things, but we got a couple of rolls and two entrees between the two of us it was not nearly enough food for the price.

Such feel-good, beautiful, healthful, colorful food. The vege-tofu curry noodle soup with udon is so comforting and warming. All the specialty rolls are super fresh, particularly the garden sushi roll. Wonderful, friendly service.

The service was great and the staff was quite friendly, but I was overall pretty underwhelmed with the food! I found the udon noodle curry to be pretty mid and wouldn’t recommend. The Cha-Ya roll and the veg tempura was pretty good and a saving grace to the meal . Relative to the cost, I don’t think the food was worth it :/

Perfect Japanese restaurant. The flavors are so authentic and accurate, that which should be rich in flavor is rich and that should be flat and single tone in flavor is exquisite and expertly made. The soba noodles are very good and the kinoko (type of mushroom) noodle soup is delicious. There is also a very affordable Sake tasting deal featuring three types of tasty excellent Sake

A gem in the Mission, incredible Japanese vegan food. The mushroom miso soup & Starlight Roll were delicious. Good service; love this place. A+++

Delicious! Incredible Service! Kind people, both customers and staff. They're able to suit all needs. They got me in within 10 minutes of me putting myself on the waitlist which was so nice since I had a flight to catch. Best vegan sushi restaurant ever!

Great food

I loved the Cha-Ya experience. The all-vegan menu was full of surprises and creativity, the food was sophisticated and beautifully prepared, the ambiance was calming yet intriguing, the service was attentive and warm, and prices were reasonable! Plus, the miso soup is the best I’ve ever had.

Best vegetarian in the city!

We had such a wonderful experience here. The sushi roll and rice bowl made a delicious picnic and we took the meal kit home and had it the next day and that was wonderful too.

My girlfriend and I were thrilled to find that Cha-ya is open for pick up and meal kit delivery during COVID19. It's so nice to be able to bring home such a wholesome and healthy meal. The Cha-ya team is always so friendly and the food is remarkable both in it's incredible deliciousness and consistency. We especially love the Yasai Vegetable Soup, Gyoza Pot Stickers, Sunamono Salad, and Small Sushi Rolls. Worth noting that while Cha-ya is a vegetarian restaurant and many options are also vegan, everything is delicious and totally satisfying for carnivores like us as well.

Order from door dash had there beyond burger I'm surprised it taste like a hamburger and looks like a hamburger too! Very tasty and love the fries & shake Oreo!

Amazing restaurant with delicious sushi. There are so many options for vegetarians and you can't go wrong with any of the items on the menu. Def try the Special rolls.

We came for dinner and did outdoor dining last night around 7pm and there was almost no wait - they have a few tables outside. We were super cold coming back from Baker Beach and wanted something warm and light. The vegetable miso soup was perfect and their Cha-Ya roll came out fresh, hot and crispy. I always love going to Cha-Ya for a comforting meal :) (and this is coming from a non-vegetarian!)

A bit expensive, but genuinely good food

Excellent service and wonderful authentic Japanese food at affordable prices. Family owned and run. Definitely worth the visit! Try the Sake. Yum!

😋😋😋

Beautiful, thoughtful, healthy food that tastes so good and feels specially made for you. Come try!

My boyfriend and I experienced one of the best customer service. I would like to call-out Daisy who best hospitality with a smile on our special day. She made sure we got a one of the finest table and went out of the way to make our experience special.

I absolutely love love this place. The food is so delicious, customer service is great, and the location is perfect. I can’t wait to stop by again when I’m back in town. 110% recommend.

Parking is excruciatingly bad in this area, which is a shame because there are a few good places in the vicinity. As a result I only tried this place a couple times, but both times it absolutely screamed authenticity. It’s sometimes hard to find vegetarian food that retains the excitement of the cuisine you might have had before you gave up meat, but this place has it. Gave me a whole new dimension to Japanese food.

Can’t get enough of this place! New to the city and luckily discovered this gem early. The Vege-Tofu Curry Soup with udon noodles is perfect. It’s packed with veggies, tofu and noodles, it’s a massive portion, and the broth is *chefs kiss* so good. I’ve also ordered the Senroppon Shredded Salad, the Cha-Ya Roll, and the miso soup... all of which would be on my “you should really try these” list. 10/10 would recommend.

Not very filling and tasted somewhat blend

LOVED this place! Especially with the outdoor seating on Valencia. The food was delicious - both light and filling, the staff were great. Can't wait to go back!

Delicious food, quick service, and a really nice staff. One of my go-tos in SF!

Awesome as always. Basically anything from the menu is good. Fresh ingredients, very friendly easy going staff. Good sized portions. Don't forget to bring cash (no cards accepted) there's an atm inside too. Why are you still reading? Go, now... ;-)

This is such a unique restaurant. It is a vegetarian Japanese cuisine and everything is presented really well. This restaurant is CASH ONLY so make sure that to bring cash with you. They also have an ATM in the restaurant if you forget but it's a good idea to remember. Food is also a little bit more on the pricier side so expect at least $20 per person. Overall, great ambiance and delicious food.

I’m really sorry. I came here after reading all these amazing comments and I was SO DISAPPOINTED!! Food was tasteless, Hugh sushi rolls (width wise) there is absolutely no extra thinking about the ingredients they put inside and making them taste well. I’ll say the place is clean and for that I gave it two stars instead of one but that’s not enough for me to come back. They should take example from “shizen”, which is always full and I totally see why. Waste of my money.

So many options! The sushi is probably your best bet, some of the stuff is sort of bland (haven't had much luck with the soups). Cash only is also a bummer, but didn't remove a star for that. They also have a good selection of sake on the menu, if you're into that sort of thing.

Amazing vegan sushi for vegans and non vegans alike. Just amazing food. Quick service, very nice and accommodating. A great overall experience.

Loved the mushroom noodles. Vegan food rules!

Very nice vegetarian Japanese food Surprised that Japanese cuisine has so many vegetarian options

My favorite local, no-frills, clean-eating authentic Japanese fare. Feels like a cozy spot you’d find in Kyoto. Always the kindest, down to earth staff. All the staples and seasonal specials with veggies and delicious Japanese flavors.

cash only? who carries big $$(price there not cheap) ATM in there but whos gonna pay the fee?

Good good for vegetarian and vegan people!

Appreciate the care and thoughtfulness they put into each of their dishes. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian for that matter but I wouldn't mind if I ate this everyday.

(Translated by Google) Local Japanese food, worth returning (Original) 很在地的日式料理，值得再來

Service could be a bit tighter and faster.

The service and passion of the people at the store is immaculate - it's very obvious that they truly care about the food, experience, and ambiance far more than most restaurants. That being said, we just didn't really enjoy the food - it didn't feel particularly flavorful (although one of the staff had mentioned that it's not meant to be strong flavors anyway). We hat to give it a less than perfect review, but we just didn't enjoy the food much, especially at the price range. We did enjoy the spicy eggplant sushi, and the pumpkin roll was tasty as well!