Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Food, San Francisco

Monday, September 28, 2009

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco

On Friday night, I went to CHA-YA Vegetarian Japanese Cuisine in the Mission. I'm definitely an omnivore, but my UCLA library school friend Shannon is vegetarian and I'm trying to not eat dairy...so this place was perfect! We were joined by librarians/archivists Jen and Arvid.

I was in town to go to the BlogHerFood conference at the St. Regis...more on that in my next post!

Oh my gosh! Cha-Ya was delicious! I could be vegan if I could eat this all day long. So, even if you love a steak, try Cha-Ya for a yummy change. Everything was so beautifully prepared and the flavors were lovely.

I grabbed a to-go menu and copied down the descriptions and prices. Which, of course, are subject to change. Here is what we ate:

Pictured above, Jenn had:
Sansai (wild vegetables) Soba: Edible bracken, bamboo shoots, carrots, and enoki and wood ear mushrooms. (veggies not pictured, my photo didn't turn out!) $9.75

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Kansai Set Noodle Dinner: For an extra $4.50, Jen got two pieces of inari sushi and a small Sunomono salad with her noodle dish.

Sunomono (cucumber vinaigrette salad): Sliced cucumber and radishes with golden raisins, wakame, silver noodles, and toasted organic soybeans. Non-oil rice vinaigrette.

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Mary had: Umekyu Hosomaki roll (umeboshi pickled plum with cucumber). Nice and tart. $4.40

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Mary had: Senroppon Salad (shredded salad): Shredded daikon, turnip, cucumber, and carrots with atsuage tofu, radishes, soybeans, kaiware, and toasted pine nuts. Soy-vinaigrette dressing. $7.00

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Arvid had: Shira Ae (Vegetables with tofu dressing): Blanched spinach with seasoned lotus root, carrots, shiitake, green beans, tofu pouch, and yam cake, served with tahini-tofu dressing. $7.25

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Arvid had: Haru Maki (Spring rolls): Asparagus, shiitake, carrots, long beans, silver noodles, and atsuage tofu wrapped in wheat sheets. Lightly fried and served with sweet and sour sauce. $7.25

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Shannon had: Sea vegetable salad: A variety of marine vegetables including seasoned hijiki served with a creamy sesame dressing. $7.75

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese, San Francisco
Shannon had: Gyoza (pot stickers): Vegan pot stickers, pan-friend and served with Gyoza sauce. $7.00

It was all super yummy. Cha-Ya has several desserts...but we opted to walk up to Bi-Rite Creamery and get some ice cream. I got the chocolate coconut (non-dairy, made with coconut milk) and raspberry sorbet. No photos...we just gobbled it up! :)

P.S. Note to Arvid and Jen: Great to meet you! And Arvid, please send me that cheesecake recipe! :)

Do they not have a website? Can't find it...
Here are some Yelp entries: Cha-Ya Mission | Cha-Ya Inner Sunset | Cha-Ya Berkeley

CHA-YA
Vegetarian Japanese Cuisine
762 Valencia Street (in the Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-252-7825
Note: Cash Only
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15 comments:

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

Our Cha-Ya meal was crazy delicious. The photos turned out beautifully. You're right about the lack of a Cha-Ya website -- or, at least, I've never been able to find one.

I have to admit that I broke my rule and looked at the Food Librarian blog while hungry. (Bad idea! The digital photos just don't taste the same as the actual food.)

Thanks for everything and so good to see you while you were in SF for BlogHerFood!

~Shannon

DPLK said... [Reply to comment]

Hi Mary, I've been following your blog for a few months now, and I guess this is as good time as any to say hi. I made the blueberry mochi cake that you posted about several months ago, and it was awesome and well-received by all my family and friends. I really love your blog--the type of recipes you choose to make are generally very much in line with the type of recipes I tend to look for, so it has been a blessing to find your blog =) Please feel welcome to visit my blog too! Take care!

Damaris @Kitchen Corners said... [Reply to comment]

woah that does look good.I'll have to go check this place out next time I'm in the city

It was so nice to finally meet you.
xoxo

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

Wow look at your pictures~! Take all of mine from now on, thanks, bye.

Judy said... [Reply to comment]

All those dishes look fabulously delicious. I must plan a trip up north some time soon and make sure I stop by this restaurant.

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

I agree with JustJenn. Take all my pictures too! Great pictures of all the food. It all looks so good, I don't know what I would order.

(I love the Mission District for food. I had Indian pizza on Sunday with a friend. I'm dying to try to make my own version. It was delicious!)

Juls said... [Reply to comment]

I'm definetly captured by your photos.. unfortunately I'm way far to be able to pay a visit to this restaurant, but.. who knows?
Have a good day!
Juls

Teanna said... [Reply to comment]

Wow! Everything looks so good! I'm loving the height on that Sonroppo (Sp?) salad!! And SUCH Gorgeous photos! You are so talented!

Katrina said... [Reply to comment]

Wow, that is some yummy looking food and Asian food is not my favorite, but it looks like I'd have at least tried everything there! Great photos!
We almost went to Bi-Rite on Sunday, but didn't. Heard all about it though.
So fun to have met you and be able to put a young face with the name! ;)

Bethie said... [Reply to comment]

Looks like the perfect meal.

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

This place looks excellent. Especially the pot stickers and salad. Yum! Thanks for sharing.

Maria said... [Reply to comment]

I have to go back now! What an amazing feast! I am so glad we got to meet in person. You are a true joy. I hope we can meet up again in the near future.

Mini Baker said... [Reply to comment]

those little carrots in the first picture are so cute! my best friend lives in SF and I'm for sure gonna tell her to go the Cha-Ya!
Thanks for sharing,
I love your blog... check mine out whenever :)
-mini Baker

Jelli said... [Reply to comment]

MMM! I'm hoping to go to a great Asian restaurant this week to celebrate my 10 month wedding anniversary. Hope it's as good as Cha-Ya.

Sunset said... [Reply to comment]

Hey Mary! This post reminded me of the Vegan-Macrobiotic-Japanese place in Little Tokyo. Have you been? Shojin - http://www.theshojin.com/
I know we're meat buddies, but def worth a try when you're in the mood :)

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