I've passed this place many times, never inspired enough to go in. I passed it again last night with my friend and told him, I always go back to the same good places but sometimes I want to be adventurous and try something new. "Lets be adventurous," he says. And the result is a pretty ambivalent review. I ordered one of their $20 dinner specials that comes with soup and salad. Entrees were Moon Cake and a Portobello mushroom tempura with kiwi sauce (sounded interesting). The Moon Cake was awesome. I applaud them for that. Everything else was okay, but was so rushed! The waitress was clearly impatient: we came in at 8:30 and I guess the place closes at 9:30? But still, I had barely eaten my salad when all the food was there. Everything got cold because I couldn't eat it fast enough. Two people ran the food out and both had sour demeanor. The checks were slapped down on all of the tables at one point, and the place was still quite full. I don't like seeing people with mouthfulls of food being shoved the check... And the mushroom and kiwi sauce was weird. So I'd only go back for the Moon Cake. It wasn't the dining experience that makes me like a place but the food is decent. read more

Honestly, sometimes I think that the food in Berkeley is enough of a reason for me to move back. After living in Los Angeles for year, deterred by my mom's method of cooking greens and the plain fact that for many Angelenos, vegan food means imitation meat or salad, I find that most of my diet consists of soy, meat or carbs. This is why Cha Ya is so good. They make eating veggies tasty and hearty. Even though I live in a neighborhood where Japanese expatriots are abound - and with them Japanese restaurants and supermarkets, I have yet to find anything like Cha Ya. I doubt you can go wrong with anything at Cha Ya, but if you're going to come here, I'd steer you towards their broiled veggies or their veggie soup. Sushi is not a stand out. read more

Food art that actually tastes impeccable too. And it's all vegetarian? Hell to the yeah. It looks like your standard Japanese place, but the food quality I witnessed was outstanding. Reasonable prices. Nothing to complain about when compared to the great food and service you're given! It was a really good experience. And they're popular! Got super busy after we came in. read more

CURRY. I want it now and always. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the SF location when I first visited, the Berkeley Cha-Ya has not only restored my faith but turned me into a huge fan. From the miso soup to the potato croquets to the curry, everything I ate during my last visit was fantastic. Down-side is that it is cash only, so make sure you get it out beforehand to avoid atm fees. read more

Not happy with the experience at all. Really bad service. People who came in way after us got their food first. When we finally did get some food it was tasteless. Flies all around the place... Just wanted to be done and get out. Sooo sad our anniversary dinner for ruined :( Not coming back here for sure ! read more

Cha-Ya - Tasteless curry soup bowl !!! Horrible could not finish it - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came around 630pm on a Friday and ended up waiting an hour for 2ppl and a baby. When I asked the lady how long she couldn't give me a straight answer. Once we got seated the service sucked and food was blah! We had to ask for plates and bowls everytime an item came out when it was obvious we were sharing...also had to ask for a fork and straw. Just common sense if your serving a child these are things that you would normally offer just saying. 'Vegan' gyoza: 2 out of 5 - nothing special...not really vegan it was just vegetable potstickers Avocado + cucumber roll: just a basic roll nothing wrong with it Vegetable tempura udon: 1 out of 5 - soup was bland, didn't taste like other udons, the noodles were much thiner than usual and over cooked. The tempura sauce didn't have much taste either. Over all waiting too long for food that wasn't really worth it. Only good part was the beer and hot sake we ordered. read more

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I cannot give this wonderful place enough praise. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and peaceful. The food is totally out of this world. We have family in Berkeley so whenever we are in town we make a point of coming here. read more

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Friendly service and an abundance of choices. I honestly didn't think vegetarian food could be this exciting and different. I really loved how it was Japanese food but all vegetarian! I tried the soba sushi and the vegetable tempura udon noodle while my friend had the vegetable curry udon noodle. The sushi had the best crunch I ever encountered. I loved how perfect the rolls were. The sauce went great for dipping. The veggie tempura was alright, I wish it was a little crunchier but it wasn't soggy at any means. The broth for my soup went great with the noodles that were prepared just to my liking. My friend's curry noodle soup base was super tasty. I was very thirsty after I left though :/ Definitely will be back but will study the menu to make sure I bring more than enough cash :) read more

Tried: hot udon noodles with fried tempura, portobello stackers, potstickers The potstickers were a great way to begin the meal, and had a delicious dipping sauce! I got and loved the hot udon - the broth was super rich and delicious, and I would probably just order it on its own in the future. The fried tempura was just okay, though. My friend's portobello stackers were also kind of weird. The dipping sauce was cold, and very sweet and very sour. She dipped them in the potsticker dipping sauce instead. Overall, 5 stars because amazing udon, and because everything on the menu is vegan!! read more

Lovely as always. Went today and ordered several dishes. The presentation of the food is wonderful, even when you order take out. I was also very happily surprised to see a free piece of vegan chocolate cake! A nice treat for the holidays. read more

Wednesday, 1:30PM. I LOVE SUSHI. Seafood is one of the major reasons why I haven't completely turned vegetarian. Cha-Ya best be bringing it if it's supposed to satisfy my sushi craving. Went with a homegirl and we went ba-llll-istic on vegan/vegetarian grub. +Plenty of vegan options +High quality ingredients, flavorful dishes - Small venue, and even for Berkeley, squished seating - Pricey for amount of food Vegggged out on: 1. Eggplant madness, with Miso paste +Miso is really concentrated but sweet, works great as a topping here 2. Cha-ya roll +Tempura is light, flaky...has that fried goodness sans grease 3. Vegan roll +Fresh veggies, garden aroma with each bite 4. Sansai noodles +Broth is ridiculously good: not too sweet and not too salty And then...? I'll stick with non-sushi items. Noodles with broth kicked rear! Too pricey for the amount of food though...this phatty needs to eat. For omnivores, bring your vegetarian/vegan friends here but don't be prepared to give up 'real' sushi yet. read more

Cha-Ya - Eggplant Madness - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

They Stayed open late for me and my friend, the staff are super friendly and there is gluten free options with a wide availability of vegan plates. Really sweet staff. Will come again for sure when there is more time to look at the menu as there was so much on offer. It's in a great location with lots around and there is lots of seating not available for larger groups. Only cash!! read more

Cha-Ya - Some sort of gluten free soup? - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love Cha-ya! The salad with shredded radish, cucumber, carrot and topped with edamame and sunflower seeds is SO GOOD. One of the few raw veg dishes that I thoroughly enjoy mouthfuls of. The veggie tempura sticks were incredible, and the cucumber roll was my fav. read more

The menu at this restaurant looked so amazing: so many creative twists on Japanese and vegetarian dining. The Agedashi Tofu ( Deep- Fried Tofu) was essentially a soup of four large pieces of tofu with some hijiki seaweed; it wasn't very gingery. My friend ordered the Cha-Ya roll, which includes yams and avocados. It was drenched in the "house sauce" and was consequently quite heavy. Interesting taste but not the type of thing you'd want to eat without breaking it up with other flavors. I got the Taku-Sui, which was a flavorless broth with minimal noodles. It does have a lot of vegetables in it, so it felt healthy. But it wasn't what I expected. It took a long time to get more water and to get the bill. I liked the atmosphere and smallness of the restaurant. One can watch her sushi being made, too. If I were to come here again, I'd totally try anything but what I ordered this past time. read more

"100% vegan/vegetarian" Simple house miso soup soothes the soul, restores my current, swollen throat. Basic ambiance, nothing special. Food is reliably decent or good, not awesome. Soba noodles seem to be gluten-free. I wish the tea was loose leaf. A must for all you vegans or veggies, "healthy" eaters. I see Norton's salt by the cookers; why not use sea salt? I waited over 5 minutes to ask for my bill a second time, and after asking the waitress started a light conversation with the cook staff, pulled something off the shelf and basically waited a while longer doing other things. I don't suggest going here if you are in a hurry or have time restraints, or if so, perhaps saying something would be helpful. Not sure. All in all, I suggest this vegan eatery. Decent prices, interesting vegan rolls. read more

In a word, perfection :D In another word (or trio of words), get the Hangetsu. You won't regret it! This place has the same menu as the San Francisco restaurant of the same name, but the staff is a bit friendlier! I came with a couple of omnivorous friends, who were convinced to try this because I had been told that it was related to the San Fran Cha-Ya and related to them the deliciousness that is Hangetsu. One had the Hangetsu (I convinced her really well), and the other had the tempura, and I convinced myself that I needed to try more things on the menu and got the Kinoko soba noodle soup. All were deemed delicious, although the Hangetsu remains my favorite :) I'm really thrilled to find that this exists closer to me than just in the city! And the fact that the restaurant is vegan means I could even bring my picky vegan mother here when she comes to visit and she can literally eat anything off the menu--score! read more

Came here on a Wednesday night. It was about 75% full - a good number for a Wednesday night. I walked in with two friends and stood around awkwardly for 3 minutes or so. There were people making food behind the counter but they didn't even look up to greet us or offer us seating....so we just stood there. One of my friends went up to the lady behind the counter and asked if we could take a seat at one of the empty tables. She said yes, so we did. Then we waited for 5 minutes or so at the table waiting for someone to give us menus or tell us what to do. My friend went up to the counter again and asked if she could take a few menus. I'm not sure what the lady behind the counter said but my friend came back empty handed. We continued to sit for another 2 minutes until a waitress came and gave us menus. We ordered and the food came out in a short time. I ordered a soda (a treat to myself for making it to the middle of the week...don't judge me; I'm a college student) and at first I thought the waitress forgot I ordered one because she didn't come out with it for a while even though she kept walking by our table. This isn't a huge deal, but I really wanted that soda. The food: Both of my friends and I ordered Vegetable noodle soup with tempura. As I said before, the food came out in a timely manner. I got udon noodles and they were pretty good. I guess I would have liked it better if the noodles were thicker and softer (mine were almost a soba noodle consistency ... thinner and not that chewy), but they were yummy nonetheless. 4.5/5! I would give the tempura 3.5/5. In terms of taste, it was really good, but too oily. Also, the crunchy outside turned soggy neat the end of my meal so that was a disappointment. However, I'm really impressed this was vegan!!!!!! I left satisfied with my meal but I guess I was hoping for more. NOTE: cash only!!! and this place is pricey for a college student/japanese place. I paid $15 including tax and tip for my meal read more

Everything tastes so FRESH!. Usually at the end of eating fried and heavy dishes like tempura and curry, I can feel the salt and oil with each bite, but this restaurant manages to keep the meal refreshing while still keeping the flavor and texture. If this is any indication, even their rice eaten alone tastes really delicious and nice. You can tell that detail and thought are being put into each part of the dishes! read more

Cha-Ya - tempura and soba noodles and curry - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Really enjoy this place. Quality food, quick service, great ambiance. And allllllll vegan! So happy. Have such a huge menu to choose from. Curry noodle soup is great, all the rolls are great, the cold broccolini with seasame is awesome, tempura, beeeeer, but I don't care for all the sake's. We had hot sake last time and I didn't like it too much. Cash only, be prepared for that. And they won't split up the bill for you (so it says on the menu, maybe they will?) read more

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I came here with Clara a few months ago. After reading all of the raving reviews, we were really excited. It was raining that day but that didn't dampen my spirits. The place was crowded but we got seated pretty easily. This place is really small and the decor leaves something to be desired, but hey it's Berkeley. I'm definitely an omnivore and I can appreciate the meatless meal. But Clara and I both looked at each other like we were totally missing something. The presentation was good but the flavors either were too strong or were lacking. No I'm not complaining that there was no beef or pork flavors. The sauces tasted too gingery or sugary or some things were simply bland. It's an interesting place and overall people seem to like it. But it seems a little pricey for what you're getting. You should definitely try it out, but go in with tempered expectations. read more

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Cute little place but seating is a little limited. Service was kind of slow. But the food! Things are expensive but you can't know how long it's been since I've had tempura. I would personally opt out on the sushi and get a noodle dish instead. So flavorful and worth it. Definitely going back! read more

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I love Japanese food and to find a Japanese restaurant that is vegetarian/vegan to suit my parents and relatives that were visiting out of town was quite unique. So, of course my sisters and I had to take them there and try it. Since we had a party of 12, we made reservations even though they were a bit reluctant to give it to us because they don't take reservations. Somehow we were able to do so. It's also CASH ONLY, credit cards are not accepted even for bigger parties. The service was average. Not as attentive in removing the empty dishes on the tables and refilling our water. I don't understand why not though because it is a small restaurant. When we ordered the food, we ordered it by number (like #13-dengaku). We just said #13 because it seemed confusing for the waitress and for us. When the food came out, they announced the dish in Japanese, but our party didn't remember the dish's name, other then the number and some of the dishes that came out didn't seem like what they ordered. It was quite confusing! As for the food, we had many dishes, salads, and rolls. I would have to say all their special rolls were a good (big) size and they were pretty tasty. I don't remember one of the salad's names (it was like shredded vegetables with white vinegar I believe), but that lacked taste. I just wanted to add either salt or the other salad dressing on top. I wasn't able to try all the other 11 dishes that people ordered, but the food looked very healthy! My eggplant and tofu was ok. The miso sauce on top of these two were a bit thick and strong. I think if the miso sauce was a bit thinner, it would be better. Or I would have liked to have my tofu with miso and the eggplant with another sauce, so there could be more than one taste on the plate. Overall, I think it's pretty healthy. I would come here again and try some more dishes, but I would also like to see more from them. I think this place has so much more potential than what it's now. read more

CASH ONLY. Considering that this is a vegan restaurant, it is pretty good. However, even though I don't consider myself a meat-lover, after eating here I firmly believe that vegetables are good, but with a little meat they would've tasted even better. * Curry soba: really great curry flavor * Cha-Ya roll: good - fried tempura-style sushi roll with yam, ginger, and some other vegetables that I forgot. * Vegan sukiyaki: decent but not great... try something else. * Agedashi tofu: decent Service was not great - too slow. Don't eat here unless you have time for a leisurely meal. Be prepared to wait at dinnertime. There's a sign-in sheet. We went around 7:30pm on a Monday, and we waited 20+ min for a table for 4. read more

We had the special set menu which was two dishes plus a miso and a salad. For the dishes we had Hangetsu and the Vegan Sukiyaki. The Hangetsu was a deep fried portobello mushroom with tofu with a Kiwi sauce. Wow, it was substantial and delicious. The Sukiyaki was very good too and the combination made for a satisfying meal. Not a very fancy interior but pleasant enough. Worth checking out for a quick bite. read more

I love the food here, it is reasonably priced and keeps me warm on chilly Berkeley days.

We went to Cha-Ya tonight and were very excited to find a place that has vegan and vegetarian options. Looking at the menu guessed there will be sesame seed in some of the food they make Asked our server before ordering if they could keep an eye on the ingredients and watch out for any sesame seeds or sesame oil as one of us is deathly allergic to it... Our waitress assured us that there will be no sesame seeds/oil in any of our food since we were all sharing... 3 out of 4 of our food came first and when finally our last food came in to the table we were all done with our food and my friend found so many seeds in the food :-| When brought to the waitress attention she acted very annoyed and careless and then let us know that there is no way they could separate the seed from the food and that probably there are seeds left on the cutting board... We are very disappointed and upset for the fact that they could've let us know from the beginning so we could decide about staying or leaving before ordering so then we wouldn't have to deal with my friend allergies and having to go to ER ( apparently the food we also shared had sesame seeds in it ) Overall, the only roll that was tasty was the #40 and the rest were very tasteless The service was below average and the waitress was forgetful... we ordered extra ginger and we never received it and we waited for the bill for over 20 mins Very disappointed- won't come back to this place ever again... read more

One of the best vegan restaurants in The Bay. Warm atmosphere, good food kind people.

Cha-Ya is an East Bay staple for not only for vegans/vegetarians, but for all types of diets. They've been cranking out some great food for a long time (I've been going there for at least a decade). Quality of the food has been consistent for all that time and me and my family and friends feel great supporting them. Highly recommend you try them out if you haven't already. What Shattuck roll is a must!! read more

Best in Berkeley incredible service always so yummy! I always get the Cha-Ya roll and my partner gets the veggie tofu curry with soba noodles and it hits every time. It's comfort food tbh. read more

Have been to this restaurant in both the SF and Berkeley locations and never been disappointed. The menu offers a large variety of vegetarian options and each item we have ordered has been consistently good (and i have been going over the last few years). One of my favorite Japanese restuarants. Just wish there was one in the south bay. read more

Thee BEST vegan Japanese in the Bay Area!! EVERYTHING single thing on the menu is delicious! And yesss, Ive tried it all! Plus, the food is truly restorative and revitalizing! Enjoy!!! read more

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if i could eat here every day i might be vegan. however, it's kind of pricey and they're cash only. everything is so pretty and delicious i lov this place with all my heart soba salad - 10/10 gorgeous amazing. really strong sesame oil flavor with assorted vegetables. also i've never had a salad in which strawberry makes sense and tastes soooooo good hot soba - 10/10 broth is very tasty. this is a comforting dish. i always add kitsune(tofu pouch that's used in inari) vegetable tempura - 10/10 standard, good vegetable choices nabe - 8.5/10 read more

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Their soups are hearty and filling and the rolls taste light and fresh. Good quality ingredients and one of my favorite Japanese Vegetarian restaurants in the area. Cash only. read more

What a treat to find a Japanese restaurant for vegetarians. The food is fresh and delicious with all the subtle and complex flavors you'd find in non-vegetarian Japanese cusine. read more

This is very clean, healthy-tasting vegan Japanese food. The miso soup is excellent, and so is the brown rice, so your basics are covered. Vegetables have always been cooked just right. I like the bowls of things here--such as the Cha-Ya bowl or a soup--since they are very filling. The soup with gyoza in it is a little odd because it's a challenge getting the gyoza out of the broth without breaking the delicate little thing. But maybe that's a skill thing and not a restaurant-side problem. The food is simple, but well-presented in a cozy, "intimate" setting. The prices are reasonable for what it is, though I wouldn't go every week. (Since it's in my neighborhood, I pass by almost daily.) read more

Cha-Ya is a lot like Berkeley Bowl. It is one of those places, that is absolutely wonderful. But it is so crowded, and so hard to get in that you avoid going. Obviously, it's crowded for a reason. And unexpectedly that reason has little to do with it being vegetarian. Neither I nor my wife are vegetarians. The thought of being a vegetarian makes me shudder. Yet, I love the food at Cha-Ya. Call me an open minded omnivore. I am still amazed at the depth of flavor they were able to coax out of broth without using bonito flakes. Amazed. And I am still haunted by the memory of those delicious cold greens drizzled with peanut sauce and sesame seeds. Possibly my favorite vegetable dish at ANY restaurant. Their fried things are fun. And well fried. I don't know why people can't seem to see beyond the fried offerings. Unfortunate for them. Myself, I am kinda opposed to veggie sushi on principle. So we all have our issues. But none of this matters. Because it's impossible to get in. And once you are in, it's cramped. And if you have any heart at all, you feel terrible for the poor souls outside, hungrily eying your teeny tiny table from behind the glass. read more

Despite mixed reviews, my healthy side beckoned and I made my way out to see what vegetarian Japanese is like =D My bro and I ordered the Dengaku (eggplant, grilled portobello mushroom, and braised tofu with miso glaze), Soba Sushi, and Sansai Soba. They were all very tasty and I especially liked my Dengaku as the glaze gave each part just the right amount of flavor. The veggie sushi was a nice change of pace and better than I expected. In the end though, I can only give Cha-Ya 3 stars as the price is just too much for the amount of food even for healthy eaters like myself. The bill came out to just under $20 a person and there's no doubt I'd take quality sashimi over this in a heartbeat XD read more

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Not too bad for a purely vegetarian Japanese restaurant. Cha-Ya is definitely at home in Berkeley. I had passed by it innumerable times, but as skeptical omnivore it did not pique my interest. I actually ended up trying it by accident. It was late and I did not see the sign. Somehow we ended up thinking it must be a new restaurant that did not have a sign up yet and decided to give it a go. Despite our initial mistake, I am glad we tried Cha-Ya, as it was an overall positive experience. I enjoy vegetarian dishes, but definitely prefer dishes that were initially conceived without meat, than those that try to find substitutes for it. Instead of trying 'vegetarian nigiri' we decided to try some cold and hot noodle dishes. The tofu pocket udon soup had a very good and authentic flavor. The vegetable tempura with cold soba buckwheat noodles was adequate, but had some issues. Ironically the most disappointing component of the meal was the vegetable tempura. The batter was heavy and doughy instead of light and crispy. The vegetable pieces were also thickly and roughly chopped. I considered getting dessert, but the vegan ice cream did not really seem worth it. Service was attentive and friendly. Cash only (might be temporary) was annoying though. I was surprised thought at how pricey some of the items on the menu were, especially some of the appetizers and combination dinners. Overall, I had a satisfying meal and recommend it if you are vegetarian and feel like some Japanese noodles. . read more

We love this place! Miso soup is the best, and lots of gluten free options. We order through Uber Eats usually, but it's a nice local spot to dine in as well. read more

A great vegan spot in Berkeley! I love my meat but I definitely didn't miss it during my visit. My poor friend who happens to be vegan suffers every time we go to a regular restaurant that has limited to no vegan options for herself. We decided to go to a vegan place that has obviously way more options for her to enjoy. This Japanese vegan/vegetarian place in Berkeley looked right up everyone's alley! There was a wide variety of rolls and different dishes one could choose from. I chose to get the Mushroom medley bowl with udon noodles. The broth was so refreshing and surprisingly light. The udon noodles were cooked perfectly and it hit the spot on a cold, rainy night. My friend order the gyoza, and I was so so happy with these. I thought the dish would suffer without any meat(I love pork gyoza), but honestly, the dumplings were fantastic despite that. I was impressed with how good they were. As for dessert, we ordered the deep fried banana dessert and the mochi in a red bean sauce, which was a nice way to end the meal. Both desserts weren't overly sweet. This place is cash only but if you forget your cash, they do have an ATM in the restaurant. Smart. Street parking only which can get tough on Shattuck during peak times. read more