I always feel so healthily satisfied after I go here. I usually go around lunch time on my breaks from class and though it can get rather congested in there, I've always gotten a seat and have never waited too long for my food. I usually get the agedashi tofu or the vegan rolls, both dishes which I think are brilliant. The first time I went there I had one of their soba noodle soup/dishes, and I wasn't as impressed as I am now that I have explored the menu a bit more. The only thing I get frustrated by are their large sushi rolls. The things are so damn big that I can't get it all in my mouth at once. I just end up looking like an asshole that can't eat sushi right when really it's not my fault. I SWEAR! read more

Yum. I love soba. And they have great soba. Despite waiting for a table for more than an hour, I'm giving this place 5 stars. Maybe I'm being generous, but seriously, the food was so good. Just not the best place to go when everyone else is hungry too. read more

If you want to taste Heaven, then try their avocado rolls. One can't help but close their eyes and purr. Their Curry Udon is like a warm hug - comforting, satisfying, and filled with love. read more

we love coming here as a family and often cannot decide what to order. this results in us ordering WAY TOO MUCH. the moon garden steamed tofu custard is a favorite of the little lady and mine. my son loves the tempura udon. cha-ya roll is a must! often, we feel like the service is lacking. i appreciate that they give us space to order (too much), but pleas don't make me wait 20 minutes to get a check with a kid who's about to tear the art off your walls. read more

My first time here and the menu stated a beautiful entree with potstickers and all. Upon ordering the service was terrible, but i persisted and waited for the food. The line was crossed when the food arrived...potstickers mashed and mixed into a disgusting soup. We explained that this is not what the menu stated and again we got a taste of the terrible service when the owner came and said "what can I do?" Absolutely intolerable! read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE! my favorite resaurant, Cha Ya has some of the best food I have ever eaten at a restaurant! not only are they reasonably priced, especially for japanese food, but they offer a great vegan/vegetarian menu that even a non-vegan, non-vegetarian can love. I always feel more hopeful after eating here. Their food is healthy, clean and elegant and makes you feel like you've just done something good for your body. The place is very small so be prepared to wait, but it is always well worth it! read more

I give it a 5 simply for being completely vegan. I live one block from the berkeley location and have been eating there for a few years. I for one appreciate that they use no fake meat. There is nothing worse to me than going to a vegan or vegetarian restaurant to get something that mimics what I am triyng to get away from and I hate TVP. You have to know what to order though. The Tempura can be alright, but they tend to fry everything and it can get heavy if you order to much. They also seem to use a lot of sugar. I also find the potstickers/gyoza to be nothing worth mentioning. The staff is almost exclusively not japanese since the owner opened the second one in SF. (I have nothing against that, but for someone who speaks japanese its kind of a disappointment.) Some things they do REALLY well though. Of course the miso soup is quite good. I also strongly suggest trying the Full Moon chawan mushi. The sea vegetable salad or sushi roll is also definitely quite delicious. Prices are totally reasonable, but watchout cause lunch is cash only. read more

So nice to eat somewhere and have the run of the menu. Food was delicious, particularly the udon and tempura, but not as spectacular as we hoped. This might be slightly down to our choices as we chose fairly standard rolls. Prices slightly higher than other similar places in the area, but the food quality was a bit better. Our portions were quite generous, unlike other reviewers have indicated. read more

Food was decent. Nothing to write home about though. I'm vegetarian so it wasn't the lack of meat that turned me off. Prices to portion ratio absolutely sucked. 40 dollars later and there was hardly enough food for one person let alone two. I'm not a particularly glutinous eater either. Ordered a sunimono salad, vege tempura, some sort of summer roll and some eggplant thingee (SO FRIKIN TINY). I never understood what it is about some vegetarian places; it seems like cheaper ingredients that are easier to handle and have less overhead would translate to cheaper prices but instead it goes the other way towards gouging. Not sure how they justify the prices. Anyway, wont be back, plenty of different vegetarian places that are a better deal, with better food. read more

Great vegan food. We had a bunch of sushi rolls and the tempura roll was by far my favorite. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes. I would highly recommend this to anyone. The only side note would be to be sure and get your name on the waiting/reservation list swiftly. I made the mistake of standing there for awhile before realizing there was a list. read more

Wow! So many delicious vegetarian options to choose from. The Soba salad has a wonderful mix of veggies and is quite pretty too. Cha-Ya is definitely worth checking out (though I might give a slight edge to Shizen (a nearby vegan sushi bar). read more

One of the best Japanese, vegan or not, in the Bay Area. I've not had anything that wasn't fantastic (props to any place that makes natto appetizing). The tempura skewers with avocado and almond sauce is hands down my favorite. I don't believe it's on the regular menu, but it's posted on the wall with many other "specials". read more

This place makes me consider becoming a vegan. The tofu is the best I've ever tasted. Yes, you will wait to get in. But, boy, is it worth it! Everyone I've taken here has loved it. read more

Solid all veggie food... the flavors don't stand out dramatically but it was enjoyable and I would return. The tempurafied rolls are excellent with the sauce. read more

with all the good eats in berkeley, i almost felt like i wasted a meal here. go with cheeseboard pizza instead, for something to write home about. read more

some of the best, most inventive vegetarian around. always full, and very small, but very much worth the inevitable wait! read more

Vegan sushi almost seems like an oxymoron but I completely forget that the restaurant is vegan once I start chowing down. The food is so delicious and unique, I'm always tempted to over order. read more

Really tasty food! It's pretty unique (i've never seen anything else like it) and it's a good deal. Everything comes out really hot when it's supposed to. Deep fried things come out perfectly fried, which they must be well practiced at cuz practically everything is fried, which is why i took away one star. The sauces that come with each order is distinct, so you don't dip everything in soy sauce, which i always thought was dumb cuz then everything tastes the same. And it's a great place for a first date ;) read more

In a rush for a concert at the Greek Theater, I stepped in for a quick bite. My partner and I both got udon noodles: curry and vegetable tempura. The soups were really savory, Japanese comfort food. I hated eating so quickly because I really wanted to savor the flavors. I'd totally go back to explore the rest of the menu. read more

The first time I've had "vegetarian Japanese food"! I came here for lunch with a friend, so everything was definitely fairly priced (although judging from the other reviews, it seems like dinner is more pricey). Each meal comes with rice and really good miso soup, and it only cost me about $9. I got the sukiyaki (vegetable and noodle soup) but there were BARELY any noodles. In any case, the veggies were really delicious, as was the soup base. The presentation on everything is amazing, and service is okay too. I want to come back for dinner so I can try the soba salad that everyone has been talking about! read more

Very crowded and very small, which adds to the charm of the place. Very delicious vegan food that presents the healthiest, freshest side of japanese cuisine. read more

OMG! This place is the best vegan restaurant on earth. I'mnot even a vegan...but, my best friend is and so is his girl friend... so I've done my rounds... in any case, Cha-Ya is a great place to eat for any meat-eaters and carnivores alike! I love the desserts and the appetizers are always delicious. My only qualm with this place is the serving sizes but the prices are still reasonable even when you account for the number of courses each person will consume... I think this is a great place to bring a date or a close friend. The intimate yet friendly atmoshpere coupled with the interesting selections will defnitely make you la real find (like this restaurant)!! read more

Vegan Japanese food that's hearty and delicious, with lots of offerings besides sushi. It is a tiny place and chances are you'll have to wait outside for a table, but it's worth it. Just don't come with a large party, because their tables only seat up to four. And definitely try the dessert! The soy sundae with green tea sauce is amazing -- I've never had such a delicious non-dairy frozen treat. The red bean (azuki) and mochi is also great if you want a warm dessert. read more

Food was very good. I was with a group of people and I didn't notice the quality of service --- too busy chatting. Place is small.

I met up with a friend who goes to school out there. He wanted to try this place because he said he always passes by here and it is always packed. When he told me it was vegan japanese I was curious on how extensive the menu could actually be. Well for all the vegans/vegetarians out there this place will not disappoint on the amount of selections available. I honestly dont remember the names of the stuff that I ordered. They do provide descriptions but alot of it I am unfamiliar with. The dinner combo is a bit pricey at around $18 but it does leave you stuffed. It comes with 2 entrees, rice, miso soup, and sunomono. I ordered the combo with sukiyaki of some sort and a portabello mushroom and tofu dish that is cooked tempura style. The broth in the sukiyaki is very flavorful. It a came with clear noodles and a ton of vegetables and soft tofu. I only wish they had some chili sauce that I could add to provide another layer of flavor. The mushroom-tofu dish was good too. It comes with a kiwi sauce. I dont really think it complimented the dish all that much. It really just tasted like kiwi. I would prefer some other type of sauce to go along side it. My friend ordered (I think it was called) a Cha-Ya sushi roll. It is deep fried tempura style. That is a definite recommend. The downside is the size of the place. It is really cramped and since it is such a popular place it fills up quickly and they is normally a bit of a wait. With only another waiting in front of us it was like a 10-15 minutes wait. The wait was for a table. When we got there there was an opening for the bar but we passed. I dont like being THAT close to strangers when im eating my meal. Plus the range of me and my friends conversations is sure to offend someone that happens to ear hustle what we're talking about. read more

My vegan friends were visiting out of town, and I had been wanting an excuse to try out this place. We waited forever and ever to get in. Make sure you have reservations, because it's such a small restaurant and can get filled up really fast. We had some really good curry soba noodles, the soba salad was fresh and interesting, the chaya roll didn't make me miss meat, the tempura was great, and the summer roll was great. We also had some vegan chocolate cake (great icing) and vegan ice cream (amazing sauces), which were yummy! Too bad this place is WAY too expensive for the ingredients they give you. I'd definitely revisit if someone else was paying! read more

Service is consistently quick, food is fresh and delicious. Recommend their seaweed salad and any of the sushi items. I've always been curious about the bracken on the menu but not curious enough to try it.... read more

They have a nice little to-go fridge with decorative rolls at a good price. Cash only though, so sometimes I have to skip it.

Has a bowl of soup and some tofu at cha-ya. Service is OK, somewhat inattentive. Food is good, clean tasting. However it really didn't "wow" me. A great option for non meat eating people craving Japanese food, but otherwise I'd rather go elsewhere. read more

I really wanted to like this place because I love vegan japanese spots and am always excited to see how chefs use technique, simplicity, and care to bring out the best in vegetables. I was a bit disappointed because the simplicity of the dishes did not highlight the veggies in the meal and the textures and flavors were not complementary. My boyfriend and I split the miso-glazed baked eggplant/mushroom/ tofu and the dumpling soup lunch specials. The miso-glazed mushroom was wonderful but the tofu and eggplant were only okay, and since the miso glaze was very sweet and used used for all three items, the dish felt overwhelmingly sweet by the end. I wish there were other flavors in the plate to cut the sweetness. The eggplant texture was too firm, and while it wasn't bitter, it definitely seemed undercooked. We were really disappointed with the soup, which the waitress recommended. The broccoli was cooked too long in the broth and it gave the soup a really sulfury taste. Instead of a veggie broth, it seemed like used water from a vegetable blanch :( the dumplings were also a bit dissapointing in that they were essentially limp pieces of noodles with 1/8 a teaspoon of filling. This place is cute but I don't think I could recommend it, based on the dishes we had. read more

This place seats 17 people I believe and does not take reservations so you will have to wait to get in after you arrive. 100% vegan japanese cuisine. The presentation and service are impeccable, and everything I've tried has been delicious. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants ever. read more

Most delicious vegetarian I have had in a long time. You forget you are eating vegetarian. My husbands tempura was a wee bit small of a portion, though it was extra tasty. I had an extrememly memorable soup. Wish I could remember the name... the wait is long, but the taste is worth it! We always try to come on a rainy night. Then, the soup is extra warming, and the crowds are down. read more

I'm a solid Carnivore, but I have to say, this is my favorite restaraunt in the East Bay. The food is light, beautiful, flavorful, and fantastic. To see a tower of tempura vegetables come out with an almond butter saurce is a wonderful thing. This place just exudes health, while giving nothing away on flavor and presentation. Sushi: Excellent! Noodles: Excellent! Specials: Wonderful! The seating is tight, and the people can tend to the more eccentric of Berkley locals, but just go there and enjoy. read more

Yes, this restaurant is very healthy and the food is very fresh. However, there is definately still a trade-off for the healthiness. I got the Tako-sui and the cha-ya delight and although I was very happy with the abundance of vegetables and color, it was on the bland side. It was also pretty expensive for the portion. Seeing all the rave reviews for this place, however, makes me want to give it another try. Maybe next time I'll order the moon garden. read more

I love this place - delicious vegetarian Japanese food. Maybe my favorite restaurant in the East Bay. The ingredients always seem fresh and I get stuffed every time. Get there a little early and you won't have a long wait. read more

How many vegetairan Japanese you can find in the bay area? Cha-Ya will be qualify as top five for sure:) I like the fact it's small and cozy, which retain the origianl atmosphere of Japanese 居酒屋 (the berkeley branch). Food is great, I esp. like their soup and eggplant dishes. read more

I still prefer sushi with fresh fish, but this is definitely a good and Berkeley-an experience! I had the eggplant roll, cha-ya roll, silver noodle soup, and tempura ice cream that did not disappoint. It is cozy, so I suggest you get there before the rush comes in. read more

It's always busy here so there is usually a wait but as a vegetarian it's nice to have so much variety in sushi. Meat eaters might be a bit skeptical but it's good. Go see for yourself. read more

This place is the Zen food movement! I have never had a bad thing to eat here. It just came to my attention that there is another location on Velancia in SF. I can only believe it has serious potential to be the winner that this location is. read more

Went here for a change of pace after a long and stressful, busy but ultimately positive week. In celebrating the end of a tough week we all shuffled into the small resatuarant of Cha-Ya and were blown away by the excellent, flavorful and healthy, yes tastes good and is good for you, cuisine. My favorite was the Cha Ya roll, but everything we had was excellent, artfully presented and very tasty! I can't wait to go back. What keeps this from a five star experience? Cramped Quarters. I'm a tall guy and the right side of the restaurant should be off limits to tall people, it's small and cramped. Stay at the four tops if you are over 6'2". Secondly, because our table was so small it was hard to coordinate the food and much of it came quickly which made us feel a bit hurried. Two minor and correctable complaints so they're not keeping me from coming back. Last comment is something to consider which is pricing. The menu is priced very similarly to a regular sushi restaurant yet there is no fish because it is vegetarian. While the food is wonderful it tells me that thte mark up is substantial and you can easily spend over $20 per person. The meal is wonderful so this is more of a warning for folks who have an issue spending this much for a vegetarian meal. read more