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    Cha-Ya San Francisco

    4.0 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 8:45 PM
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order Cha-Ya San Francisco Takeout or Delivery

    Cha-Ya San Francisco Photos

    Business Info

    CHA-YA SAN FRANCISCO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Cha-Ya San Francisco

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    Julianna M.

    We came here on a Wednesday evening around 6:30pm and we were seated right away. The place was decently busy for a Wednesday evening. The place is also very cute with nice decor. I ordered the Takusui which is a hotpot. I didn't think the food was anything special, just a regular hotpot dish you could make at home. Service was great!

    Gyoza
    Emily R.

    Went here on a Wednesday at 5:00 for dinner. The restaurant was pretty empty when we first got there but full by the end. Good atmosphere and the servers were very nice. The food came out quickly and was piping hot. The price of the happy hour is also great. I got the three dishes for myself and ended up being too full to finish everything. The food was good. Nice and comforting. I did feel like it could have a bit more flavor overall and nothing was a stand out to me. Definitely worth it for the happy hour price though.

    Menu
    Anusha S.

    As a vegetarian, I was very excited to try a restaurant dedicated to vegetarian Japanese food! Visited Cha-ya on a Sunday around 7pm as a group of 5 without a reservation. Was able to get seated quickly but the tables were close together, making it feel a little cramped. Our waitress highly recommended the spicy eggplant roll so we got that to share and then we each got the vege-tofu curry. We asked if we could take our food to go, and the restaurant graciously accommodated. Spicy eggplant roll (3.5/5): Flavor wise, it was pretty good although very simple! Not very spicy either. I don't think it's worth $12 for this. There are only 6 pieces and $2 for a little bit of eggplant and rice seems rather expensive. Vege-tofu curry (3/5): The udon noodles were overcooked and somewhat mushy. The broth had a subtle curry flavor to it, but could have used more seasoning/salt so we ended up adding soy sauce and sriracha and that definitely helped. I liked the vegetables (cauliflower, mushroom, broccoli, etc.) - they tasted very fresh. Overall, the meal felt clean and healthy and the service was good, however, I probably wouldn't return to Cha-ya as the flavors and value didn't quite match the price.

    curry noodle soup
    Isha P.

    Cha-ya is a solid choice for vegetarian and vegan dining, with plenty of creative sushi options. The curry noodle soup was the standout for me--rich, flavorful, and perfect for a simple weeknight meal.

    Kobucha roll
    Lanya L.

    Came here on a Saturday, it was decently busy. Ordered from the happy hour menu, which is 3 items for $20. Got the cha-ya roll, agedashi tofu, and gyoza. Would pass on the tofu and cha-ya roll if I came again, but the gyoza was good. The tofu was too firm, and lacked flavor. The cha-ya roll tasted fried & sweet. Also ordered the kobucha roll and it was pretty fried, didn't have a lot of flavor except for the sweet sauce on top.

    nikki p.

    rainy night in sf healed by the warmth of a homemade broth of a savory soup of a silent room filled with dear friends and a lovely front of house and strangers with peculiar stories passing in and out.

    Reese B.

    Cha-Ya is my favorite regular vegan spot in SF. Their happy hour menu is such a great deal and allows for a nice sampling of food without having to over order. We love the kitsune udon (especially on cold days), the sushi rolls, the broccoli, and the gyoza. So delicious and fresh! The service is always kind and quick and the restaurant is so cozy. Love it here!

    3x Happy Hour Meals, Eggplant Roll, and Miso Soup.
    Bryan A.

    So happy to find this place. Happy Hour was great, 5-6pm. Our favorite was the eggplant roll. The Cha-Ya roll was also very good if you prefer a fried tempura roll. Staff was very kind, accommodating, and helpful.

    Sukiyaki
    Sophia L.

    This is a cozy Japanese restaurant with a vegetarian Japanese menu. The assortment of vegetables in the sukiyaki was delicious and visually appealing! My husband enjoyed the broth in the soba noodles with mountain vegetables. Highly recommend the vegetable tempura as it comes piping hot to your table and all the vegetables are fresh and crisp. The service was great as well. We tried a sake pairing and the waitress was nice enough to also recommend another dry sake for us to try.

    yasai veggie medley soup (udon)
    Eden C.

    delightful food & such a cute spot! wandered in on a saturday afternoon and immediately got a table + hh menu. we did a hh combo with chaya roll, gyoza, and agedashi tofu. the gyoza were well seasoned but tasted clean & simple (a theme here). i completely forgot Cha Ya was vegetarian because the gyoza tasted like they had pork or some other meat! The agedashi tofu was good but not great-- I personally like a chewier crust/skin and a milder sauce. the bottom sauce was a bit salty for my taste. The Cha Ya roll was also good-- it's a warm sushi roll, more like a tempura rice roll than sushi? Delicious in its own right, but the rice was a little mushed for my liking. i LOVED the veggie medley udon. it was just what i was hoping for-- something warm, savory, clean, and comforting. the broth was rich with flavor but not heavy at all, and the veggies were all perfect in the soup. the udon was a slightly thinner and softer noodle which I still enjoyed. we did get rushed a bit to leave as I think they were closing before dinner, but overall, I'll definitely be going again.

    Salad was refreshing and flavorful. They know how to prepare veggies here.

    Just go there! 3 items for the happy hour for $20. A REALLY nice sake for $6. A wonderful vibe and DELICIOUS food. Sweet as anyone folks work there. I've been going for years and never had a miss. My favorite used to be the Cha-Ya bowl but tonight it was the Cha-Ya roll. Going back again soon.

    agedashi tofu
    Ash J.

    A great place for vegetarian Japanese cuisine! Shizen is another well known spot but they only focus on (amazing) sushi. Cha-ya has sushi too, and many more options including soups, salads, and noodles. I ordered the kinoko miso soup and the lunch special (in particular the cha ya specialty sushi roll, agedashi tofu, and miso soup). The kinoko moso soup was full of umami with 3 or 4 different types of mushrooms including portobello. The agedashi tofu was nicely crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The cha ya roll wasn't as flavorful as I had hoped, so for vegetarian sushi I prefer Au Sushi or Shizen. But next time I'll try some more rolls at Cha-ya as the rest of the food was good! The service was excellent and the ambiance is nice and cozy. The prices are also reasonable for downtown sf - the lunch special for example was ~$15 but had a good amount of food.

    Soba Salad
    Rachel V.

    Everything we had was soooo good, truly really amazing and fully vegan food. Everything tasted very flavorful, hearty, and you knew it was all so good for you while eating it. The women the run the shop are the sweetest ever. It's really rare to find such affordable, tasty, and healthy food all in one. 10/10!

    Agedashi Tofu, Soba Salad, Spicy Eggplant Roll, Vege - Tofu Curry w/ udon

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    1 year ago

    there's happy hours menu for $20 which has three items. really economic and authentic and I would totally recommend.

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    Great food (not overly salted), clean and open but not loud ambiance, slow service, nightmarish parking

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    Cha-Ya San Francisco Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cha-Ya San Francisco

    I see that they don't take reservations. What is the average wait tine for dinner on a Saturday night?

    It's not bad and well worth waiting for. Best home cooked Japanese food this side of the Pacific. Honest and flavorful. Family owned. Go wait.

    Does the tofu contain any calcium sulfate (aka gypsum)? Or is it made with magnesium chloride or nigari?

    Did they recently change their hours? I thought they were open for lunch.

    Only on weekends

    View All 5 Questions

    Healthyish Republic - Healthyish Mediterranean Menu

    Healthyish Republic

    4.5(201 reviews)
    0.8 miMission
    $$
    Healthy dining
    LGBTQ friendly

    I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, it was a disappointment. I ordered takeout,…read moreand when I arrived, my food was ready on time. The restaurant itself made a great first impression. It was clean, organized, and even had a nice little area set up for social media photos. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the presentation. I ordered the Mediterranean Bowl with Greek chicken. The chicken was dry, and it was obvious the seasoning had been sprinkled on after it was cooked instead of being cooked into the meat. I also ordered the Brussels sprouts and fried cauliflower. The Brussels sprouts looked perfectly crispy, which is exactly how they should have been, but they were soft and soggy instead. To make matters worse, the sauce was packed inside the same container, so the steam made them even soggier while also heating the small plastic sauce container inside. The fried cauliflower was equally disappointing. It looked crispy because of its golden brown color, but there wasn't a bit of crunch. Instead, it was oddly firm, almost al dente, making it feel more undercooked than fried. I also tried the garlic chicken soup, expecting something similar to Avgolemono. Instead, it was a thin, watered down broth with the same dry chicken pieces from the Mediterranean Bowl tossed in. The pita bread served with it was honestly the worst part of the meal and the only thing I threw away. Nothing was completely inedible, but for more than $60 worth of takeout, I expected food that matched the clean, inviting atmosphere of the restaurant. Sadly, this experience fell well short of that, and it's not a place I'll be returning to.

    I visited this restaurant during one of the events on 24th street. My family wasn't in mood for…read moreMexican food that day - so Turkish seemed like a great alternative. Definitely liked the interior and the staff was nice. As for the food - got a bit disappointed by the options we've picked. The egg with Soujouk was too spicy and the vegan beyond burger caused stomach upset for my husband. The guacamole with pita we took for our daughter was good. Maybe it was not the best choice of foods but we're not going back soon.

    Photos
    Healthyish Republic - Keto & Gluten Free Zoodle

    Keto & Gluten Free Zoodle

    Healthyish Republic - Healthyish Keto Bowls

    Healthyish Keto Bowls

    Healthyish Republic - Healthyish Vegan Burger

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    Healthyish Vegan Burger

    Taishoken San Francisco

    Taishoken San Francisco

    4.5(633 reviews)
    0.1 miMission
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Vegetarian friendly

    Took young adult kids to dinner at Taishoken (I had a sore throat so ramen sounded good). Used Yelp…read morewaitlist to make a "reservation" and were seated within ten minutes of arrival. Cute restaurant, great service, seemed like very authentic Japanese decor. We did not find it hard to hold conversation among the four of us seated in the middle of the restaurant. Chicken karaage, 5 pieces - 5/5, large pieces of fried chicken yum! with dipping sauce Agedashi Tofu - 5/5, lightly fried tofu (says deep fried but there's hardly a crust on the silky soft tofu), came with a generous amount of shiitake and shimeiji mushrooms, in a light broth. It came out after our ramen so unfortunately I did not taste it without having already tried the spicy miso broth Tonkotsu Spicy Miso Ramen - 5/5, excellent broth, noodles (straight white thin noodles) perfectly cooked, came with two generous thick slices of tasty roast pork chashu, a warm soft boiled egg (sometimes ramen places give you a cold egg, I don't like that!), green onion, bamboo shoots. I opted for no red onion because that just seemed weird to me. Just the right level of spice and made my throat feel great! I look forward to going back next time I'm visiting the kids in the Mission!

    came back again before i left the city-- so sad to go. we loved it just as much as the first time…read more still would absolutely recommend going to anyone who enjoys a good, hearty bowl of ramen. this time i tried the ginger lime cocktail with shochu. loved it. thank you taishoken for another great experience.

    Photos
    Taishoken San Francisco - Noodle

    Noodle

    Taishoken San Francisco - Fried Cauliflower   Saikyo miso glaze with mala chili sauce.

    Fried Cauliflower Saikyo miso glaze with mala chili sauce.

    Taishoken San Francisco - Sake Flights

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    Sake Flights

    Base Camp - Pork Belly Bhutuwa w/ chili powder, masala, and ginger-garlic paste | $13

    Base Camp

    4.5(418 reviews)
    0.4 miMission
    $$

    Candidly, I don't eat Nepalese food very often, save for the occasional momo, so unsure if I'm a…read morequalified reviewer in this domain. Regardless, Base Camp was awesome and a solid restaurant in the Mission. My friend and I arrived impromptu on a Monday night, surprised to see a crowded house; luckily, we snagged a table in the corner. We ordered the tandoori octopus, pork belly bhutwa, and goat curry which were all good. The tandoori octopus was fork tender and delicately spiced. The pork belly had vaguely Indian and vaguely Chinese flavor profiles, without lending itself to either side of the fulcrum. Kinda masala mixed with a bit of mala, which makes sense given Nepal's location. The goat curry was the only dish, albeit good, that didn't quite stand out for me. Service is also incredible. Every time a dish arrived, servers graciously explained how best to indulge, a welcomed gesture for this Nepalese novice. Would come again!

    I have now had food from Base Camp three times, so I feel comfortable finally writing this review…read more First of all, I have to say the pork chow mein is the best chow mein I have ever had in the City and perhaps just ever in general. Genuinely. Absolutely perfect. Delicious, well seasoned and with lots of pork. I had to restrain myself from wolfing it all down in one sitting! That said, I also tried one of the curry dishes my first time, and was thoroughly unimpressed. It was bland and I wish it had more spice and texture. I will definitely enjoy the noodle dishes again in the future though! Thanks also appreciate the cute interior, and the vibe is nice if I want to take friends out for a casual evening meal.

    Photos
    Base Camp - Clean bathroom

    Clean bathroom

    Base Camp - Chicken Momo: Minced chicken, chives, onion, sesame oil w/ roasted tomato + soybean sauce | 4 pc - $9

    Chicken Momo: Minced chicken, chives, onion, sesame oil w/ roasted tomato + soybean sauce | 4 pc - $9

    Base Camp - Pork Chow Mein w/ onions, sprouted beans, broccoli, crunchy snap peas | $21

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    Pork Chow Mein w/ onions, sprouted beans, broccoli, crunchy snap peas | $21

    Itria

    Itria

    4.3(451 reviews)
    0.6 miMission

    nice vibe ~ very date nighty…read more * scallop crudo: would order again... good citrus and come w chip garnish * halibut crudo: not as good as scallop but tasted like tomato bev which i liked * rosemary focaccia: nothing special... bread * melanzane a scapece: eggplant dish - actually really liked this cuz it was really crunchy and flavorful and i like eggplant * corn agnolotti: meh it was okay lol i like corn but i don't think this was super good or anything * mafaldine cacio e uova: i didn't even order this. it was my friend's order but it was scrummy and def better than ms corn agnolotti server was amazing tho she was super nice and knowledgeable and accommodating for allergies would go back for cacio e uova

    I was very excited to come here! I originally had a reservation at a different time but they were…read moreeasily able to accommodate an adjustment for us. the vibe is dimly lit, great for a date night. since we had a party of 6, we sat at the communal table towards the back that can oversee the kitchen. although it was a large table that shared space with other parties, it wasn't small or intrusive to our dining experience. a very small gripe I had though was I didn't love the chairs at the table lol. they were heavy and difficult to move. we ordered a few crudos and pastas. we were surprised they did not offer to adjust the portion sizes to accommodate the table. most of the crudos came with 5 or fewer pieces. with exception of the oysters we were not told that beforehand and because of that not everyone was able to try everything. A bit more communication or accommodation would've been appreciated especially for a restaurant at this price point. that being said the standout crudo was the halibut aguachile. I think this was so fresh and the flavor combination is so unique with the sweetness of the stone fruit and the textures from the avocado and the hominy. the amberjack was also delicious too! it had a brightness from the citrus with the watermelon that stepped the dish up to the next level. the pastas were amazing! every pasta was cooked amazingly well and had an incredible bite you'd really only have with freshly made pasta. the orecchiette pesto was bright, not too oily and definitely surprised me as my favorite. the mafaldine cacio e pepe was a close second. the richness from the egg and spiciness of the fresh cracked black pepper was super, not to mention the pasta shape was so whimsical overall the food was spectacular. the dining experience leaves some to be desired. maybe not the best for large parties but for a date night or small party, this place could be a great choice

    Photos
    Itria - Interior

    Interior

    Itria - Glazed Lamb Belly w/ date mostarda, warm panzanella ($45)

    Glazed Lamb Belly w/ date mostarda, warm panzanella ($45)

    Itria - Crochette Di Patate w/ roast pork belly, fermented radish, calabrian chili aioli (3 pc - $25)

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    Crochette Di Patate w/ roast pork belly, fermented radish, calabrian chili aioli (3 pc - $25)

    Cha-Ya San Francisco - japanese - Updated September 2026

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