This restaurant made me want to go veggie... or more likely if I went veggie and came here it would make me feel like an omnivore again! I couldn't believe how much the "peking duck" tasted like... well... real duck. The texture was insanely meat-like. There was even fake "bone" (edible and not actually bone) which pretty much blew my mind. We also got some of the other veggie dishes and really enjoyed those as well. Lots of mushrooms and such. The sauces were a bit too heavy for me to feel really healthy while eating there, but for a slightly healthier alternative to heavy meat-based Chinese food, this was a win. Liked that we could sit outside. Kind of next to a ghetto parking lot but fun to be able to sit with our dog and watch people walk in and out of Baskin Robbins :P read more

This restaurant is awesome! First of all there was another person with a Honda Fit parked right next to me with a vegan sticker on the back. I know that has nothing to do with the restaurant itself but the clientele is amazing! I actually only stopped in because I had a craving for steamed buns. They were delicious. Everyone else's food looked and smelled fabulous. There were quite a few people working there for such a small joint and they were kind of all working on all the tables which made for speedy service. I can't wait to drag the bf there and surprise him with delicious vegan fare. The menu is very long and decently priced. A few things that I can't wait to try... hot and sour soup, dumplings, anything spicy, and steamed buns again. I can't get enough vegan steamed buns! (They were better than Good Karma's buns) read more

If you want great vegan restaurant, try Garden Fresh on Ramona in Palo Alto. I am a meat-eater, but I really enjoyed the soy chicken chow mein and scallion pancakes. Also try the spring rolls which are yummy! Nice hostess, cozy atmosphere, great vegan cuisine :) read more

"Meat"? Blurg.. I dunno. I'm still a little weirded out by vegetarian food, made to look like meat. That's like eating chocolate cake made completely out of black beans. Granted, it may taste similar to chocolate cake, but a little bit like black beans too. I think I'd rather pass on the "meat" and stick with the veggie veggie dishes. read more

This place was okay, nice decor, great arwork on the wall, you can even buy the artwork, The food was alright pretty healthy . Its a good place just probably not really my cup of tea, I don't think I'll be coming back. read more

Despite a vegetarian stint during my teenage years, I'm a firm omnivore. But I'd be happy to eat at Garden Fresh any day. The simple flavors and yummy, crispy textures are great. It's really vegan comfort food. Most carnivores I know agree! If you're stopping by for the first time, I highly recommend you try the Scallion Pancakes appetizer. My whole family really enjoys it. The potstickers are just so-so, not too much flavor there. My husband consistently orders the veggie Sushi (you can order it as an appetizer or entree). Be aware that it's served warm. My favorite entrees include the General's Veggie Chicken (I always ask for broccoli, to make it healthier) and the Crispy Fried Tofu with Minced Vegetables. Neither of these entrees can be classified as health food! I also enjoy the soups included with their lunch entrees. My husband often orders the Kun Pao Eggplant and Roast Duck (but with the orange sauce instead of the brown). The staff at Garden Fresh are always friendly and the food comes out quickly. I believe there is a $20 minimum for credit cards. The Palo Alto and Mountain View locations are similar, so expect good food and service for both. I won't be going veg/vegan anytime soon but I do really appreciate this long-time, local gem in Mountain View. read more

Overwhelming disappointment! We were so excited to try this place because growing up, we both ate a lot of Chinese vegetarian dishes (like vegetarian duck, vegetarian sausage, etc.) and haven't been able to locate a decent Chinese vegetarian place in the Bay Area. We went there this past Sat at 6:30, the restaurant was packed already - so we were excited, clearly a good sign right? Aside from being sat down promptly and the dishes coming out quickly, everything else was thumbs down. We ordered the scallion pancake, the cabbage rolls, and the vegetarian duck. (1) First of all, everything was deep fried! The 'garden fresh vegetarian' with the implication that it is 'healthy' is clearly false. (2) In Chinese vegetarian dishes that I have had in the past, you don't need to deep fry them to make it taste good. Simply tofu skins, with light sauce - lightly pan fried would do the trick. (3) The dishes were flavorless - I love Yelp but this is definitely one place where I thought there is such a big discrepancy between what's on the reviews vs. the actual performance of the restaurant. We will never go back. read more

Apparently, I really AM a fan because I just keep coming back! Location and vegan menu options are what gain them points in my book....of points. ;-) Plus, they prepare your takeout order within 10 minutes, usually. The dinner menu is expensive, but it lasts you two meals. Their spicy level "HOT" is not, so go for it. I love fake meat!! Guilt-free! Fav menu items: Kung Pao Veggie Chicken, Kung Pao Eggplant & spinach wonton soup. $20 minimum to use credit card. read more

Garden Fresh made me rethink my abhorrence of brown rice, to the extent that I actually cooked a pot of the stuff myself at home this week. That's quite an achievement, given what a healthy food curmudgeon I am! I had the vegetable fried rice here recently, having sampled a little of IQ's takeout once before, and it was a revelation. Everything was impeccably fresh and there were plenty of the right kind of veggies scattered in the rice. And the rice! perfectly done, nutty, moist but not glutinous--so different from the spackle that most places pass off as brown rice. You won't feel like you're in the back room of a dusty "health food" store eating what some sallow hippie whipped up in the crock pot. The one discordant note is the prevalance of "fake meat" in all their dishes. Why must tofu be tarted us as ham to pass muster? If I'm not going to eat meat, I don't want to eat something trying to pretend to be meat. Here it's in virtually everything, to the point where I had to make sure my fried rice would just have some tofu, not tofuham. read more

Love this place! The food is cheap, comes in huge portions, and the service is FAST. Veggie meat can be a bit of an acquired taste - it's mostly tofu and gluten - eater beware. A complimentary bowl of soup is served while you wait for your dish to come out. My favourite dish is the veggie duck, but no one else I know likes it, so YMMV. The General Tao chicken is also awesome. Avoid the MuShu pork - it's all celery and cabbage and onions. read more

As a newly conformed Vegan (yay!), I've found my "IT" restaurant. The staff is super friendly and the food, delicious. You wouldn't be able to tell that it isn't meat! I've brought some left overs home for my roommate (who's a totally meat lover), and she devoured everything. I especially recommend the spicy (pretty spiicy!!) green beans, sweet & sour "pork", and the curry "chicken".. I vaguely remember their "drumsticks" being really tasty too! The restaurant is pretty small, and VERY easy to miss.. it's uber casual and not fancy looking by any means. .but, I can care less! I come here strictly for amazing vegan-friendly food (they're soo hard to come by!!). p.s. The portions are a pretty good size. .so at $8.95.. you definitely get quality AND your monies worth! read more

I had my hopes held pretty high when I came here. Vegan food that taste like meat, hey, I'm open! I think one of their dishes accomplishes this very well: Their Generals chicken/orange chicken. I thought this dish was good, largely because it was deep-fried and much of the taste of these dishes comes from the sauce and the deep-fried nature. However, many of their other dishes, particularly those that were trying to imitate beef, I thought tasted like rubbery tofu (and I am a tofu lover, I just was not a fan of this one particularly). I think if you are coming to this restaurant excited to have good vegan food, you'll probably be happier that thinking you are coming to a restaurant to get "meaty" tasting vegan food. When I discuss this restaurant with my friends, we mostly go to show visitors for the novelty, but it never tops our list as a place to eat. read more

Wow, epic graduation/father's day lunch here today. for starters, this place is not a hole in the wall, but it's not a full-on candlelight fine dining restaurant either. Think of a nice decent medium-sized cafe sort of. It's pretty casual. So yea, this was the first vegan chinese restaurant I've ever been to. It was so Chinese that you could hear Mandarin coming from the line cooks. I was like nice!! Lots of simple Chinese dishes with also the Americanized Chinese things like brocoli beef, sweet and sour pork, etc etc. It was very good, my family was pretty impressed. "Is the brocoli made of tofu too??" LMAO. Textured soy protein works all kinds of meat-imitation miracles. The best part of today was ordering dessert. They have lovely posters on the wall of the 4 dessert items. We got them all. Please note one of them says something like "Black China Backery" for the cakes? Someone should look that up and see if that's really a typo. I was explaining how the cakes totally taste like the real deal even though their vegan. Everyone's like yea, wow, that chocolate cake does really taste like chocolate cake.. maybe too similar.. Their doubts FULLY blossomed when we ordered the 2 vegan ice creams and the chinese lady tells the guy to run and go get both flavors. So he walks outside the restaurant and then turns left and I'm only loosely paying attention but my aunt was. See, there's a BASKIN ROBINS next door and I was like HUH??! So the guy comes back with the chocolate and vanilla flavors and I was like what is going on? Did he really go to the diary ice cream shop and run back with the goods? The lady finally assuaded our doubts and was like no no, our freezer isn't as good so we store our ice cream there. It's vegan they promised and indeed it was. Results: Chocolate over vanilla. lmao. it was one of those "you had to be there" (and maybe speak Chinese) moments. GOOD TIMES. read more

This was my go to since I can easily walk to it, however, the last 3 times I ate here I was extremely lethargic and a bit nauseous and had a huge headache after. I usually feel this way when MSG is added to the food. The first time I gave it the benefit of the doubt but after feeling the same (with different dishes) I knew it had to be MSG since I have major sensitivity to it. The food is no doubt delicious and I know many will think "well it's an Asian cuisine", but there are some places that do away with the MSG and let the fresh ingredients and the preparation of the food speak for itself. Please note that I'm not claiming they use it, but I know how my body feels and reacts after consuming foods with it. If I never felt those effects, I would give this place 4/5 stars. Also, some folks stated they serve a lot of fried dishes and that is very true. If you want delicious vegan food that isn't so greasy and (imo) don't use MSG since I never feel the pounding headaches from eating it after, try Meritt Vegetarian in Sunnyvale/ Santa Clara. read more

My second favorite vegan restaurant in the Bay Area, after Merit. I absolutely love their General's Chicken; I recommend getting it spicy. Also worth a try are the Chicken Chow Fun, Orange Steak, the Ribs, and the Duck. They have Maggie Mudd's vegan ice cream for desert too, so don't fill up. Eat half your meal and take the other half home. read more

The other night, I suddenly craved some Chinese food. Although Panda Express was just across the street from where I was, I thought I'd rather go to somewhere else for better quality of food and something that I'd never eaten before. So my boyfriend found this place that was about to close in an hour, we then immediately drove there in a rain that was terribly pouring. Once we got there, it'd already passed their business time, but they still greeted us politely and had us seated promptly. We ordered the Singapore Rice Noodles dish to share. Though I thought it was a bit bland at times, I really enjoyed the dish. It was quite simply made, but still worth the price which I believe was around $8. :] read more

I only give it 4 stars b/c I found 2 pieces of hair in my food. I seriously would have given them 5; the brown rice w/veggies is amazing. When I told the person that there were 2 pieces of hair in my food she responded: "they wear hair nets." Either way, it's not my hair. I was asked to come in 10 minutes to return my hairy food :/ The lady made me a new order and refunded my money. Thank you. But, as good as my meal was I will not be eating there again. read more

This place is beyond excellent. It's a small restaurant, hence the limited seating and sometimes a long waiting time. However, I believe it's worth the wait. The food is fresh and delicious! I left without the gross heavy feeling I usually get after eating greasy Chinese food. I shared the crispy chow mein and a dish with eggplant, tofu, and basil. The dishes were very light and seemed pretty healthy. I would recommend it! read more

Alice ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuules. straight up. best part of this place is Alice. super nice and super awesome. this is dat new spot for Garden Fresh...(which is conveniently a little closer to me)...in downtown Palo Alto. i've been going to dat Mountain View joint for a few years now and have always left that place content. all vegetarian food, no bullsh!t, and all good as hell (and trust me, i've tried a looooot of everything). but n-w-wayz, if u r a n00b 4 realz, just order this and git ready 2-b stoked: -deep fried drum sticks (get a LOT of these, and i mean a LOT, a LOT) -general's chicken -kun pao eggplant -sweet and sour pork -orange chicken ...and yeah. that's da jam. big upz to them for opening a 2nd spot on the Peninsula! congrats on the nice location and the great reputation you guys got going. much love. s!qshit. read more

I feel like this place is a little over hyped... I tried their veggie duck and black pepper chicken and they were just decent... I have had better Vegan Asian food before... I would recommend going to Merit Vegetarian for that... The food was a little oily and bland according to me... and that was after I told them repeatedly to make the food a little spicy. The vegan meat was a little hard and for some reason everything tasted too sweet... read more

Garden Fresh is one of the best vegan restaurants in the peninsula. Alice is always SO sweet and welcoming as well as all the other staff members, and their new location is beautiful! I'm so happy for them and their success, they really deserve it. The food of course is more than delicious, when I go it's usually with at least 2-4 people and we usually each order one dish and then share (I say this because last time I was there, a customer asked the waitress "so how does this work?" referring to the typical ordering process). The food is also always brought out in a reasonable amount of time, I've never felt like I was waiting too long. The menu is extensive (40+ items!) and cheap! Everything I have tried was amazing. And for all you bitter, living-in-denial omnivores, lay off the vegans for liking this place! We're allowed to enjoy greasy, fried food every once and a while too! :) read more

I would not consider myself a vegetarian, and definitely not vegan. But, sometimes {gasp} I want something to eat that didn't once have eyes, a nose, and a tail. Did I just say that? I'd seen some of the reviews of this place (good and bad) and decided to make the trek to Mountain View to try it out. The restaurant itself looked sketchy--a few tables, a counter, and the kitchen. The walls were dingy...appearances, people, appearances. Fix it up! I ordered the basil moo shu rolls for the appetizer and the vegetarian kun pao chicken as the entree with brown rice. Before I could sit down the moo shu rolls were at my table. I wasn't sure how the basil would work with the water chestnuts...it was an experience seldom matched in anything I've eaten of late. The crispy, crunchy texture of the water chestnut with the the cool, crisp basil was an excellent and welcome start for what was to follow. When I placed my order for the kun pao he asked if I wanted it "medium-hot or hot, or very hot." I replied "hot." Courtney likes her vegi-chicken spicy! The kun pao that came to the table was very hot. I'm not complaining, that just saved me from adding more pepper to it. I also ordered spinach with garlic sauce for dinner. I can say that what the restaurant lacks in visual appeal it more than makes up for in food flavor. Often when you hear "vegetarian" you think, lettuce, tomato, some pasta, or some other droll thing on a plate insulting, both, your palate and your intelligence. It may not be authentic Chinese vegetarian as some may claim, but it's as close as you will get, which is alright by me. I will definitely return. read more

I'm not a vegetarian, but I do love their "Veggie Ham" dish. Whatever they put in this, it is better than Spam itself (and I like spam). And even though it's stir-fried, it's light tasting and the veggies are still the prevailing flavor and texture. Portions are large and there's always enough for lunch the next day. The brown rice does not absorb as much sauce as I like it to, but it does add a nice texture to the meal, which compensates for the lack of meat to chew on. The owners are so nice, and I really feel welcome every time we go. Their strip mall location (behind Baskin Robbins) does not do them justice, and I hope they can expand to a real restaurant someday. read more

My friend and I were meeting up in a halfway place between her home in San Mateo and where I work, and Palo Alto seemed to be the most logical choice. We were both supposed to be dieting in anticipation of her wedding (we needed to look hot after all) so after consulting Yelp we went with Garden Fresh. We ordered the following: - Fried tofu with sweet chili sauce -- pretty self-explanatory, and simple but still very tasty - Basil tempura -- now what I really expected, actually. It was tempura fried "chicken" in a basil and brown sauce, probably my favorite items that we ordered - Hundred layer tofu -- I was expecting, well, layered tofu, but, it ended up being some firm tofu over a bed of spinach, and not all that impressive, unfortunately Service was extremely nice and really good to us. The focus of the food here is healthy living and good choices, and they have them all here. Prices are a little more expensive than I was expecting -- about $22/each including tax and tip, but still pretty tasty Would i return, probably, but maybe a Friday during Lent, instead! read more

LUNCH REVIEW. Vegetarian/vegan Chinese food does not surprise me, but I will admit that a restaurant in DTPA promoting itself solely as such caused much skepticism. I'm glad MM suggested Garden Fresh for lunch, as I would never come here on my own. AMBIANCE: First off, the signage for the restaurant is terribly obscured. It took me a while to spot Garden Fresh while driving down Ramona. Management should consider investing in a bigger, more noticeable sign. The interior of the restaurant is pretty tiny, and crammed chock full of tables. Luckily for us we arrived later than the lunch crowd, so we didn't have to deal with crazy noise and overhearing neighboring conversations. SERVICE: Pretty much non-existent. I'm not surprised. When they did come around, staff were friendly. FOOD: Meh. Lunch specials include 2 scoops of rice and a complimentary bowl of soup (which was thickened with too much cornstarch). - Kung-pao chicken ($7.95): Super salty brown sauce with a nice amount of kick. Veggies were slightly undercooked for my tastes. The faux chicken was basically chunky gluten, which did not resemble chicken either in texture or taste. However if you just view the dish as a vegetarian dish (and not masquerading around as a meat dish), the flavors were fine (albeit too salty). - Kung-pao eggplant ($7.95): Not nearly as tasty as the chicken. First off, the portion size was way smaller. The eggplant wasn't fried/cooked long enough to soften the meat, and the tofu in the dish had zero flavor. OVERALL: I didn't feel particularly healthy chowing down on my dish, so if that's what you're looking for from the resto, I'd steer clear. Its nice that Garden Fresh offers an entirely vegetarian menu, but I'd venture to say that the dishes are no better (and in some cases worse) than vegetarian dishes you can get at other Chinese restaurants. However, if there's going to be a niche for this type of food, it would definitely be in DTPA, so good for Garden Fresh for finding where they fit in. I wouldn't be opposed to coming here again, but I wouldn't be the first to suggest it. read more

I must have ordered wrong. I came with high expectations, given the glowing reviews from my fellow Yelpers. I left sorely disappointed. This was stop 3 of my vegetarian odyssey and upon walking into the restaurant, found it populated by non-Asians. Not a good sign, I thought to myself, even as I noted the "2007 Best of Mountain View" sign prominently displayed on the wall. From that inauspicious first viewing, things went rapidly downhill. No Chinese on the menu. Sure, an English-only menu makes things more accessible but it doesn't add to the credibility of the place. No chopsticks. Maybe if I had asked we could've gotten chopsticks, but I gave up hope the minute I saw the forks come out. Anyhow, my best friend and I bravely forged onward despite these ominous warning signs. We ordered the scallion pancakes w/ vegetables (why did they advertise "w/ vegetables"?, we asked each other), the tofu stuffed w/ vegetables and the lemon chicken. Hot & sour arrived first... and was the highlight of the meal and the only reason I'm even giving the place 2 stars. It was warm, slightly spicy and could've passed for something I'd be able to get from a street vendor in Taipei. Then arrived the green onion pancake. My friend's first, second and third comments were a disbelieving, "They deep fried it." And then we noticed the sauce (which tasted kind of like oyster sauce but not quite). There was barely a hint of green onions in the thing and was mainly just tasteless deep fried dough with some brown sauce to give it flavor. It turned out that the "w/ vegetables" signified some limp carrot sticks and two string beans. The stuff tofu arrived next... the outside was nicely crisp and fried but the inside was rather dry and they really skimped on the vegetable filling. This might've been ok... but there were only a grand total of 5 pieces of tofu. Last came the lemon chicken... also deep fried and smothered in a yellow, citrus-flavored sauce that probably could've doubled as orange sauce if you colored it orange. Other than the citrus flavor of the sauce, the "chicken" itself was incredibly tasteless. So. Somebody please tell me that I ordered wrong. Maybe there's a secret Chinese-only menu with the really good stuff. The portions seemed small and the fake meat was a far cry from the real thing. And they deep-fried the green onion pancake. *sad whimper* My friend and I ended up heading over to the Google-plex for some It's-It ice cream sandwiches to cleanse our palates of the unpleasant taste of dinner. Come if you like vegetarian Americanized Chinese food. Sorry. For real, authentic Chinese vegetarian food, you'll be infinitely better off at Fragrance Land (Cupertino) or Lu Lai (Milpitas). read more

This is my first time at their Palo Alto restaurant, but have been to the Mtn View one dozens of times. PA is like a reincarnation of the Mtn View restaurant but the decor is much nicer. If you enjoy fried foods, I recommend the Scallion Pancakes. Two of us shared preceding, plus Black Pepper Veggie Chicken, brown rice, and total with tax and tip was $24. We didn't gormandize as we usually do so preceding plus the complimentary corn and tofu soup was a lovely dinner. Everything was delicious, and I've long been a fan of their corn and tofu soup. To James, the self-described "solid carnivore", as to why veggie people eat faux meats (stepping up on soap box): when I choose to eat them, I eat "it" (a plant-based product) for the taste and the texture. I forsake meat because I disagree with "someone" (an animal) suffering and dying just for my few pleasurable seconds of chewing on their burnt corpse. I do understand why some veggie people choose not to eat faux meats. I rarely cook with fake meats at home, and its become more of a luxury food when I dine out. read more

I've gone here a few times - and every time it has been mediocre. It's really small, pretty hot and humid in the summer. The ambiance, just a lunch place. Food: Eh - MSG for sure. Not all that great. I can't really describe it. Guess its just something you can make at home if you can find the sauces at the supermarket. Of the different plates I've tried, the Tofu (Tofu Delight) lunch meal is the most decent. I get headaches and get really thirsty after eating their foods. Usually a good sign of MSG usage. Not cool. read more

Yummy in the tummy is the feeling you come out with when walking out of Garden Fresh. Have no doubt that regardless how hungry you come, you'll definitely leave full with well sized dishes that come out ready to be devoured. I used to be a veggie and still stick to it most of the time, but for those of you who are big into the meat/fish, I think you'll be fully satisfied at Garden Fresh. We started off with the complimentary sweet and sour soup, which was enough to relieve some of the I'm super duper hungry feeling. Then we had the tofu delight with brown rice which was good. However, my favorite was the spicy Kung Pao Chicken. I think next time I'd like to try the basil tempura which was recommended by Alice. I'd also say it's good to go here with 3 other people--that way you can try more than 2 of the dishes ;) read more

This place is every bit as good as the mtn view location, with slightly better atmosphere. The menu is not exactly the same, but it is as nummy! The service is fast and friendly, and the waitresses are happy to help you choose something from their intimidating number of choices. Go support them since they're new, and help them grow! read more

As others have mentioned, Alice is the heart and soul of Garden Fresh, and never fails to make you feel welcome and at home. The menu itself is filled with healthy vegan food. The scallion pancakes, orange chicken, faux honey walnut shrimp-- those are a few of my favorite things. So check it out! Definitely worth the occasional parking hassle in downtown Palo Alto. read more

I absolutely love this place! While I am not vegetarian I can say the food is so delicious you can barely tell you're not eating meat. The sauces are very flavorful and it is the best take on vegetarian I have yet to try. The dishes I love: Orange Chicken served with broccoli- sweet and tangy! General's Chicken w/ stir-fry veggies Black Pepper Chicken- bit of a pepper kick to it I highly recommend this place and have since become a regular. The owner is incredibly sweet and accommodating. read more

I love that they offer you a salad for FREE and is delicious. They end up being too salty like any other Asian place :(. I still love several of their dishes for every once in a while. read more

My husband and I have lived in the Bay Area for 7+ years now, and we've consistently gone to Garden Fresh when we want flavorful, made-fresh, delicious Chinese food. It's an extra plus that all of the food is vegan -- we feel healthy, we feel satisfied, and I always leave happy. Alice is so friendly, so thoughtful, and she strives to make you feel like a welcomed customer every single time you eat there. I'm a creature of habit, and I get the same order every time we go: a huge bowl of Hot and Sour soup, and the Veggie Duck. (Get the veggie duck, you will not be disappointed, and you will be so perplexed as to how it's all vegan!!) Seriously, the food is so good and the quaint feel of the restaurant is what I miss about our favorite restaurants in Taiwan. read more

I went here hoping for a healthful vegetarian dinner, but was very disappointed by how heavily they rely on deep frying. I also noticed the other orders coming out seemed small and soon found out why - they were missing the vegetables! We ordered the scallion pancake on the server's recommendation and it was no more than a deep fried piece of dough garnished with a few grey out-of-season unpeeled carrots. I asked my husband where the scallions were and he tried pointing one out, but I didn't see it. I can't believe the server recommended this because it didn't seem like a complete dish. We rescued it by putting the onions and carrots from the basil tempura on top and drizzling it with the sauce from the general's chicken. (I tried to order basil and pepper dishes because they're in season, but the carrots were in there, too!) The general's chicken was delicious, but it was deep fried and lacked enough bell peppers to balance it out. My husband and I would have preferred our plates to be filled with mostly vegetables, but these dishes are just deep fried with sugary sauces and a few carrot shavings. I would not recommend this place if eating a healthful balanced meal is important to you. Then again I don't know if I would really recommend it as an indulgence either. The deep fried stuff was probably just highly processed TVP whereas a grilled cheese and fries from In-n-Out Burger is a great indulgence with identifiable ingredients served with fresh vegetables. So choose carefully, my friends. read more

Friendly staff, married couple run the place and are so kind- food is absolutely DELICIOUS!! Local favorite!

I'm a vegetarian and I was craving tofu so I decided to go to this place. I ordered the Hundred-layer Tofu and was anxiously waiting to eat it. To my surprise the tofu was not even real tofu, it was gluten =(. I was so disappointed; I don't believe I've ever seen or knew that there was such a thing. The dish was overpriced ($10), it was tasteless and it wasn't even real tofu. If you're a vegetarian I recommend going to Great Vegiland or ToFoo Com Chay. read more

If I could give 6 stars, I would. This is hands down my (and my partner's) favorite restaurant. We've gone about once a month for the last two years and have never had a bad experience. We ALWAYS get the scallion pancakes (best you'll have). Our favorite dish is the honey walnut prawns. And the brown rice they serve is definitely the best we've ever had (coming from a Japanese family that eats a lot of rice!). The owners are also the sweetest, hardest-working people you'll find. She always remembers us, asks about our life, and gets our scallion pancakes out fast for us : ) I also love the art in the Palo Alto location (haven't been to Mountain View). The dining room features art from local artists that's actually for sale, so it's always changing and interesting. This is my favorite restaurant. read more

AMAZING!!! I just graduated Stanford and went to garden fresh at least once a month for almost 3 years now! This place is so cool, everything on the menu is delicious, our favorites are the basil mooshu rolls, orange chicken, lemon chicken, and pineapple ham, but honestly, truly, everything is delicious. Even if you're not vegan or vegetarian, this is seriously authentic imitation meat, I took my dad here, he is very anti-fake meat, but even he was blown away. Punch line is INCREDIBLE food, WONDERFUL workers and welcoming atmosphere. The couple that owns the restaurant are suuuuper sweet and thoughtful and very hard working, we've never had to wait once we've been seated and never had an empty water glass! HIGHLY recommended, by far our favorite restaurant in Palo Alto. read more

I guess once Han's moved down onto University, another place was bound to snap up this spot. I used to go to the Garden Fresh with a number of vegetarian co-workers years ago. This space is up to adte and much nicer than the old, time forgotten strip mall MV locale. Got a Singapore style vermicelli noodles to go. Even as a to go order, the lady working brought me some soup as I waited. Vermicelli is nice and spicy with a great curry style seasoning. I used to eat a lot of those mock tofu style foods growing up so, this cuisine is right down my alley read more