I have been going here with my family for years! We are strict vegetarians and love the food here. We always get the sweet and sour pork. The black pepper chicken is incredible, and has a lovely kick to it. The stir fried veggie chicken chow Mein is also delicious. read more

At first glance, you might not even notice it's there. This little, hole-in-a-wall place situated in downtown Palo Alto doesn't ask for attention. The reality is that Garden Fresh is all about giving that home cooked vibe by experimenting on that traditional Chinese food flavors My favorite items on the menu are the Veggie Potstickers, the Hot and Sour soup, and the Singapore-style Rice Noodle. No matter how many times I go there and want to try other dishes, I always end up with these. They are solid picks that I guarantee won't leave you disappointed. Of course, the tiny nature of the restaurant means it doesn't have much seating. This tends to become a nightmare during busy hours. The odd thing is they tend to have slow service regardless of how busy they are. This probably because they are typically short-staffed. It does take some effort to get things like water and utensils. Of course if you can overlook those shortcomings, Garden Fresh is one of the best vegan/vegetarian places around and is one which adds tremendous valley to the Palo Alto food scene. It's delicious food and prime location make it a top pick any day. TL;DR Pros - Large menu - Delicious - Great location Cons - Small - Slow service read more

One of the worst restaurants I have been to and I've been to a lot. The service was bad. We reserved a table and when we were there - on time, the reserved table was taken. We had to stand in line to wait. The service couldn't be worse. The waitress never had eye contact with us and was hard to get her attention. Also, the tables were overcrowded and the space was incredibly cramped - to the point of little dining dignity. read more

It's always nice to go to a restaurant where you know ALL of the food is vegan. The service was immaculate, fast, attentive, and very kind employees. The food was amazing, different textures, a lot of options, and a variety of different yummy flavors. I seriously can't wait to go back. read more

Garden Fresh is not only the best veggie Chinese restaurant in Mountain View. It is the best Chinese restaurant of any type in Mountain View. Try the Kung Pao Eggplant, heat of your choice. It is to die for. read more

OMG the veggie fake-meat dishes here are the *best*. I think the spicy dried-veggie-"chicken" I had was one of the top 10 things I've ever eaten, ever. It came in a deceptively small pile on a plate but... whole lotta chewing involved with them spicy dried-tofu strips. Num.... nrrrr!.... arrrr! Them is some dense spicy foods yum! Smallish and always busy but has a cheerful relaxed vibe. A treasure for vegetarians or anyone who wants a break from unhealthy greasy meat dishes made from dead animals. Bonus, it's just around the corner from Stanford Theater so go here for a wholesome dinner, then take in a classic film. read more

chicken made of shiitake mushrooms? consider my mind blown. If other vegan places are as good as this one, I think over time that I could be tricked into not eating meat. We ordered the scallion pancakes, orange chicken, and shiitake mushrooms & bok choy. The scallion pancakes were really light and fluffy, which is different from 'normal' chinese places where I order them. They're usually really dense and greasy, still delicious. The orange chicken, however, was a big surprise. I've always been afraid of non-meat things shaped as meat (uh, tofu dogs? bleh!) , but I was amazed at how yummy this was (the chicken is made from shiitake mushrooms). This is also coming from someone who's been eating red meat practically from birth (go texas!). Very yummy and different from the usual food I eat.. will definitely come back here. read more

Sorta disappointing. This is a cute place with friendly decor and a woman who joshed us a few times. We started with the scallion pancakes, which were crispy and had a sweet sauce. A good start. As our first entree, we had the General's chicken, which was sort of like sweet and sour chicken. I was glad they used gluten instead of mushrooms for the "chicken," it had a good texture. On my brother's friend's recommendation, we got the orange beef... and were surprised to receive a plate of blackish slabs in sauce. While not visually appealing, the texture was pretty good; however, there was a distinct lack of orange flavor unless you specifically got a sliver of orange peel in your bite. Unimpressive. read more

Pretty good! Less oily than a traditional Chinese restaurant, but still a little too saucy for me. I had the duck, which was made of mushrooms and even had a bit of a crispy exterior. My friend ordered the salmon, and while it certainly tasted fishy, it was more on the artificial-tasting side. read more

Garden Fresh - Salmon in the back, duck in the front - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

A small and rather busy place. We waited around 10mins to get seated and another 10 minutes for someone to take the order. There was only one person to take the order and another for serving. We ordered the potstickers, seemed to be slightly undercooked with a thicker coating and less filling. The Mongolian chicken was average tasted slightly bitter. Crispy noodles were good. The staff seemed to care less/curt which I initially attributed to them being busy and over worked but then I noticed that they were friendly with the other customers. Not coming back here. read more

8 reviews and not one mention of the basil rolls? Shocking! I don't tend to go here unless there are vegans making the lunchtime decision, but the basil rolls by themselves are a reason to go here on purpose. They contain some sort of chopped vegetable substance that's presumably based on water chestnuts, flavored with a highly tasty marinade/sauce and wrapped up along with a basil leaf. After that, I don't recall that I was that impressed with my entree. But yay, basil rolls. read more

I kind of hate how much I love this place. I've been the past three nights, and one of those nights I'd already had dinner. But when the offer to go to Garden Fresh arises, I can't turn it down. Even if I'm already full. The food is SO good! I haven't had a single thing which wasn't excellent. And the prices are more than reasonable. To top it all off, the employees are so sweet. I love going here! read more

I can only remember one other time I got up and walked out of a restaurant due to insulting service (or lack thereof). The first time, it was Gordon Bierch in downtown San Jose. and this time? Garden Fresh on Ramona in Palo Alto. yes, I had eaten there once before and remembered how impressed I was with the food. Excellent flavors and it is surprising that it's completely vegan. For the food I give 4 solid stars. Last Sunday, Zak & I wanted to get a few things in our stomachs before heading to Stanford for the afternoon. We were going to bring some things to my family too, so were expecting to get some entrees to go. We entered the restaurant and there were only a couple tables currently full. We asked for a table for 2 and the server motioned for us to choose a seat. We sat down by the window and looked over the menus. Remembering what we loved last time and agreeing on several other things we planned on taking with us to go (after devouring the scallion pancakes we planned on getting just for us) - we eagerly waited to order. and waited... We watched him bus a table and serve hot food to the people at the table next to us. The entire time we sat there with our Menus closed (that is a sign you are waiting to order in most places) and smiling towards the man working... Nothing. He seated a family of 5 at the other table next to us... We lifted our hands motioning to him... Nope. He didn't see us???? Then a man came in and sat down by the door. The server then came over and took the order from the family of 5 next to us. I said to Zak "So.... THEY get their order taken before WE DO???!!!" To which Zak replied " I'm sure he will take our order next and then make sure the kitchen serves them in the proper order" in an attempt to calm me down. Mind you... this restaurant is small... The server HAD TO SEE us as well as HEAR that we were ready to order. AWKWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He took their order then walked directly over to the guy who had JUST COME IN & took HIS ORDER?! OMG! and yes, I said it out loud "OH MY GOD - is this really happening?" Zak asked me if I'd like to leave and I jumped up, grabbed my coat, and said "YES, PUH-LEASE!" That was so rude. read my other reviews - We are smiley and nice people... We did NOT deserve that treatment. at all. Won't go back. Very rude. read more

Although most restaurants and eateries will offer vegetarian/vegan options, not too many of them will give you much to choose from around lunchtime. But if you're working in Mountain View and want to be treated to a vast vegan selection at a great value, then Garden Fresh is the spot to be. I originally went in for takeout but sat down and dined upon noticing the $7.95 dine-in lunch special came with soup and brown rice. First of all, the soup: It tastes a little bit like a warm, liquid white rice, which sounds funky but is excellent. And the co-proprietor even gave me a refill at no charge (+1). Second, the brown rice is sure to go well with a lot of the available dishes; it's not perfect but really adds texture and balance to the meal. Third, the entree itself: I ordered the curry chik'n and was delighted to see a heap of chik'n on my plate. This was a great choice for a non-vegetarian like myself because the curry sauce helps sort of mask the "meat imposter" taste. The texture is similar to actual chicken though a little chewy. But what hit home for me were the chunks of tender potatoes and cooked carrots. I think combing this with the curry sauce and the rice forms a very complete and satisfying meal. Overall, I'm happy to have tested the waters of eating-out-gone-vegan and will look to Garden Fresh again as I continue my vegan Mondays. All aboard the Soy train indeed. read more

REVIEWS from REAL Vegetarians (tm--hahahaha) (Note: I ate here a couple of months back. Just a late review of this restaurant) A very small restaurant. I originally thought the food would be great taken that the restaurant name sounded healthy and yummy. However, I wasn't too pleased with the food. Neither was my partner. The food we ordered lacked flavor and tasted like bland vegetarian food you would expect from a non-vegetarian restaurant. The soup was very good (subtle yet salty--the hard tofu cubes were a turn off though), but my partner thought the soup was plain "water seasoned with salt, soysauce and cornstarch, and cubes of hard tofu." I like this soup because it's better tasting than my own "water-salt-soysauce-n-tofu" soup that I used to make at home. We ordered curry and some type of charred fish dish with black sauce. The curry dish was mediocre and lacked flavor. While forcing ourselves to finish a good deal of the plate, we were both thinking and whsipering to each other how we could've just made curry at home (we make this from scratch--no curry boullion cubes) and our homemade curry would taste much more flavorful than what we were eating. We were disappointed at this dish. The charred fish with black sauce was disgusting! I originally thought that the fish would taste like other "fish" from other vegetarian restaurants...We think the cook over-burnt our fish (I'd rather hear that excuse than to hear that it was supposed to look/taste how it did). At first, I thought the fish dish was blood over black slices, then I thought it was sliced beets (then I became scared and thought it was cooked liver). When we realized it was the "fish" and saw that it was charred all over, I didn't want to eat it because it reminded me of blood cakes. Unfortunately, I wanted to get my money's worth of food and forced down a couple of slices down my throat. It didn't taste very good. My partner, who I feel sorry for (since I ordered this dish) had to choke down several slices since he could stomach it better than me. The workers here are nice, but the food wasn't good. This place was lively with a lot of customers who seemed to enjoy the restaurant. There were lots of family/kids eating here, so I would say that it's a family and restaurant. After reading many people's good reviews about this place, maybe I ate the wrong dish or maybe the cook had a bad day? I don't know, but I can say that this restaurant wasn't worth it for me. read more

Lunch review from an omnivore's point of view. I've been here a couple times including today and both times found the food tasty and the service fast. I try to order dishes that are mostly or entirely vegetables since I don't like fake meat. It doesn't taste bad to me, just weird. My brain is saying, "Hey, this chicken (or whatever meat it is pretending to be) doesn't taste like it should". If the menu called it "flavored soy-bean derivative" instead of "pork", maybe I'd be happier. Also, I find the concept of vegetarian fake meat to be disingenuous in the same way I find giving kids toy guns and then telling them that violence is bad. I'm curious, do vegetarians give their children animal crackers to eat? Today I had the green beans which tasted great. I got the regular (not lunch) portion because I thought the lunch wouldn't be enough food since I'm not eating rice. I thought the price of $8.50 plus tax and tip for a plate of green beans was a little high, though. My only other complaint was that the water was served at room temperature. No ice. Global warming? read more

I'd like to give a comparison to Loving Hut (worldwide vegan chain with multiple stores in the bay area)... Frankly, I like GF better than LH. It was lighter in taste and not completely drenched in salt & sauce as commonly found in LH. I felt the ingredients were as fresh if not more fresh and I like the fact that it was more homey and quiet. As in, at LH...there's constant TVs on..spreading the gospel about how awesome vegan is and how many awesome celebrities/athletes are vegan. I like educating people, but I came to eat. Not to get educated. Food Basil tempura - recommended by fellow yelpers. I concur to the fullest. Fried, but not so fried, mushy tempura. Hard to describe...but those are the immediate words that come to my mind. Happy family black mushrooms with Bok Choy - light. I like light, stir-fried veggies. Definitely, a dish I can easily cook at home...but still very yummy! One last thing I really appreciated about the spot was that it is a Mr Rogers neighborhood place. When we sat there for during an hour lunch on a Saturday we practically felt at least 75% of the customers were regulars! The server knew their names, they knew the server's name..hell, they even grabbed soda for themselves and the server was totally cool with it! Gotta love it. That's when you know this place is a good thing. read more

Traveling with your yuppy vegan friend? GO HERE. AMAZING. Everything is delicious, even for a non-vegan!! The owners and chefs are so nice :D I asked for sauce on the side (peanut allergies) and they accommodated me! read more

Great place to go if you're vegetarian or just craving a healthier version of Chinese. I went here with my friend and we ordered the hot in sour soup, spring rolls and an eggplant tofu dish. The soup was very flavorful and I could say the best hot and sour I've ever had. Spring rolls were very nice and crispy and I enjoyed them very much. Their eggplant dish was very fragrant and delicious. If you're an eggplant & tofu lover -- I would absolutely recommend this dish! You will not be disappointed. There was so much food left over, esp the soup because I had ordered a large that we took it home. Even as left overs the food tasted great! read more

I've been here twice and it's been consistently lovely. The food is really flavoursome, the staff is friendly, and a really exciting menu particularly if you are vegetarian. Both occasions I ordered the lemon "chicken" and hot and sour soup and they were amazing. The only thing to be mindful of is that the food comes out pretty quickly when you order so if you are going to have a starter/soup you should give the starter/soup order first and wait 10-15 mins to order the main course or else everything seems to come at once. Overall- a lovely meal and was so exciting to come here as a veggie. read more

Scallion pancakes = reason enough to check out Garden Fresh, honestly. This was the first vegetarian restaurant I ate at when I first moved to the Bay Area, and it reminded me of my favorite place back home, in Vegas, Long Life Vegetarian House. It's simple fare, and predominantly faux-meat based, but definitely tasty and cheap, with sizable portions. The curry "chicken" is my old standby; it's very basic, with potatoes, carrots, onions, and chunks of soybean gluten. Otherwise, the Hundred (or is it Thousand?)-layer Tofu is wondrous. Also worth trying: Vegetable Bundles - carrots, celery and mushrooms wrapped in slices of "ham," with bok choy, and "beef" with asparagus. I love the fact that they have brown rice. Appetizer-wise, I can't recommend the Scallion Pancakes enough, but the potstickers and Basil Moo Shu Rolls are both pretty spectacular as well. Also, despite the fact that the Corn & Tofu Chowder is so unbelievably basic, I can't help but look forward to a steaming bowl full, while waiting for my takeout order at the counter. Garden Fresh is nothing fancy; it's located in an unassuming strip mall, next to Baskin Robbins and some swimming pool place. The restaurant itself is small, and can get crowded during peak dinner hours. But while the menu isn't adventurous or novel, the dishes are always satisfying, and I've never left feeling disappointed. P.S. It's a good place to take omnivores who suspect that all vegetarian foods contain sprouts and granola. read more

I've been coming here for 15 years...LOVE this place. This is the ultimate vegetarian comfort food. Won't help you with that New Years weight loss resolution but...who cares when it's so yummy! MUST TRY: *Scallion pancakes - never met anyone who didn't love these @ss-expanding, fried and crispy triangles of goodness. *Basil Moo Shu rolls - If you're looking for something non-fried and on the healthier side these are amazing. Dip them in a little soy mixed with hot chili oil. *Spicy Tofu Eggplant - Squishy, eggplanty, tofu-y, spicy tastiness! Honestly can say I've never had anything here I didn't like. Also, the owner is the nicest lady ever. Waitstaff is really super as well. read more

The food here did not agree with my stomach. Not because it was tofu, I love tofu, but because it had the taste of re-fried food and the sauces we rather overwhelming. Perhaps that's my fault for having the sweet and sour "pork" and lemon "chicken," but my stomach is still regretting it now. The tofu soup they give you at the beginning isn't bad. It may just be my stomach that couldn't handle the re-fried food. The service was quick and the staff very friendly. I would be willing to give them another try. read more

Ordered the Mongolian chicken, chicken chow fun and basil tempura. Alice advised us to only order 2 dishes but we were excited to try all three! Did not disappoint, especially the Basil Tempura which was not the tempura one would think and turned out to be my favorite. Alice is so sweet and the food was amazing! As a vegan I appreciate her extra help in trying to explain the root for the basil tempura which I found to be delicious. Def will go back to try the other dishes. read more

Garden Fresh - Basil tempura. Not what I expected and def my favorite! - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

Extremely delicious and cheap! Not to mention unbelievably fast service. Noodle soups are so-so, but everything else I've tried is fantastic. The workers are really nice. read more

Excellent place for any vegan/vegetarian! It's a very small restaurant and not the fanciest looking place, but the food is so good. The scallion pancakes are awesome! They're crispy with a little sweet sauce drizzled on top. The chow mein/chow fun are quite good. Sweet and sour "pork" that tastes pretty much like the real thing! I really love the string beans. Last time we went, they recommended the Lettuce Cups. It was okay, but was quite heavy on the mushroom. I'm not much of a mushroom fan. You get a little cup of soup with your meal, which is nice. The service is pleasant, and the food comes out fast enough. This is definitely my new "old standby" for whenever I'm in the area. I've been here a handful of times and it's been yummy each time! They also serve Black China Bakery desserts. Very good! :) read more

kung pao eggplant is not bad ==== Too much salt in the dishes I ordered. I will give 4 instead of 3 stars though because I know there are some great dishes I tried at palo alto location. Veggie chicken chow mien - noodles are on the thick side, almost like udon. I prefer thinner noodles. Flavor isn't that great. Wouldn't get again. Veggie duck - mushroom and tofu skin kind of emulates duck but the difference is very noticeable. The dish's flavor was too strong for me. Hot and spicy tofu - this is not bad, though I wouldn't order it again because there are better dishes. I also like silken tofu when I'm eating mapo tofu. They use soft tofu. I'm not eager to try this place again. will prob be back in like 2 to 3 months. may downgrade it to 3 stars if next visit. ========================*== Here is my previous review at palo alto location: I'm not a vegetarian, but I really enjoyed this place. IMO it's the 2nd best chinese place you can eat at in downtown palo alto (behind tai pan obviously, and way above china delight and jingjing). Prices are $8-$12 a dish. I ordered veggie ham, black pepper veggie chicken, and scallion pancakes The scallion pancakes are incredibly good. Not sure how they do it, but the texture is very different from most scallion pancakes. It's like $5 for 8 or 10 pieces. Forgot to count. But definitely get this one. Comes glazed w/ a nice sauce. veggie ham was not bad, though I wouldn't order it again. the difference between ham and soy was subtle, but still slightly noticeable. Wasn't a big deal at all though. black pepper veggie chicken was delicious. I kept trying to taste the difference between soy and chicken but I wasn't able to. It pretty much tastes exactly like chicken. I was very shocked. Even if you're not a vegetarian, you should really ignore the fact this place is vegan, and just treat it as any other chinese restaurant. It's impossible to tell the chicken is not chicken... I'm chinese and eat chinese food all the time, and thought both lunch specials were very authentic. They don't use MSG so that's great. Love delicious food that's also healthy. read more

Really yummy food. We have our favorites here, Orange "Beef" and Thai "Chicken", which are among the best of our favorites at all other restaurants before and after becoming vegans primarily for health reasons. And there are many other items we've tried and enjoyed. The space is small and ordinary, but the art on the walls is really great, and the service is friendly and enthusiastic. The trick to enjoy vegan food is not to expect the dishes to be anything like beef, chicken or whatever. Who would go to an Italian restaurant, ordering pasta, and they being distressed because the lasagna, even with meat, wasn't at all like a pork chop. I'm not sure why vegan restaurants have to describe things as "beef", "chicken", "duck", "shrimp", etc. The prime similarity I can find are the color. Things called "beef" are darker in color than those called "chicken". Secondarily, the consistency of 'beef" dishes is firmer than "chicken" dishes. Just as in any cuisine, you're going to like some more than others, so try for variety. And for goodness sake, if you can't imagine pizza for breakfast or an omelet for dinner or believe that you've got to have meat or dairy in order to get protein, don't bother trying vegan. But if you're vegan or adventurous, do visit Garden Fresh. read more

It's very vegan. And really a Chinese style! I love it. the suggestion is to order something dry and a soup! read more

Garden Fresh - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

I love this place! This is the kind of place that reinforces the reputation of hole-in-the-wall restaurants as offering the best food. I'm not saying it's haute cuisine, but for some truly awesome vegetarian Chinese "sweet and sour pork" that doesn't even taste vegetarian, this is the place to be. In fact, I would stand Garden Fresh up next to any non-vegetarian restaurant any day and I think it would win! Other great options include the orange "beef", the lemon "chicken", and the minced vegetables (with the curry option). Two other things I REALLY love about this place: 1. The ladies who own/work here. They are friendly and hilarious, and they always remember me - do I really come by that often?! 2. They serve brown rice with the entrees - yum! I cannot recommend this place highly enough. read more

LOVE this place. Affordable, VEGETARIAN! Laid back. FUN staff. Super super FAST. Good food. The duck is dry and the sweet and sour is too sweet and dyed red. But everything else I have tried has been AWESOME. I eat here at least once a week. Even if you stop in for takeout, they bring you a free cup of soup while you wait, and water too if you want it. Sometimes the food comes out so fast that I don't have time to eat all of the soup. My favorites: kung pao eggplant, braised string beans, hot and spicy bean curd, anything with veggie ham, lettuce wraps (I forgot the actual name for this dish), hunan style chicken. Mmmmmm I'm getting hungry. read more

This place is all vegan food and I must say I am quite impressed. They have tofu beef, tofu chicken, tofu shrimp, tofu salmon, and tofu duck! I was pretty impressed some of the dishes--the texture and taste of the tofu chicken in the Black Pepper chicken was strikingly like that of actual chicken. They pretty much have any Chinese dish you can think of--except the meat has been replaced with tofu meat. The dishes are quite good, and of course healthy. The place is small and I like the lights and paintings they have on the wall. Service was quite quick. As a meat-eater, I still prefer my meat, but overall, the food here is tasty and delicious. read more

I had a great time at Garden Fresh tonight with a vegetarian friend. The place is definitely cute and cozy -- perfect for catching up and enjoying the company you're with. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan myself, but I have an affinity towards tofu and veggies. I do personally like to steer clear of faux meat products though, which Garden Fresh offers in abundance. The menu was a bit overwhelming, so when it came time to order, I told the waiter I was interested in a tofu dish, and he was very helpful steering me towards his choice, the Hunan tofu. I was a little worried about the spiciness, but he said it would be no problem to make it mild. Perfect! My friend ordered the kung pao "chicken," also mild. It was so refreshing that they were able to tone down the spiciness for us weaklings. We also got a side of brown rice, and we were all set! The Hunan tofu came in a sizzling pot, which was an impressive presentation to say the least! A little hysterical too, to be honest, because the sizzling made the tofu jiggle like jello... heh. Hey, it's the small things in life! I ate every last bit of it and not only did I love the juicy tofu texture which was just perfect, but I also felt like the sauce and veggies went really well together flavor-wise. All in all a very good dish. My friend also really liked her veggie chicken, though my one bite of it reminded me of how unlike real meat this stuff is. Not an issue for vegetarians & vegans though! She didn't mind at all! FYI: They only take one credit card per party -- no splitting the bill on 2 or more cards. read more

Why are there SO MANY garden fresh vegetarian categories when I type it in and its like under the same address? wahh? haha someone has to clean em up. Anyways onwards to the food. I went here cuz of jatbar. Close to school so it was convenient. Got the chicken curry for 5.45? anyways really cheap lunch special and nice clean pretty menu. Small place surrounded by bunch of other stores such as BR ice cream. The curry sauce was good and I like the brown rice its fun to eat or rather different. I like the change of rice, has a nutty flavor. The ingredients were fresh. Though at frist it took me awhile to get use to the soft gluten-y taste of the fake chicken it was just PLAIN weird to me and I had to drench it w/ the curry sauce/potatoes/rice in order to eat it. But after awhile I got use to it. This is a pretty cool place as it has 2 Asian women servers that are really nice. Surprised to see it owned by Chinese? ppl I figured it would be American. Anyways cheap place for veggie food thats fresh and healthy. And they only accept Debit if you order more than 10$. Btw I am NOT a vegetarian. I love eating meat sorry veggie eaters I don't mean to offend you. I'm just stating my background cuz some ppl seem to think that veggie eaters are desperate for veggie restaurants. I'd visit again UPDATE!!! So I was watching T.V and it was doing a program on vegetarian restaurants in the bay area and GUESS WHAT showed up? GARDEN FRESH!!!! It was saying how Garden Fresh has a unique Chinese/ Cantonese flavor to it w/ its basil rolls and stuff read more

Garden Fresh - Front of Menu - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

Let me start out by saying that I've never considered myself a fan of vegetarian/vegan food. I never cared for fake meat and tables heaping with vegetables. Garden Fresh changed my mind. I was quite apprehensive when my friends chose this establishment for a girls night out in Palo Alto. My fears were definitely dispelled the moment we sat down. Delicious smells wafted all over the place and jammed themselves into my unsuspecting nose. Ordered the duck (they also have vegetarian fish, shrimp, beef, etc), Hunan Tofu Claypot, and the chicken chow mein. First word that comes to mind when I reminisce on that wonderful meal is FLAVORFUL. Explosion of flavors in and out off my mouth. So, cross out that myth that vegetarian food is bland. Everything was so delicious that I wanted to order the entire menu. The duck, while not super ducky, was still a treat. PLUS, no bones! As a lazy eater, bones are my enemy. It was drenched in a corn starchy clear sauce with broccoli and other vegetables. Hunan tofu pot had chunks of fried tofu and vegetable covered in delicious brown sauce. The center of the tofu was so SOFT. I LOVE that kind of tofu. Chow mein was excellent. Noodles cooked to the perfect chewiness, sauced correctly...yum. Minus a star for service. Waitress didn't seem to be on top of her game. We had to ask for water, twice, and we barely ever got refills unless we asked. Will go back until I've tried the entire menu. And then I'll just eat everything all over again. read more

This hole in the wall vegetarian restaurant took me by surprise, but it's always the hole in the wall "B" grade restaurants that serve the best food. I got the mock duck, even though I'm not a big fan of the mock meat...my friend practically shoved me into ordering the duck dish, telling me that I haven't been getting enough protein. So all meals come with a nice light egg flower soup, which really is the best I've had a in a long time, and brown rice. The mock duck with broccoli was quite good, served with a light sauce. I think it lacked that unique duck texture. And even though I knew there wasn't any bones...I was just waiting for my pearly whites to hit one. Definitely coming back to little place. I wish I had discover this restaurant ages ago...in the end I do miss eating all those meat dishes when I go out with the family. P.S. There's also good reading material about vegetarianism..there's a mini magazine called "The Vegetarian Starter Kit" which my friend picked up in the hopes of converting our meat eating friends. read more

This place is good for one of those days when any type of meat just doesn't sit with you. And the dishes are usually so tasty and flavorful that you wouldn't even know that you're eating vegetarian food! Dishes I've eaten here and loved: ---Scallion Pancakes with Vegetable ---Stuffed Chinese Cabbage Deluxe ---Kun Pao Eggplant ---General's Chicken Thank you, vegan-yoga-instructor-former co-worker for introducing me to this place! =) read more

I've been here many times, and the food is consistently good. The basil mooshu rolls are a must for me. Love the lettuce cups. Today I had the kung pao shrimp which comes with tofu an bell pepper. The sauce is excellent. Service is fast. Food is good. What's not to love? read more

Me and my buddy (who just loved this place the last time we went) came back to try another round of vegan cuisine. Not disappointed. ---------- 4.5/5: Scallion Pancakes w/ carrot sticks- Again, a genius pick for a starter. It's crispy and great for dipping in hot and sweet/sour sauce 3.5/5: Hot and Sour Soup- I really need the egg in here, otherwise it's magnefique. 5/5: General's Veggie Chicken- This was gangsta; Don't mess. 4/5: Beef w/ Broccoli- I really liked the imitation beef here. Although, not as tasty as I would have thought, I just added some hot sauce to make it real good. ---------- We are going to come back again read more

I am not a vegan or vegetarian by any means (I was raised to eat stuff first, ask what it was later). That being said, this is hands down the best Chinese food I've had since I moved to this area, and I've been disappointed too many times. I'm so delighted to have found Garden Fresh that I've been here three times in the past two days. Authentic, healthy, and the food isn't drenched in oil like is the norm at other Chinese places. Basically they cook like my mom and she is awesome. The mock duck and the chow fun are solid, but I haven't made my way very far into the menu yet. Updates to come. Also, Robert, the owner(?), is the friendliest most accommodating host and is just the greatest. The service here is amazing. I love you Garden Fresh. read more