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    Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet

    4.4 (275 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:30 pm

    Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet Photos

    GOVINDA'S VEGETARIAN BUFFET ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet

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    A small selection from their buffet, which changes daily
    Mary S.

    I really wanted to like this place more than I did :-/ It is off the beaten path, with a quiet & serene ambiance. The shopkeeper is super cute, and the buffet had 10-12 items to pick from, including rice, salad, samosas, dal, spiced potatoes, mixed veggies, and a few rotating special kinds of curry. The downside is the food really did not have flavor. You can tell it was "made with love" (as the sign says at the front of the buffet) but some salt & pepper would have been nice too!

    Food
    Alicia G.

    Amazing overall experience. Highly recommend! Beautiful outdoor seating but they have indoor seating for weather as well. Food is top notch and self serve at a hot bar. Saw another review saying no flavor and my opinion is the opposite. Price is per pound and reasonable especially compared to other per pound deli. Friendly service. Completely vegetarian with many vegan options. Drink is complimentary with meal purchase!!

    Our variety of vegetarian food
    Jody R.

    I've been looking for authentic Indian food and I as impressed with GovInda's. Got there about 1:30 pm (closes at 2:30), it's buffet style, pay something like $11.99 per pound. The young lady gave us paper plates and cups. It's all vegetarian, very flavorful and fresh. There's a quaint dining area to sit in. The food included a refreshing ginger iced tea that you can help yourself to.

    May 2022
    Lori I.

    Vegetarian buffet is back! M-F 11-2:30 This is located in a temple (which looks like a house from the street) and is in a quiet residential area. You don't have to be the religion they believe in, just remove your shoes before you walk in. You might get stares but they are friendly and harmless. After being closed for much of the pandemic, this place finally reopened in March 2022. Check their website for updated closures as they are hosting a huge global anniversary of some sort this week. I hadn't been here for probably a decade but when I saw that they were open again, we went after a round of golf, because I really want to see these little local places come back to life. The buffet is now by weight (long ago when I went it was AYCE) $11.20/lb and choices change daily, Mondays are vegan and other days are vegetarian. The flavors are Indian inspired, so think "curry and cumin" type flavors. They don't use garlic or onions, I'm not sure if that's a religious thing or not (if you know why, lmk!), but they make note of that on signs and on their website. It's not as extensive or as unique as Down to Earth's vegetarian buffet but it'll be enough. I'm definitely not vegan or vegetarian (I am 99% carnivore, every meal) but I can appreciate a meatless meal every now and then, and this was fine. You can take your food and eat on plastic picnic chairs in the back under the large banyan tree, this is actually my favorite part of this place. You can meditate if you want, or just eat your food in a throwback to old Hawaii. I didn't take any pictures like I usually do, I guess I was immersed in the throwback.

    Outdoor seating

    The food is delicious! And the setting outside is lovely. Food is based on weight (except samosas). Wish I could eat here every day.

    Laurie V.

    Haven't eaten here in a long time, but they upped their game. Loved it before, but they said the got a new chef from India & it tastes like it. Even the samosas came with mint chutney.

    Andrea B.

    As you're driving towards this place you might think to yourself that you might be lost because it's in a residential area. I would have never expected this restaurant to be in the temple, or for there to be a temple in this neighborhood. in any case if you're looking for really good and reasonably priced vegetarian food this is definitely the place to go. I let them know that I was both gluten and dairy free and they were able to show me what items I could and could not eat. There was only one item that I was unable to eat due to the fact that have cheese in it. Other than that I grabbed on every thing they offered. They currently charge $13 a person, however they had a notice that as of November 1st they will increase their prices to $13.99 for the first plate and an additional five for the second plate, or $8 99 a pound. Eat here for sure!!

    Lunch meal every day by the Temple gardens!
    Michael D.

    First time returning since Govinda's has finally reopened its doors since the onset of CoVid! Amazing and very good prashadam!!!

    Lisa P.

    I was craving a vegetarian lunch so I went to Govindas. First u need to fill a paper plate with your buffet selections then bring it over to a scale by the gift shop cashier. The new prices are $8.99 a pound or $13 a plate - u would pay the cheaper of the 2 prices. Second helpings are $5. Beverages are complimentary with lunch purchase. There is outdoor and indoor seating. Peaceful surroundings are well worth the price.

    Thanksgiving Vegan Meal

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    I liked it! Good food at a fair price. The courtyard is the best part, you can relax between classes.

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    Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet

    Have buffet open?

    Yes, it's open again!

    Are they still temporarily closed?

    They are open! They just reopened Monday

    Any options for vegetarian no onion and no garlic?

    This restaurant does not use any onion or garlic

    They open on Saturday?

    Though I've not actually gone there on a Saturday, they do list they're open from 11am-2:30pm.

    Are they still open for dinner?

    Yes

    Is dinner available on Sundays when they do the arotik (dancing and music)?

    It's a dance party full moon and new moon

    Are dogs allowed during buffet hours or at all? I see on yelp it says, "dogs allowed" just would like to make sure. Thank you. (I kind of want to take pics of my pooch in their garden, it's so beautiful)

    When we went there was a posted sign that said - "No Dogs Allowed."

    View All 9 Questions

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    Lady Elaine - Monchong Catch Of The Day

    Lady Elaine

    4.6(229 reviews)
    2.8 miManoa

    This restaurant was recommended by a client at work. I had never heard of it before, so I was…read moreexcited to try it out! Perfect excuse to visit Manoa, which I don't do enough! The ambiance is super cute. It definitely felt like a vibe. I also loved how spread out the tables were. It didn't feel cramped at all and was very spacious and comfortable. It is on the loud side as the restaurant filled up. The service was top-notch. Our server was wonderful and gave us great suggestions. They had someone regularly refilling our water, which seems like such a simple thing, but it makes all the difference. They even came by to wipe the crumbs off our table throughout the meal! And something I've never seen before...they offered me a little basket for my purse so I didn't have to put it on the floor or keep it on my lap. What?! I loved this little touch! We were told the menu is great for sharing, so we started with the meatballs, Caesar salad, and bread and butter. For our entrées, we shared the special of the day, which was opah, and the shrimp. Everything was very flavorful. The Caesar was a heavily dressed, and the opah was pretty heavy on the seasoning, I would have preferred a little less on both. The shrimp was definitely my favorite, and the bread from the Breadshop is way too good to pass up! Overall, such a memorable experience. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes on the menu. Will definitely be back soon!

    Recently made the choice to come here with friends and like its sister restaurant Little Plum it…read moredid not disappoint. The restaurant is nice and spacious the staff are really friendly and took the time to explain certain dishes and drinks we were curious about. We all got something different as to try eachothers food and get the overall grasp of the restaurant. I got the Eggplant Risotto and I really enjoyed it it was rich but paired well with my drink the Daniel Tiger. The Eggplant was creamy too really nice cook on it. My friend got the 143 Burger and that tomato jam was killer made me wanna go home and make some. We also got the meatballs and it was really tasty nice and moist the sauce had a good kick to it. The lemon ricotta fritters were delicious as well. Im looking forward to coming back for dinner one night for dinner for sure.

    Photos
    Lady Elaine - Dining room at lunch

    Dining room at lunch

    Lady Elaine - September 2025: Bread and honey herb butter.  Bread fantastic.  Butter - meh

    September 2025: Bread and honey herb butter. Bread fantastic. Butter - meh

    Lady Elaine - Beef Cheek

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    Beef Cheek

    Tane Vegan Izakaya - Ewa roll

    Tane Vegan Izakaya

    4.7(1.4k reviews)
    2.7 miMo'ili'ili
    $$

    Cool ambiance, ate at the counter and at a table. Food is fantastic from the appetizers to the…read moremain dish and dessert! Started with the Brussels sprouts and corn ribs! Delicious! We had the half moon, fried to perfection, then the special Kaimana roll! Ended the night with the ube cheesecake! Service is quick and friendly. I'm allergic to strawberry so they substituted with blueberries and raspberries on my cheesecake. Want to try the ramen next!

    Vegan and Izakaya do not often go together. I can't nor do eat raw fish, and my aunty is a…read morevegetarian, so it was a perfect place for people like us! Or just people who want a change of pace. I first spotted Tane months ago while grabbing dinner with the family at Mini Garden next door. I made a reso for my birthday on open table, so it was seamless. The vibe inside is super trendy--it's got that darker, modern Izakaya feel that I really like. Highlights: The menu is super creative. The poke tofu salad with fresh ogo was so good, and I was also a big fan of the charred shishito, the red pepper sushi, and the stuffed mushrooms. The drinks were smooth, too (the mocktails and cocktails were both solid), though fair warning: the ETOH pour is on the lighter side. Hits & Misses: They're definitely doing some innovative things, like the pickled mango sushi. Personally, I didn't think the mango meshed well with the sushi rice: it was a lot sweeter than I expected, almost sickly sweet. I also didn't really care for the agedashi tofu because the dashi wasn't traditional and leaned pretty sweet and thick, which was also the case with the aburage sushi. The eggplant and mushroom sushi were standard and exactly what I expected, though. Service: The waitstaff was super friendly and attentive. Parking is easy to find, and the pricing is really good if you hit up Happy Hour. Bottom Line: I would go back, but I'll be a little more intentional about what I order next time!

    Photos
    Tane Vegan Izakaya - Interior shot

    Interior shot

    Tane Vegan Izakaya - Lilikoi Cheesecake

    Lilikoi Cheesecake

    Tane Vegan Izakaya - Lilikoi Ice Tea

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    Water Drop Vegetarian House - More selections, more chapters...

    Water Drop Vegetarian House

    4.5(216 reviews)
    1.9 miDowntown
    $$

    Review 39 (2026)…read more 10+++Stars restaurant. I voted as " Hale Aina Award ". We always choose 4 sides order, $18. We had Noodle with 4 sides/choices : Tofu Yuba spring rolls, Daikon mochi, Vegetable mix and Hot and sour soup. And their original cheesecake. All vegetables. They don't use meats or eggs. I don't know how they make and taste like meats. Loved their thin noodle with lots of vegetables, added celery. Loved Tofu Yuba spring rolls and Daikon mochi. Their original sauce, ginger sweet oil sauce was delicious. I ate dipped with this ginger oil, even adding to my noodle. Usually Hot and sour soup is as 1 Ala carte menu, $3, but we always ask them, to include my 4 choices(sides), instead of buying separately. We love and always get their Cheesecake. This Cheesecake is the best ever. $12 for whole cake. Prices were reasonable. Staffs were helpful. Food was fresh. They open only lunch time during weekdays. Thank you so much. I will see you in 2 weeks.

    Seriously, what doesn't taste good here? Nothing. If vegetarian food can taste like this all the…read moretime, I honestly don't mind being a vegetarian. I come here not even thinking about vegetarian food, I just want some delicious Asian food and whatever they put out there I'll eat it. They usually have the sweet and sour soup, but one day they had this lau lau soup with coconut milk in it that's so yummy. I don't consider this a Hawaiian restaurant but hey that's what they served that day, I'd try it and I hope they make it again soon! It's cafeteria style so you pick a size and choose your items. Add soup to make it a combo or not. Some dishes they offer include stir fry veggies with tofu or mock meat, tofu wrap, turnip cake, gyozas, broccoli with mock meat, fried rice, clear glass noodle stir fry, yellow noodle stir fry. I'm not sure if they use egg at all? I think so? Service has always been friendly. The ladies are all very nice. They speak Cantonese or mandarin as well. It looks like their Japanese cheese cake is always sold out. Guess next time I just have to go earlier. Place is big enough to fit a crowd. Mostly tables for up to 4 people but I think bigger groups can go to the back for more room. Congrats on 10 years and thanks for feeding us delicious and healthy food!

    Photos
    Water Drop Vegetarian House - Closed on 1/16/23-Martin Luther King Day!

    Closed on 1/16/23-Martin Luther King Day!

    Water Drop Vegetarian House - Best vegetarian potstickers I ever had.

    Best vegetarian potstickers I ever had.

    Water Drop Vegetarian House - 4-26-23: 2 choice $11.00. Vegetarian fried rice, bitter melon w/black bean sauce, vegetable cake - yum

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    4-26-23: 2 choice $11.00. Vegetarian fried rice, bitter melon w/black bean sauce, vegetable cake - yum

    Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet - vegetarian - Updated September 2026

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