I absolutely love coming here! They have awesome vegetarian and vegan lunch sets which really offer the feeling of having a satisfying meal without the food coma. The food is prepared fresh, it's packed with flavor without the heavy greasy feeling of eating out. The service is friendly and great but definitely feels better if you can speak mandarin (in my experience). The vibe of the cafe side is nice and calm, with cute decor and even some labubu! The food is reasonably priced and they even have some ready made healthy desserts and other foods for take out. I have been a regular here for years. Stop in and enjoy! read more

Definitely come before or after lunch rush. There's not a great amount of seating; about 6-7 tables and it shares a space with a matcha spot and a small Taiwanese goods store? Their service was kind, but their system to keep track of orders and tables seemed a bit hectic. Seems like they write down orders on paper to send to the kitchen there was a steady flow of customers coming in to order or inquire about lunch. Our table's order got mixed up with another so it took awhile for my friends to get their order while mine came out fairly quickly... I think I also took someone else's order but we had the same dish. I recommend labeling the table numbers so they can keep better track. I got the braised tofu and omg I love it all, great flavor in all the parts of the dish! Came with a variety of veggies and pickled cucumber. The tofu was a so flavorful and for being a vegetarian spot, I couldn't tell there wasn't any meat!! Definitely will be coming back :) read more

Joyheart Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

Healthy, clean, variety of food, good services. This place has veggie-only meals and has a concept of healthy ingredients. I'm so glad to find this one as our whole family likes to eat healthy food. The also offer coffee and matcha drinks. The atmosphere feels so peaceful and friendly. They also offer Togo and this place fills up quickly during meal hours. read more

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Came here on a Saturday at lunch time. A few tables were already taken, but we didn't have to wait for a spot. The waitress came quickly to take our orders but we weren't ready yet so she came a few minutes later. They have two sections of the menu: vegan and vegetarian (ovo-lacto vegetarian). Both have rice and noodle dishes. I got the braised mung bean noodles under the vegan section and my friend got the vegetarian eel rice under the vegetarian section. The eel rice came out a lot quicker than the noodles. Both the rice and noodles came with some seasoned edamame on the side. The braised noodles had carrots, daikon, shiitake mushroom, cabbage and fried tofu skin (though not crispy since it's already in the soup). The flavor was more subtle than the bright red color would suggest, and tasted savory-sweet from the vegetables. It's quite a big portion! The eel rice came with bokchoy, pumpkin and some salad. We also got drinks from the Orange Tabby cafe, but you have to order it from the counter and pick it up yourself. Although, you can see the counter from all the seats, so you won't miss your order. There's some pop music playing, but it was quiet enough where you can hold a conversation. The cafe is located inside a vegetarian focused supermarket, which is inside a plaza so there's also plenty of parking. Would definitely come back to check out the other dishes! read more

Joyheart Cafe - braised mung bean noodles - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

Birthday lunch here with my mostly vegetarian Taiwanese mother (who does not cook with salt or oil, and wants everything as organic and natural as possible - like to the point that she never let us wear non-cotton clothing growing up). Everything was well/-prepared and satisfying! My mother only complained a little bit that her Three Cup Oyster Mushroom had been prepared with too much flavor (she does not like any kind of sauce or seasoning). The women running the cafe were very patient with her and answered all of her questions about the food preparation and assured her that there would be vegetarian side dishes. Overall, a win. Afterwards, we browsed the adjoining grocery store's offerings, and she read all the ingredient lists on the packaging to her heart's content. If you have someone in your life who buys $22 organic soy sauce instead of the Kikkoman like me, and insists on scent-free natural detergent, this is the place for you. read more

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This place is so sweet and endearing- service is great, from the orange tabby drink bar across the room and the ladies at the front for joyheart's food. All the food here is vegetarian or vegan, and delicious- super light, but still well seasoned food that doesn't leave you feeling bloated. The drinks are also amazing, would recommend the hojicha and tabby lattes. Everything feels like it's made with care and you feel at home- 10/10 would recommend for a healthy food break read more

Joyheart Cafe - Rainbow noodle - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

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This is a place to try if you have no dietary restrictions. I ordered delivery so I couldn't discuss an exchange for something I could eat. I asked for no mushrooms in the special instruction section but received a pile of mushrooms. Servings are large, but appropriate given the ingredients aren't filling. Rainbow noodles bowl: Looked/tasted like the fake meat was made of mushrooms. My spouse got three meals out of it and said it was ok. Braised tofu with rice: the braised tofu were fine, but the sauce was a little too oily. Even when I asked for no mushrooms, I was given a ton of mushrooms. The sides consist of a plain piece of unseasoned cooked squash, plain buttered zucchini, and plain unseasoned steamed cabbage, carrots, mushrooms. read more

surprisingly filled up during a weekday lunch - there's a few tables outside, and plenty booths inside literally was my first time having fake meat & the waitress explained everything p well lol basically all the "meat" is some sort of tofu also they automatically give hot water which is like the most Asian mom thing ever 3 cup mushroom - 9/10 not bad actually was just mushrooms w 3 cup sauce vegetarian eel - 7/10 tried on the recommendation of a coworker lol was not satisfactory if you expect eel, but honestly it's not too bad for tofu meat - if anything maybe I wish there was more sauce bc the tofu itself felt slightly burnt? I get that they're tryna imitate eel in that regard but I don't think that worked out too well all the food came out piping hot & I def burnt myself finished the majority of my meal and the carnivore stomach didn't feel satisfied lol like it was full volume wise but it felt like nothingness honestly would come again if I went vegetarian but I don't foresee that happening like anytime ever read more

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Despite walking in 15 minutes prior to closing I received a warm service and the eel, oh wow the eel, was amazing! Highly recommend - since I already consume some plant-based "meat" products I couldn't tell any difference but the presentation is beautiful and appears very healthy. Of course, I recommend looking around the grocery shop before/ afterwards. read more

Joyheart Cafe - Water & Black Tea Topped Cream - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

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Nice clean balanced food. My mom is a super picky vegan and this meet all her requirements - vegan, no onions/garlic. Service was good, attentive enough but not too attentive. All the dishes are below. Love the side of pickle veggies. My noodles were very flavorful along with the vegan minced proteins so the bland veggies balanced the flavors well. Food had good flavors. Couldn't ask for more. Also has clean restrooms. I will be back to try more things. I really enjoy it and see why people have it such a good rating. read more

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Picked up some takeout here the other day when I was also checking out The Orange Tabby in the same store. This would be a nice lunch spot to catch up with a friend. The takeout came out quick. I ordered 2 different types of noodles, a bean curd and "pork". As with most Taiwanese/Asian places the portions of the noodles were very generous. Food was delicious and I'm glad to know there are vegan Taiwanese options in this area. I am not vegan/vegetarian myself, but generally try to limit meat. read more

Wanted to try this place. Keep seeing it on the road to H-Mart. Very clean and inviting place. The staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. My first time here and tried their suggestions. Very good drinks. Next time I'll try their food. Looks good too. They have a little grocery area that was cool. And they were next to a studio and could hear a lady singing, that was awesome. She sang great. Clean bright place with the live singer. Super extra. read more

If you're into vegetarian food, this is a nice little spot only open for a few hours during lunch. The food here is amazing. We tried at Eel Rice and fried Chicken rice plates. All plates come with some vegetable sides. Service in here is decent, I believe it's mostly volunteers from what I've heard. read more

Joyheart Cafe - Vegetarian Crispy Chicken Japanese-Style Eel Rice - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

Growing up I've always gone to the temple once in awhile with my family and was able to try the wide variety of vegetarian dishes that were available. My mom also cooked up some dishes at home as well! This was my first time trying different vegetarian dishes as I've always been used to the Vietnamese cuisine. What we ordered: Japanese Style Eel Rice: 4/5 Right off the bat, this dish looked almost exactly like freshly grilled eel. It was mind-blowing. I also absolutely enjoy bok choy and was so glad that it came with it as well as some stir fried bean sprouts (just like my mom makes)! The "eel" itself was very meaty and flavorful, however, it had a slight sour taste to it. I enjoyed this dish nonetheless. Three Cup Chicken: 4.6/5 The "chicken" looked like sweet and sour chicken from Chinese takeout which was so cool. The texture was quite similar to the "eel" as well. I enjoyed the seasoning and glaze on this much more! I would order this again. read more

Joyheart Cafe - Vegetarian Crispy Chicken & Japanese-Style Eel Rice - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

Enjoyed the food very much. We also got the matcha next to it. Also very excellent. Parking is excellent. Will come again for other in the menu. I do recommend this place read more

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Very cute little Taiwanese cafe hidden away in a plaza. They have an entirely vegan and vegetarian menu! My favorite is definitely their Japanese-Style Eel Rice. I have never seen such a place have vegetarian eel, so I was very curious! The texture is very different than your typical unagi, but the flavor is definitely there. I highly recommend trying it at least once! KEEP IN MIND: The imitation eel is coated in egg, so it's not vegan. I also tried the Minced Pork Noodles, which were a HUGE portion and had lots of seasoning (so flavorful!!!)... but I must say, it was VERY OILY and did not taste anything like minced pork unfortunately. Definitely tasted like a five-spiced tofu stir fry. Still very delicious, just not what I expected. read more

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I was so disappointed returning after two years. The place is clean however service was horrible wait time togo was unreasonable front host seemed overwhelmed running a restaurant. I don't know if it's norm she was talking super loud and aggressive to everyone. I ordered eel with an extra scrambled egg in rice . I got one over easy egg eel was dry over cooked no utensils no napkin no bag had to ask for each thing . They charged $20 with less food and overcooked eel no sauce. From the delicious kind welcoming owner or host two years ago what a change. There was a special tea company serving drinks Saturday however I will not go back . For price taste and long wait I hope improvements are considered. They use to be so kind organized and prompt since their Poe just few hours read more

Joyheart Cafe has really taken a piece of my heart. They are a vegetarian/vegan cafe that shares its roof with a grocery store. I don't know of many other Taiwanese vegan restaurants so I was excited to come and explore what dishes they would offer. I came here in search of a dish to take home to honor my brother who was vegan at the time of his passing. Since 2020, I've gone plant based and enjoy treating myself every now and then with vegan restaurant food. I'm also now posting this review on my own birthday. I'm also now posting this review on my own birthday. As I was browsing their menu from afar, there was one dish that caught my eye immediately: Japanese Style Vegan Unagi (Eel) ($12). I had to take a second glance and make sure that was correct... vegan. eel? The pictures looked great and I knew then and there that I had to get it for myself. I tried calling but nobody picked up the order so we decided to drive there anyways. Fortunately they were open. Damn. This vegan unagi was BOMB. It looked like unagi. It tasted like unagi. It felt like unagi. We took it home where we cooked up some brown rice and veggies to go along, and our meal was amazing. I'm not sure what type of meat substitute was used - perhaps some type of soy. But the way it was cooked up with their sauce made for an amazing dish, and a fraction of what 'real' unagi would typically cost at a restaurant. Needless to say, I was so happy we stopped by and I look forward to returning again. As of February 2021, they're only open from 11:00 - 14:00 on most days and unfortunately do not offer any of their vegan baked goods. I hope that they are able to sustain themselves through this pandemic and will hopefully have these options return as I'd love to try them one day. read more

Joyheart Cafe - Eel Entree - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

I totally recommend this place because it's excellent choice of food and customer service. vegetarian and organic food only. This is the best way to care for my body by eating healthy foods. read more

Food is well served! Combined options are well distributed. Freshness of ingredients are well prepared. read more

One of our fav veg restaurants. Not many items on the menu, but we like whatever we ordered. Yes, a little oily, but the combination of the rice and veggie is very satisfying. We don't go very often as it only opens during lunch (11-2) M-Sat. I wish they would offer vegan options for some of the vegetarian dishes, such as the eel and 3 cups chicken. read more

Joyheart Cafe - 3 cups mushroom rice, minced pork noodles. - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

I have been meaning to try this place for a while ans so happy I finally did! A great place to enjoy a nice peaceful meal by yourself or with others. The service was great! Fast, prompt and most of all super sweet. This is a vegan gem in the area for sure! read more

Joyheart Cafe - Minced Pork Noodles - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

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Thank you Yelpers. This place is located deep in a business park. No where near regular retail areas but it has the best vegetarian food around. I think it's associated with the temple next door. In either case the food was both filling, delicious and very healthy. I didn't feel run down like I do eating fast food or a quick burrito. The staff is super friendly and it's quiet with plenty of parking. Place is clean, spacious and had a very strong zen feel. Overall, a wonderful find with many more visits to come. read more

I'd been wanting to try this place for a while, and I'm really glad I finally did! Located in a very unassuming plaza, this place has a cute cafe set up that reminds me of the run of the mill lunch spots in Taiwan and Asia- Chinese/Taiwanese Pop playing, clean decor, staff and customers speaking Mandarin and Taiwanese. We tried the Three Cup Chicken ($13), and Vegan Eel ($13)- both came with veggie side dishes that were well seasoned and yummy! The rice was topped with vegan "pork" sung which was a nice touch too. Portion sizes were decent, my boyfriend and I both couldn't finish all our food, and we felt full but not heavy like some fried foods or meat might feel. The "chicken" was savory and really absorbed the 3-cup flavor, and the eel was visually very convincing (not so much in taste, but still delicious!). Both meat substitutes seemed to be soy-based, and we were satisfied with the taste. Wintermelon tea was nice and refreshing with the food! Easy parking and service is maybe a little brisk, but friendly enough. read more

Joyheart Cafe - Japanese-Style Eel Rice, Three-Cup Chicken - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

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I like the food here.... it's clean, not oily, and yummy. We usually order the white fish and the noodle... all tastes so good. read more

A really yummy place for vegan/vegetarian options! I had to try the vegetarian eel since it is unique and not often found in other places. The texture was of course not exact but still pretty good and had great flavor. the rice and veggies served with it as well was really tasty, like home cooking. The seating indoor is cute and cozy; outlets available! They are connected to a little store that sells some unique asian/ vegetarian items as well. Great place to stop by is you're in the area and looking for this particular food. Parking lot available in front. Service was friendly. read more

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Ambiance is pretty good, makes you feel relaxing. The food is not bad too. Only downside is they don't have the drinks I want to order, but the cold winter melon drink is great too. read more

This place is super clean and the aunties working there are so sweet. Had plenty of seating when we came in a Saturday for lunch. We got the minced pork with rice and the japanese eel with rice. Both were delicious and the proportions were generous. All the food is vegetarian/vegan so it was simple but still tasty, comes either a side of veggies too. We will be back when we are craving a simple, healthy meal! They also have a little shop inside with healthy teas, sauces, snacks, etc. I believe the shop is cash only but the restaurant takes card. read more

I didn't expect such a cute place to be located in this plaza. Joyheart Cafe is a Taiwanese vegetarian/vegan restaurant that also houses a specialty grocery store. The interior is quiet and very inviting. They even have some little booths with power outlets, so I suppose some people come here to work? I've tried a few things here and I enjoyed most of them. The only item I haven't enjoyed so far is the braised noodle soup. The broth is too oily for my tastes and the noodles themselves weren't that great. I love the meal sets. Good amount of food for reasonable prices. I wish they stocked their desserts more often so I could try them! I think Joyheart Cafe is well worth a visit if you're in the area. It's a lovely spot that's quiet, inviting, and serves good food. The service is also friendly. It's so cozy here that it feels like I'm just eating at someone's home. read more

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All vegan goodness. There's also a little store area to buy vegan products to cook. Friendly staff. Adjacent to a buddhist temple.

Clean, quiet and healthy. I'm with my two colleagues one is Korean and one is Indian vegetarian. We decided to find a vegan restaurant around this area so we have three options a Korean pot and Indian curry and this one. I choose this one and every one likes. Great experience. read more

A lovely vegan restaurant that is attached to a vegan grocery store. I ordered the three cup chicken with rice, and my husband ordered the mushroom over rice. Both were delicious and I loved the way they served it with cabbage, pickled carrot and more veggies! Very friendly service read more

Been here a couple of times and recommended for my vegetarian coworkers! they loved it :) Their braised noodle soup is my go to!

Good food, great service, nice environment， highly recommended here, they are open Sunday now!

Been wanting to check this place out since I saw it in Yelp. Since it was nearby we opted to visit it after Christmas for some post Christmas R&R. The place is in Ridder park next to Orchard Elementary School. The Cafe is actually adject to a grocery store that sells asian goods. The cafe when we came didnt have any pastries on their display shelves so we were kinda bummed out to not have anythting to sample until we order our food. Me and my sidekick ordered from their menu which is vegetarian and I got their Eel meal and the kiddo opted for mabo tofu. We also ordered their Prue tea for two which was about $6. The place is cozy with and we were seated by the cubicles which my sidekick enjoyed. The tea was pleasantly light and smooth. It was perfect for the cold weather. The food came minutes after and the plating was nice. Had our food and it was so flavorful. The eel was a nice texture and was well balanced. My daughter loved the smooth and soft tofu and was able to finish her food. While we were eating we noticed the owner and staff chatting with other customers and are very cordial. The atmosphere felt extra warm knowing that they put extra care with their customers. After lunch we sampled their pastries that were just hot out from the oven. They were a bit pricey for $3 each and wasnt as wonderful as I was hoping for. Will come back for their noodle menu next time! read more

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Entrance to parking lot is on Fox Lane, side street to the school. Restaurant inside is clean and cute. Bowls of food comes out on bamboo trays. There is a display case next to cashier for desserts but it is usually empty. Braised noodle soup with daikon, carrot, tomato, mushroom, bean curd sheets. Soup is rich and earthy of root vegetables flavors, noodle is little chewy which I like. Vegetarian eel rice with green beans, shredded eggs, mushrooms I should of know better to order this because I love eel so much, I could never appreciate the fake substitute. Texture is not soft enough. Cream puff cupcake has lots of cream, not much sweet, I thought it was just ok, but I am not a big cream puff fan to begin with. Coffee cake - coffee chiffon cake with chocolate and coffee and almond topping. read more

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yummy vegan food! Newly opened and it's half a cafe and half a market. The place is predominantly Taiwanese/ Chinese. The cafe section's seating and tables are cute and there's even some booths and outlets! My manager (who is vegetarian) took me here for lunch and we both got the Vegetarian Eel Rice ($13.99 - grilled vegetarian eel, sweet pea, mushrooms, and egg). Each meal also comes with soup and appetizers (salad and some sides). And wow!!! The meal was delicious, you can tell the food is fresh, and the portion was big and very filling. Can't believe the eel is vegan, it's made from tofu, and the sauce was yummy as well. Also the rice was cooked perfectly!! The food also comes out in a nice tray and love the food arrangement (posted the picture!). Other dishes in the menu were vegetarian minced pork with rice/ noodles, braised noodle soup, coffees, and teas. Also tried their organic kumquat honey tea and I liked it a lot! Overall, enjoyed my first visit to this new vegan restaurant :) read more

Joyheart Cafe - vegetarian eel rice (delicious!) - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

Yummy and healthy vegetarian food. Good portions and the price is very reasonable! Service and ambiance are pretty good! Great for friends to grab lunch and hang out! read more

Super cute, very fast service, and delicious food. I got the vegetarian minced pork, which was lovely. The vegetables and side seaweed salad made it nicely balanced and not too heavy, and the minced pork had a lovely texture. The winter melon tea was also nice, though maybe a little too sweet. I've been looking forward to trying this place after seeing all the lovely photos of the meal bowls, and I'll definitely be back! read more

Joyheart Cafe - Minced Pork Rice - Cafes Near Me - San Jose, California

Oh yum! Vegans/Vegetarians, please take a detour and stop here for lunch or dinner. This place is DELICIOUS! My sister, boyfriend and I came here to try some yummy food. My sister, who's vegan, recommended this place after looking up vegan-friendly places in the area. I'll be honest, I was a little surprised when we first pulled up here - it's located in the middle of a bunch of businesses, and there isn't any other food places super close by. My fears were soon put to rest! The staff was super friendly and seated us quickly, and we were given menus to look at. Almost everything except for the Unagi can be made vegan, and the only reason the unagi can't is because it contains egg whites. We each decided to get something different - I got the unagi, my sister got the vegan minced pork with rice, and my boyfriend got the vegan braised noodle soup. We were blown away! If you ordered the "set" like we did, you got this beautifully plated entree with sesame mochi, fruit, and pickled veggies on the side. The beautiful wood trays were basically begging to be instagrammed, and I definitely indulged. Vegetarian Eel Rice (vegetarian only due to egg whites) I LOVED this dish. As a self-proclaimed carnivore (jk!), I'm always pretty skeptical of meat substitutes. This unagi changed all of that. The flavoring was on point, and the texture and taste was great. If I closed my eyes and someone gave me this without telling me it was "fake" unagi, I would have assumed someone gave me a nicely grilled piece of salmon. The texture flaked in my mouth the way a perfectly cooked salmon would. The eel teriyaki sauce definitely made it taste more like unagi though! My only complaint is that I wish I ordered double because I was still hungry. It came with some mushrooms and yummy egg strips on the side as well. Minced Pork with Rice (Vegan or Vegetarian) This was also really yummy! This is probably the most "basic" of the menu, as they used a mix of tofu and vegan ham to recreate the "minced pork" over rice. Although it was good, I would say that this doesn't really mimic the feeling of taiwanese Lu Rou Fan 滷肉饭, as it doesn't quite give you the heavy comforting feeling that the meat version does. Braised Noodle Soup (Vegan or Vegetarian) This was another breakout star! This is very similar to the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, and so, so delicous! The broth is less beefy (obviously), and more tomato-based, but it was still a very similar flavor with the soy and star anise. This soup is also a massive portion, and has delicious noodles to soak it all up. I would definitely come here again! I wish JoyHeart sold their unagi substitute because I would LOVE to be able to eat this at home. After eating in, definitely also stop by the market to peruse some of the goodies they sell. A lot of it is vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free friendly! My sister was able to find Vegan Danish Butter Cookies (HOW?!) that basically melted in our mouths. read more

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