Merit Vegan Restaurant is hands down the best Asian vegan restaurant in the Bay Area (I'm not joking). The menu has so much variety, and every dish has complex flavor I don't think I would always find at vegan restaurants. I ordered the curry vermicelli soup and fried wontons, and both were absolutely delicious. The curry broth was rich and comforting, not too salty, while the wontons were crispy with the best dipping sauce you could ever imagine. The prices are also very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. I live a bit far away, so I've only ordered delivery so far, but the food still arrived great. After this experience, I'm definitely making the trip to dine in and explore more of the menu soon! read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - 23. Curry Vermicelli Soup - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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One of my favorite vegan spots, and I've been coming here with my family long enough that it's about time I actually wrote this up. The pho is the thing to get. Clear broth, comes with an assortment of vegan proteins, and it's been consistent every single time over the years. Best had in cold weather. The spicy noodle soup is solid too but it doesn't hit the same way. The SP4 gourmet deluxe is my other staple and I order it like an appetizer. The protein comes out fried with a crispy shell and soft inside. The sauce leans hard on lemongrass and citrus but it's savory throughout, not sweet. Haven't had anything like it anywhere else. Orange nuggets are chewy with a citrusy and sweet glaze. Good enough that I skip the actual appetizers for these. The Szechuan Pineapple is spicy, salty, and savory with chewy gluten and a citrus undertone running through it. Green papaya salad is strictly sour and tangy. Fresh, nothing heavy about it. Sweet potato curry is definitely underrated. Potato goes soft all the way through and the whole thing tastes hearty without being heavy. Basil eggplant tofu skews sweet and the eggplant goes silky and it's a family favorite. Eggplant claypot has the same idea but the sauce is better and it comes out in the claypot which makes it feel like a proper dish. Jalapeno BBQ seitan was a miss. The BBQ sauce tastes flat. Staff is friendly and food comes out fast. read more

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Some of the best fresh rolls I've ever had. The tofu is marinated and seasoned and it takes it to the next level. They're also not shy with that peanut sauce, which I appreciate. Had the BBQ Vermicelli bowl and was thoroughly satisfied. It's a big portion, hits all the marks for veggie varieties, and tasted super fresh (even for takeout). I only came to get takeout but would for sure come back to dine in. The staff I interacted with were very friendly and the vibe was good. read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - Fresh Spring Rolls. These were fantastic! - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I cannot name the dishes as I ate here with family that ordered all of the dishes. I must say the food was delicious. The cooking style here is primarily Thai but we did order 1 banh xeo dish (Vietnamese). The name of the restaurant's sign is Merit Vegetarian but it's Merit Vegan here so I am a little confused if this is truly a vegan establishment. Food (4 stars) + Lots of different flavors and textures that simulate meat + I'm not vegetarian but I admire this food as I don't feel like I'm missing out on meat + Great variety of dishes - Portions can be a little more per plate Service/Ambiance (3.5 stars) + Food came out pretty quick + Diverse customers - I came here in CNY so maybe they were short staffed because I had to get my own fork and water I will certainly come back here mainly for their variety. Is there any one dish that stands out? Not really, but I had a good overall meal. read more

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I was truly blown away at Merit Vegan! The service staff were all very kind and friendly, they will make you feel right at home. There are so many tables, but every table is full since so many people love this place. They will also play Happy Birthday in the restaurant and sing to your special celebrant! They're menu is stacked! It can be challenging to decide, but the servers ask questions to help guide you to the best dish! I still can't believe everything was vegan.. I didn't miss any meat hehe The flavors were all so bold and had amazing layers of depth. You can tell the effort they put into every dish. I shared photos of my top dishes- vegan cream cheese wonton, super crispy deliciousy sweet and savory. The sauce had a kick and tang! The tom kha was soo comforting! Perfect amount of sour and creamy! The veggies all cooked perfectly. I drank every last drop. The chocolate ganache pie is a show stopper! So rich and decadent, the whip cream kept it's consistency. I will definitely order a whole pie to share one of these days. Coming back for sure! read more

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Food was delicious and the portions were great. It reminded me of Loving Hut in Elk Grove! Bill, the best server, went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and offered great suggestions and ensured our food was less salt. read more

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This is /the/ place for vegans and vegetarians alike. Have you ever wondered what the vegetarian version of that one dish you saw in Asia would taste like? Look no further than Merit Vegan which has vegan versions of LITERALLY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN IN ASIA. As a lifelong vegetarian who loves asian food, this is a DREAM restaurant. Every time I go to Merit Vegan, I try something different and I am never disappointed. My favorite dish so far is the house special rice clay pot, but I've also tried the black bean noodles (veggie jajangmyeon?), eggplant clay pot, and a bunch of vegetable soups (not pictured). The service is also EXTREMELY quick and they also have vegan desserts but I just never have room for them by the time I'm finished with my meal. I plan to keep coming here and try more new things but also continue to get the house special rice clay pot because it's just that good. read more

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Our vegetarian / vegan go to in south bay Food is yummy, and great to scratch my itch when i'm craving chinese food. Love the service - the waiters are SO friendly, helpful, happy, and funny! Love the wall that has famous vegetarians - Einstein, Buddha, etc. Ambiance was casual and laid back! Good for small or big groups - friend had a bday lunch with ~10 people here. read more

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I'll start this review by saying I do not have any dietary restrictions, I am not vegan or vegetarian, but was extremely satisfied with the food here! We came on a Friday night around 6 PM and it was quite busy, for a good reason too. They have a lot of tables available, as well as booths. There were a lot of staff and service was pretty good. But the food?! So delicious, the star of the show. Very flavorful and fresh. The fried rice and oriental BBQ were probably my favorites, the flavors were great. We loved every dish, and would definitely come back. read more

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I came here at noon and here's my experience: 1. Ambience (4/5): clean, spacious, there were a lot of seats. The decoration was cozy and had an Asian style. 2. Service: I got a table for one immediately when I came. But I had to wait a while to place my order. Anyways, the restaurant was busy:), and I checked out easily. 3. Food (2/5) - Egg rolls (1/5): they were so oily, and there was no filling at all, just the thick wrappers. The way they wrapped the roll was not very attractive. Disappointed! - Saigon noodle soup (2/5): my noodles were very soggy, maybe they were overcooked. The broth had very little flavor, and sourness stood out the most. The most stuff related to Viet food was some basil leaves:). - Thai tea was tasty, and so glad when it was in the glass rather than a togo cup. Unfortunately, I didn't have a great experience here in the first time, maybe next time I would try some fried rice if I have a chance! read more

Their crispy pan fried chow mein is better than some non-vegetarian restaurants. The gravy was full of flavor. Lots of veggies drenched with the gravy cover the crispy noodles. So much veg that you can barely see the noodles. Really good. The Satay Salad had a peanut sauce with a bit of a spicy kick. The salad used shredded cabbage as base greens. I would say this is more of a 3 star salad. The fried wonton was also good. Crispy wontons filled with something that tasted like mushrooms. Perfectly paired with the sweet sauce. Reasonably priced items with generous servings. Menu has lots of choices. Food came out quickly. Staff were nice. read more

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Merit Vegan is a Vietnamese-owned and operated Vegan restaurant in Sunnyvale off of Lawrence Expressway. I'm not a vegan, but there are times where I want to eat a lighter and more healthy meal. In the past, my partner recommended getting a delivery of the Clay Pot Rice, which remind me of Korean japchae because of the noodles on top of the rice. It's a delicious familiar flavor and served as a gateway into Merit's cuisine. Recently, we started going into the restaurant. The space has a lot of wood furniture and shelves with pictures of famous vegans on the wall. The staff there is very welcoming and friendly. Earlier this week, we walked in a few minutes before their posted closing time of 8pm. It was still packed with at least 14 parties seated and eating away. They allowed us to dine in and order. It was a nice enjoyable meal. We ordered the Sour Soup which was served over a flame kind of like Tom Yum Kha at a Thai restaurant. I got a simple but hearty Won Ton Soup. A lot of garlic and vegetables. The Pho and Bun Bo Hue are also really flavorful, despite them not having any beef. They know how to spice things up and texture tofu and seitan. Merit is a quality Vietnamese vegan establishment, and I fully recommend checking it out to vegans and non-vegans alike! read more

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One of a handful of vegetarian Asian restaurants in the area of this style. The food is good and healthy with a lot of fresh vegetables added in every dish. The service is great and the restaurant is comfortable. read more

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I am not a vegan but this is one of the Veg restaurants I go often and recommend to my friends and coworkers. I highly recommend their house special clay pot (with the mushroom it just taste so wonderful). Service is decently fast. The price is reasonable too. Inside the ambiance is very south Eastern Asian style. There are plenty of seating in the restaurant and plenty parking space in the parking lot too. I highly recommend Merit Vegan. read more

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Merit always hits the spot. We've been here multiple times but less in the past year or so because we moved further away from Sunnyvale. We've tried a version of almost every dish and love them all. The service is always quick, warm and the food is delicious. Our faves are their Tom Kha Soup, Fried Rice and Orange Nuggets. read more

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Confession: I'm not vegetarian, and honestly, I don't usually like vegetarian or vegan restaurants. I've tried plenty (thanks to my vegetarian friends' recommendations), but most of them were one-and-done for me. Except for Merit. This is the only vegetarian restaurant I actually enjoy--and keep coming back to. The food here doesn't try too hard to be "healthy" or "alternative." It's just genuinely tasty. Favorites: the Lotus Salad, Crispy Chow Mein, and Spicy Noodles. Every dish is full of flavor, fresh ingredients, and that satisfying balance of crunch and spice. Even without meat, nothing feels like it's missing. read more

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Giving 5 stars again but the service was really slow this time!! took like over 20 mins between dishes. The place was packed when we got in but even as people started filing out we were still waiting for ever for our food to the point where the second half of our meal didn't come til we were nearly done with the first. I'm renouncing the house clay pot rice that I put as a "must get" in my last review; it is good and interesting but I think curry fried rice is wayyy superior. I also think the house clay pot rice and the vermicelli curry noodle soup both NEED chili oil to be good, and of those two I think the noodle soup is better. We also tried pineapple sensation this time. I usually don't like pineapple in my savory foods but I would get it again!! The ocean cakes are very good and it's not too sweet for a pineapple dish. Also got the gourmet deluxe, I ordered this a long time ago and forgot what it was called and kept ordering the wrong thing trying to get this again, it's fried gluten it's so good - def recommend getting this. It was also REALLY packed and loud on a friday night! Just a heads up. read more

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Excellent vegetarian food! Extensive menu with a wide variety of tasty dishes, non-alcoholic drinks and desserts in a pleasant atmosphere and plenty of free parking in their lot. We enjoyed the lotus root salad, vegan BBQ beef, tom yum soup, vegetable fried rice, brown rice, vegan beef with mixed vegetables, vegan orange chicken nuggets, eggplant & tofu clay pot, matcha lattes, and many more dishes. Terrific flavors with the right amount of sauce and wok heat and good sized portions at reasonable prices. Conducive to sharing family style. Nice and clean interior (the bathrooms are very nice & clean too). Pleasant service. I highly recommend this restaurant and will come again. read more

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10/10. I'm recovering from a medical issue and on a liquid diet. I was absolutely sick of juice/jello/plain broth and was super happy when I realized this place sells tom kha that you can customize to remove all toppings. I ordered about 20 mins before close, which I usually try not to do. They called me to double check that that was what I wanted and then followed the instructions perfectly. The soup was amazing and quite literally the best thing I have tasted in weeks. read more

We met up with some friends at Merit Vegan Restaurant for lunch on a Sunday. This was my first time here. My wife and two other friends had been here several times. The parking can get challenging in this strip mall but mostly weekdays during lunch. The restaurant is very spacious and can accommodate large parties of 6-10, but geared towards groups of 4. They have two separate restrooms with multiple stalls. House Special Rice Clay Pot: Seasoned tofu, mushroom, bean threads, onion and ginger cooked with fragrant rice (4/5). This was flavorful and had a good sauce. Gourmet Deluxe: Most popular. Fried gluten-free protein cooked with spicy lemongrass and served with steamed broccoli, cucumber and tomato (4/5). Yep, I can see why this is their most popular dish. Fragrant, savory...again, deep-fried what's not to like!?! Top it off with lemongrass which i love. Yum! Mama's Clay Pot: Eggplant and 'ocean' cakes cooked in house special sauce (3.5/5). Organic brown steamed rice (1). We needed something to help sop up the sauce in Mama's Clay Pot. The portions weren't huge but enough and at their price point, it was good. Everything was very tasty. I will be back! The service was good at first. But, once all the food was served and we wanted to get the check. It was your typical "ignore" you. I don't see your hand up as I walk by. It wasn't just our server but several of them. I understand that they were busy but... read more

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Service was so fast and considerate. We don't usually order specifically vegan food but their meat substitutes were actually really good! The texture of the sweet & sour savory really surprised us and the sauce was not too sweet. The curry was solid and flavorful with great pricing. read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - 40. Sweet & Sour Savory - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I found this in my food yesterday ! My medical office ordered a large take out and our veggies had lots of little bugs in them. Along with blue plastic wrapped around the broccoli ! Beware of the Micro plastics and the bugs ! read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

My go-to vegan spot in the Bay Area. Always so many unique and diverse dishes. Quality is always on point and so is the service. You still get the feeling of a family run restaurant which adds to the charm. Simple but clean and happy vegan diners is what you will be guaranteed to see. read more

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Reliable quality of food, a friendly staff, and prompt preparation of any orders for takeout also.

Pretty good for a vegan place, it actually made me consider eating a more vegetarian or vegan diet, which no other restaurant has done... Super fast service and nice, clean ambience with plenty of seating and booths. We ordered the ocean pineapple mushroom cakes, the crispy noodle chow mein, the fake chicken drumsticks, and the Vietnamese crepe pancakes. Ocean pineapple mushroom cakes and the crispy noodle chow mien I would order again. The fake chicken drumstick was only good with the sweet chili sauce and the crepe/pancake had too many bean sprouts and onions and not much else inside...it was very large but also very thin. read more

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I love when I can eat anything on a menu. Merit's menu is vast, and although I've been at least a dozen times, I still haven't come close to trying everything in any one section of the menu, let alone the entire menu. The parking lot can be difficult to find, and all the signs warning about people breaking into cars may be alarming, but beyond that, this place is an unexpected and calmingly peaceful oasis in the middle of Sunnyvale. Except for right after COVID, I've never really seen the place empty, although it has so much seating that I doubt it has ever been truly full. But the dining room is large enough that even if there are quite a few other parties you will still be able to enjoy your meal and your company in peace. The service used to be hit or miss, but on my last three or four visits, I've had attentive service that was friendly and efficient. I usually only come here a couple of times a year, so I can't tell you what my favorite dishes are. It may be that I've enjoyed everything so much that nothing stands out. In general, I avoid the soups because I had a bland experience, but I wouldn't think twice about anything else on the menu. Just thinking about coming here makes me very happy. read more

So Yumm!!! As a new vegetarian I was so impressed with this spot. We loved the chow mein and veggie stir fry. Our server (male) was also so sweet and friendly and made our dining experience even better! Will def return! read more

I'm glad I finally got to try Merit! Ate in with a friend. It's a pretty sizeable, bright restaurant, and the menu is likewise extensive, which made it difficult for me to pick what to order! There's also some interesting literature to read on the walls of you're so inclined. We split the steam bun as an appetizer. This bun is huge! It was full of veggies and a nice way to start the meal. We each ordered noodle soup dishes: the curry vermicelli and the Viet udon. Both were delicious! I only tried a bite of the curry vermicelli and would order it in the future. The curry imparted a nice flavor, and the ingredients were good. The thin noodles can be a bit challenging to pick up with the metal chopsticks though! The Viet udon was also delicious with a light savory broth, and they did not skimp on the vegan shrimp and tofu. Service was quick and no-frills. I definitely look forward to my next visit here to try more of their menu! read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - 19. Viet Udon - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

I visited this place years ago, and recently came back with family--and it was even better than I remembered. We ordered the corn dogs, lotus salad, crispy chow mein, and spicy tango. Everything was delicious, well-portioned, and packed with flavor. It's genuinely impressive how they capture authentic Asian flavors while keeping everything completely vegan. We also tried the mango and chocolate cake slices--both were incredible. I'd love to order a full cake from them in the future! read more

We stopped by for dinner on a weekend evening. We ordered their Tom Kha Thai Soup, Crispy Chow Mein, Golden Rolls, and Mongolian Delight to share for a party of 4. The food tasted delicious, and we will return to try other items! The only complaint I had was probably the weird texture of the mock beef for the Mongloian delight dish. Other than that, everything else was yummy and surprised they were vegan! read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - 27. Crispy Chow Mein - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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As a second generation Vietnamese American, flavors here remind me of my grandmothers cooking. Super healthy, super fresh. My daughters rate this as their favorite place to eat read more

A lot of great vegan options.. rice plates, soups, noodles and desserts. The staff is incredibly friendly.. and provides great service. Good vibe I love eating here read more

One of the best vegan place! We ordered their recommended dishes and all were good. I personally ordered curry friend rice a the best!

If you love vegan foods or just sometimes bored of meats :) come here to try something healthy but tasty! The service is always awesome (talk to Bill, he is friendly and helpful) The place is clean and the music is always nice (soft and old 70-80s songs) read more

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We had a short wait time for food and no wait time for a table! I was really surprised by the food, it was so good and filling. My only problem was that I had to put a lot of sauce on the golden rolls vermicelli since it didn't have a lot of flavor by itself, but tasted great after. read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - 29. Golden Rolls Vermicelli, SP2. Golden Era Lunch Special, 34. Royal Fried Rice Plate - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Such a great vegan restaurant with a whole variety of delicious options! I visited on a Friday night, and it was absolutely packed. However, the service was friendly, fast, and efficient. The ambiance was upbeat and lively. Every time a table had a birthday, all the waiters would sing happy birthday to them and bring out a dessert - it was so fun! I cannot recommend the spring rolls enough. Every bite had so much flavor, and the accompanying peanut sauce was also super tasty! This was my absolute favorite dish. I also tried the spicy noodle soup after reading several Yelp reviews. To my surprise, the broth was not spicy at all. It was still packed with flavor but just did not have any spice. The tofu was soft, and the noodles were nice and chewy. However, I would not order this again because the broth just did not have any spice. The curry noodle soup was rich, creamy, and delicious. I really liked the thin noodles paired with the well-cooked vegetables. I definitely intend to visit again and try more dishes! The pad thai sounded super good - the dish features "shrimp" made out of yam! read more

I have dined here twice now, with different sets of girlfriends. The prices are reasonable and the flavors are Vietnamese/Asian robust. They do have a strict rule of no outside desserts/food allowed. So beware when celebrating with friends. Here are what we ordered: House Special Rice Clay Pot- it's got rice and clear noodle, tofu, mushroom. Every thing I like. Mama Clay Pot - eggplant and ocean cake was good but soup was too glue texture. Fresh Spring Roll and Golden Rolls. Both were just OK. Lotus Salad - cabbage, carrots, lotus. I thought it was just OK. Gourmet Fried Rice - was surprisingly good. read more

I only found out about this place this year, and I can't help but wonder where was I this entire time!? This is a terrific vegan restaurant, with so many tasty options! If you have friends and/or family members who are insistent on being non-veg, this is one of those restaurants they won't mind trying out every now and then! It's not just tofu, they have seitan and other kinds of alternative vegan meat. 1. Orange Nuggets are the best here. Probably not too healthy, but deeply delicious. 2. The vegan canh chua (Vietnamese hot and sour soup) was also surprisingly tasty. It wasn't nearly as sour as non-veg canh chua, but it definitely tasted legit. 3. The Tom Kha soup was also sooooooo good. Would actually prefer this over non-veg Tom Kha, as the portion was much bigger and more affordable! 4. The Pad Thai was awesome, had vegan shrimp and they did a wonderful job. 5. The corn dog sucked, don't get the corn dog. I don't even know I got the corn dog. I feel like they only keep this on the menu for the pickiest of eaters, but even then IMO it sucks too much to keep it on the menu sooo yeah avoid it. read more

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Great vegetarian restaurant with a huge array of tasty options. Pictured here are the curry vermicelli soup and the spicy tango. I have also eaten lemongrass tofu, wonton noodle soup, and spring rolls on a past visit. The service is friendly and efficient, and the place is inviting. I also like a display showing some famous vegetarians throughout history, which includes quotes by them pertaining to vegetarianism. read more

Merit Vegan Restaurant - SP15. Spicy Tango - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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This place is AMAZING! Every single plate was so delicious. My family of six along with our BFF's decided to come here as the wifey's jus got off of a fasting/diet program and the program insisted on only eating veggies, no meat! Well, we looked up places online and came here and we just had a blast with every single detail from the moment we walked into the door, ordering food with the waitress, and prompt plate delivery. We totally experienced the quality of food and white glove service as the owner came out to check in on us to make sure we were satisfied with everything. The owner was super humble and chatted with us to share what made their restaurant so successful. The entire staff was on point and we would absolutely refer this restaurant to anyone that enjoys eating food period. The soup, the soybean meat, veggies, just everything was a 10/10. Great job Ai Hoa and Team, keep up the hard work :) read more