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    Spring Cafe

    4.7 (244 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 7:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    SPRING CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Spring Cafe

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    Jay C.

    When you walk into Spring Cafe, just off busy Canal Street, a bright, multicolored heart greets you with the words: "Somebody in Chinatown loves you." After finally visiting, I can confirm--it tracks! I ordered the Teriyaki Quinoa Bowl with grilled chik'n and the two-bao bun special: one with braised tofu skin and the other with vegan BBQ pork. The braised tofu was subtle and balanced, while the BBQ bao was a flavor bomb--both were delicious. Spring Cafe is onto something smart. Their baos are bigger than average, and with combo offerings that include your choice of fries or hot soup, the baos aren't just sides anymore--they're the main event. And it's about time they stepped into the spotlight.

    Braised Tofu Skin Noodle Soup
    John B.

    This is a tiny cafe, and I note that in most cities, I would probably deduct a star for a place that offers high-sodium food and caffeinated drinks but does not have a bathroom for customers. In New York, you live with these things. I took a special they had on a braised tofu soup with noodles, which delivered abundantly on flavor and also came with a free side of rolls. Their rolls were a taro filling with a crust crisped on in a manner I had not seen before but which was mouthwatering. At least given the place's small size, it was one of the few things I got in the city that I would actually call a good deal. Those seeking a plant-based meal should expect to be satisfied.

    Salt Pepper Vegan Chicken Bento Box
    Hui L.

    Today I was feeling in the mood for healthy food so I went here for some vegetarian food. During the lunch rush, they were super busy and I barely managed to get a seat at their counter style seating. I went with their salt and pepper chicken bento box and a hibiscus tea. Despite the lunch crowd, I didn't have to wait too long before my food was ready. They were pushing out orders really efficiently. If you spend over $10, get a stamp card! It's 1 stamp per $10 spent. I liked how everything was packed up in a bag which made it easy to take leftovers home. The soup had pieces of tofu and mushrooms. It was quite thick and tasted like maybe hot and sour soup. In the bento box, there was broccoli with sesame oil, fried tofu and vegetable curry soup, 4 pieces of salt and pepper imitation chicken, fresh salad and a large portion of white rice with some tofu bean curd. The chicken's outer coating was very crispy and I was surprised at how similar the texture was to chicken. I also enjoyed the fried tofu pieces in the curry as it soaked up the curry flavor. It was a very filling meal as even hours later I still felt quite full.

    Sweet & Spicy Tofu Burger
    Ash B.

    The food here is AMAZING! We were so hungry and so lucky to stumble upon this place. The tofu in the burger was perfectly crispy and sauced. The braised tofu and black pepper mushroom baos were so unique -- had not tried those flavors in a bao bun before. Minor note that they have a 40 min seating max, which is fair because the space is small. I need to come back to try their smoothies and coffee drinks.

    Bellody C.

    I came here on a whim for some wifi but also wanted to try their vegan options. The wifi worked but super bad idea since they were constantly blending stuff or there were people walking behind me back and forth (given how small the place was). All the outlets were blocked with tape which was a bummer. The hibiscus tea was more on the sweet side instead of refreshing, but still good as a thirst quencher. The flavor sucked. The fries were really really good- perfectly crisp. The portobello sandwich was disappointing. The flavors just didn't pair well with the avocado, there was no cheese, and the bread was very dull. It all came together very dry. I wouldn't come here again for food or for wifi.

    Beyond burger, fries, and hibiscus tea
    Heather F.

    I randomly stumbled upon this restaurant looking for cute cafes for lunch in the area when I found this! I was even happier as a vegetarian that it was a vegan restaurant so of course they had my favorite, beyond burgers! And ALSO impossible burgers! The menu is extensive and everything looks delicious, and they have house made ketchup which is really good. Everything is so so fresh and hot and delicious and the staff are very nice! This place deserves more love

    Hash brown sandwich and fries
    Sabrina D.

    Not much to look at from the outside, but don't let it deter you. The food here is on point - even if you're not vegan! My son suffers from Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and is extremely picky. He had the hash brown sandwich; which he claimed was one of the best meals he's had in his life. I had the Buddha bowl - very fresh and tasty. We washed it down with Hibiscus iced tea - perfect! The food was so good I got a BBQ bao bun sandwich to go... and I should have gotten 2. Yes to everything! We'll be back, but not because of the service. The woman initially behind the counter must have been having a bad morning. "SIGN!" she demanded hostiley, thrusting the credit card authorization at me. Not one to toy with people dealing with my food, I thanked her politely; to which she had no reply. They were also a bit slow considering the fact that we looked to be customer #4 of the day and there were only a couple of other people inside.

    Althea L.

    The vegan tofu skin bao was absolutely delicious. It featured two thick layers of braised tofu skin seasoned with five-spice (五香), paired with flavorful pickled Chinese vegetables (酸菜) and plenty of fresh cilantro. This combination made for a deeply satisfying and authentic Chinese savory snack (小吃). Hands down, it's the best vegan bao/sandwich I've had in the city.

    Kale Quinoa Salad
    Chrissy R.

    It's hard to find "healthy" food near Chinatown - don't get me wrong, so much good food! But you know what I mean. Vegan, Asian fusion and super delicious! Right next to the Q Canal St Station and courthouses if you have jury duty etc. got the kale quinoa salad and two bao buns. Small counter space too.

    Pineapple Iced Green Tea
    Gab G.

    This place is amazing! I stopped by in person once and ordered delivery another time, and both times the food was great. Braised tofu skin bao bun was fantastic, and the hibiscus iced tea was amazing. Beyond burger combo (with sweet potato fries and pineapple iced green tea) was also so good!

    Jasmine S.

    This food is so amazing - you forget you're eating 100% vegan food. I ordered their bao buns and they're so delicious, I definitely recommend. The seating is very limited tho, thankfully I went when they were too busy.

    Estrella E.

    Where was this place when I was working near by? I whole vegan cafe. I tried their bbq baos and its soo good. I definitely need to come back for their other menu items. They have variety of options from burgers, sandwiches, and bento boxes. Definitely need to try all.

    Vincent W.

    Im a frequent patron and wanted to review. This is a fully vegan eatery. I tried most of their popular menu items over the years and they're consistent but the portions did get bigger on some items. I ordered the braised tofu and bbq pork skin bao buns with kale smoothie. Their buns are bigger than used to be but I'm not complaining. It used to be served with their signature sauce but I think you have to request with a fee. It's worth it but I ate without. The bbq bao is slightly sweet and the braised tofu is savory as always. I'm surprised I ate them both. Worth it. The kale smoothie was delicious and smooth. I feel like I'll get a detox after. The space is petite but has indoor seating and colorful decor. Nice music playlist and professional staff. No restroom, there's sanitizer at the condiments station next to waste basket.

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    3 years ago

    Best Vegan cuisine for the area. They have friendly and fast service. You can't go wrong with any of the juices and smoothies either.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Delicious clean food. Great staff. Awesome location. Big menu. Great Tea. Quick Service. All in all, a must try!!!

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    4 years ago

    I ordered the tofu skin bowl. Generous portion and delicious. I love supporting small businesses.

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    Page 3 of 7

    Spring Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Spring Cafe

    Will you be open on Christmas eve or Christmas Day?

    Hello! Thanks for contacting us, below is our holiday hours:… Read more

    Are there gluten free options for the bao and burgers?

    Not sure about the Bao (assume it would be the same) but with the burgers - and the sandwiches too - they will instead wrap it all in lettuce for you. But there is no gluten-free actual bread options.

    View All 3 Questions

    Excellent Dumpling House

    Excellent Dumpling House

    4.1
    (871 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    As the name implies, it really is an excellent dumpling house!…read more Me and my buddies were in Jersey and New York for some hockey games, and wanted to go to a deli, get some Chinese food, and a slice of pizza. Got off the E train and when we looked for Chinese food, this place popped up with good reviews and it was just a short walk from where we got off the train. My buddies ordered the special lunches and we also got two types of xlb's, beef chow fun, and some fried dumplings. The special lunches come with a little fried rice, cold garlic flavored noodle, choice of egg drop or hot and sour soup, and main side. My buddies all enjoyed their meals. The beef chow fun was also really good and beef was nice and tender. The xiao long baos were excellent and is comparable to any place in California like DTF. Nice and juicy and great with some ginger, soy sauce, and spicy chili. Friendly service and food comes out pretty quickly. Credit card is accepted. Bathroom was also very clean, which is sometimes rare in some Chinese restaurants I have been to. If you're looking for a good Chinese meal, stop here when you're in the Chelsea area.

    I've been looking for a place open late-ish to get food in Chelsea now that the Malibu Diner is…read moresadly gone. I hadn't been to EDH in a while and was happy to see they do have later hours (with a smaller late night menu). The place was pretty busy at 10:00 PM last Saturday, with a wide range of diners, which is good for business. The food though, at least that night, was really disappointing. My friend had the chicken dumplings. He said they were okay. I thought they were overcooked. My steamed shrimp shumai were fine, but steamed, they didn't have much flavour. The edamame, on the other hand, had way too much when it should have almost none. I don't know if it was excess salt, MSG or something else, but not good. I should have sent them back. I hope this was just an off night for the kitchen.

    Photos
    Dining Area
    Dining Area
    Sizzling Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
    Sizzling Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
    Excellent Dumpling House

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    Buddakan

    Buddakan

    4.1
    (4.9k reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$$$

    I am obsessed. This place is a 10 all around. The food is delicious, the ambiance is warm and…read moreromantic, the the service is impeccable. The main dining room has dramatic high ceilings and beautiful chandeliers. They have long stick candles burning on every table. It was absolutely gorgeous and such a special experience. The presentation really stood out. The carrot dumplings were so delicious and shaped like carrots. It had minced mushrooms in it and tasted like dun tai fungs vegetarian dumplings. I am a fan. The ducks in a row are basically deep fried dumplings. at dim sum, my family calls it footballs. It's shaped like ducks and it's the cutest thing ever. The peanut cold noodles were also delicious. I loved everything we ordered and the pistachio chocolate dessert was not too sweet and perfect end to our dinner. I was suspicious that this place would be all show but they really delivered in their food quality, service, and presentation. Just wow. 100% would recommend

    The vibe and food here is great! It's also very good for larger parties. We were a group of 10 and…read moreI was able to make a reservation without dealing with a pre fix meal or being put into a private room which I appreciated. We went family style for our dishes which worked very well. Everything we got was delicious, but the garlic fried rice, kung pao monkfish, crab rangoons and wok fried xo cheung fun noodles were my favorites. I also tried the Blush cocktail which was similar to a lychee martini. I loved it and it was perfectly sweet. Overall it was on the pricey side once we split everything, but the vibes were great for a nice night out.

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    Buddakan
    Buddakan
    Buddakan

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    Philippe Chow

    Philippe Chow

    4.0
    (304 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$$

    Yeah Id say that was a pretty splendid meal. Shared everything thank goodness…read more Started with the wok fried beef dumplings which were good on their own but had this fire ahh spicy honey mustard wow. Then the scallion pancakes which were crispy and airy paired with this very interesting sauce that was clear but tasted like sweet and sour sauce. For mains we got Kung Pao Chicken which was pretty delicious but my star of the show was the Crispy Beef. It was crispy asf and skinny too I didn't know you could make beef skinny like that. Sauce was super tasty and thick. On the side was broccoli which was fine and eggplant which was fine on its own and good with the chili sauce. Split the Fortune Cookie Red Velvet Cake which okay I thought there would be more creativity with adding fortune cookies somewhere in the cake but it was just a cake with fortune cookies on top. Also they put 2 when we had 4 people like lowkey they couldve just put 2 more on there but anyways the cake itself was pretty tasty so can't complain there.

    Philippe Chow is why Yelp exists. You would otherwise never know that this upscale Chinese…read moreRestaurant blasts club music and mandates 20% gratuities. The food is all over the place but the main theme is that everything is over-seasoned to please the crowd of people who all were gulping down colorful sugary cocktails with dinner while wearing athletic clothing. Peking duck (for 4-5) had great accompaniments (rare to actually get bao with it) but it was a lackluster portion of duck. Salt and pepper shrimp were offensively salted. Special "mignon" was great. The hand-pulled noodles *gasp* weren't hand pulled. "BBQ" chicken in the other noodles was very dry. Sea bass portion was very small. Scallion pancakes were good. Shrimp dumplings were the highlight. I recommend skipping this restaurant.

    Photos
    Philippe Chow
    Maine Lobster: ginger scallion sauce
    Maine Lobster: ginger scallion sauce
    Bottle of Moët & Chandon

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