Unique vegan deliciousness! Kind of like vegan junk food to a point though, lot of fried items. However it is a great place to bring carnivores and allow them to try mock meat vegan dishes. The people are nice and I always enjoy myself. Hidden treasure in a offbeat strange strip mall. Occasionally they have a special buffet around the holidays which is especially exceptional! read more

Su Tao Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

Greasy, ugly chinese food. Sometimes that's what you want. Sometimes not. We didn't even get a menu, because it wasn't offered. Just went to the buffet. Which honestly reminded me of a this horrible chinese buffet in Lancaster that my grandparents love. But I digress. Some food was moderately tasty, some was inedible. But the service was fine, the ambiance sufficiently divey, the price was ok ($12.22 a person), so I'll likely be back. Oh, it's hidden in the back of a nasty strip mall along 30 near People's Light and Theater Co. And I don't think they serve alcohol. So it's a mid-week place. read more

First of all; A VEGAN BUFFET?! How often can you run across one of these? With a very large selection rivaling the buffet of a meat based restaurant, it's easy to choose from different options. I heard many people who normally ate meat marvel at how good the food was, and that there wasn't much of a difference. For under 10 dollars, one can get the entire buffet selection, which will leave you full and satisfied. Dessert even comes with it!! How awesome is that? Great atmosphere and great people who are friendly and don't seem overworked. I am happy to have spent my money here. They've been keeping strong for 16 years. That is an amazing record and I applaud the owner for her perserverence and the profit she gave us to serve quality, healthy vegetarian food. read more

I've been here many times since I am a vegan and my work is just up the street. I've never found the tables to be dirty or greasy, they are always clean. The staff is helpful, out-of-the-way, and patient, often delightful and conversational, even. The food is flavorful, the textures are good and there's plenty of variety. I really don't think the prices are bad, and their lunch specials are a crazy good deal! If you go in, you can get the buffet or table service, but where this place really shines is their table service/take-out menu. I've had the buffet and I enjoy it a lot, but I've also had the steamed buns, wonton soup, and several things from their chef specialties. It's a shame that so many of the reviews seem to only have given the buffet a shot. Buffets are not usually gourmet, but I still think this one is pretty good! The restaurant is a pretty typical Chinese food buffet, except it's vegan. Some of these reviews are leaving one star for some pretty average, normal, even expected things. I see them replacing the foods frequently. I don't think anything is overly greasy, especially given your average Chinese food! If you are looking for something plant-based and comforting in the way only Chinese food can be, this is a great choice. Give the real menu a shot, not just the buffet! It's a mom and pop shop, and I really think it holds up way better than the Chinese restaurant down the block from my house, with the added bonus that it's vegan. read more

Since I started working in Malvern I have been delighted to discover so many vegan restaurants near my place of employment. I just stumbled upon this restaurant and I have not tried their buffet but I enjoyed the takeout that I got. Before I go into that, I really liked that they had such a big menu. I'm definitely going to return to try more items. I ordered fried shrimps as an appetizer because although I'm vegan, I really miss seafood. These hit the spot and honestly reminded me of shrimp. I also ordered the kungbao duck. It didn't have the fatty taste of duck but it was still tasty. I can't wait to try other menu items! read more

This is a good place for chinese style vegan food. My only challenges are the heavy oils and high doses of salt. They do have a salad bar as well so I try to minimize my salt intake by balancing with the salad bar but I do wish they would have more light-salt/oil options. This is a good place if you are not vegan as well as I've brought friends here and we can all eat a meal together and enjoy it. read more

This is one of the best Chinese restaurant for vegetarian hunters. I visited on weekdays and food was also delicious. I opted for buffet and there were lots of varieties to try. The buffet was $9 and was worth for money. The ambience was good.. I am more concerned about cleanliness of things in every restaurant I visit, and here it was up to the mark. Would definitely recommend my friends for lunch or dinner.. Have no idea about foods not in buffet. But buffet was good and tasty. read more

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The fact that I am writing a review speaks volumes because I never do! Today is different bc Sutao served me my very first fully vegan meal!! Exciting stuff Let me be clear, I am not a buffet kind of lady! Today I gladly, grabbed my plate and dug in. I felt like trying to choose one dish would be brutal as I don't have much experience and if I hated the meal I'd be hungry and out of 10bucks! So I took a little bit of almost everything from stewed chickpeas to garlic eggplant(I love eggplant but this took it up another notch). All the sauces married beautiful on the plate and even better on my fork. It was so good I went back for seconds lol I couldn't even put a dent in that plate but I was happy with the few bites I took before I just had to surrender I cannot wait to go a couple time a week for lunch. The buffet is under $10 and includes dessert and a drink. read more

Su Tao Cafe - My first plate! - Vegan Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

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I am amazed how I missed writing a review for this place, wrote on google and forgot yelp! If you are a vegan and love Chinese food you would really love this place! I have been here several times and love it! read more

Absolutely delicious vegan Chinese food. The staff are friendly and the buffet has a great variety. I recommend checking out their website and trying the special buffet as well. It's a little more expensive (still very reasonable) but there are different dishes served in addition to vegan ice cream AND access to the regular buffet. Some of my favorite dishes are the sweet and sour tofu balls, sautéed kale (found in the salad bar) topped with ginger dressing, steamed dumplings, cumin "lamb" (special buffet or regular menu only), and treasure island. Writing this review has put me in the mood for this food again. Guess I'll be going back this week! read more

Loved it! So awesome to have such a great vegan spot in our area. My husband and I stopped in for a quick meal on our lunch break and the buffet was not only quick, affordable and easy but it was also delicious. Some of my favorites were the eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, the pepper steak, lo mein, and the miso soup. I'm looking forward to going back and trying more. I think this restaurant would appeal to both vegans and non-vegans alike. It's nothing fancy but it's just as good if not better than most of the other Chinese restaurants we've tried in the area. read more

Su Tao Cafe - Sutao lunch buffet - Vegan Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

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Su Tao cafe is my favorite vegan restaurant by far! There are so many options and the buffet style dining allows you to sample everything! Love it here. read more

If you're vegan and craving Chinese food- this is the place to go. Absolutely recommend every thing, but the "shrimp" toast and sushi (with the sauce, trust me on this) were absolutely out of this world. After our first trip my friend and I were immediately planning when we would be making the 45 minute drive again. Also, service was great for us, so not sure if we had a different waitress helping us with takeout than other reviewers. read more

Su Tao Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

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This is one of my favorite places to go for veg food. As a former omnivore, at times I miss having my pepper steak over rice and SuTao makes a lovely meal at a fair price. The General Tso, pepper "steak" and the veggie "fish" are great options on the buffet menu. For the a la carte menu, the veggie "shrimp" is a great choice. Friendly staff, great food and reasonable price. read more

Let me start out by saying that I love me some Su Tao! This place has quickly become a go-to for us, sort of a vegan comfort food wonderland. When you first walk in, there won't be a heck of a lot of ambiance, but what it lacks in decor, it makes up for with friendly service and great vegan food. Our favorites are the veggie lamb with cumin (this may be my deathbed request), and the twice cooked spicy chicken. So go check it out. Whether you get the buffet, or order off the menu, it's a vegan win! read more

We moved out of the area years ago, and were back to visit. We were so excited to have Su Tao again, and it did not disappoint! Everything was just as delicious as we remembered!! I can't take pictures, it's all been eaten! Thank you so much! read more

what an absolute awful experience-------------the table was dirty, a thin layer of film from a dirty cloth, the booth seats required work and more support. the cutlery was smokey and the cheap plastic glasses clouded with too much heat and too little investment. most charming, the table had been recaptured from somewhere and had two drilled holes where tiny bits of food were lodged. the buffet was hideous----the food was cold. the rice was caked in the corners of the pan. the sauces were all from the same vat---a little garlic, a dash of salt, a bit of this and that. the tso chicken tasted like rolled up paper and the lemon chicken literally looked like baked sawdust and tasted like it. the fried vegetables were onion rings---the noodles were slippery and greasy. it was like everything on the buffet table had been hand sprayed with oil to keep it attractive and of course, fresh! the bathrooms had toilet paper on the floor and a sink that was very dirty--had a full dark ring around it. i told the owner or manager that the food was awful. she said sorry twenty times and offered me a free take out! read more

The only vegan buffet in the area with a decent selection of cold and hot foods. Food is absolutely delicious! I am a vegetarian Chinese take out junkie and this place is a gem. If you are veg, try Su Tao. No need to read ingredients or worry about cross contamination because everything is vegan!!! They even offer sushi rolls and desserts. read more

My favorite restaurant. I am not a vegetarian at all, but the food here is so good and fresh, I come here all the time anyway. The lunch buffet is cheap and enormous. I particularly recommend the Eggless Egg Salad, Vegetarian Dumplings, anything on the hot bar, and the Apple Salad. Can't be beat! read more

I want so much to like this place, because in theory it's my dream restaurant; a full Chinese menu made entirely vegetarian. (Similar to Harmony in Philadelphia.) The first time we went was a few years ago, we ordered off the menu and the food was fresh with bright flavors and great texture, it was very good. In more recent visits however, they seem to downplay the menu and push the buffet and frankly the buffet food misses the mark. It's heavy on the oil and just doesn't have any spark. It tastes like, well, buffet food. Which is too bad because an AYCE vegetarian buffet with food as good as I had a few years ago from the menu and you would have to forcibly remove me from the building. I plan to go back at some point and try ordering from the menu, I will update then. read more

It's strange to go to a restaurant and not have to ask what is in everything. I walked up to the buffet with a huge grin on my face. I was excited to have the chance to grab food without thinking twice about seeking out ingredient information. The buffet was excellent, with a large offering of cold and hot things to try. I'm not a huge fan of imitation meats (I like my tofu to just be itself and embrace its identity) but I actually liked all the faux-meat things that I tried. Good selection, good food, good price. I definitely plan to come here again when I'm out in this direction. read more

I love Su Tao! Vegan Chinese buffet! Everything is really great and you can fill up for very little money. Unfortunately, it's pretty out of the way from the city, so I don't get here as often as I'd like, but I stop in every time I pass by! read more

Can't say I would ever go back. I thought Robert Irvine and his camera crew on Restaurant Impossible would stroll in any minute during my visit. Don't get me wrong I do like vegan food and I cook tofu often as another alternative. The buffet was lacking options. The restaurant just looked dirty and run down. Service was poor. The waitress did not give an option for a menu. So if you're looking to eat in a dirty restaurant with poor service and little option, give this place a try. read more

Delicious (although not entirely nutritious) all vegan menu! There are a lot of fried foods and foods in heavy sauces but healthy choices as well. As a vegan, it's a nice treat to be able to eat at a restaurant and eat anything and everything on the menu and since it's a buffet, to eat as much of it as you want! read more

Overall I like this place and it is the only place I know of that serves vegan buffet. I have been here maybe 6 times and they don't seem to change the selections so it could get boring after a while. My favorites are kappa maki rolls. I give Sutao 3 stars b/c service itself is very cold and is lacking miles and miles in customer service, manners and friendliness. I don't think I have been ever greeted with a smile even though I always greet servers/owners and tip 18-20%. Also the way staff looks at you is as if you owe them an arm and a leg. For this reason I prefer to come here less and less. read more

I only go here occasionally. The buffet is good and I like their sushi for dinner. Sometimes the food needs to be refreshed or isn't hot and I think the prices are a little high. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the food doesn't taste as good as it used to. Not as flavorful or something. Anyway, I'd give Su Tao a try if you haven't been here before, but I think I might get Indian Food or something else in the area. read more

It's a vegan buffet. That alone earns it stars. I am not vegan and wasn't impressed with all of the fried not so good food. I have been to numerous vegan restaurants where I have loved the food but this wasn't one of them. Now, if you are vegan, where are you going to find a place where everything is edible and it is a buffet?! If I wanted to eat vegan Chinese food I would just order steamed vegetables with brown rice and sauce on the side and would be much happier than I was with the food at this place. read more

My veg-curious side is always on the lookout for vegan restaurants, so I was super stoked to try Su Tao. Unfortunately, it ended up being a total bummer. I went with a friend at about 6:30PM on a weeknight. We were given a choice between food from the regular menu or the buffet. We went with the latter, which we ended up regretting. The food seemed old: dehydrated noodles, wilted veggies, sauces with strange consistencies, some a bit crusty in places. The host informed us that they weren't putting more food out until someone specifically requested a certain item; that way, things stayed fresher. Sounded good. But the food delivered "fresh" from the kitchen had the same problems; it was just hotter, like it was from the same batch as the stuff in the buffet, just reheated and maybe rehydrated with a bit of sauce. And, most disappointing of all, it just wasn't good. I know some people might automatically chalk that up to the food's inherent "veganness" -- but I suspect if the food had been fresher, most of the offerings would have been at least decent, if not quite yummy. I say this because the lone delish dish, the curry mock chicken, seemed fresh and tasted even better than curry legit chicken. I was feeling pretty down by that point, but perked up when I saw seaweed salad, one of my favorites. It ended up being inedible...gaahh. On top of that, the waitress informed me I'd have to pay extra for that part of the buffet if I planned on getting more. She wasn't rude about it, but it would have been helpful to know beforehand. The restaurant itself seemed a bit unclean, but I do have OCD leanings and may be nitpicking. I really wanted to like Su Tao, but the buffet experience just fell flat. Still, I'd like to give something from the regular menu a shot at some point to make a more balanced assessment. read more

My first vegan restaurant... not bad at all. They have lots of sautéed veggies like brussel sprouts, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, seaweed salad, etc. I question some of the mock chicken and beef dishes though. Surely the artificial coloring, filling agents, and sauces don't make it much healthier than the real thing. read more

If you're a vegan I would say this restaurant is worth at least one visit. The food is definitely not great, but there are a ton of hot and cold options. I live about 30 miles away and I'm glad I made the trip to try it out, but I'll definitely never go back. The service I received was horrible. There is an Indian restaurant in the same shopping center with vegan and vegetarian options that is much more worthwhile. read more

Su Tao is a really solid choice for vegetarian Chinese food, and one that has been well received by our non-vegetarian friends. Many folks have already commented that choosing your time of arrival can affect the freshness of the buffet, and I agree. We usually go early, around 5 - 5:30 and find the food hot and fresh, and the buffet not too crowded. We definitely have some regular favorites. The Treasure Island (with tofu, diced potatoes, squash, etc. in a light sauce) is always good, as is the pepper steak. The new, not-to-miss selection though is the "fried chicken". This isn't the thickly battered "chicken" they put out with the lemon sauce, but a super-crispy, very lightly breaded, salty, herbed "chicken" that tastes just like KFC's spices without all of the death and destruction. MMMmm. Watch out..sometimes the apple pie from Whole Foods is still frozen when they put it out. read more

Awesome vegetarian Chinese buffet. Lots of options from fresh vegetables to imitation meat dishes.

Come here when I have training for work. Not easy to find vegan only restaurants and this place is really good! Chinese buffet that has good food, nice variety and clean. read more

Since my 2008 review Su Tao has gradually and steadily declined. The buffet isn't kept fresh enough and the vibe has gone from warm and friendly to apathetic. We probably won't be back. read more

What I love about this place is everything is vegan. The decor isn't the best and if you didn't know this place was there you'd probably miss it. You have a choice between the buffet or off the menu. I usually will order off the menu as I'm not a big fan of buffets, I don't like food that's been sitting around. There is a good selection if you go in for that sort of thing, my advice go at the start of lunch service when it's the freshest otherwise stick to the menu, there's a lot to choose from. Try the "In the Forrest" or "Golden Eggplant." read more

I love the food here. It's the racist waitress that's makes the experience so unpleasurable. I came all the way from Ambler because a coworker said it was so good. It really was delicious. The waitress speaks to everyone as they come in except me and my boyfriend who is African-american. She had an attitude waiting on our table and treated all other non African-American pleasantly. The owner didn't seem to be like that from our encounter but his worker is the worst. I won't be going back unless my coworker who is white tells me she doesn't work there anymore. read more

This is a tale of two reviews. The Gandhi's Birthday special consisted of a center table surrounded by normal steam table selections. The special table selections were nearly all very good. The eggplant selection and the veggie kabobs, were unique and fabulous. It's too bad the table wasn't representative of the rest of the buffet. Dessert consisted of homemade peach and apple pies, cookies and nuts. The pies -- particularly the peach -- were great. But oddly, the ice cream, mentioned in another review, costs extra. The rest of the buffet was truly ho-hum. (Ice cream -- mentioned in one review here, is extra -- nearly unheard of on Chinese buffets.) The sauces on the main buffet were too heavy and tended to be gluey. The hot and sour soup was nearly inedible. Vegetarian restaurants can be a healthy place to eat, not Su Tao where the emphasis is on heavy sauces and fried dishes. The service was very friendly and helpful. I was in Malvern on business, visited Su Tao for dinner based upon recommendations here. Sigh. If this is one of the best vegetarian buffet restaurants in the Philadelphia suburbs, the area must be devoid of decent vegetarian chefs. read more

We have been eating here since the early 2000's. Tonight was the absolute worst service I have ever had in a restaurant. We ordered off the menu. When we asked for a few minutes to decide the waitress just stood there staring at us. My friend had to ask for another few minutes. We then had to hunt her down to place our last entree order. Appetizers came out. My friends dinner came out. 20 minutes later we had to flag down someone to ask about our other entrees. The waiter asked what we ordered and we told him. He said it will be a few minutes. 15 minutes later my entree comes out. I'm waiting for my husbands before I start eating. 20 minutes later we ask again and are told it's coming right out. After 10 more minutes we are done. This is like something you see on a tv sitcom. We just tell them to pack up our food and forget his meal. When the owner asks how everything was we told him and he just made excuses. Never going back and telling all my friends not to go back either. Completely insane. If I could I would give zero stars. read more

This is place is a vegetarian dream come true. I was looking for alternatives to Indian restaurants that I frequent for their vegetarian dishes and this does it for me. read more

This place was not good. We actually laughed as we sat eating our dinner because we had driven out to Malvern for it. There were only two other tables in the place occupied and the buffett was sparce to say the least. I am hoping that we went at a bad time like one of the other reviewers mentioned. I hate to give bad reviews of small businesses, but I also hate wasting hard earned money. After going to Govinda's and many other good vegetarian restaurants, I was sorely disappointed. The food itself was not "bad" but it definitely was not good either. On the positive side, the people in charge seemed very nice and I don't remember it being too overpriced. Please note we went here in Spring 2008. read more