Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant
Categories: Chinese, Vegetarian, Vietnamese, Thai [Edit]
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin572 O'Farrell St.
(between Jones St & Leavenworth St)
San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 673-3136
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: None
19 reviews
Neighborhood: Excelsior
"YES! Banh Mi in the Excelsior. If you live or frequent this neighborhood, you know that this area is mostly taquerias and decent chinese…" read more »
311 Reviews for Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant
My vegan friend chose this restaurant, and all of us (non-vegans) really enjoyed it. We were a party of 5, so we got to try lots of things. We started with 2 orders of the spring rolls, which came with a yummy peanut sauce. Next, we had the wonton soup and the seawood soup, both were delicious and flavorful. From the entrees section, we had the vermicelli with 5-spice tofu, spicy garlic green bean tofu, caramelized chicken (mock, of course!), and the eggplant curry claypot. Everything was so good! I'm not typically a fan of mock meats, but I really enjoyed that chicken dish, so sweet and tasty. Everything came out pretty quickly, so we had a crowded table, but we all gobbled it up. Try it, even if your not vegetarian or vegan, they do not disappoint.
I'm a serious meat-a-holic. Its almost impossible for me to have a meal and be full without some sort of fleshy protein. Had it not been for my vegetarian friend, I never would have discovered this gem in the tenderloin of SF.
The food was phenomenol, and it wasn't just that the veggie-meat tasted authentic. The food was full of flavor without being too greasy. To date, I haven't tasted anything I haven't liked.
The culty messages of inspiration from the Supreme High Master always make me smile through my dinners. From what I understand, the whole reason they developed such delicious fake meat is that they believe that if veggie meat tasted enough like real meat, no one would eat animals anymore.
Well, you've definitely saved at least a few chickens from being eaten by me! Keep up the good work :)
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goddamn this place rules, cheap, delicious, great for taking people from out of town to, especially those that are vegan. All the appertizers I've tried have been great, the pho was good (for veggie pho), and pretty much every entree I've had has been solid. quickly becoming a staple.
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My husband and I are long-time vegetarians and we were so excited to try this restaurant, especially after reading the rave reviews on yelp! We went for lunch on a recent Sunday afternoon. The restaurant felt a little worn and dated but it was clean and the service was good. We started with the lettuce cups and the spring rolls, both of which were tasty. Our entrees however, -- lemon chicken and pho --looked appetizing but were drenched in Chinese five spice. The cinnamon and clove were overwhelming -- very sweet and perfumey. We didn't like it at all. If you're a vegetarian it might be a good place to try but nothing about the restaurant made us want to return any time soon.
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Some people will say that it's fake food and that it's a waste of money . . . some people need whips and hand cuffs to get off.
Golden Era is a nearly subterranean vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant with mediocre service, young children running around, a semi hipster clientele and a solid menu.
I ate a good soup with simulated soy ham that had a sweet broth and the broccoli, mushroom "beef" dish. Does it taste like beef? It has that beefy quality but you know it's something else. Sort of like having sex with a transsexual.
With that said I would recommend this place for a fun time but I don't know if I would make it a part of my regular dining experience.
In Addition the Vietnamese coffee is tops.
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Now, living with a Grandfather who adores Chinese food, it's hard for me to jump on the bandwagon whenever he wants to eat out. The Golden Era however is the only Chinese-esque (I believe it's actually Vietnamese) place I will consider without thinking twice - their food is incredibly fresh and tasty. I stay away from the fake meat stuff, because it tends to be slightly greasy, but the soups, the clay pots and veggie dishes are FANTASTIQUE. Eat. now. there.
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I like this place because the "meat" has a close to authentic texture and with lots of flavour. Tamarind Beef was very tasty. Lemon chicken was a bit too sour... brown rice was good. Also love the chips!
But for some reasons I had to drink lots of water afterward. I can only guess it's from the sodium and/or other sauces.
This is in a seedy neighborhood where one time there was a homeless person walking in asking for food and the restaurant gave him a box of rice which he then asked for soy sauce.
I do hope they have better lighting as the restaurant is kinda in the basement. It will be a better atmosphere to dine in.
I still prefer Lucky Creation for fake meat and definitely Millennium for real vegan cuisine...
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I am going to make this my regular stop for Chinese food whenever I'm in the touristy part of town. I really enjoyed not having to double check to make sure that there wasn't going to be any meat in the food that I was served - they don't serve decaying meat from dead animals!
Everything was wonderful except the fried chowmein. they charged me the regular price for an entree ($7.50), but what I got was a plate of uncooked top ramen. I should have asked for clarification on what exactly fried chowmein meant but hey I was trying to be adventurous - I won't make that mistake again.
The space was large enough that there probably is never any waiting and the heat was on but not blasting. All the spray painted gold fixtures, detail work, and statues made my head hurt though. they could use some upgrades.
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So excited to have this around the corner from me!!! I want to eat everything in one sitting. The drumsticks are AMAZING. Definately the best vegan food I've had in SF. Eggplant curry claypot, caramelized "chicken", won ton soup and of course the drumsticks were all incredible.
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My credit card statement says I had dinner there thrice last month. It's one of those places that you can not get tired of, yeah. Even my meat eating friends like it a lot. We always get the Fouyoung. Fouyoung is great! my roommate loves the Pho too. I like the hot and sour vietnamese soup better. Oh another constant is the gourmet vegetable noodles or the house rice claypot. Pretty yummy!
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I went here for the first time recently and am a fan. I went with a group so I had the chance to sample a lot of dishes. I loved the curry noodle soup ( with a couple different soy creations in it). The spring rolls and steamed veggie bun were good starters, but the fried "chicken" (spicy gourmet chicken) is off the hook.
The prices are great and the service was prompt. Restaurants that are all vegetarian sometimes risk having some boring dishes, but that is certainly not the case here. Everything was flavorful and the different ways they prepare the soy keeps things interesting.
I live in Los Angeles and came here on a trip to the city.
I STILL THINK ABOUT THE TOFU SALAD. Holy crap. I had it three times in the 4 days I was there.
Everything else was also tasty, but the salad, the salad..... yuuuum.
It's a must for veggies visiting SF.
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The sweet and sour soy chicken got me laid.
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Thought I would get tired of this place and I did. Something keeps making me go back for more. It's the Pineapple Salmon. Too expensive but nobody else makes the dish.
I've been to Golden Era a couple of times now, so I can confidently say it's a great restaurant. The menu is fully vegan, with a lot of different options (including rice, noodle, and sauté dishes).
Some of my favorites include:
- sweet and sour "chicken"
- wonton soup
- spicy lemongrass tofu
I recommend it to vegans and non-vegan alike!
UMMMMMMMMM, yeah. Me and this place can hang. FOR SURE. Pretty much everything, except for a couple drinks and desserts, is vegan. Vegan fish, vegan beef, vegan chicken, vegan everything!!! I couldn't decide for the life of me on something to order-- it all looked so good. Until, that is, I read the words "coconut curry" vegetables. It was all over then. Problem solved. You give me coconut in a curry sauce, and I'm happy with nothing more than a spoon. Actually putting it on/over anything is a bonus entirely!
Boy got the crispy chow mein noodles with a light brown sauce, tofu pieces, and steamed veggies. We split everything and mixed it all into vegan goodness on our plates. HEAVEN.
This place also gets props for the patient, gentle, respectful service. Boy and I got into some deep conversations, and sort of ignored our food for a good half hour or forty five minutes before we resumed eating normally. The people just let us be, offered more water, and were totally cool with us taking our time to finish. There was a really relaxed vibe overall, and the restaurant is sort of underground (or at least below street level), so you really feel whisked away from the stresses of the city life.
Bonus points for being ACROSS THE STREET from Boy's place, and having reasonable prices for big portions of everything. Can you say takeout!?!?!? :)
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Pretty decent and the cult paraphernalia is interesting.
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I'm not a vegetarian, so I don't have to eat "chicken". I can throw down at KFC any time I want. But if I were veggie I would be thanking my lucky stars, for the alchemists at Golden Era are perfecting fake meat. And it's not fake ground meat like I expected. Leave that to Boca and Morningstar Farms. This place replicates the unadulterated flesh, the skin. I swear I even felt tendon.
So, on our visit:
Drumsticks- Jaw-droppingly real.
Spicy Garlic Green Bean Tofu- Tasty sauce and nicely cooked green beans.
Curry "Beef" with Asparagus- Super delicious. You could serve this to me and call it beef and, while I wouldn't think it's the best beef ever, I'd never guess that it isn't beef at all. I wish the asparagus had been sauteed in the sauce rather than just steamed.
Salted Plum Lemonade- Yummy. Not scary at all, just lemonade with a tiny twist. I actually wish it were saltier (or salty at all, 'cause it's not).
Sticky Rice with Mango- I really didn't like this. The rice and sauce weren't sweet enough. The sauce was actually a little salty. It would have worked for me as a porridge-like breakfast dish, but not as dessert.
I'd go back but, like I said, I'm down with KFC (yea, you know me).
old school update-
It seems like whenever I say I won't go back to a place, I end up going all the time. I've come to really like Golden Era and it blows my mind every time I eat there. I never dreamed that fake meat could seem so real. My only issue is with the service. Maybe they're understaffed, but they're always super slow and hard to flag down.
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The decor takes the 'Golden' part very seriously, and theres a flat-screen tv in the back with the cult-y sayings being translated into 6 different languages, but you can get a really delicious, healthy, vegan meal for two for 30.00. Vegetarians can even bring their omnivorous friends and family because they'll love it too..try the pineapple 'beef'!
This is my favorite vegan restaurant in SF! The food is fantastic! The menu is broad and contains very unique dishes that I have never encountered in any other vegan restaurant. There are hearty foods and great textures that you won't find among most other vegan dishes, but there are also many classic Asian dishes as well to please anyone. The wait staff is even polite, which is rare for SF restaurants. Try the carmelized "chicken" and the "teriyaki salmon." Both are delicious! (Also try their sister restaurant with the exact same menu on Clement St. called Golden Buddha).
so i was initially discouraged because the restaurant was full of white kids wearing abercrombie, but the food was actually pretty legit.
had the royal fried rice, lemon chicken and golden rolls. the fried rice included some innovative ingredients (seaweed! pine nuts!) and the lemon chicken kind of tasted like chicken :O
Damn good food! Have been there many times, and will go back many more times.
Went here Sunday night with some friends after hearing a lot about this place on Yelp.
I decided to try out the lemon "chicken" (not real chicken, but soy).
The "chicken" sure tasted like lemon, but it was so deeply fried so it consisted more of crusty frying oil than actual "chicken". Needles to say, my dish gave me more of a KFC-vibe than a 4-yelp-stars-restaurant-vibe.
The prices were ok though; pretty cheap.
Too bad they didn't serve any alcohol...a tasty beer might have improved this late night gastronomical adventure.
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Potstickers? To die for!!! Soooo good. They're filled with tofu, vegetables, and ginger. I also had the Stir Fried Vegetable Chow Mein. That was okay. The noodles are wheat noodles, so the texture of them are not soft like regular noodles, and I felt the noodles were a bit too dry. There wasn't very much sauce on it. Besides that, yummy. They add hunks of veggies and tofu and "chicken." To visitors: if you go there to eat, stay on O'Farrell if you are walking from SOMA. Don't migrate down to Ellis. A bit dodgy (its the "Tenderloin" neighborhood).
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This place looks like a temple to the Supreme Master Ching Hai but don't worry, beyond leaving pamphlets and books near the door they don't try to convert you.
The food is a mix of Asian dishes done up with fake 'meats' and even my carnivorous sister thought it was good.
my every meal would be consumed here if only that were possible. pure deliciousness. the faux-drumsticks are crunchy and meat textured. the spring rolls heavenly. the lemongrass chicken is awesome as well. i reccomend it to everyone herbivore and omnivore.
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Love this place-- amazing vegetarian/vegan-friendly fare with creative uses of fake meat. I only wish they had this place in L.A.!
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The waiting sucks and the service is weird and I don't know if they're trying to brainwash me but........
It's great "naughty" food (you kind of feel guilty afterward because of the fried stuff). They have this spicy noodle soup.... YUM!!!
Great price too.
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i think golden era is the best vegetarian restaurant in SF. all the food is vegetarian and fantastic! i love this place! :)
even though this place has all veggie dishes, the flavors still remain classic vietnamese food to the core.
some of my favorite items include...
~vietnamese crepe
~caramelized chicken
~clay pot rice
~the spicy pho
I'm a vegetarian and usually not into the whole fake meat think, but this place does it right. I never had a meal I didn't enjoy. My only complaint is that service is a bit apathetic sometimes.
Reliable, tasty, and good variety. I've never had a bad meal at Golden Era.
And yet...something is lacking...could it be the ambiance? For some reason, I fall short of loving this place, even though it meets lots of criteria for being beloved.
Nevertheless, always a solid choice for your fake meat needs.
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I HEART THIS PLACE. Very good vegetarian food and great selection. Ambience is, well, an asian restaurant with no windows. But the food is really great. I especially love the vietnamese style soup that's served in a hotpot. They have good portions - you get a lot for what you pay for. The selection is so great that there'll be a tendency to order more than you need. I speak only from experience... I feel full just thinking of my last meal there.
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One of my favorite restaurants on this earth. I love the golden painted decorative walls and cheesy art. A huge menu, i am still discovering new treasures after years of eating there. My personal favorites: Fresh Spring Rolls, Sweet and Sour Vietnamese Soup, "Number 45" aka Spicy Potato Chicken Curry, and Ginger Chicken. I can't say these are the best though, since I really haven't tried it all. Potstickers are delicious as are the Vegetable Fu Young appetizers, although both so good that I usually eat too much and end up with a belly ache. Also, many vegan options for the sugar lovers like Thai Iced Tea, Flan and Mocha Chocolate Cake. Eating at Golden Era is really a treat.
A few other notes:
Service is quick so if you order a lot it might all come at you at once.
I used to think that the one drawback of the place was the weird muzak that played in the background, but it's kinda grown on me as part of the experience. Just let it into your heart...
Best fake meat I've ever had. Granted, some of the only fake meat I've ever had.
What I've tried:
-- Drumsticks - spent a lot of time marveling at the "chicken" the first time I had it; comes with spicy, ketchupy sauce; fried well
-- Lamb clay pot - fake lamb looks and tastes just like meat, but without the gaminess; savory sauce that you should get a side of rice to enjoy
-- Fish clay pot - thought they gave us eggplant by accident, but it was the fish. Same sauce as the lamb clay pot. Texture and taste is just like fish.
-- Tamarind Beef - sliced "beef" was kind of spongy and the least meat-like, but tamarind flavor was good and there are "shrimp" chips
-- Spicy Curry Beef - wow, really like chunks of beef! spicy, comes with lots of veggies, and seasoned with red pepper flakes and lemongrass
It's amusing that all the meat on the menu is in quotes. They took away the flyers of cartoon animals thanking you for not eating them, but I miss the nutritional info. There's a spiritual show on the TV on all the time, which is both slightly off-putting and a conversation piece.
I could probably be a vegetarian if this kind of quality soy byproduct was readily available... Well, for a little while, anyway... If you bet me money... Please don't do this as I don't live close enough to this restaurant.
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Okay, so I've now officially been to all the locations in the "Golden" family (including Golden Era on Clement and Golden Lotus in Oakland). For some reason, Golden Lotus is still my favorite...I think because they are a little more generous with the veggies and sauces that the meatless meats are served with...plus the prices seem a bit lower.
This location is undoubtedly the closest to where I live, though, so I think I'll start frequenting it. Although I've always been a fan of their caramelized "chicken," the teriyaki "salmon" is totally out of control good and the probably the best thing on the menu, if you ask me. The mango and sticky rice is also excellent.
A great place to grab a casual meal before taking in a show at the Curran or going dancing at the Cellar (both of which I did after the last time I ate here, incidentally :)).
PS. most of the non-vegetarians I know love it here!
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You should have seen the look on their face when I asked for a hamburger.
Definitely get the drum sticks appetizers. it is very impressive how they can imitate chicken meat. The fish claypot was good, but the sauce was on the sweet side but can be managed with rice. Spicy curry beef was great.
Don't get brain washed by the television. Fake never tasted so good!
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This is a really good place to eat. Everything is made from tofu even though the dishes have regular meat names. But if you get the mongolian beef, you really think its beef. If you get the carmelized chicken, you really think its chicken. I don't know how they do it but they do it well. Even as a carnivore, you will enjoy this place.
Only con is the location and warm table water.
I would've not come in here unless I had a vegetarian friend. Which I did, thus I ate at a vegetarian place by choice. The place really isn't that bad seeing how everything is made out of tofu. The tofu actually did taste like meat. Maybe the tofu had some meat seasoning mixed in or something haha :D!! The food was tasty and well priced. The inside decor looks like a typical Chinese restaurant so all was good. The only down side were the informational pieces of paper that had animals with talking bubbles about why humans shouldn't eat them. Sort of put a downer on the mood reading up on how unhealthy animals are and how animals have feelings too. Anyways you veggie hippies, go eat here because even an omnivore like myself appreciates this joint.
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I give you three stars because I remember what you used to be... you used to be good... I guess I will hit up Golden Lotus in Oakland and see if they are still good, because I need something that actually has flavor when it comes to my veggi only options... with fake meat..... mmmmmm fake meat... so good... mmmmmm
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Basically I go here to eat "healthy," i.e., deep-fried fake chicken "doughnuts" dipped in sweet and sour deliciousness. This place is probably one of my favorites in the city. I get off on the fact that the entire menu is vegetarian/vegan, and I've never been disappointed by my food. But honestly, the sweet and sour chicken really is the best, and it's my main motive for going there. It's a classic. And veg pot stickers? Finally!
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