Shangri-La Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant
Categories: Chinese, Vegetarian [Edit]
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset2026 Irving Street
(between 21st Ave & 22nd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122 (415) 731-2548
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
91 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
"Taste soo good almost make me eat the plate hehehe.. Don't forget to order the fried rice with pine nut and spinach! yummm"
109 Reviews for Shangri-La Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant
One word for this place - as a vegetarian, and a frequent eater at Lucky Creation, Golden Era, and Bok Choy -
Nasty.
Don't even go here. Don't even think of going here. Trust me.
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I love Shangri-La. I've been going here for years and for any vegetarian enthusiasts, how San Francisco can you get? A KOSHER, vegetarian, Chinese restaurant. So cool.
The herbal soups/dishes are really good and after I've had them, I always feel lighter and healthier. The ones they have listed in the front do actually have health benefits. I've had tons of acupuncture before and the herbs they've given me before are also in some of their soups.
I'm not a vegetarian so I'm not a big fan of faux meat items but for what they are here, they're very good. I love the sauteed greens and faux duck. Their chow mein is so tasty and filling. We ate the whole thing! The rest was definitely taken home for lunch the next day.
A very quiet and peaceful ambiance with a Buddhist feeling. The owners are very attentive and polite. A must for vegetarians and for those seeking San Francisco flare.
I actually really like this place for vegi food. Okay, so it's not the kinda of place where you'd take someone for their birthday, but the food tastes fresh and is inexpensive. The only gripe is that a few of the dishes are a little greasy, but since it isn't ainmal grease- who cares?!
Try the eggplant and the cashew nut "chicken"
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Best fake meat restaurant ever. They offer everything from common fake meat like fake beef, chicken, pork and seafood to more unusual dishes like fake kidneys and shark fin soup. The vegetarian wonton soup is outstanding. My other favorites are the spare ribs, fragrance crispy chicken (more on that below), Shanghai-style fried noodles and eight veggie treasures with tofu. Those are but a few of the many awesome fake meat and other more traditional vegetarian dishes on the menu. I always leave this place feeling better.
My kosher following friend and I can never go out to eat together unless its for bagels so i'm glad for Shangri La, where we can eat together!
Pretty convincing non-meat "meat."
I have missed the greasy porky chinese food of my pre-vegetarian days and this place brings me back without the guilt.
This place is my favorite place in the Sunset...but you do have to know what to order. I always get wonton soup, spring rolls, pie-pa tofu balls, cashewe chicken or black bean chicken. NEVER GET THE DUCK. Seriously. The hot and sour soup is also out of this world. I don't like noodle dishes in general....but I wasn't impressed with theirs.
Ok I feel like when you get two hungry mostly carniverous people to eat here AND they enjoy it- you deserve five stars.
I even told my friend, skeptically, that I might need to eat a burger afterwards. But the food we got (crispy fried tofu, imitation spare ribs, and brown rice) was waaay filling and makes me feel better about making good choices.
The rice was THE best brown rice I've ever had, but I think it was actually some sort of red rice. I usually hate brown rice, so that in itself was a feat.
As a vegetarian, I've always stayed away from Chinese food - what with their limited veggie-friendly dishes and dependence on overly large pieces of steamed broccoli and bok choy. But Shangri-La was a pleasant surprise.
We had the spring rolls (tasty, though far too greasy), sweet corn soup (perfect, especially with a dash of soy sauce and white pepper), spicy eggplant (yum!), pie pa balls (delicious, but again -why the huge florets of steamed broccoli?), and shanghai style fried noodles (hit the spot). The green tea they served along with the meal was good too. We finished up with fried banana balls which they served with shaved peanuts and powdered sugar, and it was the perfect ending to the meal.
The owners are friendly and efficient, and the decor is... um, quaint. I will definitely go back again.
I used to like this place for lunch, but after a couple of terrible dinners, I haven't been able convince myself to return . . . not only was the service antagonistic, but the place was filthy - really disgusting (sticky greasy stuff on the seats, table, dishes, etc.) Food? So-so. I'm really amazed that they can stay in business.
Good news is they don't use MSG. Good service and the tea is the best I've tasted in a long time. They even sell the herbal stuff if you want some to go. The entrees were OK for vegetarians, but seemed to have the same ingredients in the dishes. They could have been a little more creative. Very healthy meal, but if you like meat you might still be hungry.
Ok, I had given up Yelping in 2008, but literally felt I had to come back after a 4 month hiatus to Yelp about just how heinous this place is.
Looking back on previous 1 star reviews I've written, I notice that I'll usually only give a place a onesie if there was a particularly bad event or service. While the service here was fine, the food was so terrible and inedible I just couldn't give it anything else.
I'll point out that I am in fact vegan, and love places like Golden Era, and don't usually mind fake meat. The issue here was the sauce. Everything we ordered was just dripping with globs of gooey gelatinous sauce that just tasted like it had been sitting in a plastic package for months.
The veggie chicken was just floating in pools of thick lemon sauce. The eggless lo mein was mushy with no flavor. The vegetables tasted like they all came from cans. Nothing tasted fresh. Even the dumplings, which I'd heard good things about had a terrible flavor.
I seriously couldn't choke down more than a few bites of the food. The place seemed to be packed with regulars, and I just don't understand. Maybe it's just the only veggie food you can get in the Sunset? Soooo not worth the trek out there.
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I was in the mood for some healthy, msg-free food after a good 7 mile hike and decided to stop by to fulfill that craving.
My good "buddy" and I ordered the dinner meal for 2. For $11.95 we got
-imitation walnut chicken with veggies in a yummy sauce
-Lo Carb veggies in a bland sauce ( I guess this is what I get for not substituting! It was just stir fried veggies with a little salt)
-fried banana balls in sugar with coconut(I could be wrong) shavings
-rice (you can replace it with brown rice, which we did and it was the best brown rice I have tasted!)
-Choice of hot and sour soup or wonton soup. (Whatever you pick, the two of you have to get the same soup)
It was a great meal overall. I got my serving of grains and veggies for the day.
Their dishes run from $6.95 to about $8.95.
I have yet to try their "Duck" on an iron skillet. I will be back for that.
And they are Kosher approved by the Jewish Board
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Know this fellow Yelpers, Harry B is still not a vegitarian and never will be! But I am slightly concerned by my health and so is my girlfriend so my vegtable intake has went up 10 percent bringing my total vegetable intake to 20 percent with 80 percent of my diet consisting of cute barnyard animals that had the mistake to be born delicious.We both ordered the family meal which consisted of hot and sour soup, spring rolls, LO CARB veggie plate, cashew nut "chicken" and good ol fried banana for desert or is it spelled dessert? I liked em all cept for the veggie plate. The sauce they used for the plate was tasteless but I did enjoy the sauce for the cashew "chicken". Very tasty, helped disguise the taste of the vegetables and I like the crunch from the cashews. The decor is simple but those current on their events, there is an autographed picture of the Dhalai Lama.
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The yelpers who have given this place anything above 3 stars are a) obviously not vegetarians, b) have very low expectations for Chinese food and c) have never tasted this joint's version of vegetarian sweet and sour chicken.
Having been a veggie since the age of 15, the only time I've ever really missed meat is when I've been jonesing for some Chinese food and I realize that my options are few. Yeah, veggies in sauce with a few pieces of fresh tofu thrown in are good, but not as good as the sweet and sour or almond chicken of my youth. True I was living in Michigan at the time, and yes, the restaurant was located in one of the whitest burbs in the nation, but nostalgia can never really be reckoned with. After giving up meat, I searched long and far for decent veggie Chinese restaurants that knew how to fry up soy with just the right touch that could bring back the carry-out days of my youth.
Thus far, I've found a few that have done the job, 3 of which are located in NYC. While SF can definitely hang with the Big Apple when it comes to quality and variety of restaurants, and foodies who appreciate them, the one category in which the City by the Bay appears to be lacking is in veggie Chinese food. I don't want to extrapolate too far, as I'm sure there's some yummy simulated meat out there at one of those restaurants, but I can say one thing with confidence -- it ain't at Shangri-La.
Clumps of fried gluten in sweet and sour sauce, which was reminiscent of little fried turds in red sauce does not get anything above 2 stars in my book. The only reason I'm being this generous, is because the service was good, and I don't have the heart to totally diss a nice little family restaurant.
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When i was a kid, my mom n dad used to work here. For a good two years or so i believe and then they left.
the music they played was mainly classical, and they usually served brown rice. I remember running up and buying tofu for like 10cents a square. The chef in the back was really strong, and had a bicep like a big orange, but then again i was probably 7 or so so maybe all biceps seemed huge hahaha..
This place sure does bring back memories, I know the owners are not the same anymore and everything is probably changed in there but I know everytime i look in there, i think back when it was jus my lil brother n i running around~
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Friendly service, ok vegi food (have to try a few, some are bland, some are pretty decent), LOVE the tea and the Spicy Noodle Szechuan Style (my favorite of that dish anywhere).
You know that feeling you get after eating MSG-loaded Chinese food? You feel kinda greasy and stuffed, but you don't really care since the food was so good? Well, if you opt for this place, I guarantee you won't feel weighted down by all that greasiness. In fact, you'll get the opposite feeling; kinda like you did something good for your body.
I met three of my buddies here for dinner and we ordered three dishes to share- the home made dry tofu with vegetal pork, the eggplant with hot sauce, and the imitated sweet and sour pork served with bok choy. The first two dishes were my favorite, but all three were very flavorful and enticing. You can definitely taste the sauces and spices, which I think help those who aren't so inclined to eat at a vegetarian restaurant, to actually like the vegetables. I'm a veggie-kind-a girl for sure and I usually cook my own vegetable dishes since it's so easy and cheap. But I would definitely be willing to come back here again to splurge a little. O!...and their steamed brown rice was probably the best rice I've had at any Chinese restaurant...do order that with any of your dishes. By the end of our meal, we all weren't overly stuffed. Our bill, including tip, was only $30!
The place was tiny, but every table was filled up for a Sunday night. The dishes make up for the service and the old-school decor. Nonetheless, we all decided this place deserves a five star for the food alone, and for it making us feel so healthy after eating it!
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Ah, fake meat. Last time I had that was some place back in Alhambra, the Chinese wonderland. Come to think of it, no one really does the fake meat thing like the Chinese. Is it their ingenuity? Audacity? Maybe it's just that the fake-meat texture is a non-issue in Chinese dishes. Like the Cashew Chicken at Shangri-La; you wouldn't ever mistake the "chicken" for meat, and I have no idea what it actually is, but it's damn good, maybe even better than the real thing: chewy with just a hint of crunch, and bursting with juicy flavor. Of course, you can stick with traditional vegetables too, like the steaming clay pot of assorted veggies with tofu and clear noodles (needs a little spice, though). The cinnamon-y tea here is a welcome variation from the standard stuff, too.
Decor is ramshackle but cozy; I'll take their wood paneling over bare white walls any day. Tables are lined with print-outs of various reviews and awards, and lots of certificates from a rabbi about how kosher they are. And prices here are waaaay cheaper than trendier sunset veggie spots (*ahem* Cafe Gratitude).
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I love their five spice tofu blocks you can buy for take-out. It's delicious! So I was hoping to really like the restaurant as well. I wasn't impressed. There are much better vegetarian places in the city. I did love their tea though!
This is really bad vegetarian Chinese food. I understand the need for us vegetarians to have places like these, but please don't go here. It's nasty. Go to Bok Choy Garden nearby or even better, Lucky Creation in Chinatown.
If you go here, you'll only be disappointed.
I've never eaten here before but when I lived in the neighborhood, I used to stop by to buy their special tofu, which they make at the restaurant. It's a firm tofu that's been cooked in their Five Spice Marinate. It's very good stir-fried with just about anything!
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They have amazing, tasty food. The service is quick and friendly. The prices are reasonable. I highly recommend the Fried Banana Balls.
Probably 3.5 stars.
If you like fake meat, then you've found a version of heaven in Shangri-La. Our night consisted of fake mutton, fake spareribs, fake chicken, and any number of vegetables . I liked the fact that the vegetables were just barely cooked - so crispy rather than soaked in corn starch and random gloop that can be found at too many cheap asian eateries. The service was friendly and accommodating.
The first time I came to Shangri-La, I don't remember being impressed. I think we misordered, which it's very possible to do. Don't get the smoky duck! Do get the fake mutton (B-3?) and spareribs.
two things about this place make it very important:
1- Pot Stickers.
2- Cheap firm tofu, fifty cents a brick.
oh yeah.
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Who decorated this place? It looks like that pair of pajamas my dad used to wear around the house - not necessarily dirty or anything, just embarrassingly ugly and outdated.
The food was nothing to write home about. Maybe a bigger selection of vegetarian food than you'd find at any other Chinese restaurant, but it wasn't any better.
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Been going here for the past 4 years or so off and on. The best deal by far is the lunch special which ranges from $5-$7, extra star for that. You get soup, an egg roll, rice and your entree. My favorite items are the hot and sour soup, tofu balls and kung pao beef (not on the menu but they always do it and I always ask for less oil). This place is definitely not mind blowing, but it's good! If not for dinner, it's at least worth repeat visits for a cheap lunch.
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Where do I take my Jewish buddy and his vegetarian wife? Of course, to Shangri-La, which broadly brands itself as an kosher vegetarian chinese restaurant...probably the only restaurant that has cornered that market.
We went with the Family style option along with an few additional throwins. For the most part, the vegetarian plates were pretty good. I actually really enjoyed the noodle plate that we ordered. The "sweet and sour chicken" was ok, but I stuck with the non-imitation plates.
Overall, nice ambience, decent service and fairly affordable place within walking distance.
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Yummy yummy yummy, I've got hot and sour soup in my tummy.
Shangri-la was a great find on a random Tuesday night. The menu is hilarious, with all kinds of tips for healthy eating ("There are many different factors that determine your weight..."), and the accordion music on the speakers was odd, but amusing, especially when they played "The Eensy Weensy Spider."
The food was really good. We ordered the cold Szechuan noodles, the 8 vegetable delight, and the vegetarian "chicken" with black bean sauce. I love mock meat!
The best item by far was the hot and sour soup.
The only reason they lose a star is because I nearly chipped my tooth (twice) on a hard grain of rice.
I'll definitely be coming back to Shangri-La, but may try the white rice instead of the brown next time.
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So when i go to a new restaurant i like to look over the menu and go through my options. We arrived here at about 8:30pm on a Friday night. Walked in was not crowded, the lady sat us at the table and gave us a menu. As i am looking over the menu, about 2 minutes after we sit down the lady comes over with tea and says that the kitchen is ready to close and if we could quickly order... Having not picked my dish yet, and feeling pressured i just picked a dish that i thought my hubby and i would enjoy. I did not even have to time to really ask him, she was standing there, and just felt too pressured... I let it go, cause i was thinking oh we are pretty late, okay fine, i understand. So we are waiting for our food, and about 15 minutes later a couple walk in and they are brought to a table. And i am thinking i thought they were closing the kitchen. I look at my watch and it is only 8:45... they close at 9:00pm... we had plenty of time to look over the menu and order something without being rushed.... That got me pretty heated and i did not hear the woman tell that table they were closing the kitchen soon please hurry.
Aside from that , the food we got was decent, we got egg rolls, IMO they were alittle on the greasy side, and "chicken" with black bean sauce... okay,not the greatest. My hubby got the chicken tender substitues and he liked them.
So food was okay, i was just very thrown off by the service. Would i go back, i might, but i would rather try some other chinese vege places first!!
I'm a vegetarian who is overjoyed to get to choose anything off a menu, and I rather enjoy fake meat, even when it's weird. It's like a puzzle...how did they get it to that texture? I also don't care if the place doesn't look great. But. BUT. The food must be good.
Prices were regular-cheap.
Food: Fresh veggies, but rather bland and soupy.
Service: Fine. Didn't stand out in any way.
One of my coworkers raved about this place for over a year before I tried it, and it just doesn't seem like it was even worth mentioning to anyone.
I'd rather eat at Golden Era or Lucky Creation (if it's open) any day.
One of the better Chinese vegetarian restaurants I've tried. The food has good flavor and the portions are plenty for most people. I brought my meat-eating/carnivore dad, brother, and husband here and they enjoyed the food AND had enough to eat (I was amazed!). So that has to account for something in this review! Oh yeah, and the brown rice was cooked perfectly which not many restaurants can master. Yummy!
My boyfriend and I really enjoy dinner here. It usually has an open table and the food is great. I wasn't even sure what a Lotus fruit was, but we ordered it anyway and it was deee-lish!
The decor is super cheesy, but adorable. And the people working their are always friendly and helpfull.
I remember this place! The cashew chicken was unbelievable. I'm used to bad Chinese food in Florida so when I went to San Francisco, it was all such a treat, but this place sticks out in my mind as being very good place and it looks rustic. The service was quality too.
This place is awesome. The "B-3" ( fake lamb) order is in my opinion the best dish they have. The service is always good and the food taste great.
I really want to like Shangri-La, but it isn't good. I've been twice, sampled several main dishes, and both times I've left unimpressed. The spring rolls are greasy. The faux meat dishes are uninspired, soupy, heavy, bland. It's perhaps the cheapest of the Asian vegetarian bunch (Golden Era/Golden Lotus, Enjoy Vegetarian, Bok Choy, Layonna), but so what? I needn't ever return. My favorite is Golden Lotus/Era, as it, to me, does a consistently excellent job with the most flavorful and well prepared meals. Layonna would be better if it didn't use MSG. In a class by itself, Shangri-La is mediocrity most exalted. I've not sampled one item that is worth ordering again. I went again to double-check that I wasn't missing something. To be fair, most people eating there seem happy and pleased, but for the life of me, I cannot understand how.
Shangri-La gets an extra star -- what the hell? -- for being kosher. It's not something I look for (I don't eat meat anyway), but I appreciate its catering to this niche market. I note that as of late 2007 wines are now kosher as well. I suspect, however, that the wine is well-suited for the cuisine: mediocre wines for mediocre food. Those who keep strict kosher might not mind. The availabilty of another option is always welcome. For me, however, I'd prefer eating at a non-strictly vegetarian restaurant with chefs who have even a rudimentary skill at cooking.
This is the best Vegetarian Fake meat place I have ever eaten at. I know fate Meat sounds horrible, but they actually have healing plates of veggies for different organs of your body....The big pot of Veggie soup with tofu is amazing and on a foggy day it is the best...Brown rice is served and the Tea is great. The best part of this is it is cheap.
I LOVE Shangri-La. I would also LOVE to give five stars, but I have been burned one too many times. The trick is this: eat everything on the menu that doesn't say "vegetal." Vegetal = crap. But the sweet and sour spare ribs make up for any vegetal dish that gets in your way.
And the staff is very kind and helpful, so don't hesitate to ask questions!
I am not a vegetarian, but I came here with people who are. All I remember was the greasy table and dirty dishes/silverware, overpriced vegetarian food,
and faux meat dishes loaded up with MSG and sauce to hide the bland flavor. Ugh.
This is my go-to vegan place in western SF.
There is a wide range of options here, with something for every open-minded patron. True, some of the dishes are rather mild/plain. But overall it is tasty and one feels healthy after eating - how often do you say that after inexpensive Chinese food?
The tea is special and excellent too.
Food like mom never made, but should have. The taste does not try to taste veggie, it is flavorful goodness.
The best Kosher, vegan restaurant the the city. This is like my kitchen away from home. I have been going there for over 8 years and they have been at that location for about 20 years.
The owner is really nice once he opens up a bit. He is a bit shy but has vast knowledge of many topics.
Some musts are obviously the hot and sour soup, crispy friend tofu, veggie abalone, imitation sweet and sour pork, and so on....
*Hint use the restroom just after eating, as the neighborhood does not accommodate sudden needs for a rest facility.
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