Vegan Japanese Lunch

The Chef: Colleen and Cha-Ya

The Menu: The Takusui one-pot lunch, filled with zucchini, Napa cabbage, snap peas, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, silver noodles, mushrooms, tofu, and pot stickers—all served steaming hot in a light ponzu citrus broth.

The Goods: Okay, truth be told, this isn't exactly what I had for lunch today. This was actually lunch on Tuesday, when I dined at local vegan Japanese eatery, Cha-Ya (two blocks away), with a good friend of mine. Today I had the leftovers from this meal, which weren't quite as beautiful as the original bowl pictured above. A meal at Cha Ya is always nourishing and satisfying. Like most Japanese restaurants, the food is clean and healthy—and at Cha Ya, it's 100-percent vegan. Yes, we know we're lucky. The menu is extensive, offering everything from vegetable sushi and sukiyaki to curry udon noodles and stuffed eggplant. And might I recommend grabbing a meal at lunchtime—not only is there no wait for a table, but they have special lunch pricing that makes it super affordable. In other news, we just launched our Valentine's Day Shop in the VegNews Store, complete with vegan chocolates, lip balms, and, yes, condoms. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Cha Ya, Round Two

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant

The Menu: An incredible, all-vegan Japanese spread. I devoured the Taku Sui, which comprised rice noodles, gyoza, kabocha squash, snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms, all served in a hot pot with a side of rice, miso soup, and dipping sauce. Oh, and maybe I also ordered a Vegan Roll, with a bunch of awesome veggies and tofu. And in the distant, top-left corner of the photo, you can just make out one Laura Hopper Beck's delectable serving of vegetable tempura.

The Goods: You know what's good? A place that's so good that when your co-workers tell you about their awesome lunch, you're immediately inspired to follow their lead and go there the very next day. This is, in fact, the case with Cha-Ya, and I was thrilled to go there with the lovely Laura and Colleen. There's just nothing better than a satisfying lunch with fantastic company to power through the remainder of the workday.

Soba at Cha-Ya Japanese

The Chef: Gabrielle and Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant

The Menu: A steaming bowl of Kinoko (mushroom) soba noodles in a savory broth, with nori, shimeji, shiitake, portobello, and oyster mushrooms.

The Goods: This is my first day back to work after a horrible weekend spent fighting the flu, and when my container of quinoa salad that I packed this morning broke on my way out the door, I knew I needed to treat myself to lunch. Fortunately, Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig and Associate Editor Liz Miller were happy to join me at Cha-Ya, an 100-percent vegan Japanese restaurant a mere block from the office. Despite the fact that San Francisco is experiencing a new-to-me phenomenon known as a "November heat-wave," I knew my recovering immune system could still use some soup. I'm a wild mushroom freak—the more obscure the variety, the better—and Cha-Ya left me extremely satisfied, with leftovers to boot.

Queso Veggie Sandwich

The Chef: Gabrielle and Java Beach Café

The Menu: A huge veggie sandwich featuring cucumber, tomato, avocado, sprouts, and mustard in a fresh baguette slathered with some warm and spicy Nacho Mom's Vegan Queso.

The Goods: Tired of lusting over our delicious Java Beach sandwiches? Well, I'm not tired of eating them, though I will be able to mix it up a bit when we move to our amazing new office in San Francisco's Mission district, an area known for excellent vegan offerings like at the fully-vegan Gracias Madre and Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese restaurant. Today's sandwich was one of those meals you think about for the rest of the day, due mainly to the delicious Nacho Mom's Vegan Queso I slathered all over it. Accompanying the sandwich is an essential pick-me-up in the form of GT's Synergy Kombucha. Though I usually make my own, sadly I had to leave my scobies back in Canada, so it's GT's to the rescue since this vegan doesn't buy into the controversy surrounding kombucha's alcohol content. Will there be brownies from Allison's Gourmet during my afternoon snack-fest? Um, probably!