Vegi Food

Food is quite bad, overly greasy. The chow main noodles, half of them were dry and crunchy. The place is also dirty.

If you’re on Facebook you can like their page and see all the photos from
their farewell party!

Who knew this place had been here so long, yet only recently did it pop up on the Unilocal app when I did a search for «Vegan» in the area. The lady working there said they’ve been here almost 30 years.
After going hungry at the Berkeley Vegan Earth Day, we decided to check it out since we both had it mutually bookmarked. We had some food in us, so we weren’t exactly starving. Although after gazing at the menu, I started getting much hungrier. Many of the dishes offered weren’t what I’m used to seeing at other veggie restaurants. Even though the appearance is similar to Long Life Veggie House, the menu is quite different.
Definitely order the Potstickers! Soft’n light, with just a touch of crispness outside. I’ve never seen a potsticker so jam packed with flavorful filling before. It’s been a few weeks and I’m still craving these!
The soy strips with black bean sauce wasn’t very good. It wasn’t what I was expecting since I usually avoid the flavorless thin, dry soy strips that this dish comes with. This is the type of entrée that makes faux meat dishes seem flavorless to the uniformed.
I probably wouldn’t pick this over Long Life, but I think there’s some potential winners on the menu after trying their potstickers.
After writing this: I see in a previous review they’re closing May 24^th? Hurry and try those Potstickers before it’s too late :-(

I REALLY wanted to fall in love with this place. I am local, and perhaps I got the wrong thing???
My boyfriend and I were craving veggie chinese, and since we just moved to the area, he suggested we go there. I am vegan and super flexible to all vegan food– heck I am just happy that it’s vegan!
The service was wonderful and super quick. The people who helped us were very sweet and the price was excellent!
The food was not as good. Well, the potstickers were excellent, but that was all. Our veggie chow mein was not very flavorful and it didn’t have that many veggies. We ordered some of the veggie gluten puffs and it was recommend that we get it steamed instead of fried. I have had a lot of fake meat, and this was awful. My boyfriend wouldn’t eat his and the only reason I kept eating them was because I was starving and hoped they would get better. The flavor was decent on the fake meat, it was just the texture that gave us the willies.
I bet they have other items on there that are excellent, I just didn’t happen to order them. I will likely try it again but won’t be ordering those dishes.
So definitely give it a try! But perhaps take other Unilocalers advice on what to order. :)
If you are ever in SF, go to Golden Era! Best veggie chinese EVER!!!

I was very sad to hear that Vegi Food will be closing May 24^th.
I’ve been going here for 30 years and have never been disappointed. Great food and great service.
You will be missed Vegi Food!

Friendly staff, great tasting food. To my fellow meat lovers I say give it a try.

Vegi Food is a dream. A dream that refuses to escape your lecture-​boggled, chalk-​stained mind. A dream that didn’t succumb me before I desperately chose any place near Philz Coffee on Northside. I didn’t know Chinese cuisine in Berkeley could get so addicting, vegan no less. It was such a treat to have my order taken by a grandma with a silly smile then have my steaming dinner plates set on the rickety table for my boyfriend’s and my pure enjoyment. We feasted on some awesome gingery potstickers, warm spicy cabbage (I daydream about this all the time), and authentic chow mein.
Although this spot accepts only cash, it serves delicious food that makes that extra trip to Wells Fargo worth it. The food was absolutely spectacular. The worst thing about this place is that it made me feel ignorant for falling victim to the delusion that I had tasted good Chinese food before Vegi Food.

I have been going here literally since infancy and it is the only food that I have craved consistently throughout my entire existence on this planet. It never gets old! Its so healthy and delicious! Now that I live in Chicago, this is also the only restaurant that I frequent EVERY SINGLE time I am home.
My recommendations/​regular order: (1) steamed pot stickers, (2) wonton soup, (3) brown rice, (4) spicy cabbage. I usually get another spicy cabbage to go (I have gone so far as to drive 5 hours with 2 orders of spicy cabbage in my car because I am that addicted to this delicious food — crazy I know).
As others have pointed out — this is a cash only /​family run establishment. Make sure to bring $ (but only $ because everything is extremely reasonably priced).

TIP #1: This is the healthiest, best-​tasting, least expensive cooked food you will be able to find in a 2-​mile radius. Trust me – I’m always on the lookout. No MSG!
TIP #2: Cash only! But there’s a Bank of America ATM just around the corner.
I was pleasantly surprised by Vegi Food. On the fringes of the Gourmet Ghetto, this tiny restaurant is a welcomed oasis in a world of sensory overload. Creamy curries, sugar-​glazed treats, strongly-​spiced fried dishes and adult beverages are great indulgences – but when you need an anti-​dote (or, dare I say, a detox), Vegi Food is here to help.
This isn’t to say that the food is bland – far from it! Don’t let the plain dish names fool you; most importantly, don’t let the vegetarian aspect scare you away. The pot stickers are handmade – from the wrapper to the filling – and were the plumpest, juiciest pot stickers I’ve had in a restaurant. The braised eggplant was silky soft and deliciously spiced. There were chunks of tofu cooked in. When eaten with the perfectly cooked brown rice, the flavors and textures were just divine. The soy bean sheets with stir fried greens was delicious as well: a bed of deep green collard greens, wilted but still crunchy, with sheets of fried tofu. The sauce on the greens softened the soy bean sheets just enough to give them some satisfying chew. Every dish is cooked with care and made fresh – our two entrees did not come out at the same time, showing that each dish is cooked to order.
This is real food, cooked without MSG or other additives. The modest interior does not immediately impress, but the high-​quality, delicious, healthy food took the show – the focus on a healthy mind and body through good food and a peaceful atmosphere made for a wonderful experience.

I have been coming here for 4 years. Vegi Food is hands down my FAVORITE restaurant! Every thing they serve is delicious and I’m pretty sure it’s also vegan. Mai – one of the owners/​hostess – will make it a point to remember you and your favorite dish. The restaurant is always clean, and the atmosphere is peaceful. I love that they have chosen to decorate honestly and simply – virtues also found in the cooking. Try the steamed pot stickers and the hot and sour soup, your stomach and wallet will thank you.

Okay, let’s start with the obvious: the aesthetics. They stink. Pure and simple. The sign is drab, the interior is simple, and the lighting is bad. In fact, all of this lead to my wife and me taking 2 years of living around the corner before we visited. But then we did visit, and we’ve gone here more than any other restaurant in Berkeley (heck, anywhere) in the last 6 months.
The food is phenomenal. For the most part, everything is so, so simple, mostly combinations of different vegetables, lightly seasoned and spiced, letting the natural flavors come out. There are a few odder standouts (fermented soybeans anyone)? But those are the exception rather than the rule. Mostly, you should expect a stir fry of sorts, with a central vegetable. But it will satisfy.
My wife and I have particularly come to love the pot stickers. We get them steamed, although they are very good pan friend as well. The dumpling is thick, telling a tale of homemade craft, with a delicious ginger based filing. It might be worth noting here that, besides meat, the owners also shun garlic and onion. Shockingly, as a person who considers both dear to his heart, the cuisine still works.
Other personal favorites are the mu shu and just about any of the noodles, with a similarly pleasant thickness to the pot stickers. The eggplant stir fry is also a standout.

If you appreciate vegetarian Chinese food, this place is as good as it gets. Vegi food is sort of a small hole in the wall, family run restaurant, but the food is top-​notch and the service is great. The prices are also ridiculously low for how great the food is.
My particular favorites are the Lo-​Han mixed vegetable dish, Mu-​shu vegetables, and fried walnuts. This place may close soon so you should definitely check it out while you have the chance!

Meh…
The wonton soup was good; if I went back I would stick to soup and appetizer. In theory the soy sheets could be amazing, but they really fell short. Where is the sauce? I need flavor with my veggie food!

Absolutely scary how people can fool themselves when a restaurant caters specifically to them.
Despite the wonderful female owner, I am surprised this place can stay open. I have eaten there 5 times and will not again. Flavorless one time. Too oily another. Every combination in between. It’s all bad despite the gracious and friendly service. I wish it were good, but it is 1 out of 5 and absolutely in no world parallel to ours can fathom how it could ever be rated higher.
This is bottom of the barrel asian food. Accept it. :(

It has been my tradition to get take out from Vegi Foods at least once or twice a month for YEARS, so I was in complete despair when I heard they are losing their lease!
My go-​to dishes have always been: the wonton soup, the fried or steamed pot stickers (although I am more a fan of the fried pot stickers), the crispy noodles and occasionally the pineapple fried rice.
While I have never noticed the food to be bland (as others have pointed out in their reviews), I really appreciated the very subtle flavors of the dishes I ordered, and am not a fan of garlic and onion flavors inundating my dishes, so the «soft flavors» works to my advantage. I have, however, noted on occasion that the dishes do come out greasy, especially the fried noodles.
I would suggest trying Vegi food at least once before they are gone! I can only hope they will be able to relocate somewhere nearby so that I can continue my tasty tradition!

Better than two stars, a little less than three.
Simple, clean vegetarian fare in a spare but friendly atmosphere.
Very inexpensive.
They are about to lose their lease and I hope they can find a nearby location.

Okay, I thought I better review this place before it closes. I have had so many great meals here I thought I would mention of few of my favorites.
Spring Rolls — crispy, filling, yes, a little greasy, but delicious.
Pot stickers — a wonderful ginger taste, very filling.
Blue Lake Green Beans with Black Bean Sauce and Tofu — the green beans are always crisp and juicy. The black bean sauce is savory and the tofu blends in perfectly.
Pineapple Soybean Fried Rice — I’ve always enjoyed this filling dish. The cashews blend nicely with the soybeans, vegetables, rice, and pineapples.
Memories — I remember coming here the first time when apartment rentals in Berkeley were still affordable. It was and has been a wonderful place to eat at. It is a symbol of what Berkeley used to be. This has always been a place where people can go and have a nice meal without having to be wealthy. It’s a place where you leave feeling happy and you can sense the owners are happy to be serving healthy tasty affordable food. I will miss it.
Oh, I forgot to add, the Lo-​Hon Mixed Vegetable Chow Mein, it’s fantastic. I love the crispy noodles with the savory sauce and fresh vegetables on top. If you haven’t yet tried it, you should.

The food is good, they give big portions, the server was very sweet, and the place is decently decorated (it could be better). I wish the wall wasn’t white, and the lighting was better. The place is clean, so that makes up for it.
I was disappointed in the dumplings (although I have not found a good veggie dumpling since I went vegetarian 6 months ago).
I really like their noodles!!! This is the one to order!
I also like all their veggie dishes, I’m not really crazy about their tofu, especially their asparagus dish.
Lastly, this is one of those places you can go to feel like home. The server is like my Asian mom, she makes you feel so special, and she really cares.

*Food — Overall, Good! Details: The pan-​fried potstickers are excellent — very plump and filling, enjoyed the ginger seasoning, with a crispy bottom. The *best* I’ve had at any restaurant. Greens with soy sheets: overall good, felt very healthy to eat all those greens. Chow Mein (the first one in the list): good variety of mixed veggies, enjoyed the crispy noodles. Had another dish (which I cannot recall) that was spicy with soy protein (not tofu) and mixed veggies but not well-​seasoned. Aside from that last dish, enjoyed all of the dishes.
* Restaurant Ambience — No Frills/​Minimalist. Okay by me, I’m not a gourmet foodie. Like reasonably priced food in quantity. Everything was clean.
* Service — efficient.
Will return… After reading the other Unilocal reviews, I think I will try what another reviewer said — an order of potstickers all for myself, no sharing!

Amazing concept. Buddhist friendly fare that is flavorful and well-​priced.
I ordered:
–Pot stickers fried (steamed option is available): Have a homemade texture that is so delightful. The wrapping is crispy on the outside, and soft/​chewy that is juicy from the vegetarian contents.
–Vegi Shark Fin Soup: Definitely worth ordering in a group of 3 (or 4). The flavors are very rich, savory, and aromatic. The 3 different mushrooms in the dish are my favorite part.
–Spicy Eggplant: The texture of the eggplant was perfect. Not at all bitter, very savory and satisfying.
–Lohan Mein Noodles: I love their style on the dish. It was gone before I could have a second helping.: /​
–Soybean Sheets with Greens: The «Crown Jewel» of the meal. The well-​cooked greens cooked with ginger, compliments the savory crispy sheets that smell so amazing.
–Brown Rice: Most places don’t serve it unless requested. For an additional .50 cents this option, instead of the white rice, works much better.
Will definitely go back often for their lunch specials.