Stanford University Area Vegetarian Dining Guide

This guide is meant to help vegetarians living in or visiting the area around Stanford University find restaurants that cater to their dietary restrictions. This is a large undertaking for one person, so anyone is welcome to contribute reviews of their own, preferably conforming to the Guide's standard format. Anyone who contributes a review will of course get credit, as well as a link to his or her home page if desired.

Note: This will be an ever-expanding guide, so it will never really be "finished." Therefore, the "Under Construction" graphic will live at the top of the page permanently.

The entries are organized alphabetically by restaurant name. The number in parenthesis after each name is the number of dishes that have been reviewed from that restaurant. Clicking on a name in the menu will take you to the entry for that restaurant.

Restaurants

Akasaka
Category: Japanese	925 El Camino Real Menlo Park, CA (650) 325-0444 *Closed on Sundays*
Akasaka is a cozy, unpretentious little Japanese restaurant in Menlo Park. The atmosphere is very casual, which distinguishes Akasaka from other Japanese restaurants with a more ornate interior and a stuffier atmosphere like Fuki Sushi of Palo Alto. Despite the down-to-earth decor, Akasaka serves some of the best Japanese food in the area. Unfortunately, service can be a bit slow during busy hours, but the quality of the food is worth it.
Vegetarian Dishes: Vegetarian Special Box: If you're a vegetarian and you like Japanese food, you have to try this excellent combination dinner. Even if you don't normally like Japanese food, or you've never had it before, you should give this one a try. The vegetarian special box consists of vegetable tempura, six pieces of kappa maki (cucumber sushi), seasoned tofu, and pickled cabbage and spinach. The meal also includes steamed rice, miso soup, and salad. Price: $10.50

Colonel Lee's Mongolian BBQ
Category: Mongolian	Castro St. Mountain View, CA
You're probably wondering what a restaurant with the word "BBQ" in its name is doing in a vegetarian dining guide, but Colonel Lee's is actually a great place for a vegetarian to go. If you don't know what Mongolian BBQ is, you'll need a brief introduction. Basically, you pick a whole bunch of ingredients arranged buffet-style, place them in a bowl, cover your concoction with various sauces, and give it to a chef who then cooks it for you. Although various types of meat are placed at the front of the buffet and might seem to be the main attraction, there are also noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, onions, celery, scallions, carrots, and pineapple, which the vegetarian can fill his or her bowl with. But do keep in mind that the vegetables will be cooked on the same surface that is used to cook meat, so if that violates your religious or ethical beliefs, you're out of luck.In addition, the fixed price for dinner includes steamed rice, vegetarian spring rolls, biscuits, (non-vegetarian) egg drop soup and soft-serve ice cream.
Vegetarian Dishes: As stated above, there is really just one "dish" served at Colonel Lee's that the customer can tailor to his or her individual preferences. You can take only vegetables, but since there also meat at the buffet, this is a good place to fit in a "periodic dose of animal protein" if your particular diet call for it, as mine does. Price: ?

Su Hong
Category: Chinese	4101 El Camino Way Palo Alto, CA (650) 493-3836 (Reservations) (650) 493-4664 (Take Out) www.suhong.com
Su Hong was voted Best Chinese Restaurant in Palo Alto sixe times by the readers of the Palo Alto Weekly, and the restaurant still lives up to its reputation. If you like Chinese food, there is simply no excuse for not eating here. People from outside the San Francisco Bay Area who are used to soggy or overly salty Chinese food will will find Su Hong's cuisine to a welcome change. Su Hong uses little or no MSG in its food, and almost every dish is well prepared. The waiters are usually friendly and prompt. Dinner comes with free (and very un-Chinese) fried bananaswith whipped cream for desert.
Vegetarian Dishes: Vegetable Chow Mein: In the Bay Area, chow mein is what is referered to in most other parts of the country as lo mein, a dish consisting of soft noodles mixed with meat and/or vegetables. Unlike its counterparts from elsewhere, however, Su Hong's vegetable chow mein is not salty or soggy. One order is enough for about two people when combined with appetizers. Price: ?

Site Design and Maintaince by Scott Daniel Ullman <sdullman@stanford.edu>
Last Modified January 3, 2000