I’m bringing back the restaurant reviews! My first review is a vegetarian Japanese restaurant called Cha-Ya. It’s on Shattuck and Virginia in Berkeley, a small space that is frequently packed with people. Keep in mind that the restaurant is not just vegetarian but vegan, so don’t expect any of the usual Japanese fare like sushi or teriyaki. If you don’t like mushrooms, eggplants, or tofu, you’re in for a long and not so pleasant night. If you like those things, you’ll probably be delighted with what you find, although the concept could only work in the San Francisco Bay Area whose people pride themselves on paying more for less.
Decor: 7
I liked the decor, which gives the impression of a lively and popular restaurant. There are tables of various sizes and a pretty long sushi bar. This was my big problem – the sushi bar is nice except for the fact that there’s no sushi and the chefs were uninterested in talking with the customers. So there was really no point to the bar. Other than that, things were great – dishes were served on pretty little dishes and the tea came in a moderately good teapot. Probably it all came from Ikea or Crate and Barrel, somewhere kind of nice but the best that mass production can do.
Service: 6
I’m probably giving them a little more credit than they deserve because we were fairly lucky. The bad thing about being a cramped but popular little restaurant is that the line is out the door during the dinner rush. When we walked out, there were several couples waiting for a table and it seemed like they had been waiting for quite some time. It was very reminiscent of Chicago – if you aren’t in the door and at a table by 700, you should just leave and come back at 9 because you aren’t getting a table until then (especially if there are three or four people ahead of you). Service was not particularly speedy, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – dishes were made to order and there were only two chefs. My biggest complaint here was that none of the workers were Japanese, which severely detracted from the experience.
Food: 9
The food was delicious, especially when you consider that they only use vegetables. The soup broths in the nabe and udon dishes are some of the best you’ll find in the Bay Area. I will say that if you order sushi in a vegan restaurant that has no fish, you are an idiot. The gyoza was a little disappointing because the filling was nowhere near as substantial as it would be with meat, but the skin was excellent. The desserts are also really good, especially the fried bananas with green tea and red bean sauces. One thing that might put you off is that none of the dishes are complex and I had the distinct feeling that I could easily cook the same meal at home, which might be the point because the inspiration was monasteries, not exactly the wellspring of cooking creativity and complexity. Still, the prices are low enough that I would pay someone to chop all those vegetables and put them together for me.
Ambience: 9
This is a great date night out, and the lack of meat guarantees that nobody will walk out with a greasy taste in their mouth. If anything, all the vegetables mean that you’ll walk out with a clean and refreshed feeling. My real complaint are the other people, which is a lot of yuppies and the typical white-haired rich hippies that frequently troll the gourmet ghetto. You’ll a lot of people acting like they know something of Japanese food even as they fumble their chopsticks and drench their retarded no-sushi with soy sauce. One guy next to me actually complained that his dish was too salty after he soaked a piece of sushi so thoroughly that the whole thing was black. So take that as you will. It’s still a great place to take a date.
Score: 31/40
Price: $25 per person
Verdict: A decidedly good date.
Note that the price is for appetizers, drinks, entrees, and desserts.