FW: SFGate: DINING OUT/Vegan Japanese dishes are pristine, healthy but tend to taste bland

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Hi folksFor anyone interested, here's The Chronicle review of Cha Ya in SF ...Cheers,TammyDINING OUT/Vegan Japanese dishes are pristine, healthy but tend to taste bland Bill Addison, Chronicle Staff Critic I have a vegetarian past, including a six-month stretch as a vegan in the mid-'90s that was undone by an irresistible slice of New York pizza. And though these days I gleefully consume all manner of artisan cheeses and organ meats, occasionally I do crave a break from my decadent, animal fat-laden diet. Cha-Ya in the Mission provides just that sort of respite for meat eaters -- and an occasion for staunch herbivores to bask in an entire menu full of animal-free options. Its vegan Japanese offerings mirror those served at Cha-Ya's original and enduringly popular location in Berkeley, where lengthy waits for the small restaurant are customary. The Mission outpost is roomier, but has a glaring quirk: unflattering lighting. The harsh, unnatural fluorescent rays show off the impressive cleanliness of the bright white walls and shiny hardwood floors, but they also made me feel as if I were moving in slow motion through an untoward experiment in a spooky sci-fi flick. The space is much better on a cloudless afternoon, when the sunshine makes the restaurant seem like a calm reading room at a meditation retreat center. Eating at Cha-Ya can require embracing a mind-set of austerity. Tofu and heaps of precisely sliced and diced vegetables take center stage in broths, noodle bowls and sushi that showcase their simple clarity. It can be refreshing, yet it can occasionally leave you longing for richer jolts of flavor.<snip>See full review athttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/03/DDGSCM4HA81.DTL

 

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