See ya at Cha-Ya

Cha-Ya has opened a new location in the Mission and what a difference it makes! The original spot in Berkeley was always packed and took over 30 mins to get in (they don’t take reservations) because of its tiny size. The Mission spot is twice the size with a 5 minute wait and nicer interior.

The food was great, even for my non vegetarian friends. Their menu was inventive, all vegan and many organic ingredients. They even had vegan ice cream Japanese style with grean tea and azuki beans. My personal favorites were the Summer Green roll ($6.75), a reverse roll with avocado, cucumber, sprouts and sea vegetables, along with the Moon Garden ($8.50), a tofu custard with japanese vegetables.

Prices are very reasonable, especially when compared to Medicine Eat Station, another organic Japanese place in downtown or Minako’s Organic Japanese Restaurant.

Check Cha-Ya out on in San Francisco (762 Valenica Street) and avoid the one in Berkeley (1686 Shattuck Ave) unless you get takeout or you can stomach a very long wait.