Vegan-friendly
Chinese
Take-out
Honey

Restaurant in Oakland Chinatown. Serves vegan versions of Chinese cuisine. Offers inexpensive lunch special which includes soup, spring roll, tea, and rice. Reported July 2020 to sell canned ice tea containing honey. Open Mon 11:00am-7:30pm, Wed-Sun 11:00am-7:30pm.


Venue map for Nature Vegetarian Restaurant
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60 Reviews

First Review by CeeDee

JaRan

Points +38

Vegan
10 Feb 2025

So Happy To Be Reacquainted

We have a long history with this place. We used to go here for years pre-pandemic. We lived by the Lake and loved going here for our vegan Chinese fix. I even used them for catering a work event back in the day. I was so sad that after things opened back up during COVID-19, they kept their dining room closed and were take out only. To my joy, they have opened their dining room again.

We went there tonight for my birthday. It was every bit as good as I remember it from years ago. The cooks and the server were very friendly and helpful. The prices were very reasonable for what it costs everywhere else around here to go out to eat.

We had the salt and pepper fake chicken, wonton soup, bean rolls, general tao's chicken, and pan-fried noodles with gluten puffs. We ordered way too much and had to bring some of it home with us.

Everything was made fresh and was piping hot. I can't even pick a favorite. All of it was so good.

In all these years, I've never had anything I didn't love at this restaurant. Today was no exception.

I'm so thrilled they survived the pandemic intact and are as good as ever.

Updated from previous review on 2025-02-10

Pros: Fresh and hot food, Friendly service, 100% vegan

HCMex

Points +425

Vegan
21 Dec 2024

Delicious Chinese food

Once you find the menu items that you love, you can't wait to go back! I've had plenty of dishes here that were hit or miss but the ones that I always go back to are; Pork fried rice, sweet sour pork, salt pepper chicken, general tao, and the sesame chicken.

All dishes that are filling and vegan without compromising authentic Chinese food savor. Come, try as many things as you can, and then figure out what you love. Can't wait to come back here on Xmas!

Pros: Sesame chicken, Pork fried rice, Reasonable prices and portions

Cons: Dine in area, Yellow conditional health inspection pass

nothsa

Points +117

Vegan
06 Sep 2024

Awesome spot with pretty good food

The waiters are friendly and reasonably attentive. It feels like a pretty typical Chinese restaurant, which is super nice since it's not always easy to find vegan food in Chinatown. Despite the name, the waitress told me everything on the menu is vegan.

It was just over $15 for the lunch special, which includes hot and sour soup, an eggroll, and a big pot of tea (everyone gets the tea, not just people who get the lunch special). Crazy deal!

I had the General Tao's chicken, which was solid but not amazing. But it definitely scratched that American Chinese food itch.

I'll definitely be back, and hopefully next time I'll try something that gets me to update this review to 5 stars.

HaVern

Points +81

Vegetarian
20 May 2024

Best Vegan place in Oakland

The food is great. The prices are reasonable. The portion is generous!

Pros: Salt and pepper chicken (vegan), Mapo tofu (spicy and saucy), All the lunch specials

SoyCoffeeFTW

Points +743

Vegan
25 Apr 2024

Comforting Chinese Food

I’ve heard many good things about this place, and the food didn’t disappoint! I ordered takeaway, and everything was tasty and well-seasoned. They even provided a free sample of soup.

Pros: Vegan, Affordable

Badinia

Points +67

Vegan
06 Apr 2024

A fine little veggie Chinese option!

I think I’m writing this review because there are three good vegan places within 500 yards of my hotel in downtown Oakland and I just love the Bay Area so much. Got into town at 6pm for a 7pm show and picked up sesame chicken and broccoli from here and ate it on the way. Good menu, including hot and sour soup which I always love, and it’s very cheap. A great option for vegan Chinese!

Pros: Easy , Fast, Extensive menu

blayziethekid

Points +531

Vegan
15 Jan 2024

Vegan Chinese in Oakland

I only ordered 2 things but it was good . Needed a little more salt in my opinion but that’s way better than too much salt.

soma_10

Points +31

Vegetarian
26 Dec 2023

Wonderful vegetarian/vegan option in Oakland CA

Nature is a wonderful vegetarian/vegan restaurant in downtown Oakland California. We have been a fan for several years. After closing indoor dining during pandemic, they are back open for indoor dining. They have always had the carry out option. We visited yesterday and had a great dining experience. We had ordered hot and sour soup, sesame chicken, spicy eggplant, chicken chow mein and spicy Thai fried rice in a clay pot. All dishes were excellent. The standouts were the sesame chicken and the soup. A friendly staff and a welcoming ambiance. Glad they are open again for indoor dining as we will be back more often in person than carrying out.

Pros: Great food , Great prices , Great staff

welder

Points +74

Vegan
11 Dec 2023

Wonderful food!

Great food, reasonably priced! I highly suggest the cod clay pot and hot and sour soup.

Pros: All vegan (despite the name), Big portions , Lots of options

Cons: Ambiance was lacking

Gopala108

Points +3935

Vegan
24 Nov 2023

vegan Chinese in Oakland's Chinatown

I went to Nature a few times around the time when I first moved to Oakland back in March 2016. I have been going to Anfilo for the Ethiopian vegan buffet & Liba for the falafel lately yet glad to get reacquainted w/ Nature again as it is a fully vegan establishment worth supporting.

The lunch special here M-F is just $7.50. It is served w/ soup, white or brown rice, & a spring roll. There are 28 options for the entree for the lunch special. I went w/ the sweet & sour veggie "pork" w/ pineapple. The faux meats here are on point & made in house. The sauce had a nice flavor & it came w/ plenty of bell pepper along w/ the pineapple that added a nice touch of natural sweetness. Hearty portions & affordable.

Besides the weekday lunch specials they have appetizers, soups, & entrees that would be great to try for dinner. The clay pot dishes looked especially interesting. They have fried noodles & fried rice.

They have two Prix Frixe set menus for 8-10 people for $128 or $198. They even have Prix Frixe set menus for 10-12 people for $238 or $288 respectively. These are complete meals that would be great for a party or large gathering.

The only caveat was no water was brought out although complimentary tea was provided I passed on the tea as I eschew caffeinated beverages. The patrons next to me had to ask for water in order to have it brought out to them. Well CA is hopefully close to being over the drought w/ all the rain we have been having this winter yet luckily I was fairly well hydrated prior to arrival.

I'm a fan of Nature & will be back to explore more of the menu. I have no problem being more assertive to ask for water next time either. By the way there is a $10 minimum to use a credit card so if you are going for the lunch special make sure to bring cash!

Pros: vegan Chinese in Oakland's Chinatown

Geeokonkwo

24 Nov 2023

Where is the Ethiopian vegan buffet?? Thank you

andyjng

Points +5470

Vegan
23 Nov 2022

Some of the Best Bean Curd

Their Bean Curd Appetizer (4 in each order) was one of our favorites. A deep fried bean curd roll with lots of filling and a tangy sauce. We also really enjoyed their Salt & Pepper Chicken, which was one of the closest to taste with real chicken that I've had in a long time. The seasoning is what really made it and it was a fabulous entree. The most surprising for me was their BBQ Pork Fried Rice, which was the most realistic looking cha-shu I've seen in a vegan fried rice dish.

Despite the restaurant saying 'vegetarian,' most (if not all) of their items are vegan as they don't use egg. If you're unsure, don't hesitate to ask as their friendly service really left me feeling good about placing my order.

Pricing is fantastic too. For four entrees and two appetizers, our total came out to roughly $60 which feels like a steal in today's age.

Pros: Bean Curd was fantastic, Almost everything is vegan

gettingthere

Points +128

Vegan
24 Aug 2022

Great food, great prices

This place is the best! I thought it was all vegan though? Surprised to see it listed as vegetarian.

Anyway, the owners make their own mock meat, it's well-priced and flavorful.

Pros: Good food, Owners make their own mock meat, Well-priced

Cons: Turns out it's not all vegan?

JustinDavidCarl

Points +107

Vegan
12 Aug 2022

Best most authentic Vegan Chinese Food I’ve had!

We went here for my Wife’s birthday and she’s half Chinese and we both agreed that this was the most authentic tasting Vegan Chinese food we’ve ever had since going Vegan ~3 years ago. Super delicious! Would go back again and again!

They are currently only doing pickup/takeout as of 08-08-2022.

Updated from previous review on 2022-08-12

Pros: Fully Vegan Menu, Tons of options, Authentic tasting Vegan Chinese Food

Cons: Pickup only right now (as of 08-08-2022)

Dancingbarefoot

Points +661

Vegan
18 Jun 2022

Excellent

Pot stickers are amazing! Also got chow mein and chikn fried rice and it was great. Highly recommend! It’s cash only so be warned. We had to walk three blocks just to find an atm.

Updated from previous review on 2022-06-18

Geeokonkwo

Points +536

Vegan
22 May 2022

Delicious!

Enjoying a 2 day experience from my usual & beloved fully raw 80/10/10 fare. This place allowed me to eat cooked vegan within my parameters; oil and allium free! I ordered The chow fun mushroom noodles, spicy braised eggplant & an order of braised tofu (as well 1 order of each white & brown rice). Food was delightful!! Mushroom and eggplant were my faves! They have mock meats if u care for that. I simply wanted tasty marinated veggies and rice cooked in a vegan establishment. So delicious and filling. Very reasonably priced and good portions. Highly recommend!! Raw foods is still the champ tho haha!

Updated from previous review on 2022-05-22

Pros: Fresh Healthy Vegan, Little to no oil, Little to no onions and garlic

Cons: No dine in

ThatSurlyVegan

Points +399

Vegan
03 May 2022

1st Rate All Around

The staff are terrific and the food is out of this world. Each dish has so much care put into it, you’ll fall in love with every order.

Pros: Vegan options galore , Crazy good variety of dishes

powerleegirl

Points +87

Vegetarian
03 Dec 2021

Really yummy Chinese vegetarian menu. So many different tofu types. Great sauces

I have been here many times and most recent picked up take out. Great vegetarian dim sum including a bao.

Pros: Tons of great and diverse options , Great flavors, Amazing sauces

Cons: Parking can be hard in Oakland

vegangirl22

Points +132

Vegan
22 May 2021

This place is vegan.....

Dunno why it is marked as vegetarian and not vegan just because of canned iced tea. Plenty of other restaurants on this app are marked as vegan but sell non vegan canned drinks. The point is that all the food is vegan. It's very good too.

Lupin_3rd510

27 Oct 2022

I don’t think it’s 100% vegan , they had something there that is dairy so it has to be vegetarian . Vegan = no dairy

tony666

31 Oct 2022

They have no dairy. It’s vegan. And onion free too. I think it’s labeled vegetarian because they have a bottled ice tea that has honey. Ridiculous.

Lupin_3rd510

31 Oct 2022

I remember coming here like 7 years ago , and in the front they had a bunch of bulk ingredients near the fish tank . One of them was a package of condensed milk in a can . Probably used to make their walnut prawns sauce…

Lupin_3rd510

14 May 2023

I’m not gonna get a notarized photo from 8 years ago cuz your lazy butt is used to fake news fact checks Tony

tony666

15 May 2023

but you will take time to badmouth a location on the internet without evidence?

Lupin_3rd510

16 May 2023

evidence ? This ain’t the OJ trial . If it doesn’t fit you must acquit ! Why would I need evidence when I saw it with my eyes . If you don’t believe me, I don’t really care . But think about it , what reason do I have to lie on this stupid app about something so random ? And why doesn’t this place have the vegan tab if they’re 100%?

misabella

Points +3405

Vegetarian
14 May 2021

Great Experience

I thoroughly enjoyed my meals from here, I only can’t wait until I can enjoy it straight out of the kitchen instead of having to do takeout with COVID. That being said, even things one might think would not do well being reheated, like spring rolls, were still extremely delicious. I’ve tried the gluten puffs and mushrooms (my favorite so far, great sauce), the veggie kung pao prawn (also amazing but a little on the hot/spicy side for me personally), potstickers, soup, spring rolls, and bean curd rolls; very satisfied with everything. The imitation prawns were really quite impressive.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had Chinese and I’m so happy there is such a good vegan place around! I will definitely be stopping here again!

Pros: Delicious , Very friendly staff , Good prices

Cons: Difficult parking for pickup

shaane

Points +148

Vegan
30 Jan 2021

Not sure why this is marked vegetarian; pretty sure it’s all vegan

They’re consistent in quality, time, everything. Happy to support them (especially during the pandemic).

kmau_

Points +1143

Vegan
07 Sep 2020

Fantastic Authentic Veg Chinese Food

Fantastic! The food is great and good prices. Unfortunately it’s only take-out due to covid19, but it’s still absolutely worth getting a meal and finding a place to eat.

We got the beef and broccoli, the pot stickers, and the Singapore style rice noodles. The only thing is that I wish white rice came with the beef and broccoli or that they suggested an order a white rice on the side. However, the food was all excellent.

Will definitely be going back next time I’m in the area!

Pros: Food quality , Prices

Cons: White rice doesn’t come with all meals I think.

robfdilla

Points +539

Vegan
19 Aug 2020

Nostalgic Takeout

Eating in downtown Oakland Chinatown brings back memories when I use to live in the neighboring city of Alameda. My family usually use to spend every other Sunday or so lunch eating out there. So I wanted to rekindle my taste buds w/ some nostalgia takeout. My barometer for Chinese food is usually the establishment's chow mein and/or fried rice. It has to measure up to Oakland Chinatown's standards. Lol So I went with Nature Vegetarian's veggie pork chow mein and General Tso's chicken.

The General Tso was a little too spongy-gooey & flavorless (with out the sauce) for my liking. I was expecting a little crisp too it with it's breaded coating but never got. Felt like they just browned it and tossed it in the spicy GT sauce (which spilled and ended up in the bottom of the takeout bag). Slight disappointed because it was a user(s) recommendation.

The chow mein was the highlight. It DID bring back the familiarity of what I grew up too. That soy sauce based taste(could of used a little more); a hit of sesame oil; the slight charred flavor from the wok. It definitely met expectations.

The price was fair. I was window shopping on here and it was the cheapest in value around both Oakland and San Francisco. So thumbs up to that.

Overall, I'll give it 4/5 stars. I'd recommend it for the value. There's another Chinese restaurant in the Sunset District SF I want to try for comparison. That'll probably be within the next 2 blogs, if not sooner. Stay tuned!!

Pros: Price Point

Cons: Not that big of a con but can use more salt.

rmagarik123

Points +59

Vegetarian
23 Apr 2020

Unhealthy and untasty

We have eaten here when golden lotus (far better) is closed. The food tastes mediocre and occasionally the produce actually tastes like it’s moldy. Avoid.

AnthonyMa

Points +24

Vegetarian
21 Mar 2020

Best Asian Vegetarian Restaurant

If you're a newcomer, you'll enjoy everything on the menu which is extensive and full of all kinds of Veggi meat and greens you can imagine. If you've come to Nature for a while and befriended the owners, don't hesitate to explore new dishes with them. They are very creative and adventurous p, a reason why you find dishes that aren't offered anywhere else. Also, only Bay Area vegetarian eatery that has Chinese dim sum! The owners opened this place out of their devotion to the Buddhist idea of Thou Shall Not Kill. Eat and let all animals live!

Pros: Excellent menu, food, Great place to eat

FranFran

Points +146

Vegan
27 Feb 2020

Tasty

The food was really tasty even if the place was too crowded. The prices were good, and the size of the plates were great

Pros: Tasty, Fast service and the prices were affordable

itamarido

Points +21

Vegetarian
16 Dec 2019

The food was very tasty.

Excellent experience. We will come back again.

Andi12

Points +215

Vegan
09 Dec 2019

Excellent!

Great selection, large portions, good price, excellent flavor! The BBQ pork fried rice was wonderful, we’ll be back.
One drawback is that they don’t seem to be able to regulate the temperature of the restaurant. It’s freezing in the winter and hot in the summer. We still go at least once or twice a month (sometimes more) cause we love the food!

Pros: All vegan, Chinese food like I had pre-vegan, Very friendly staff




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