Vegan
Chinese
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
Vietnamese
Long-time established pure veg Asian cuisine restaurant. Its menu features a varied range of choices from rice and noodle dishes to soy meats, hot pots, refreshing beverages and vegan desserts. Moved here 2014 from its former location on O'Farrell St. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-7:30pm.
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395 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, California, USA, 94102
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Last update on 07 Feb 2024 by Forman
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235 Reviews
First Review by baruchadam
alexandra_vegan
Points +1549
Fresh food with loads on mock meat, Good service, Welcoming place - Edit
I went there with a non vegan friend. It was an anjoyable meal, but would have been better had they not used so much mock meat.
Read moreWe ordered the Mushu Rolls (very good, rolls made with a sort of savory pancake, very interesting and tasty), the Pho noodle soup (made with a delicious soup, fake meats, loads of fresh greens and soy sprouts) and the Banh Xeo (vietnamese stuffed pie).
The food was good and fresh, but I would have preferred to have tofu in the dish instead of the mock meats - it's just my personal preference, I don't like mock meats.
Service was friendly and fast and the place is nicely decorated, clean and welcoming.
When we went there (Wednesday for dinner) the place was not noisy and it was easy to talk.
I think you could ask to replace the mock meats with tofu, haven't tried this but I will definitely ask next time :)
I would recommend this place to those who like mock meats (my only con for this place) and want to try Vietnamese specialties.
Pros: Friendly and fast service, Fresh food, Fair prices
Cons: Too much mock meats
Guest
rebeccaj
Points +168
too noisy - Edit
Every conversation and clanking fork is amplified in this extremely noisy location, which made eating here an unpleasant experience.
Read morePros: vegan, I had earplugs with me
Cons: nerve-jangling
Guest
amiramke
Points +76
One of my favorites - Edit
I love this place. I go here a lot, especially with friends. Eat a lot and quickly so you can catch that movie!
Read morePros: Wonderful selection, big portions and very colorfu, Fast, Not too busy. Great for groups
Guest
craziercatlady
Points +28
excellent! - Edit
I went there today to have a late lunch with my husband (he is not vegan). We really enjoyed the food. This is the fourth asian restaurant I try in the bay area, they were good but this one is the best of my list.
Read moreThe mushroom curry was delicious and the sweet sour soup my husband had was far better than the ones he tried in the other places.
I definitively recommend this place, it deserves a 4.5 stars.
Guest
LisaGrill
Points +20
Tasty - Edit
Really great. Rice was delicious. Kids loved every bite of their appetizers and entrees. The oyster mushroom dish was heavenly. Service was also fast.
Read morePros: rice dish, cheese cake, oyster mushroom dish
Guest
merimac
Points +160
silver rating for golden era - Edit
This restaurant is another nice Asian restaurant similar to Loving Hut with many almost identical dishes. (In fact I'm told one of the spouses owns a LH franchise). We had the Tofu salad and the lunch special (Tofu, green beans,rice,broccoli) and neither was spectacular. Neither was spectacular but still a good place for vegan food. It is clean and pretty and almost adjacent to civic center. Go to the Asian Museum afterwards for the full experience. Very noisy when busy and the display of vegan Frank's in a can is off-putting.
Read moreGuest
Rolandmh
Points +64
great local spot - Edit
Good food in a decent atmosphere. Service was good but a little slow.
Read morePros: selection, taste
Guest
DSpocklington
Points +44
A delight - Edit
Golden Era was all it was described as being. These folks understand what it means to be a vegan and have created a host of wonderful choices, many of which are gluten-free. Great food, generous portions, reasonable prices and a pleasant atmosphere. We're in SF for just a week and have many option to try out, but we will probably go back again. An excellent place for the serious vegan...
Read morePros: Lots of options, Delicious food, Generous portions
Cons: Needs a warmer atmosphere
Guest
rach
Points +144
Great Chinese Vegan Food / Nice Setting - Edit
Large menu, new decor. We enjoyed our meal and were glad we made the trip out of our way for lunch here. Pot stickers and the spicy soup were particularly good. Worthwhile going
Read morePros: choices, decor
Guest
JonJon
Points +20645
A great place for vegans! - Edit
I tried their meals when they were still at the older place and I appreciated the experience. The food was of good quality and creative, the staff was friendly and all is vegan. If I come back to SF, I will certainly try this new version of the restaurant!
Read morePros: all vegan, creative food, friendly staff
Guest
veggieriga
Points +660
I'm so glad they reopened - Edit
I was so sad when they closed and was eagerly waiting for them to reopen. The new location is so nice and a perfect place to stop after going to the Asian Art Museum.
Read moreThe first time I went they didn't have any lunch specials but now they have a very affordable 2 item lunch option.
In terms of the regular menu, it is a bit inconsistent. The first time the food was so salty, so the next time I asked them if they could make it less salty and they said they couldn't. The food seemed less salty but was much spicier. When I mentioned it to the server, she was quite nice and went to talk to the chef and he said that it was the normal level of spiciness, but that next time they might be able to make it less spicy.
The desserts look delicious, but I was too full to eat them. There are so many interesting things on the menu to try, I'm looking forward to going back.
Pros: much nicer locations, good food
Guest
AshleyLorden
Points +1255
Vegan Oasis in Central Neighborhood - Edit
Update 11/30/2014: Restaurant has moved to new location on Golden Gate Avenue, still in the Tenderloin neighborhood but now adjacent to Civic Center. It has just opened in the new building yesterday, with a menu almost the same as before and some of the same staff. They are set up to have a lunch buffet but are starting with just the standard menu.
Read moreThe restaurant decoration and dish plating has gotten a big makeover; it's now quite modern and a bit fancier than before. They also now have a parking arrangement with a garage so parking should be easier. The service was lacking when I went but it was their first day open so hopefully that won't be an issue.
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Golden Era in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, like many of the restaurants in the Loving Hut/Supreme Master network, is a calming, peaceful, welcoming spot where I often see people who know each other saying hello (you could say it's one of the local vegan watering holes).
Parking in this area is difficult -- it's near Union Square, so parking garages are expensive, and street parking may take you a number of circles around the block to get. Because this is the Tenderloin, it's also not that secure. However, it is very near main bus lines and a short taxi ride from many places. Although the neighborhood is not good, the risk of anything bad happening to you as you walk to the restaurant is still very very low.
They don't offer delivery, but I've had great success calling in takeout orders 10-15 min before I arrive there to pick something up. They always get my order right and take cards, making it a quick stop.
The menu is a bit more gourmet than many Loving Huts but follows the same general profile -- a mix of Asian flavors done in their own style, with lots of vegetables and faux meats. Some dishes are very healthy, while others are oily and fried -- your choice!
Be aware that the style here is what you'd expect of a "Chinese restaurant"; staff wear jeans, food is served when it's ready, bathrooms aren't fancy. It's not upscale but has everything you need for a great meal.
I have to also recommend the dessert menu, if you can save room they are quite good!
Pros: Affordable, All-vegan, Lots of choice
Cons: Sketchy neighborhood
Guest
PhilippaPickering
Points +60
really really good - Edit
This was a fantastic find. The menu is huge and varied and they have vegan desserts - bonus! My husband who is non-vegan loved the food too.
Read morePros: great food, varied menu, central location
Guest
GlobalVeganist
Points +60
OMG happiness on a plate!!! - Edit
I had the pot stickers and the Pho soup - SO delicious!!! Everything tasted to fresh and was seasoned to perfection. The staff were very friendly and gave great advice on meal choices. The only problem with this place was.... you get full way too soon when you just want to keep on eating!
Read morePros: yummy, yummy, and did I mention: Yummy!!!
Guest
Veganessss in SF
Points +73
Delicious Vegan Vietnamese Restaurant! - Edit
Excellent vegan Vietnamese restaurant. Favorite dishes: fresh spring rolls, tofu salad, vegetable fu young, wonton vegetable noodle soup (a kid-favorite), pan fried vegetable chowfun, spicy sweet potato curry. Delicious desserts. Highly recommended! Also check out Loving Hut at the Westfield Mall in San Francisco (http://lovinghut.us/sf_westfield/contact.html).
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Vegan, Kid-friendly
Guest
Docmartin9
Points +50
Too many great dishes - Edit
Too many great dishes to try! Loved the spicy soup.
Read moreGuest
Blondies
Points +119
Good food, but too much faux meat... - Edit
I really wanted to love Golden Era and for the most part I did enjoy my experience. However, I felt like they served too much soy/faux meat and found that to be distracting. Personally, I don't really care for or find a need for fake meat and it was in most of their dishes. Despite that though, the food was fresh, the service fast and the price was right. The appetizers were very good and could have made a meal of them in of themselves. I may not have fallen in love with Golden Era, but I did like it a lot and will go back.
Read morePros: Fast service, All vegan dishes, Good, fresh food
Cons: Faux meat in most dishes, Staff not all that friendly
Guest
SoledadMoretti
Points +77
Great place if you like chinese food - Edit
Served by its owners, very good service. Polite staff. Inexpensive. Plenty of options, and tasty food.
Read morePros: inexpensive, vegan, great service
Guest
LindaSteel
Points +168
Love it! - Edit
So good!
Read moreGuest
JohnKeith
Points +144
Amazing, Simply Amazing - Edit
What are you going to say about this place that hasn't already been said? Amazing food, great service, knowledgeable staff. Even when you raise the bar because you are in San Francisco, this place exceeds expectations. A must visit for anyone in the Bay area.
Read morePros: Great Food, Great Service, Knowledgeable staff
Guest
Eyakmek
Points +27
fantastic!! - Edit
One of the best tasting vegan dishes I ever had
Read moreGuest
PURITZ
Points +76
yummmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee - Edit
we ate here twice within the 24 hours we were in San fransisco.
Read moreFood was amnazing and portions huge (the soup fed three of us!!!!!)
Guest
Meggie and Ben
Points +1786
Stumbled on while touristing... - Edit
While in San Francisco, my husband and I happened to stumble across Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant. I had never been there or heard of it, but we were hungry and it was close by. And it turned out to be fantastic! Seriously, a new favorite in San Francisco. Everything we ordered was delicious.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Downtown, nice interior, Good prices
Guest
stormka
Points +30
Really impressed with this chain - Edit
I didn't know that Golden Era was a Supreme Master franchise. As with Loving Hut, I am impressed by their quality. Always. The desserts just blow my mind, mostly because I feel that vegan desserts can be tricky. Add the en masse aspect and my expectations drop. However, their avocado shakes come highly recommended and their faux meat, while a bit disturbing in texture, have a nice flavor. The cherry on the experience is that you're not choking on salt. This speaks volumes to me about their focus on flavor and possibly, health! Win, win.
Read moreGuest
msvegan
Points +377
Always good - Edit
The food here is always tasty. It is Vietnamese more than Chinese food and a lot of soy. Some of the dishes are better than others. I still prefer the original 'Golden Lotus' restaurant in Oakland although this has more spacious seating, but, it is a bit dark as there are no windows. Members of the'Supreme Master'LOL Suma Ching Hi cult. I try to over look it as their food is so good. At least they dont sell her personal items/used clothes or material at these restaurants.
Read moreThey have a fairly large selection but I dont think you can ever go wrong with the Wonton Noodle Soup, Lamb Clay Pot, Garlic BeefSalad, Veggie Pork Buns or Wonton Apptzrs.
It is located in the Tenderloin which isn't the best 'hood in SF so I would just tell tourists to be aware of your surroundings if you are walking.
Pros: Delicious, Vegan, Large selection
Cons: Basement setting, Cult
Guest
Happy Eats
Points +41
Dishes are well balanced with spices - Edit
This was definitely one of the better vegan Asian-fusion places to which I've been. We had Truly Sea and Okra's Lover, both of which were very unique. Truly Sea was nicely pan-fried with a refreshing garlic sauce on the side. Okra's Lover had a nice lightly spicy Singaporean curry sauce and soy protein cubes. However, I thought it didn't have enough okra to call itself okra lover though. The first two desserts we ordered were not available and ended up have to settle with the third one - the mocha cake. It was decent.
Read morePros: good combination of spices in dishes, fast service
Cons: dessert menu items not all available
Guest
marturey
Points +199
We enjoyed it so much we went twice! - Edit
The food was really delicious. The place was very busy even late on a weeknight. The lemongrass 'chicken' was delicious and probably my favourite dish (although the szechuan 'beef' was good too and spicy). The restaurant is entirely vegan and the staff were attentive without being annoying. The veggies were perfect and not overcooked. For something different try the crepe off the appetizer menu. It comes with a pile (and I mean a pile) of lettuce and mint and parsley. I'd definitely return.
Read morePros: affordable, location, food
Cons: no liquor
Guest
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