Vegan restaurant in Boston Chinatown serving Thai and Chinese food. Menu offers items like pumpkin curry, fried rice, pad thai noodles, tofu chickn fingers, boba milk tea, wonton soup, and spicy curry. Formerly Original Buddha's Delight, same owners with revised menu. Location requires taking stairs up to the 2nd floor. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-11:00pm, Sun 11:00am-10:00pm.
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3 Beach St, 2nd floor (at Chinatown), Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02111
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Last update on 09 Sep 2024 by geometric-noise
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300 Reviews
First Review by tablemoonspoons
stbenjam
Points +264
Tasty vegan dishes with poor service - Edit
I've generally not been disappointed by the food, but I've always had a bit of an issue with the service. Let me recount my last visit.
Read moreI came with a small group of friends, on a quiet weekday night. We were seated and the menus were thrown in a pile onto the table. No one came for 10 minutes to take our order, we had to flag someone down. Again, the restaurant wasn't busy.
The server came over, and pulled out her notebook and simply said "What?"
My boyfriend's brother is kind of particular about what he eats (he's a personal trainer) and asked for some steamed rice and veggies - they said they couldn't do that at all, so he settled on fried rice. In hopes of being a bit healthier - he asked for some sliced avocado on the side. Again they said no. Ultimately he begged if he could just buy an avocado off the counter (they use them for some dish). She had to go ask, and there seemed to be a long discussion about it - finally they agreed to sell it to us for $2 cash then and there and just plopped the avocado down on the table. No offer of a knife or anything...
We all liked our entrees, but dessert was odd. We ordered 3 mango sticky rice to share around the table.
Now, I'm very familiar with mango sticky rice. I order it everywhere that has it. My last birthday I had mango sticky rice instead of cake.
If the mangos are not good, they should tell you - every Thai restaurant I've ever been to other than My Thai Vegan Cafe will warn you.
What arrived was the worst mango sticky rice I've ever had in my entire life. The mango was unripe and hard. It was so hard they had a hard time slicing it, so they didn't even bother on 2 out of the 3. They just served a half a mango - unsliced. The sticky rice was cold rice in a soup of coconut cream.
I was incredulous.
While I've generally been happy with the food (the mango sticky rice being the exception), the service is just intolerable.
Updated from previous review on 2017-01-16
Pros: vegan, generally good food
Cons: service, mango sticky rice, service
Guest
TrishGordon
Points +16
A Must - Edit
This place is amazing! The food was great, and there are so many options to pick from! We got dumplings, wonton soup, two noodle dishes, chocolate cake, coffee, and tea, and the bill was so much less than you would pay anywhere else! We were there Christmas day, so it was pretty full. That said, service was still great. Anything we asked for came in a reasonable amount of time. We saw a variety of patrons- couples, friends, families, and some people dining solo. I'd recommend it to anyone!
Read morePros: Great Food, Great Selection, Great Value
Cons: Room temperature fluctuated
Guest
FrankTLA
Points +24
Disappointing - Edit
This place was very disappointing. Soups were bland and small servings. Tried some steamed dumplings that were so bad that I still have a horrible memory of them. The dumplings must have been frozen at one time and the dough had gone bad. They were chewy and tasted worse than cardboard. Couldn't eat them. Told waiter, but he did nothing but shrug his shoulders. No interest in going back here until they try harder. The place has been around for a long time, and maybe they just quit caring.
Read morePros: Available seating, Good location, Quick service
Cons: Bad tasting food, Small portions, Over-priced for bad food and small portions
Guest
Posi Britt
Points +679
Yum! - Edit
I really liked this place! The portion sizes were pretty big and it had a neat selection of different things on the menu. I eat a lot of Asian vegan food and still found this place interesting and tasty. We actually came here twice because we enjoyed it so much! Try the Pad Thai and the Golden Traingles!
Read morePros: Good portions, Great selection, Dessert!
Cons: Kinda hot in there, Wait times for food can be long if busy
Guest
FMC11
Points +20
do not go here - Edit
Worst service. Terrible food
Read moreGuest
veggie_htx
Points +2089
Get takeout - Edit
I ordered the fried wonton app and super yellow noodle with vegi shrimp, chicken, beef, seitan, and tofu.These noodles were fantastic because I did not have to choose my veggie protein, this 'super' version of most dishes packs them all! The food was amazing, everyone in my party agreed on that. However everybody also agreed that it was the worst service we had ever had. If we asked for something, we didn't receive it. When we ordered something they are out of, they didn't tell us. Moral of the story: the food is can't miss, but the service is lacking (at least when I went). Get yourself some takeout.
Read morePros: Excellent food
Cons: Table service
Guest
Giulia13
Points +41
Great choice of Thai food - Edit
I went there more than once during my stay in Boston because the menue was so huge it was hard to decide what to get.
Read moreThe special entree was served in a coconut which looked and tasted fantastic. Absoulutely recommend that!
The service was fast and the personell really friendly.
Pros: affordable, large menue, fast service
Cons: not exactly the most beautiful place
Guest
JonJon
Points +20621
Decent thai food - Worth a try! - Edit
I had dinner in this restaurant with an omnivorous friend and we both enjoyed our meal. It consisted of faux-chicken meat cooked with vegetables and rice. Portions were generous so we were not enough hungry to try their beautiful creamy cakes! The taste of food was good and the staff was ok with us. The restaurant is quite big so you can come with many friends. I recommend the place even if the entry of the building is not really trustworthy.
Read morePros: good food and generous portions, 100%, fair prices
Guest
Isabelle Gosselin
Points +137
Will not go back - Edit
We wanted to encourage this vegan restaurant but we had such a poor experience that we're not going back anytime soon. The place is just barely clean, on the second floor of a building in Chinatown, with very tall and abundant windows making the place bright but also very hot as there are no blinds or curtains. My husband had the sun shining on him all the time and he was in sweat. We ordered the fresh spring rolls with a peanut sauce and a soup for appetizers. So far so good except that the peanut sauce was so sweet that I joked with my husband that it was like having liquid O'Henry. Then, the dis-pleasure started. I ordered the Basil Thai Salad which could have benn better named an Onion Salad. 3/4 of the veggies were in fact rather big chunks of white and green onions with a little bit of mesclun at the bottom of the plate, interspersed with faux meat morcels and basil leaves. The onions were over powering and so strong was the taste in the mouth it was simply ridiculous. My husband ordered the tamarind duck. To his disappointment the plate arrived with many pieces of pineapple, which he dislikes wholeheartedly. Nowhere in the description of the dish was it mentioned. The sauce in which the duck and pineapple were drowned was way too sweet and lacked any finesse. The white steamed rice was just al dente, and nobody came to ask if everything was fine, which in a way was maybe better for the staff.
Read morePros: Cheap price
Cons: Poor quality of food, Poor presentation
Guest
MelHeinrich
Points +132
Abit disappointed - Edit
I so so so wanted to love this place. I was just in town for a few days and was craving some delicious Thai food. Our food came out so fast I could tell it wasn't made it order. The rice noodles I ordered were dry and tasted old. And the portion sizes were much smaller than I expected. The flavours were alright but I was expecting much more and I especially want to like ALL vegan restaurants.
Read moreGuest
mg66
Points +102
Tasty meal! - Edit
We just had a very good meal here. The service was slow, but it is the weekend of the Boston Marathon, so maybe there is a surge of veggie athletes, or maybe it's always slow. But the food was very good! Especially recommend the "specialty" avocado dish with yellow curry - OMG! Something different and exceptionally good - subtle yellow curry flavor was the gateway for a variety of textures (with avocado, tofu, veggies and almonds). A huge and filling dish, enough for 2. Would happily eat here again.
Read morePros: tasty food, novel menu item
Cons: slow service, but nice folks
Guest
nafanc
Points +1615
Good veggie food in central location - Edit
The lemon poppy seed cake is phenomenal.
Read moreMeal-wise, I've had a number of stir-fry and noodle dishes here. I've always enjoyed the food - the veggies are fresh and crisp, and the flavors are good.
That said, besides the lemon poppy seed cake, I haven't found anything to be particularly exceptional. I come here more often than other Thai places because I like supporting vegan establishments, but not necessarily because its curries or stir fries are superior to its non-veg counterparts.
I'd recommend trying this place for yourself. If your experience is like mine, you'll find yourself very content with a fine meal, but not overly "wowed" with an exceptional experience.
Pros: Amazing cake
Guest
RedheadedR
Points +262
fantastic food - Edit
Absolutely fantastic. Restaurant is upstairs- took us a minute to figure that out. All of the food was fresh and flavorful- will definitely be back.
Read moreGuest
Siup
Points +3232
My favorite place - Edit
I had lunch/dinner here a few times. It's my favorite vegan restaurant in Boston. Tasty food, incredible recipes, generous servings, honest prices. I love it. Owners are kind, the place cozy, the food just delicious. 5 stars.
Read morePros: delicious food, wide choice of dishes, generous servings and good prices
Guest
ScottElswick
Points +445
was great - Edit
I had an amazing dinner here. Fresh coconut. It was delicious
Read moreGuest
Vegan Vagabond
Points +4089
Meh - Edit
I really want to like this place. It's 100% vegan and in a great location. Plus, it's Thai food. The problem is that what I've had is just not that good. Yesterday, I had pad Thai, a basic Thai staple and the dish was essentially fried noodles and tofu. Instead of the wonderful flavors that are typical with pad Thai, this dish tasted like oily noodles. I'm sorry, but the dish was just fried noodles and no flavor other than oil. Bleh!
Read moreGuest
malcolmsfross
Points +67
down town Boston - Edit
My Thai is strictly vegan....decor pretty pitiful but the food is good...portions are more than ample...dont order soup, starter and main!!!!!
Read moreIts good food at a reasonable price and there is not much else for vegans in the downtown area.
Pros: strict vegan, very wide variety menu
Cons: decor is not very appealing, no alcohol
Guest
vegan_ryan
Points +3869
SO Good - Edit
Go here. It's amazing.
Read moreThere's nothing else that needs to be said about this great restaurant.
Pros: All vegan, Friendly
Guest
KL Pettifer
Points +11
Wonderful vegetarian food - Edit
Yesterday evening I tried this small upstairs restaurant. Do not be dissuaded by the appearance of the entrance stairway which is much in need of repair. On arrival I ate a fabulous vegetarian meal. It was a mixture of perfectly cooked green vegetables with chunks of fresh coconut mixed with tofu in the form of shrimp and chicken (completely vegan) served with fried fresh basil and served in a half a coconut shell (jasmine rice on the side). It was absolutely delicious!
Read morePros: vegetable not overcooked and fresh, delicious tofu; wonderful staff, unique presentation and great price
Cons: stairway into restaurant not nice
KL Pettifer
Unfortunately I returned to the same restaurant, ordered the same meal and received some very nice vegetables with great tofu but with absolutely no coconut! When I told the server how disappointed I was and how only 2 months previous I had enjoyed so much the delicious chunks of coconut, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed. Too bad....
Read moreGuest
Phizzi
Points +92
Quirky, but great food - Edit
Okay, so I love this place...
Read moreHaving said that, I would be unlikely to take a friend from out of town here. I've had hilariously terrible service (courses coming out in random order, or all at once, so that we had no room, plated not cleared, when clearly done, etc.) and the location is up a sketchy stair case that looks like you are about to conduct a drug raid (the restaurant itself, though, is actually pleasant: spacious, surround by plants, and with a nice second floor view of a newly renovated block of downtown). The bathrooms have enough room but aren't going to win any design awards...
If you're waiting for the "but" it's a big one. The food here is some of the best I've had anywhere ever (including in my many years as a non-vegan). Sure, with over 100 truly distinct menu items, it's quite possible to get something "just good" or "not to my taste" but overall I've had consistently amazing food here, for a price that anyone who actually lives in Boston knows to be ridiculously low for the volume and quality of the product. Also, the last several times I've been, the service has been good.
Pros: Food Quality and Quantity, Price, Variety
Cons: Sketchy entrance, Occasionally unpredictable service, Seriously, entrance stairs creep me out
Guest
LaurenC
Points +316
My favorite spot in Boston - Edit
I would rather eat here than almost anywhere in the country. Everything is fresh and delicious. The portions are huge. You can take omni friends or your parents here, and they'll be amazed at the quality of the food.
Read moreI especially love the pad see yew noodles, coconut curries, wonton soup, and the tom yum tofu soup. Everything is great, though.
Everything is 100% vegan, including delicious bubble tea and desserts.
Prices are very fair. Try to get there for lunch, where you can get an entree, soup, and appetizer for under $10.
Pros: Amazing, fresh food, Good prices, Everything is vegan
Cons: Parking can be difficult in Chinatown
Guest
HappyGardener123
Points +154
delish! - Edit
What a great find! I'm vegan and also have celiac and they were super accommodating. The only fake meat that is not gf is the chicken and any sauce can be adjusted so lots of options! I had the spring rolls with tofu and the lemongrass tofu as an entree (extra spicy). My husband had the wonton soup and "beef" & broccoli. The bill was under $35 and portions were large- way more food than two people needed :) Service was quick and friendly and staff were knowledgable when I mentioned celiac. We shall return!
Read morePros: cost , flavor, ability to safely accommodate other allergies
Guest
MelissaGately1
Points +31
Yum and Fast - Edit
Yummy, fast and fairly priced!
Read moreGuest
DarcySpoonYln
Points +38
Great Vegan Selection - Edit
My Thai has a great Asian vegan food selection. So anything you will eat will have mock chicken, beef, fish. Great value for money and good location. Friendly atmosphere.
Read moreRecommended
Guest
Blam
Points +38
A Treasure in Chinatown - Edit
What a tasty delight My Thai Vegan Cafe is! We've eaten from the smaller lunch menu when pressed for time, and then returned for scrumptious vegan duck and vegan fish lunches. They offer about 150 different menu items: from appetizers to house specials, vegan seafood platters and vegan beef and pork options. And, of course, they offer plenty of noodle dishes, too. The pricing is quite inexpensive for the amount of food served. The service is very friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere is airy and light in an historic building. It is on the second floor around the corner of Washington St, a block from Boylston, so look up when searching for it. The charm of the location is a nurturing oasis amidst the bustle of Chinatown.
Read morePros: great food preparation and variety, super friendly service, clean and quiet in center of busy city
Cons: needs better signage from street view
Guest
LearJet1
Points +37
A good place to eat a vegan meal - Edit
Located in Chinatown. My Thai Vegan Cafe is a good option for some different. The carrot cake is to die for.
Read morePros: Menu , Food is good
Cons: Entrance marking not great.
Guest
TumeriaVLanglois
Points +28
One of my Favorites - Edit
Love My Thai Cafe. We don't get there too often as it is in China Town, Boston but if we are in the area we make sure to go. Many mock meat dishes so both vegans and omnivores can enjoy the food. They have wonderful deserts and bubble teas. I personally recommend the veggie duck.
Read morePros: awesome food, good portion size, wonderful deserts!
Cons: service can be slow at times, On the top floor, lots of stairs
Guest
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