Buddha’s Delight

I didn’t realize they have fake meats, even though I specifically took my vegetarian friend here when she was in town.
I love this place and used to get the bun. It’s in a weird area and I’m pretty sure we didn’t belong there but once you go in, it is much better. They had a buffet but the less people that touch my food, the better.
Fresh, healthy food at cheap prices can’t be beat. Why did it close???
I took my now husband after raving about it but he actually hated it and considered breaking up with me over it. True story.

when asked for a vegetarian restaurant at the hotel, the concierge suggested we try Buddha’s Delight. sadly for us, it is closed and we walked way out of our way to find it. Lucky for us, My Thai is in its place and it was pretty damn good. I can’t believe there arent more good veg restaurants in this city!

The food here ranges from delicious to disgusting… depending on the day and the item. The shakes are still good, but some of the items that were once great seem to have suffered from the switch.
The service ranges as well. On busy nights, multiple people will come check on you multiple times. If the place is deserted, you can wait 20 minutes for a glass of water…
I loved Buddha’s Delight, but My Thai has so far been generally disappointing. Except for one thing…
THE CAKE. 4 non-​vegans have all confirmed that the carrot cake is the best on the planet. Just be prepared to shell out 6 $ a slice.

Sadly, Buddha’s Delight is now closed. It has been converted into My Thai Café Vegetarian, which also has a location in Brookline. (Actually, the Brookline location was originally Buddha’s Delight also.)
My Thai is pretty good, though their service is atrocious.

When this place was Buddha’s, it was alright. The service was a little slow, but not horrible.
Now that it’s a My Thai I actually cringe coming in here. The service is just abysmal. They have one full-​time waitress, near as I can tell, and I don’t think she actually speaks English. I asked for soy sauce (which they no longer keep on the tables) and she had to go ask another waiter to translate for her. What the heck?
The food isn’t as good, either. I’ve been getting the lo mein with gluten for years now. Now that it’s a My Thai they cut the gluten thinner and serve less of it. The undercook the noodles, too. They also do this weird thing in cheaper Thai places where they throw in cheap root vegetables where they don’t belong. Like Tom Yum Gai. The carrots are just distracting, and mush, and yuck. Why would you do that when the seitan in there is so yummy? Other cheapness abounds like using chili oil rather than fresh chilis, etc.
Only buy the cheapest stuff here, get it to go, and don’t go too often. The manager isn’t a bad lady, but the rest of the staff don’t give a fuck, and that really hurts the atmosphere of a place.
If they’d stop cutting corners on staff and food I’d be more likely to go, not less – they’d make more money that way.

I used to like this place. In fact, I used to like this place yesterday. I didn’t mind the sketchy stairway, or the weird antisocial way that they seated you, and although I was sad when they took away the vegan buffet, I made peace with it by trying most of their luncheon specials.
But now I can’t go back. I can’t remember ever having worse service in Boston, even in Chinatown, even in a busy restaurant, even in the middle of lunch rush. I came here with four coworkers (one keeps Kosher so it was kind of a no-​brainer to pick this place) and they sat the five of us at a large table, gave us menus, and water. Ten minutes later, they take our order. They seat another table next to us. And another. And one more. And the first table gets their food. And the second. And the third.
We’re thirty minutes into it, the friendly lunch table conversation is turning into irritated glances at the kitchen. My salad arrives, and I leave it untouched, waiting for the other food to come out. Twenty more minutes pass. Lunch hour has turned into lunch and a half hour. Two more plates arrive. The one that was supposed to come with rice doesn’t come with rice. The one that was supposed to be spicy is bland. We wait. The third table finishes and gets up to leave. One more plate left to get (the lunch special). I start eating. I finish. No plate.
That guy cancels his order. I decide to comp the meal for my friends (because I had organized the expedition and recommended the place) and ask for the check, and to speak to the manager when it comes. «He’s not here today.» I take the lady who runs the place aside and quietly tell her this is the worst service I’ve ever gotten, I’ve been coming here for two years, and if they charge me full price for this meal I’m not coming back. «I’m sorry.»
Fine. Done. Thien Thien just expanded their vegetarian menu, so I’m downsizing my restaurant list.
My advice? If the place is fullish when you come in, find somewhere else. They can barely keep up with service to five tables, let alone a full house. The lunch buffet they used to have addressed this problem, but now that it’s gone, they’re understaffed and undercompetent.

If you love soup, Buddha’s Delight is your place. They make some of the most delicious soups I have ever tasted, and you get a full quart for about six bucks. The curry gluten and tofu vermicelli soup (with coconut milk) is out of this world. There are soft chunks of sweet potato, perfectly fried tofu triangles, wheat gluten slices, and peanuts, all swimming in a wonderfully creamy and flavorful broth. Out of all of their dishes, this is the one where all of the ingredients collide in perfect harmony.
The rest of the soups listed under the «noodle, vermicelli, and rice soup (large bowl))» section are delightful as well. The Nam Vang Two-​Noodle Soup is served in a lighter broth, and quickly become my second favorite; it’s a great choice if you want to skip the thickness of the coconut milk base. The Spicy Tofu, Gluten, and Vegetable Soup, and the Rice Soup (which comes with wonderful little mushrooms, and loads of fresh cilantro) are excellent as well. You can’t go wrong with a choice from this category. But remember, Buddha’s adds extra oil to many of their soups, and I strongly advise telling them (you’ve got to be firm!) to leave it out. The heaviness of the oil and the way it separates from the rest of the soup spoils the texture and taste.
The lunch special menu, though, is just satisfactory in my opinion, and the majority of the dinner menu is remarkably overpriced. The dishes offered for the lunch special are, on the while, quite salty. While it’s a great deal ($ 6.50 for s small cup of sweet and sour soup, a friend spring roll, and an entrée/​rice), few are very memorable. In fact, most tasted similar to one and other… with one major exception. When I worked downtown, I purchased the L12 with some frequency, and found it both terrifically tasty and horribly greasy. It was delicious, but I knew it was terrible for me, which definitely makes it a «sometimes food.» The L21 is a great choice too; the ginger flavor is potent and refreshing. But dear god, substitute the duck for tofu. And never, ever get «scallops» or «shrimp» anything. It’s disgusting.
If you’re going to Buddha’s, you should stick to what they do best: soup and vermicelli bowls. Anything under the «Vermicelli (large bowl)» section (around $ 6) is a great choice. These meals are lighter, healthier on the whole (obviously not the coconut milk), better prepared, and more unique than their standard, uninteresting stir-​fry options. The Wheaten Gluten Spring Roll and BBQ Gluten Slices dish is particularly fantastic.
Buddha’s is a good restaurant – you just have to know what to get.

My boyfriend apparently went to Buddha’s Delight years ago, and we went in search of it a few days ago, walking up and down Beach St. in Chinatown. I must say, when we first got there I thought he was crazy. The place is located on the second floor of the building, and the stairs going up to it are covered in broken linoleum and you feel the intense desire to wash your hands by the time you reach the restaurant. I envisioned a DUMP at the top of the stairs.
The restaurant itself is actually decent. Definitely casual — simple chairs and tables, plastic tumblers of water with 7-​up logos peeling away from them, no music… no frills. But they make up for it with their food. They have a really nice variety of faux meats. We tried «Beef» and Chinese Broccoli and Curry Chicken with veggies. Both were really tasty, and even convincing as fake meats. The prices were right too… I think I’ll definitely be visiting this place more when I move to Boston.

Dont let the creepy stairway freak you out when you first enter the building. Secretly (or not so secretly) it looks like you’re heading up to some sketchy apartment. The journey is worth it. The interior is unlike anything I have seen before. Haha… not sure if thats good or bad, but it totally adds to the charm of the place. I had never had fake meats before but really, they are not that bad! I love their red chicken curry. HUGE portions (rice included) and tons of veggies. You totally get your money’s worth. If you have room after your large fake meat meal… ginger icecream is a good way to end.
I tried their fake scallops recently… I am not sure that fake seafood and I are going to meet each other again. It has an off taste. Stick with Beef, chicken or pork… or just straight up tofu.

This is a great find, and I think may rate as a hidden gem. The meals were large and very tasty and comparatively inexpensive, and definitely unique. Open till 11, this is a great place for a quiet later dinner.
Getting to Buddha’s delight starts with a leap of faith. or more accurately a climb. As you approach it, you’ll see a sign that says «Buddha’s Delight Upstairs» with an arrow pointing up. You open a door that is reminiscent of an an old office building and enter the sketchiest stairwell in Boston. However, once you hit the second floor, its nicely tiled and you walk through a modern down into a clean, airy, nicely lit restaurant. This could be akin to traveling through the impurities of life to approach nirvana… but I really don’t think they were going for metaphors so much as a cheap place to rent.
Of course, Buddha’s not done throwing you curve balls. Despite the entirely Vegan menu, you’ll see listings for «Beef» «Chicken» and «shrimp» options. However, each of the «meats» are fake, and to a small degree, actually tastes a bit like the real thing. DO NOT SKIP ON THE DRINKS. They are under 3 bucks, and come in a wide variety of coconut blends (though the blender was broken) and fruit juice that comes with huge chunks of the fruit (drink while you eating, save the fruit for desert) including Lychee, Mango, Jackfruit and a bunch of other ones.
I would give the place 4 stars for the food, 5 for the unique drinks and great price… but then it looses another for the service. Its not great… but my date’s meal came really quickly… and I was stuck waiting for mine for a while.

Vegetarian + delicious + filling + cheap as hell = Yay!
I love this place. Some say it’s too greasy, I say they just can’t handle it. I mean, it IS Chinese food, so it’s not going to be tossed lightly in EVOO… Things get fried here. Things are in sauces here. That’s what makes it great.
This is a great lunch spot– $ 6.50 gets you one of the 20 or so lunch specials, which range from tofu and veggies to fake beef, chicken, scallops, shrimp, or duck, and all come with a soup of the day (get the sweet and sour!) and a spring roll. How can you beat that?!
It’s a nice 2^nd story view, allowing you to people-​watch to your heart’s content at bustling Chinatown below. And the staff are so nice that I am left wondering why they are all smiling at me so much– is there something in my teeth?
Obviously bring your veggie friends here, but bring your meat-​eating friends here too. They’ll love the taste, and they’ll appreciate still having the option to order «beef.»

Up a perilous set of flourescently lit, chipped linoleum stairs, you may just miss the «delight» part…
Yeah. I did not have a good time here.
Fake meat was scaring me the day I went (it doesn’t always but there’s something about the way they describe it) so I opted for chow mein. It was greasy and gross.
The vermicelli off my friends plates was sort of okay and the avocado shake was really interesting. I’ve never tried that before. But all in all, this place turns me off.
Oh, and there’s no music, which you wouldn’t really notice until it’s gone, but it’s a weird effect. I didn’t like it. The end.

I love their red bean shake, that’s the best thing in the world ever.
I like the food, though I prefer Grasshopper’s approach, which in my opinion seems to rely less on seitan and tofu and more on veggies. While the food at Buddha’s is tasty, it’s not particularly good for you. I do love their ribs plate, which is made out of delicious cardboard as far as I can tell. I have no idea what it’s made out of, but it’s good. But in general, I wish that they were more adventurous with sauces and spices and fresh veggies instead of all the fake meat crap.
I feel like the restaurant is pretty hit or miss. There have been nights where everything from the service to the food has been top notch, and other times where the first person in our party got served their meal about 20 minutes before the last one, something that is sort of inexcusable. However, Beggars cannot be choosers, and there really aren’t too many vegetarian options in the city.
Complaints aside, Buddha’s is totally somewhere I go before hitting a show at the Opera House or a movie at the Lowe’s on the Common,

Okay, I totally love this place. It’s been my go to lunch place lately, and I just love their wheat gluten spring rolls (they’re the fresh kind, not fried). While even as a vegetarian, fake meats kind of weird me out, I do rather adore tofu, so I make stops here when I’m in need of all-​veggie Asian food. They have great soups, too. Yum.
Sure, it’s got a sketchy flight o’ stairs, but whatever. The space is clean if not impressive, and it’s tasty. I can look past some stairs:)

Horrible. Just horrible. Given that this was the only all vegetarian place I could find in Boston proper, I had high hopes and was sorely disappointed. The restaurant looks totally sketch. When you walk up the rickety stairs you’re not even sure if you’re supposed to be there. They serve water in these gross plastic cups from the 80s, and mine definitely had these gross white things floating in them.
The dish I ordered was nothing like what it was described as on the menu. The waitress repeated the # back to me, so I don’t think it was messed up, just improperly described. It was also terrible. Just slimy and gross.
Despite only having two other diners in the restaurant (always a sign of quality on a Friday night, right?) I had to ask multiple times for the waitress to bring me a soda, and she screwed up the checks for the other two tables. Overall, there was nothing pleasant about the experience.
I just feel really bad for any vegans in Boston. Seriously.

We passed by Buddha’s Delight everytime we visit Chinatown, I’ve heard good reviews about the restaurant from both Unilocalers and non Unilocalers and finally one hot summer evening, my boyfriend and i decided to give it a try.
Oh my, this is by far the worst dining experience i’ve had this year! I thought i had stepped into a big and ugly communion dining hall and what was worst — there was no AC! I wonder if they even had a heater for the winter. I had ordered noodles from the Chef’s specialty section thinking that it would be something good but it turned out to be Fried Noodle Singaporean Style! Come on, every chinese eateries serve this dish and is never a chef’s specialty. it is just simply fried noodles with curry flavor.
My boyfriend ordered a typical stir fry vegetable dish. We were eating with our sweats dripping through our backs and maybe to our food as well! Then came the bill, they charged $ 1.25 for a bowl of rice that my boyfriend had. (Not that i care about the money, but the fact that it is an extra charge is sort of annoying). Shouldn’t a bowl of rice come with the veggie dish? Why would we order veggies alone without the rice if it is considered one of the rice plate?
My boyfriend and i agreed that no doubt Phở Pasteur which we love and is located downstairs far better than this ugly place. The food is so much better, cheaper and no charge for rice if you order a rice plate and there is AC and heater for comfort if you visit any seasons.

Apparently this place had changed hands since I was last here. Food is more Southeast Asian (Viet?) than Chinese. NO MORE LUNCH BUFFET.
Not terrible but pretty pedestrian.

if you are not Vegan this place is still good. If you are addicted to meat you may find that 2 – 3 dishes are good, if you are vegan than you are in heaven.
I am addicted to their fresh spring rolls.
This place is über cheap!
I like the one in Brookline a little better but this is still good.

They have amazing fruit/​veggie shakes, with ice and condensed milk. My fav is coconut.
This is a great place to have a casual, delicious, humane, veggie, and cheap meal! It’s upstairs, and kind of hard to spot, but don’t be scared… you have to go up a flight of stairs, past a doorway of a busy kitchen (for another restaurant). Once upstairs, it’s a large place, with windows running alongside the tables.
On the menu is all gluten «meats». If you’ve eaten at the Golden Era in San Francisco, this is similar. Vietnamese Buddhists, run, but sans the Buddhist nuns (are there any in Boston?). ALL VEGGIE. The «meats» are all delicious, shrimp, pork, and beef. I used to eat meat, and still have a good memory, and their interpretation is way better!
I get the chow fun noodle combination, chicken fingers, and coconut shake almost every time.
Service can be at a slower pace then you may be used to, but as long as you got your shake it’s worth the wait. There seems to be only two people working! The very sweet Vietnamese lady taking orders and 1? cook in the back.
Delish and a great place to take your friends when you are a vegetarian and want everyone to be happy.

I’m a vegan who likes his fake meat, and this place has plenty of it. I got the 75 which had shrimp (chewey, but good) pork (kinda bland) tofu (crispy and yummy) and beef (tender and moist). Next time I will get the 74 with beef; probably the best fake beef I’ve had. Also, my friend’s sister (both vegans), got the tofu chicken dumplings as an appetizer and they were awesome. I had a similar dish at Grasshopper and it sucked ass… all doughy and icky. This was crispy and yummy, and not floating in orange corn syrup (always a plus).
Our food came fast and the price was right. Can’t complain. The ambiance definitely leaves something to be desired, but I didn’t mind too much. Some music would have been nice though.
We were there on a Saturday, but the lunch specials look AWESOME and are super cheap so I will be back for some take out. Rock.