Garden Fresh Chinese Vegetarian Cuisine

Bodhi Veggie Cuisine

Bodhi Veggie Cuisine is one of the more gourmet Chinese vegetarian restaurants in the SGV. Bodhi has a very extensive menu with lots of pictures to help you decide what looks good. They offer lunch, dinner, and large banquet sets for bigger parties. Lunch specials start at $5.50. All lunch options come with either white or brown rice or pumpkin congee and steamed or fried buns. Bodhi doesn’t use MSG or artificial flavors in their food. The standout dishes are yam with kumquat jam, lotus buns, pineapple fried rice and almond milk pastry dessert. They also have online ordering for pick-up.

Bodhi Veggie Cuisine is located at 3643 Rosemead Boulevard in Rosemead, (626) 569-9888

Fine Garden Vegetarian Restaurant (Photo by Alice C.)

Fine Garden Vegetarian Restaurant

Vegetarians can enjoy dimsum too! Fine Garden is the only all vegetarian dim sum restaurant in the SGV. The shui mai (pork dumpling) is made with soy crab and tastes just like the real thing. The best dishes are the BBQ "pork" buns, lotus leaf with sticky rice, har gow (shrimp dumplings), radish cake, pumpkin and taro hot pot, almond tea pastry dessert, and vegan Tiramisu cake. Best part of Fine Garden? They serve dim sum all day long!

Fine Garden Vegetarian Restaurant is located at 841 West Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel, (626) 282-2282

Bean Sprouts (Photo by Christine D.)

Bean Sprouts

Bean Sprouts is a Taiwanese vegetarian café with a Western twist! Lunch specials start at $6. The rainbow crunch roll is a must-order. It’s filled with carrots, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce and mayo. If you are vegan, be sure to let the staff know so they can use their vegan mayo. The other standouts include pan-fried radish cakes, "beef" noodle soup, pineapple fried rice. Lunch prices end at 2 p.m.

Bean Sprouts is located at 103 East Huntington Drive in Arcadia, (626) 254-8708

Thien Tam (Photo by Sharon H.)

Thien Tam

Thien Tam is a Vietnamese mom-and-pop shop with only a handful of tables. However, their vegan/vegetarian options are full of flavor and worth the wait. Their faux lemongrass chicken is a big crowd pleaser. Other standout dishes include egg rolls, pho, beef noodle soup and Vietnamese ‘crab’ and tomato noodle soup.

FYI: Cash only.