Simple Veggie Cuisine

Really liked simple veggie, but returned yesterday to find it under new ownership, completely different menu, and with a new name «green zenphony»…
Service was friendly, food was tasty, it’s still all vegetarian and certified kosher.

Sadly, the present most gracious owner is selling this business. She’s assured us that the restaurant will remain veggie, but as we all know: anything is possible.

Frankly, the restaurant doesn’t look very appealing from afar; just your typical Chinese food establishment with vegetarian flare. However, give this restaurant a try, really. I brought my vegetarian friends here, and they love it. I love it. The food is just above average, but you will come out of the restaurant satisfied and full. The service and the atmosphere are very welcoming.
I always order General Tso’s Chicken, and it is very satisfying. A friend of mine’s favorite is the hot pot. I brought Simple Veggie’s veggie rolls and radish cake to a get together, and they’re a huge hit.

Soy mock meat galore! If you’re into heavily fried soy doused in mystery sauce, this is your place. The wonton soup had a weird sour taste — like something going bad and the dumplings were not very flavorful.
I tried the Peking Duck which was alright and the fried dumplings were passable. The Singapore noodles were heavily black peppered and greasy, while the curry came with tofu instead of the potatoes.
Nothing stood out as far as food worth it to travel for, or to repeat. Overall, regardless of the vegan aspect, the food just does not taste or feel healthy, something that is really missing in Queens.

I pass this place everyday with my boyfriend – and we never gave it a try bc he hates everything vegetarian. But we tried it today and he thought it wasn’t too bad and was satisfied. I liked it. I regret not trying it earlier.
I’m glad there’s vegetarian/​vegan options for Asian cuisine in this neighborhood. This restaurant is definitely on to something.

I’m so glad I gave this place a try. The service was good and so was the food. I would defiantly go again. My husband and I ordered bento boxes. I think they were about $ 11 and you get a lot for your money. A salad and soup, an entrée, 2 dumplings, spring roll, fruit and another side mine came with edame. They have a lot of options.

This is my first review in Unilocal… I am not used to write complain online but I decide to share some terrible DISCRIMINATION experience happened to my parents at this place.
My parents had lunch at this place today (we used to love this place a lot) and experienced DISCRIMINATION because they called the waitress «服务员» (we use this Chinese word in mainland China and old people think it is a very polite way to call the waiter). It may not be the best word to use here, but one of the waitress talked with others in front of my parents and said «OH, THEY CALLED US ‘服务员’, THEY ARE VERY IMPOLITE! THEY MUST COME FROM THE MAINLAND CHINA!»
I am very angry and very surprised when I heard about what she said and what she did as a waitress… I called them back and wanted to talk to their manager to make a complain, but the first waitress who answered the phone (I am not sure whether she is the same one or not) said she has no idea when their manager will be in the restaurant and refused to provide any information about how to contact with their manager. I spoke to another waitress and she was very polite and listened my complain…
I am very disappointed and would not recommend to other people again… it seems they are not welcome the custom who is from mainland China…

Not into soy and they ran out of most of the seitan choices. The food was tasty and the staff was super cool

I love this restaurant. They are the only vegan friendly place in the Rego Park area and their food is excellent.
I usually get the vegan beef and broccoli and cedar pancakes. They are both really great.
Their delivery is also really fast and the delivery guy is nice.
This is probably my favorite restaurant in the area, although as a vegan my options are pretty limited as far as delivery food goes.

In my opinion this is an undiscovered Jewel!
The food is very good, the service friendly & prices very reasonable
The wide variety of selections is must appealing to me as most vegetarian places I ben to at best have very boring dishes that is not the case here.
Now if I could only get my wife to go for it I would not have to eat alone
Michael

I was excited to try vegan Chinese food in the U.S. after a really good experience recently in Beijing. I was not disappointed!
I’m really grateful that my vegan friend came to stay with me for a few days, because it challenged me to cook and find restaurants nearby that catered to her diet! This place is right on Queens Boulevard past the mall, and was a short walk from my apartment. Easy access, check.
The menu was expansive and covered a variety of dishes ranging from dim sum to veggie meat to delicious vegetable dishes. Diverse choices, check.
We ordered the house special veggie chicken, the Singapore fried noodles, and the Shu Mai. Honestly, I was completely blown away by the «chicken» and noodles, but the shu mai left me wanting more. Usually shu mai have sticky rice and some kind of meat. I was expecting some veggie meat in it or some kind of substitute, but it only had sticky rice and some carrots and peas on top. Still tasty, but I probably won’t order it again.
The chicken was mouthwateringly good. I loved the sticky rice underneath, it was a pleasant surprise! The texture of the chicken was different from what I had in China, but even impressed my carnivore boyfriend. The noodles were AMAZING and the egg substitute was light and fluffy and full of flavor.
I can’t wait to return and try out other dishes!

I’m a Carnivore! My wife is Vegan. We’ve been here twice for lunch & the food is great! I usually have a strong meat craving after a veggie meal but not here. Sweet & sour. chicken (really tofu) is awesome. Lunch specials are $ 7.95 & Bento box lunch is $ 8.95.
rest of menu isn’t pricy so I’m not sure why Unilocal shows $$?
If you like straight up vegan without concern for the accidental meat in your meal, this definitely fits the criteria.
Enjoy! I’m sure you will.

Meat eating was never this fun for a Vegan like me! I could order grilled fish or beef steaks from the menu without even blinking. Yes, they have finally bought the concept of mock meats to Rego Park and that too in a big way. The menu is huge with a large variety of options to choose from and everything is just yummy. We sampled steamed dumplings, mango curry and sauteed Soba noodle. And I have to admit that everything was interesting, well presented and tasty. I can’t t wait to eat their food again!

Recently ordered delivery from this place and it was great!
The guy who took my order over the phone was very polite and thorough.
I got the vegetable steamed dumplings, the tri-​color wrap, and edamame. All were super fresh and delicious. The sauce that came with both the dumplings and the wrap were also delicious. So happy I discovered this place! Will definitely order from simple veggie again. I would also love to go there to eat. yummy stuff

What everyone has said about the warm and welcoming service here is spot on. As soon as we walked in, our server was tripping over herself to greet us. I mean that quite literally — she tripped over a chair leg in her hurry to bring us to a table. The restaurant is quiet and dimly lit, providing what feels like a nearly impossibly quiet haven in a very busy part of Rego Park. Some of that was by owner’s design — there was quiet music playing the whole time and the double entrance helps to block a lot of the noise from Queens Boulevard traffic. But most of the quietude was from the circumstantial lack of customers; my date and I were here on what should have been a busy Saturday night, but the tables around us stayed eerily empty.
We started with the Roti Paratha, which turned out to be a tasty but bastardized version of the more familiar roti canai. It’s still the pancake with curry sauce, but instead of the airy, crispy flatbreads that I’m accustomed to, it was exactly one flatbread cut into four pieces, each of which was dense and on the oily side. For $ 3 and change, this felt like a bit of a rip off, but price notwithstanding, it was a flavorful way to start the meal. In fact, I enjoyed the curry sauce so much that I saved the bit that that was left over to spoon over my rice later. For our entrees, we ordered the lettuce wraps and General Tso’s tofu, which arrived at the table in decent time. We wanted to order one new dish and one that felt familiar, and the tofu was certainly a plate that reminded us of our usual Chinese takeout joint. The tofu pieces were perfectly fried to a pleasant crisp and coated with a sauce that felt more sweet and sour than spicy to me (as hinted at by its red lettering on the menu). Served with rice and broccoli, it was more than decent. The real surprising star of the show, though, were the lettuce wraps that my fiancé ordered. The menu describes it was «jicama, carrot, celery, veggie meat, rice noodle, pine nut, mushroom with vegan seafood sauce and lettuce», none of which makes my stomach gurgle with excited delight, but you’d be surprised. It comes served on an enormous platter, with six fresh lettuce cups filled with the most delectable mix of savory veggie meats and mushrooms and finely chopped vegetables for textural crunch. At the end of the bite, the pine nuts came in with a lovely aftertaste that kept me coming back for more. It’s not something I would usually order on a menu because it just sounds too healthy (and ordering something that sounds super healthy at an already vegetarian/​vegan restaurant always makes me wary, like I’ll get something closer to rabbit food), but this was scrumptious.
Our bill at the end of the night was just a little more than $ 30, which was decent but certainly not the greatest deal. While the prices for some of the items a little high (rendering it a good place for occasional, not regular, dinners), the lunch specials and bento boxes that I glanced at look like a great deal, with most of them hovering around $ 8. This is a restaurant that does Chinese vegetarian food proud and I’d be more than willing to return for another meal, with vegans and non-​vegans alike.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in my neck of the woods, as restaurants like these are hard to come by in Rego Park.
I’ve always had great service at this restaurant. It’s usually not packed whenever I come by so I get the benefit of dining in a quiet atmosphere and enjoy my meal.
The main dishes I’ve tried thus far are very good, and does not by any means sacrifice taste just because it’s vegetarian. I enjoyed the bento box, which includes an assorted sample of veggie appetizers with wonton soup. Their version of the shrimp tempura is something I would take a pass on, it reminded me more of meat rather than shrimp.
Overall this is a great option for lunch or dinner, possibly healthy too, just be mindful when dining late nights since they close at 10:00 pm throughout the week.

I’m not a vegetarian, and my boyfriend went from «vegetarian food could never satisfy me» to «When can we order from this place again?» after a few bites! It’s some of the best vegetarian food I’ve ever had. The wonton soup is the best I’ve had in a good long while (and that’s including non-​vegetarian wonton soups).
We love the basil fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, spare ribs and vegetable dumplings as well. Delicious!!! Great for meat-​eaters and vegetarians alike!

This is my weekly stop for a fabulous, healthy meal in Rego Park. The have loads of standard Chinese and some Korean fare bud made without meat, eggs, dairy or other animal products. You will not tell the difference. The «meat type» dishes are great for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores alike.

I’ve come here several times now, and the food and service are always consistently fantastic! To all vegans and vegetarians in the area, I highly recommend you go try this place out! Even meat-​lovers should dine here to see just how delicious well-​cooked vegetarian food can taste. I tried a few new dishes last time I was here: The pumpkin soup, a sauteed tofu/​veggies dish, and their soy-​based pecan ice cream. The pumpkin soup is to die for! I’ve had pumpkin soup before and never been a huge fan cause it’s always either too thick, too bland, or too sweet. This one was light, savory, and seasoned to perfection! Absolutely delish! The sauteed tofu/​veggies dish (which I can’t remember the name of), like all their simple vegetable dishes, was fresh, well-​seasoned, simple but scrumptious. I highly recommend asking for recommendations from the staff for true, simple vegetarian dishes (no fake meats or extra additives to try and play to a carnivorous palate). You’ll be astounded by how good pure vegetable dishes can taste. Finally, the soy-​based ice cream is a must have! It’s not made in-​house but rather, ordered from a kosher ice cream company. Still, it’s the best vegan ice cream I’ve ever had. Hell, it’s one of the best ice creams I’ve had, period. I couldn’t even tell that there was no milk.
I can’t stop emphasizing just how great the service is either. The staff are always super courteous, friendly, and attentive. In the tradition of Buddhists, the waiters and waitresses are soft-​spoken and extremely well-​mannered. There is a general atmosphere of zen, which is rare at Chinese restaurants (I’m speaking from my experiences in Flushing and from growing up in a Chinese household — we’re talkative, boisterous people, haha). The manager of the place is super friendly and helps out with the service. Everyone in the staff seems to cooperate swimmingly with each other and work together like the ideal family. This camaraderie extends to the customers, making for a simply wonderful experience every time.
Food: ⁵⁄₅ — Fresh, high-​quality, and well-​prepared
Service: ⁵⁄₅ — Wonderful!
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅ — Nice, cozy, clean interior
Overall: ⁴⁄₅ — Fantastic!
(Note: I give this place 4 stars not because it doesn’t merit 5 stars but because I only give 5 stars to a select few. I need to fall head over heels in love with a place and crave its food nearly every day to give it 5 stars, but by Unilocal standards, this place should definitely get 5 stars!)

Very nice atmosphere and friendly service. Food has always been fresh and prepared just right. Highly recommend trying this place.