This hole in the wall is amazing. Cheap prices and delicious food, especially for vegetarians who frequently struggle with meat-oriented menus. I love this place and will definitely be returning. Not much else needs to be said. Try any of the tofu dishes and you’ll be very happy.
Jay S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Jamaica, NY
Unexpected good food! I don’t usually do vegan but when I do… I will ALWAYS go to lucky vegetarian for food!
Lucy L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Wodzisław Śląski, Poland
Tasty! Just stop by and try)) it’s good restaurant not only for vegans or vegetarians ! Very good option for a dinner in Brooklyn.
Sharon C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
Lucky Vegetarian’s street entrance is at the bottom of a steep stairway with narrow steps. There’s no handicapped alternative. My elderly parents love the restaurant and it’s hard for them. The Buddhist temple above doesn’t mind us using their stairs, and they close at 6:00. In the windowless basement there’s a bright decorative panel that adds light kinda like a window would. The tables are large, for groups of 8, so if you’re a couple you may need to share with another couple. Not a problem. Similarly, portions are generous and the soups come in large bowls for 6. So far, when I’ve been there, my party has been the only non-Asians, and I’m glad the staff are as welcoming and friendly to us as to everyone else. English is difficult for many of the staff but they try patiently to help us understand everything. Beyond the name of the dishes in English, there are no descriptions of dishes on the menu. It’s helpful that some items are pictured on the TV. There’s limited phone internet access in the basement but there’s free wifi so we can see the many more pictures of the food on Unilocal. I find that eating at Lucky Vegetarian is somewhat like foreign travel… I might not get exactly what I think I’ve ordered, but I’m adventurous. Well, adventurous because everything is delicious, and VEGAN. Dishes on my recommendation list, so far: tofu bamboo shoot soup, crispy duck, shrimp dumplings, edamame watercress crystal dumplings, Buddha’s delight taro bowl, twice-cooked pork, orange beef, bbq spare ribs. The prices in general are very affordable, and there’s a loyalty card too. After 9 lunch combo platters, which are only $ 6.50 including soup, you get the 10th one free.
Dara W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
The Veggie General Tso’s «Chicken» is DELICIOUS.
Colleen L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
It’s so good. We ordered tons of food and it was all very good(honestly I can’t remember what it was anymore. It was more than a month ago. That doesn’t mean it was unremarkable, I just remember saying, oh my god, this is so good every time another dish was brought to our table. I remember now. The orange chicken. Man, so good and I’ve ordered veg orange chicken from a bunch of places. This was the best. I don’t remember the rest of it.). This is one of those places where if someone eats your leftovers out of the refrigerator, you don’t talk to them for days. Oh and there’s a cute little Chinese variety store across the street you should check out on your way home.
NM S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
From a dedicated carnivore who enjoys his vegetarian moments: this place is amazing. They go beyond your average vegetarian Asian — the textures and flavors and freshness of everything I’ve tried is fantastic. The menu mentions meat — it’s all vegetarian, and you really can’t go wrong here. That being said: don’t miss the crispy duck. And the hot & sour angel hair — spicy szechuan goodness with baby bok choy & soybeans. And the watercress edamame dumplings. Or the«sirloin» turnip stew. Did I mention you can’t go wrong here? Added bonus: really nice service.
Rae E.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Long Beach, CA
The food is very favorable but the chicken in the broccoli and chicken dish was very tough. Was only able to eat the broccoli. The orange chicken was good. Would only come back for the orange chicken. I told the lady about how tough the chicken was and she just said they will try to make it better next time. Didn’t offer to make it better so I could finish my dinner. Will not be back here.
Jay J.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
Amazing. Absolutely amazing. The food is extremely tasty. The vegetarian char siew(bbq pork) is the best I’ve had. The jingdu paigu(spare ribs) is out of this world. Décor is nice and zen-like. Place is very clean. Highly recommended!
Lecram M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Staten Island, NY
Fantastic authentic vegetarian Chinese(and some Korean). I’ve come here several times since they opened and I live in Staten Island and this is totally worth the trip. Been hoping for a Brooklyn Chinatown vegetarian spot to open for a while and this place exceeds all expectations! Wonderful menu has lots of unusual traditional dishes to choose from(honestly it might be one of my favorite menus of all time). Do not expect perfect English speaking staff or standard American Chinese menu items, this place is the real deal with a mostly Chinese clientele and located in a basement underneath a Buddhist temple, but don’t let any of that stop you from trying this gem.
ML C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Brooklyn, NY
Decided to order take-out here since I wanted something lite for dinner. The restaurant is in the basement on the corner of the Buddhist Temple. Read some Unilocal reviews and wanted to try the Three Cup Chicken entrée dish. Dish came out fairly quick and comes with a complimentary tofu soup as well. The vegetarian dish was tasty and flavorful, but the quantity was little for the price I had to pay $ 12.95 the portion was smaller than I expected.
Jacob K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Somerville, MA
Underneath a Buddhist temple lies a Mecca for vegetarians wanting to indulge themselves with high quality Chinese food. Many dishes of which you could feed to a carnivore and they would never know the difference. I go there somewhat frequently. Try the general tso’s with chicken, sweet and savory, rich and tender, morsels smothered with impeccable sauce. The general tso’s with beef is also good, the flavor is dead on but the texture is so so with concern to replication. Any chef will inform you It is almost impossible to properly recreate the texture of beef. Delicious none the less. The crispy duck, while clearly not duck, does a miraculous job of making tofu seem like layered filo dough. They told me this was gluten free, I am however slightly skeptical, it is a rare server there whose English is impeccable. There are many other dishes that are amazing but I want to keep this review to less than an essay. End result, you should eat here.
Patrick T.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
This place is a vegetarians paradise! Me and my girlfriend were out and about on 8th Avenue when we spotted this place located underneath what appears to be a Buddhist temple(?). As soon as we walked in, everyone was very welcoming. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. She took us through the menu and made a bunch of recommendations. Everything on the menu looked great and it was good to know everything on the menu was vegetarian friendly! The ambience of the place was very laid back and peaceful. We both got hot & spicy clay pots and it was the perfect thing for a cold winter’s night. It was full of all sorts of veggies, fake meat stuff and a most flavorful broth. You definitely get your money’s worth! We left feeling content and will most certainly come back! I would totally recommend this place to any vegetarian and any carnivores willing to try something different, you won’t be disappointed!
Darshana H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Patchogue, NY
really nice place! Came here on a whim with my boyfriend to warm up from the cold with a nice meal. I’m vegetarian so this place really appealed to me as its frustrating sometimes going to Asian restaurants and not knowing if the broths are meaty or fishy. Everything here is vegetarian so there’s no chance of accidentally ingesting meat/fish. The lady serving us was very kind and informative regarding the menu items and she suggested some delicious entrees. I had the hot & spicy clay pot which was so good and very spicy! The servings are really generous as well. Support small businesses, you won’t be disappointed! Will definitely be coming back to this place.
Na L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Houston, TX
As a vegetarian, this definitely hit the spot! I had the Mapo Tofu, twice cooked pork, and the hot & spicy clay pot. The peanuts were a good appetizer to curb my hunger. i was indeed a lucky vegetarian tonight! ^ adding to Andrew’s intro on this place. The location of the restaurant was a bit difficult to find because it’s one of those basement entrance. But please, find it because it is a gem. The interior felt like a temple and it was extremely therapeutic to be in. The music was faint so it was quiet and I could hear the kitchen scuffling in the back. If you haven’t been to any legit asian restaurants then you would probably complain about the service. Asian people don’t give that kind of grandeur service so leave your western standards outside. We had a lady that was serving us and she wasn’t rude or anything, she just didn’t offer much of an explanation on their food and didn’t speak much English. She could probably only tell you what’s good or popular but as for extended knowledge on their items, you’d probably have to speak Chinese(or have a translator). This place served the best mapo tofu I’ve ever had. This was my first time having it as well!(considering my ethnicity, you’d think I’d already had this before but nope) It was flavorful and the soft tofu was scorching hot, which was perfect because it wouldn’t have been as good as it was if they didn’t make it Chinese-style heat. I honestly couldn’t remember what the other entrees were like because I was too consumed with my experience with the mapo tofu. Sorry! If you’re reluctant on trying vegan/vegetarian food, this is a great place to start that doesn’t overwhelm you with weird vegetarian food. You would come here expecting your favorite Chinese dishes made with a little more love for our furry friends.
Cary R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
Just opened this week… A vegetarian restaurant with a Sichuan chef, featuring delicious Sichuan and Korean dishes. Ma Po tofu is the best. More to come