The Dragon Room — Restaurant in Columbia

Last time I ordered an -actual- enjoyable meal from them, was the winter and summer of 2024. Recommending this place to friends and even strangers.

My last good meal was in May, but starting September, I’ve been disappointed three times in a row. Not sure if it’s new management, chef, or a loss of spark and love.

My go-to dishes: vegan ramen with kimchi and mushrooms, and vegan BBQ mushrooms.

First order: the ramen lacked its usual "zing." It wasn’t awful, but it didn’t have that special touch.

Second order: Ramen was basically just broth with a few collard greens. I was confused, to which the manager explained that they had removed the mushrooms and kimchi from the ramen due to customer complaints about the taste. She was kind and accommodating and added them for me. Though to charge the same price for ramen with fewer ingredients is beyond me. Paying extra to add them, doesn’t feel worth it. The broth was delicious but less than usual and leaving me to eat a huge amount of cold noodles.

Most recent order: BBQ mushrooms were way too spicy, overpowering the flavor. They used to taste like a delicious vegan kebab! but now it’s just too much heat.

Miso soup was a disaster I did not receive a single, a single! Scallion or tofu piece. Even though its advertised. It was too salty, and tasted like I was eating the bottom of the cup, or like a bouillon cube.

Final Thoughts: I understand that tastes vary, but it feels like this restaurant may be adjusting its dishes to cater more to the American palate, which often leans toward overly sweet or salty flavors. It’s like how many ice creams here are so sugary that they lose their depth of flavor. People are often accustomed to these artificial tastes, so it’s easy for them to forget what real, authentic food should taste like.

What I loved about this place was its ability to offer savory, balanced flavors that were truly satisfying. Now, with these changes, it feels like they're catering to those who prefer this overly sweetened or spicy, simplified version of food — and it’s a real disappointment.

Their workers are great, and I love the atmosphere, but ultimately, I come here for the food. I truly hope they rediscover what made this place special and stay true to the authentic flavors that once made it stand out. There’s still so much potential here, and I believe they can get back to what...

Jan. 2026 Updated Review: •Wow!!! I came here in June with my husband on the day of our wedding and we had the most delicious food & memorable experience. Since then we’ve come back 2 times, and last night was by far the best!! We were blown away by the new VEGAN menu, which is a full page long (rare around these parts). We ordered the spring rolls (a must!), tofu bao buns, dragonomiyaki, got dam noodles (the most flavor packed option), and wok rice- everything was 10/10. This menu was thoughtfully crafted & full of layered flavors. The portion sizes have also improved, and if you want a large plate of food I recommend dining-in and ordering the dragonomiyaki; it tastes like BBQ ribs! Our favorite dish was the tofu bao- which was light, fresh, and melted in your mouth! We shared everything and still had a bowl of food left to take home. •The team members are welcoming, and we always love seeing the friendly manager-I don’t know her name but I’ll find out on our next visit (which will be soon!) •The atmosphere is upscale, inviting, & warm, with low lighting. You can sit at the bar for a sociable experience, or get a table indoor/outdoor for more private dining. •I would love to give Dragon Room a full 5 stars when the whole restaurant is vegan! The culinary skills we saw tonight tell me that anything on their main menu can be veganized without noticing a difference 💜☮️

Previous Review, Early 2025: •Service and atmosphere are great, this was my second time going. The items are a bit higher in price and small in quantity, but the quality of food is fresh and tasty. They also have a decent amount of vegan options, which is highly appreciated. My only complaint would be with the tasting platter that I ordered- which had vegan options you could swap out. For the vegan replacement, they swapped shrimp skewers and pork barbecue ribs for ~3 petite sliced potatoes and a scoop of collard greens- aka some of the cheapest vegetables. They have mushroom skewers on their menu, but chose to not swap the menu item with those and/or a more...

When I first ate at the Dragon Room a few month ago, I was excited to try a new restaurant in the Vista. The restaurant was crowded, it took us awhile to get a seat, and I thought the food was just average. One thing I did not understand was why the host was taking so much time going all the way to the back to grab all the plates, utensils, and napkins to set up the tables. This often left the front with no host for long periods of time, which also caused many customers to walk out the door.

My husband and I took our daughter out to eat on a different night and wanted to see if the service and food was better this time. I always try a restaurant a couple times before I determine how the food and service actually is. I understand restaurants have good and bad days, just like everyone.

Again, we waited awhile at the front to be seated. The host was again was walking back and forth grabbing napkins, utensils and cups to set up tables. Then when the host finally came to the front, she said it would be a 30-45 mins before a seat was available. When I asked if we could sit outside where there were 6-7 tables open, she said, “oh yeah, those are open”. Why didn’t she mention that? It made me wonder how many customers walked away because they were not fully informed. Next, our waitress only check on us twice. Third, my food was just okay. Of all things on my dish, the shrimp was the worse! I thought it was just me, but I had my husband, my daughter and another person next to us, try the shrimp. It look good, but taste like it had been soaked is dish soap. I hate wasting food, especially shrimp of all things! I was super disappointed and will not be returning.

Please! If you are reading this, try the PuPu Platter for 4. Please let me know if we got a batch of bad shrimp or if it really does have a...