Happy Buddha Kitchen 素缘 — Restaurant in Temple City

This is an impressive eatery filled with a variety of delicious eats that will provide your heart with content. My friends and I ordered multiple dishes ranging from chicken to eggplant to even the tater tots and waffle fries. Those tater tots and waffle fries are 10/10 cause it smacks. It’s a hidden appetizer item that beats out even your favorite fast food restaurant. The chicken is so good I could not tell from my first bite that it was a vegetarian alternative.. that’s crazy lol. We also got the green beans but it was devoured on sight because it smelled so good and fresh. I feel like the oil being used here leaves me with a lighter feeling than most restaurants around the area which is a huge plus. I do not feel a food coma as I bounced home. I bought some eggrolls to go with the shrimp and pork and that’s definitely one of the items I would come back and try again. Side note, the environment inside is friendly and the staff are helpful! Well lit and no strange smelling odors. I can’t wait to bring my family back to try these...

This was my first time eating dine-in at Happy Buddha Kitchen (they opened not too long ago + My fam and I usually order to-go). Hand sanitizer at each table and employees all wear masks. All vegetarian menu (some vegan options as well but I’m not sure which menu items).

Highly recommend for even non plant-based friends & fam to try! I heard the owner hired a bunch of old-timers in the restaurant business to work on the menu, and it really shows 🥰. I haven’t tried every item on the menu yet, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how good the ones I have are (tmi: I don’t tend to like eating imitation beef/fish). A lot of the pho restaurants in the area with vegetarian pho also tend to have a slightly sweet broth, and the one at this restaurant isn’t at all.

My favorite so far is the Pho Dac Biet (I didn’t order it this time), especially that combo of the crunchy tofu skin (I think it’s supposed to be crispy chicken skin 😋) and...

My family and I have been trying to eat more of a plant-based diet for health and other reasons. Glad to see this restaurant just opened in Temple City. There aren’t too many great choices for people looking for vegetarian food around the area. We got the two most popular choices: lemongrass chicken and bun bo hue. Both were amazing and full of rich flavors. The bun bo hue honestly tastes better than the meat version of the dish I’ve tried at other restaurants.

I also decided to be a maverick and tried out the fried tofu and fried rice. Anyone who knows me knows that I love the sauces that come with my food. The sauces pretty much make the dish in a lot of cases. For the fried tofu, their sauce was so delicious! It went together with the tofu perfectly. The sauce was pretty light but still really tasty. Fried rice was literally the best I have ever tasted. Not sure how to describe it, but it’s just...