Chuang Yi Bentos — Restaurant in University City

HAPPY AAPI MONTH!

Wow, I return to the country and STL has a new veg spot that just opened this week! They are labeled as vegetarian, so I had to call them to inquire if they had any vegan dishes. The lady was very nice and informed me that as of right now, everything is vegan. Due to previous snafus with vegan restaurants serving things made with non-vegan ingredients, I kindly grilled her a little bit more. She assured me that everything is vegan here, for now. However, they are still in their soft opening, and she says the menu will change and may include vegetarian options. (Look forward to some ramen in the future.)

The menu has a nice variety and everything is extremely affordable a la carte. You can also get bento boxes in small, medium, or large. As a foodie at a brand new restaurant, it was my sworn duty to try as many menu items as I possibly could… Ya know, for research purposes.

Family Bento Box - Comes with 2 large sides, 3 entrees, 4 spring rolls, and a large box of white rice for $34.99. You pick your sides and entrees from a preset list of choices.

My two sides of choice: STIR FRIED CABBAGE - I honestly didn’t love the cabbage. I’d prefer it a tad more seasoned and stir fried. It wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t order it again.

SOY BASIL - I love basil, so this was quite tasty to me. They were out of their lo mein, but I’d definitely order this again and couple it with their fried rice or lo mein.

My three chosen entrees: FIVE SPICED DRIED TOFU - firm, not soft, tofu cubes that are seasoned by the hands of Father Flavor. 10/10 will order again

ORANGE SOYA DELIGHT - reminded me of a beef and broccoli with a tangy orange twist. Not bad.

SEA-Y FILET & CRISPY SUJI FILET - each of these can be order separately, a la carte. I love that you get a taste of each in this family bento box. One is a fish alternative, the other is a chicken alternative. I really like them both (very good flavors), but the Crispy Suji Filet was my favorite. 10/10 would order again.

Additionally I ordered…

CY BRAISED DOU BAO ROLL - delicious. Would order again.

MA PO TOFU - I don’t like soft tofu, but the sauce alone makes this dish worth it.

TLC FRIED RICE - a tasty turmeric fried rice that I used instead of the white rice. I don’t like mushrooms so I just picked out the few lions mane shrooms that came in it. Would order again.

FRIED DUMPLINGS - veggie-filled pan fried dumpling. They were good, as were the spring rolls.

It’s a nice sized eatery; very open and spacious. They’re doing carry out only right now, but they do have tables in case you need to eat right away.

Everyone was so nice and patient with my line of questioning. I look forward to seeing what they do with the menu.

One parting suggestion would be to label the vegan and gluten free items on the menu to...

Amazing vegetarian restaurant, everything cooked from scratch! The closest commercial experience to eating in a Buddhist Temple that I've experienced state side. The noodles are light, bento box very filling, wontons perfect. Everything is scratch made and when they use impossible it's in small increments so you get a lot of Asian vegetables and tofu to complement. The old couple that runs it are so adorable, like eating with your grandparents. Super clean, service...

I live nearby, drive by CY Bentos frequently, and wanted to give their food a try. The atmosphere and customer service was great and friendly. I ordered the fried rice bento with the crispy suji filet. We also had some of the pickled cabbage. Everything was delicious and reasonably priced, so I know I'll be back for more. There were enough options that even though I do eat meat, I wanted to try several things on the menu. My vegetarian wife approved and enjoyed her...