Goji Cafe (Old Name - New Start Veggie Garden)

Reviews 5

JA

Jaisun Mah

We were very pleased with this restaurant. The food and service were great. Only $7 for the buffet. 이 식당 음식이 맛있는데! For those who would like more details, please read on. I tried this place with my three children while my wife was in Korea. I am not Korean, but enjoy Korean food. Being a vegetarian, I know it is rare to find a vegan or even vegetarian restaurant, not to mention a Korean vegetarian restaurant. However, I was pleased to find such a restaurant in the Dallas area. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by a gentleman, who was very courteous and knowledgeable. He offered to show us the buffet and to explain to us any questions we had about ingredients, pointing out popular favorites. The place was clean, neat and tidy, and had plenty of space. When we arrived just after they opened for dinner, it was very serene. However it remained calm even as the place began to fill up over the next half hour. There was a TV for those who wanted to watch the game (Thanksgiving weekend), but it was not too loud or distracting. Our waiter was very friendly and we mananged to have pleasant conversation regarding some questions I had about Korea. The food was made with care, and attention was paid to each and every ingredient, with the intention of being healthy AND delicious. I agree with the previous review that the pumpkin soup was very good, and I came back for more even after I felt full. There was Bi-Bim-Bab and Jab-Jeh, Korean pancakes, and Kimchi (no fish sauce of course), several other selections, and a variety of desserts. I really enjoyed the cinnamon tea. Some non-vegetarian Koreans may not see the point in going to a restaurant to pay to eat vegetarian food. I think this is because they may be thinking that this place only serves Ban-Chan, which are the little side dishes that come along "free" with the purchase of a main entry (typicaly containing meat) at most Korean restaurants. Since most of these side dishes are vegetarian, they may make the connection that this vegetarian restaurant only serves Ban-Chan. Of course this was not my experience at New Start Veggie Garden. Although there is no meat, there was plenty of variety, beyond the the simple side dish level. There was even a meat-like dish made to look and taste like Chicken for people looking for that. Perhaps some will be turned off because the restaurant DOES NOT charge exorbitant prices (like a lot of vegetarian fare which caters to a higher-priced niche market), and thus they reason that it must not be that good. In fact, the food tastes very "good", and is also good in the literal sense as far as its healthy ingredients and its conscientious preparation. However, there are no fancy table food-tossing tricks or frilly food carvings, as every thing is very practical and enjoyable without hype. I suspect that the place may actually be vegan, since they do not serve eggs, but those who need to know should call and ask. I asked about why they chose not to serve meat. I found out that the owner has a personal testimony and sincere desire for others to enjoy the possiblity of better health from eating foods wihtout meat. At around only $7 per adult for their buffet, I feel that they have proved this desire is genuine.

---

NE

Neel Shetti

One of our friends said this place was worth a try, so we did. All the food is vegetarian, made with fake meats. We have eaten at numerous places that serve fake meat and had good experiences. This place by far was the worst we have been too... by far. Ambiance: place was empty, but clean. not much in the way of decoration, so this is not a place to take a date. Service: After being seated, waitress brought edamame and pickled spinach so we asked for chopsticks. We thought, oh, how nice. The edamame was fridge cold. No chopsticks given. Ordered orange beef and Kung Pao chicken. Still No chopsticks given. The orange beef arrived first, no chopsticks given. Also no rice given We again asked for chopsticks, waitress said "oh Sorry." and brought us chopsticks. Kung Pao arrived. rice comes with the dishes, but no rice arrived. We asked for rice, waitress said "oh Sorry." and brought us rice. Service was shoddy at best. not deserving of a tip. Food: Orange beef: the protein strips were coated in a thick panko like breading which made them taste overly fried. I know orange tofu/chicken/beef is fried, but this dish was more like fried chicken strips with a little orange sauce, rather than orange beef. Did i mention, there was not nearly enough sauce? Kung Pao chicken: the sauce was watery, and the protein had no taste. We decided not to eat it. and ordered some Curry Dumplings. Curry Dumplings: tasted like they had freezer burn... and looked like it too (the seal of the dumpling was stark white and dried out...) We sent the Curry Dumplings back and asked for the check. They charged us for every dish, even after seeing that we didnt eat the Kung Pao Chicken or dumplings. We asked to talk to the manager and told him about the dumplings, which he then removed from the bill. Alternatives: Try Veggie Garden in Richardson instead (510 W Arapaho)... Sooooo much better! Ive had the Orange tofu there... it is awesome!

---

AN

Andres Suarez

An absolutely, off-the-beaten-path, unpretentious, magnificent vegetarian hole in the wall. What they dont have in décor they more than make up in culinary subtleties and nuances. Someone in the kitchen KNOWS their stuff. Get the boiled dumplings, curried rices and noodles or the braised eggplant. The pumpkin soup is a must-have. A word of caution for veggie traditionalists: this is an Oriental- (mainly Korean)-infused restaurant. UPDATE: the review above is for dinner, which is a-la-carte. The buffet lunch is completely mundane. Youll find your regular buffet fare, with lots of meat substitutes and stir-fry stuff. BOTTOM LINE: if youre looking to have a nice and quite inexpensive dinner, by all means go there. The lunch buffet, on the other hand, is definitely not worth the trip.

---

MA

Marjorie P

Dont visit this place based on past reviews- it recently changed ownership and the only thing thats the same about the place is the name. They basically gutted the menu and took away most of the awesome dishes and sides the old place was known for. I am especially missing the wonton soup and spicy pork. The new dishes hardly have any "meat" or flavor to them. They are 75% unsalted rice or noodle. Apparently all the new owners care about is their profit margin rather than flavor or quality. The food isnt terrible, but longtime fans of this place will probably find themselves very disappointed like I did. This was once my favorite restaurant in the DFW. We used to go way out of our way to come here, but I wont go out of my way again.

---

KE

Kendra D

This was not the first vegan place I had been to, but the best. This buffet has everything you want for a meal. I started coming here about a year ago, and have not stopped since that first visit. The salads here are amazing! The wraps are excellent. The best feeling is walking away not feeling guilty, like you would at a traditional restaurant (or uncomfortably stuffed, either). And Im not feeling hungry 2 hours later, either! Everything here is very clean, very well-prepared (in small batches), and exceptionally delicious. In fact, Im going there tomorrow. Just wanted to share my experience on Google.

---

---