Cuisine:

• Vegetarian
• Japanese
• Sushi bar

Cha Ya Description:
This modest, brightly lit and tiny (20 seats, ten of which are at a sushi counter) restaurant in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto culls a health-conscious, fashionable crowd for its exclusively vegan soups, salads, sushi, noodles, tempura and other dressed-up Japanese fare. Students from the nearby university and locals (particularly dating couples) fawn over the delicate flavors present in dishes such as the house miso soup, curry udon, and elaborately composed vegetable dishes---and not so delicate, as with the large, battered and deep-fried Cha-Ya sushi roll stuffed with yam, asparagus and carrots, served with a sweet sauce. Though crafted solely from vegan ingredients, attractive sushi rolls here are flavorful and satisfying, though vegan nigiri and other dishes can seem a little precious for the high price, and some portion sizes are almost laughable for the cost. Look to the daily specials for a budget experience, and don't mind the service, which, though generally efficient, can be brusque and dismissive.


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