My husband and I used to visit Zhu every few months for over 2 years. However, the last 3 times the service has been awful. The waiter doesn't pay attention to you at all, food is late and one guy even rolled his eyes at me. He's lucky I didn't slap him. Today they ran out of cups. I'm done! read more

East coast Asian food is universally lame, so when I say Zhu is adequate, I mean it's well above the local average. The food is consistent and competently prepared. Unfortunately, they seem more interested in serving meat substitutes (various textures of bean product) rather than quantities of exotic produce. A trip to Hmart or Super 88 will prove that availability is not the issue. read more

Bummer, I was so excited to find another vegan restaurant in the area! Sadly, the food was kinda meh and not special :-( We tried the autumn rolls, which I liked. I've never had something similar before (just the usual summer and spring rolls). The only weird thing was that they were served with a spicy red sauce that looked like straight-up sriracha... boring. I tried the pad thai and my boyfriend had the orange seitan. Both of the dishes were incredibly sweet, so much so that I couldn't finish my plate. The sugary sauces drowned out any flavor from the remaining ingredients :-( if I wanted to have dessert, I would have just ordered the cake. I want to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt and go again and try different dishes but to be honest, there are better vegan restaurants around so I'll probably not go out of my way to come back. Three stars anyways, though, for adding another vegan restaurant to the map. Bottom line: I think this is probably a great place for someone who can't cook vegan food themselves or who is on the fence about trying meat free dishes and trying to figure out what they could still eat if they would cut out animal protein. A lot of the dishes were veganized versions of meaty dishes you can find at generic Asian fusion places, so that might appeal to some. read more

Extremely satisfied with my recent order from Zhu. I got the summer rolls, rice pudding, thai iced tea, and korean style stir fry noodles. EVERY dish I got was made gluten free. Though I'm not vegan, I don't eat meat often. The summer rolls were fantastic. Could have had more basil, but I'm a basil fanatic. The rice pudding was a wee bit watery, likely because it was made gluten free. The Thai Iced Tea was wonderful, a bit on the light side, not as heavy as others I've had, likely because it wasn't made with milk. The korean style stir fry noodles were OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. the tofu was SO GOOD. The vegetables were perfect. The noodles were absolute ecstasy. Spices were just right. Definitely got myself a new favorite spot for food that I know won't make me sick and is relatively healthy and affordable. read more

The best vegan Chinese food you will ever eat. Don't even think about passing this up. The food is absolutely amazing and the people are even better. Love these kind people read more

I really, really wanted to love this place, but I don't. It was too hot to eat in the restaurant this afternoon, so wifey and I took our order to go. We started with the autumn rolls. When I took the rolls out of the take away bag I was shocked at how small they were.. two little rolls cut into three tiny bite sized pieces. Cutting the rolls made the fillings fall out -- and I'm not entirely sure we were served the correct rolls. According to the menu description, the rolls were supposed to be filled with enoki mushroom, bamboo shoots, and shredded veggies. What we got were rolls filled with rice noodles and a mere suggestion of cabbage. The sauce on the side tasted like watered down sriracha mixed with sugar. Six small bites of noodle stuffed bean paper cost 7.00. Because it was our first time at Zhu's, we decided to order the basic, infamous Tso's Soy protein. Well, Tso sauce is generally sweet and predictable, but the sauce the medallions came bathed in wasn't like anything I've experienced -- it was similar to the autumn roll dip, except it was three quarters sugar with a squirt of sriracha. The portion was small and studded with the most petite cuts of broccoli imaginable. The medallions themselves were more breading than anything else. The miso soup that came with the meal was weak and garnished by the barest suggestion of tofu and seaweed. 14.00 for a meal my wife couldn't finish due to the extreme sweetness. I don't mind paying for a meal, but the 22.00 I spent was very much out of proportion to the miniature portions of very average food I received, especially considering that Shanghai Village in Arlington center does a pretty good job on vegan food. I'm hoping Zhu's works out the kinks. I'd love to love this place. read more

Came here on a impromptu date night. The restaurant replaced a mediocre Nepalese restaurant so we were hoping for a net uptick. Unfortunately, Zhu didn't deliver. On whole, it is an okay pan-Asian. The miso soup was quite good. Other things we ordered were okay. Favors were decent, but uninspiring. One of the things that I look for in an Asian restaurant is the effective use of spices. Not necessarily to make the food taste spicy hot, but instead to bring joy to the various taste buds in our mouth. With the range of spices available, Asian food is able to provide a wealth of flavored that is hard pressed for other cuisines to match. It is here that Zhu falls the most short. The food was without any real character. read more

Best vegan food I've had in the area!! Loved every dish we ordered. Would highly recommend the cold noodles, sesame tofu, sauteed udon noodles, as well as the hot and sour soup! read more

I stopped into Zhu for lunch today for the first time. Since it was just me I was only able to try one dish, but the orange flavored seitan was delicious. I'm not usually a fan of mock meat dishes, but this one really worked. Served with brown rice it was sweet, spicy, citrusy, crunchy, and pleasantly chewy all at once. The small spring roll that accompanied the lunch special was okay. A bit mushy as far as the filling is concerned, but very fresh and not at all greasy for a deep fried roll. The miso soup was nothing to write home about, but then again I don't like miso soup. I'll definitely be a repeat visitor on the strength of the main dish and look forward to trying their other offerings. read more

Their udon noodles are flavorful with garlic and sauce, and also light. It's nice to eat noodle dishes that aren't swimming in oil. The vegetables were crispy and fresh, and the tofu was perfectly firm. The miso soup was nothing special--a bit watery, but I'll still be back here soon! Overall, a nice find. read more

We had a party of 4 so we sampled a variety of appetizers and 3 main dishes. The appetizers: the spring rolls were good, not great but super tiny for the cost. The summer rolls were delicious as were the autumn rolls. I would have loved a peanut dipping sauce, but there was a sweet vinegar sauce and a dark thick sauce (tamarind perhaps?) that I didn't try. The house salad was adequate, but basically lettuce with a few cucumbers. The sweet potato fries were good, but the serving size was small for the price. The miso soup was just like it should be with small pieces of tofu, mushroom and seaweed in a tasty broth. For the main dishes, the pad Thai was very sweet and I would not order it again. The Malaysian curry stew was delicious. It was more like a stir fry than what I anticipated. The sesame tofu was very tasty over mostly raw veggies. The sauce was more sweet and sour than what I would label gen. Tso. We had a fried chocolate ice cream at the end that was a fun way to end the meal. I would give it a 3.5 but I would go again and try other things. read more

Loved everything about Zhu. What more can you ask for than a gigantic menu of vegan friendly dishes. I think Zhu is most comparable to My Thai (Chinatown) and Grasshopper (Allston/Brighton). We tried numerous dishes on the menu and we're happy with all the dishes we tried, Thai iced tea and dessert. read more

We had a vegan friend over for board games, and at her insistence, we ordered from Zhu because she's trying to be gluten-free too. It was pretty tasty despite our skepticism: the boyfriend and I ordered the Malaysian Curry and General Tso's Soy Protein, based on Yelp reviews for Zhu and for Veggie Fun, their other location in Providence RI. The Malaysian Curry was flavorful and spicy but I wish that the curry was a bit richer. It had shredded soy protein (pretty good resemblance to chicken), carrots, broccoli, and potatoes. The General Tso's sauce was sticky and sweet (though no spice that I could detect), the "meat" pieces were nice and crispy on the outside with a chicken nugget-like texture. On the plus side, neither was greasy or soggy, and the food didn't feel like it sat heavily in our stomachs after dinner. Out of the two, I preferred the General Tso's because I like crunchy textures and the nuggets seemed more filling and satisfying. The Malaysian curry tasted good but I felt like it needed more substance because I ate half the dish (with brown rice) and it didn't feel like I'd eaten much. Overall, it was a pretty good meal but it was expensive for what it was. $14 for curry and $14 for Tso's are a lot! However, vegans have limited options, so I appreciate that this business caters to them and it tastes good. I debated between 3 and 4 stars, and ultimately went with 4 because we decided that we would order from Zhu again even if we didn't have to feed vegans. read more

This is an excellent vegan Chinese restaurant! My favorite dishes are the mushroom miso soup, scallion pancake with mango, black pepper seitan with kale and brown rice. read more

Zhu - Black pepper seitan! - Vegan Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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So good. I got the steamed dumplings, fried spring rolls, and the sesame tofu with miso and rice! It was absolutely delicious and sooo filling. (: read more

Glad there's a new vegan place in town. The restaurant itself looks quite nice, well decorated while still being casual. Those hanging lights might need to be raised up (at least the ones by tables) before someone pokes an eye out, but the whole place looked great. Service was excellent, fast and friendly. Food/Drink: the unsweetened ice tea was top notch. Maybe not a big deal to most people but there's some pretty poor ice tea out there (practically undrinkable despite it being dead simple to make), it's always nice to find a place that does it well. The chicken nuggets were good, a little bland and straightforward, but chalk that up to an unadventurous appetizer choice on my part. A lot of the other dishes coming out looked really incredible, so when I finally got my "Seitan Spare Ribs" I was a bit disappointed. The green beans were great, rib sauce was OK (lots of it at least!), but the ribs themselves were not what I expected - kinda meh, certainly not similar or up to par w/ other vegan spare ribs I've had at other restaurants. Still the dish as a whole was decent and the dining experience was good. Looking forward to trying the various other dishes at this place and seeing what the best stuff is. read more

The food was absolutely outstanding and being able to order anything of the menu knowing its vegan is awesome. We started with the spare ribs which are out of this world and both the pad Thai and curry stew were really delicious. Nice to have a some vegan desserts and service was very good! read more

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You won't miss meat or milk, all the food is delicious at Zhu. Nice interior, I like it a lot. The service is great. Accessible by car or bus. Will come here more often. read more

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I ordered take out pad Thai with extra tofu. The pad Thai was completely dry no sauce at all there were no veggies and hardly some tofu. Wasn't tasty at all. I'd not go again at least for take out. read more

Zhu - Vegan Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Nice small and quiet restaurant. Perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike. Friendly service. Food was very good but shy of excellent. We tried the tempura, spring rolls and eggplant for appetizers. Tempura was the favorite of the three but the batter was a little heavy. The servings were generous except for the 4 small spring rolls. Highly recommend the seitan spare ribs as an entree. A large portion served over green beans -- great for sharing. The fried rice was tasty but a little heavy on sauce and a bit on the the sweet side. Looking forward to going back to try other choices from the extensive menu. read more

Awesome vegan option when you're feeling that Asian craving! Pumped they're here! And big points: they deliver FAST! I recommend the Korean-Style Stir-Fried Clear Noodles, the Autumn Rolls, and the Lemongrass Hot and Sour Soup. :) read more

Zhu is my new favorite Asian restaurant. The soy skewers are so delicious! I also love Zhu's curry samosas, which are the phyllo triangular type. Mint chutney dip goes really well with these samosas. For the main course, I highly recommend the orange-flavored seitan. It's crunchy yet chewy, sweet and savory... simply an outstanding dish. The seitan is served on a bed of broccoli that has been cooked to perfection. Zhu's chocolate soy ice cream makes for a decadent dessert. read more

I have since sadly learned that they have some items with artificial colors and preservatives (eg., sodium benzoate) and am therefore updating my review. read more

We wanted to love this place so badly. Asian! Vegan! Virgin mojitos! Great atmosphere! What's not to love? We kicked it off with mint lemonade for her and virgin mojito for me. Drinks arrived could not tell which was the mojito. Perhaps spoiled by age-dachi tofu at Toraya in Arlington but the "Age-Tofu" here was bland deep fried tofu squares with a dab of soy. Our meals were similarly mediocre. Pad Thai was accompanied weird sweet syrupy "sauce" and my Basil Soy option was better but still afflicted by thicker syrupy sauce, never a good sign. Vegan doesn't have to mean "bland". See, for example, Red Lentil in Watertown and the Bistro in Teele Square in Somerville for excellent vegan fare. We won't be back unless we see some trustworthy supporting Yelp reviews. read more

I was so excited to try this place, but it was the most bland, underwhelming food I have had in recent years. I am floored by the previous 4 star ratings. Friends of the owner? At any rate, the staff is polite and courteous and the interior is clean/tidy. These are all great things, but mean nothing if the food isn't worth purchasing. I was charged $4 for a glass of iced mint lemonade, which tasted like it was made with powdered lemonade mix. I ordered the scallion pancake and an Oder of summer rolls. The scallion pancake was served lukewarm and had *flecks* of something green, but certainly not big pieces of actual scallion like I've had in every other Asian restaurant. You get far more pancake than scallion. I couldn't even finish my summer rolls, which were equally as tasteless. The hoisin dipping sauce was also totally unappetizing. Just a big brown glob of sauce in a little side dish. I feel bad for giving so few stars, but it was truly disappointing and hope they can find a way to make some much needed improvement in dish quality. read more

I've been a few times now and the food is always great. Nothing mind-blowing or spectacular, but consistently tasty vegan food. The decor is lovely and everything is clean. Lunch specials are pretty good but it does sound like you're getting a ton of food and you're not. Still, it's nice to have that option as dinner can be pricey. Their drinks are good, too. It's usually pretty busy and a nice addition to the area. read more

Zhu - General tso's - Vegan Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Just heard today about this place tonight and decided to try it out. It was recently certified kosher, which is great. Service was very prompt and polite. Food was very tasty. Not very expensive either. I'll be back. read more

I LOVE Zhu! We go on a 2 hour road trip to get here. The atmosphere is chill and the food is tasty. I love and would recommend the Hot & Sour soup and the BBQ Seitan. For entrees the Malaysian Curry Stew is light but delicious; I think those who like Thai yellow curry dishes would enjoy it. The General Tso 'Chicken' (soy protein) is SO good; crispy and flavorful sauce. The portions are large, the service has been good every time we've been. I think the prices-to-portions cost is reasonable and the food is consistent. It's awesome that the entire restaurant and menu is Vegan! read more

I've ordered takeout twice from Zhu and have been extremely satisfied. I drive by Zhu on my commute to work and was highly anticipating the opening. The location is very convenient (on Mass Ave in East Arlington) and there's free street parking. Despite being vegan they have a very expansive menu. Many of the entrees are tofu based but they also have a variety of noodle and rice dishes. I've had the Bi-Bim Bap, Kung Pao Eggplant, Autumn Rolls, Ma Po Tofu, and the ride pudding. All have been super flavorful and non-greasy, without MSG or GMOs according to their website. They only lose a star for forgetting my two Thai iced teas in my last takeout order. I called them after the fact and while they weren't able to refund me since I ordered through Foodler, they offered to include them for free in my next takeout order. read more

Wow! Most delicious vegan soy protein salad ever! And I love their virgin mojito! Delish read more

Zhu - Virgin Mojito and a glass of water (4$) - Vegan Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Vegan dreams really do come true! Full of flavor, excellent textures, and speedy service! Family style is perfection because the tables are deep and portions are generous. For a party of 4... 2 main dishes, 2 pad thai, and 3 appetizers read more

Amazing vegan food and wonderfully safe covid set up! The seitan ribs were a particular highlight

A favorite in our family! It is wonderful to have a place where the vegetarians and vegans can eat everything on the menu and the omnivores don't feel deprived. Particularly love the tea noodles and the delicately prepared assorted rolls. Everything is fresh and carefully cooked. Service is excellent even when crowded and the people are very nice. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that sometimes I feel like we've eaten a lot of sugar - some of the dishes are quite sweet - and there's a soy protein they use in some of the dishes (like the General Tso) that's somewhat uninspiring. I'd recommend going with tofu or seitan. (but I am an omnivore ) . Also, because four-and-a-half is not an option. read more

Love this place! Great vegan food. My personal favorite is the macro fun bowl. Good food and options, good drinks, and great dessert. Ambiance is nice not a date spot per day but a good spot. read more

Don't hesitate to try this place, vegan or not. I am not vegan but I try to eat meatless whenever possible! I'm the type that appreciates when something can "pass" as meat but is not actually meat. The protein that they have here might as well be chicken, it's so convincing. Don't hesitate to take someone who is a meat eater here, they surely won't know the difference. So many healthy food options paired with some more traditional "Chinese food" options too. It's a little on the pricey side, but what vegan food isn't. My ONE hold up is that their meals all come with miso soup, and to change it to hot and sour it is a $2 upcharge. Yet on the menu a la carte there is only a $1 difference between the two soups. Zhu if you read this, that $1 really counts! It makes me mad every time I order!! read more

Very tasty food. We often visit for take out, on the rare occasions we get the chance to eat in we've always had attentive, pleasant staff interaction. It can be a bit loud but not overwhelmingly so. Like most restaurant food, it is more salty than I prefer, however, overall I recommend Zhu! read more

Delicious!! Even if you're a meat eater in real life! Lots of veggies and tofu. Very busy, so it's doing well!

I am so impressed with this place. My daughter who is vegan tricked me into coming here. I was starving and could have eaten a cow, instead I had a ton of noodles and veggies and absolutely LOVED it! 10/10 from me! Phenomenal. read more

This place is incredible! I have been craving orange "chicken" for what seems like forever and not only was it on the menu, they knocked it out of the park! It was better than any I have had before including orange chicken I ate before becoming a vegetarian! The portions are generous and you get complimentary miso soup and brown rice as well. I was too stuffed to try the desserts but I definitely will the next time I'm here. The service was also wonderful. I highly recommend coming here! read more

Very delicious food and amazing service! The most striking part is their innovative recipes and unique taste they bring to the dishes. We ordered dumplings (so flavorful!) and sweet potato fries ( hot and crisp) as appetizers. For the main course we ordered Smoked Teriyaki Seitan that had a strong flavor but went well with plain rice. The other dish was Veggie Fun Macro Bowl that was filled with veggies and the mint chutney provided a wonderful fusion taste to chickpeas and seaweed in it. Miso soup was warm and delicious! For dessert, we got the chocolate cake. The main cake was a bit salty but the creamy rich vegan dressing on top complimented it. The gentleman who served was prompt and polite. Overall great food and experience! read more