Lucky Creation Vegetarian Restaurant

Very mediocre. The ladies that run the place were very nice and the servers were great. My wife and I came in for lunch on a recent vacation and were very underwhelmed. The food was filling and warmed us up on a rainy, cold day however, had little to no flavor. The best part of the meal was the potstickers. They were excellent. The soup and taro root fish were bland and tasted like nothing. If you are in the area and need something vegan to eat give them a shot, but it is definitely not worth seeking out.

While there are probably better restaurants than Lucky Creation in the Chinatown area, my girlfriend and I were really pleased we decided to get dinner here. The service and food were both above par, and the price was surprisingly cheap for the large plate sizes (the soup could feed 3 people itself). The tea is also delicious!

They let us in right at closing time on New Years Eve. The food was delicious. I had the mixed vegetables in golden nest, which was a mound of broccoli and many types of fungi in a nest of crunchy deep fried potatoes. Also tried the almond «chicken», which came with marcona almonds. Delish! And their brown rice is really good. They use a premium mixed rice and it was cooked perfectly. I was really glad they let us in. Definitely plan to return next time I’m in Chinatown.

I’ve been coming here for decades, but in the past five years not often. They are extremely nice, and all of the food on the menu is vegetarian. This is the first restaurant in San Francisco where I experienced gluten fake meat. Since that time I’ve been making it at home on my own, on occasion. It’s a very delicious, high-​protein substitute for tofu.
Lucky Creation is modest — they have not changed anything discernable in the restaurant in all of those decades. In that, the place is special. Lots of intimate Chinese restaurant urban atmosphere. You can hear everyone’s conversations, and most people are happy to be there. It’s cheery and warm, but not overwhelming.
Their fried noodles in curry with guten puffs are delicious. I don’t find them too greasy, and the saliness is just right. Since San Sun up the street — which specializes in fried noodles — moved, I have missed this delectable decadent multi-​textured dish (not that 848 Washington is so far away).
We also had the dish we came here specifically craving, which I have not found anyplace else in the city — the taro stuffed mushrooms with baby bok choy. you get about 20 of these babies served in a glass pie dish with lots of perfectly cooked baby bok choy in an innocuous sauce which is nevertheless good. The mushrooms and taro are lightly fried and the flavor is sublime. Perfect for a sub–50 °F night in the city when you’re going to be hiking back home over Nob Hill.
We were there very close to closing and after closing on New Years eve. They were very welcoming, letting people in after 9pm. At the end, the staff meal was served. They were spitting out fish bones, so I guess some vegetarians should know that. It’s not a religion there or anything, just the style of food they serve their guests. Fine with me!

This has been my go to vegetarian restaurant in SF since the 90s. Went back here on a recent visit and everything was perfect as usual. The servers/​owners recognized us and asked why it has been so long since we’ve been there. Some menu highlights are the gluten appetizer, the lemon chicken, the lucky creation chow mein, the curry gluten chow mein, the veggie sushi roll, and the taro cakes. The place is super tiny so don’t be surprised if you have to share a table.

In 1989 I used to eat here several times a week… As often as my job would allow me to get over there. I only ever ordered one thing. Their lunch special with five types of gluten and steamed rice in a styrofoam box. I just loved it. I went back a few years later and this dish seemed quite a bit sweeter than I remembered. Maybe my taste had changed. But ever since I have been trying to figure out what the five sauces were and how the dish was made. I used to pick it up and then grab a coconut milk from the corner store and a rice cake from the bakery on grant (I think it was called the 4 winds?) Then go eat in the nearest park I could find. I am delighted this place is still there.

Delicious. Amazing. Won ton dumplings, rice buns, taro rolls, ‘pork’ buns, pudding and daikon cakes, crispy noodles and veggies with sauce. Great price for the glass case items I find personally.
SECRET NOT ON THE MENU: WALNUT SOUP.

This is a hidden Vegetarian gem. Food is delicious, authentic and inexpensive in keeping with its Buddhist owners/​master chef’s belief of spreading compassion and happiness thru artisan vegan cuisine.
This is the real deal — no meat contaminated oils and food is vegan and kosher! It does not serve a lot of factory made «imitation» meats so as not to promote the desire to eat meat or something that looks like it. All their vegetarian proteins (gluten) are house made by the chef’s secret recipe. Seriously the gluten is better here than the big temple dining halls in Hong Kong.
If it weren’t so good it would not have been here for 28 years!
MUst tries are:
Mixed Gluten appetizer
Stuffed Three Treasures
Tofu skin rolls
Wild mushrooms with greens
Pei Pa tofu
Candied walnuts — light and crispy, can’t stop munching them.

The atmosphere was muffled by a loud conversation by the owners.
The food was very tasty and there was so much of it. I couldn’t come close to finishing it all. I had the potstickers and hot and sour soup.
And lastly, the prices were great!

Old school Chinatown feeling. Food is good; wish there was a bigger selection.

We have come to this place for years, always dependable food, nicely seasoned and most of the seitan items are made in house– so not to be found anywhere else. Other vegan Chinese restaurants use processed seitan products from Taiwan.
Best is the noodle baskets, seaweed rice peanut rolls, mixed 4 flavor seitan platter, eggplant in clay pot. Potstikers and more.
Highly recommended if you are a vegan diner looking in Chinatown for enjoyable food.

Yeah I don’t understand the hype over this place. It is a gritty little hole in the wall with just a few tables and absolutely nothing comfortable about the layout. It’s great that the menu has so many vegetarian options but that can’t be the only attribute.
Staff was a little weird– there were so many people o wasn’t sure who was serving us. And several people at adjacent tables talked to us as if they had some authority but they didn’t seem to be working there.
The taro appetizer had no flavor and and unpleasing combo of textures (flaky crust and pasty mush inside). The 2 veg entrees I sampled (soft tofu and broccoli) were both in the same weakly salty watery sauce despite having different descriptions, and were barely warm. And to boot, they charge 50cents for tea, whereas every other Chinese restaurant can somehow manage to provide it free of charge. If you need to eat dinner at 5 pm, I guess this is an option, but keep expectations low so as not to be disappointed

My wife is totally nuts about this place…
but then again she is a vehement Vegetarian.
Somehow, even when we randomly walk around C-​town we often run into it again & again.
The food tastes OK to me, but she loves it… therefore I am happy.
This time, she bought a whole load of Vege Dim Sum that she ate with me, just across the street in the house of Dim Sum (where I had my non-​Vege amazing hot Chic feet fix!).
For some reason, there seemed to be a run on the LCVR’s Vege Dim Sum when we where their & it made it hard to do Unilocal pics… it appeared to some that I was trying to cut into line or something. NO, you can keep your Vege stuff to your selfish selves. The stuff did look fresh & yummy…
but I craved & soon enjoyed the real non-​veg deal across the street… in the house of Dim Sum (so sadly underrated), which was populated by Chinese speaking women from my wife’s hometown & all spoke Taishonese!
Anyway, if you want good Vege Food in SF’s C-​Town, LCVR is where to good.
After all, it is wife approved! :)

As a vegetarian seriously missing her dim sum spot, I try to visit Lucky Creation every time I visit San Francisco. With that said, some dishes are hit or miss. I love their dimsum! You can order to-​go from the counter (immediately to your left when you enter).
Keep in mind this is a hole-​in-​the-​wall type of place, and only accept cash, but the food is so awesome!
My recommendations:
— BBQ Pork Buns
— Gluten combinations (Sweet & Sour Pork is the must!)
— Potstickers
— Lotus Cake
— Dumplings variety
Getting hungry as I write this… Wish this existed in my hometown!

I have been getting consistently wonderful food here for over 20 years every time I visit. Back in San Francisco for a short trip this week and a visit here was a must for me.
Food was great. I ordered the wheat gluten puff combination knowing I would not be able to finish the appetizer if I was ordering something else. But I just needed to taste the different flavors, with the curry and the BBQ my favorites. I was sorry to leave food on the plate.
As my entrée, I ordered my other favorite — the clay pot veggies with curry. The veggies were nice and crisp. The curry sauce is light and well balanced. Portion was large enough for two.
Year after year, the food is consistent. Will be back again next time I am in SFS

My classic favorite vegetarian spot!
I love their bean curd combo that mimics (or tries to) bbq pork sauce, curry, sweet and sour sauce and bean paste sauce! It’s great for an opening appetizer and they have it readily made if you want to pack it to go!
A signature dish at this vegetarian shop, is their vegan crispy goose. The fried crispness on the outside and crunchiness of the mock, cooked veggies on the inside, is yum! Dip the portion in their house made sauce, then it will leave you wanting for more!
Do order up their Hot and Sour Soup! It is to die for — especially on a cold day!
Their Taro Dish cake is intricately fried and carved into a fish. It leaves wonders to the eye! If you want to add just one more dish, then I would suggest their Three Mushrooms Pan-​Fried Egg Noodles!
If you order all of the dishes I named, you will have a veggie delight!
Cash only!

Authentic Chinese with a vegetarian twist. I enjoy these types of places where I can eat vegetarian versions of dishes. I had the curry chicken and it was good.
Small place, very quaint but that’s part of the fun.

This place was recommended by my acupuncturist. He loves Chinese food and also tries to find places without MSG, so I know this place was safe to eat at. While purchasing some delicious eggtarts and mochi for my dad and sister in Chinatown, I thought, why not eat dinner here? I saw my bookmark of this place and we stopped in.
The eggplant claypot and chow fun dish were both quite good. The chow fun dish was a bit on the greasy side even though I asked for less oil. Oh well, what can you do. They also serve vegan Cha shao bao, a childhood favorite of mine that I gave up due to pork allergy. While the filling didn’t exactly taste like BBQ pork, I loved the texture of the soft, fluffy bun. Only 80 cents per bun!
The prices are definitely cheap, for 2 people with 2 dishes, 2 buns and rice, the bill came out just around $ 20. Service was also very nice, which is a rarity in Chinatown.

Wow. This place is amazing, if you want an authentic Chinese (vegetarian) experience. It’s small, cramped and cash only, but it was absolutely amazing. I ordered the lunch special, which included tea, spring rolls, dumplings, sweet & sour «pork», chow mein and rice. Everything was cooked perfectly. It was all light, crispy and not oversauced or seasoned.
I’m a meat eater and this place blew my mind.

Chinatown old old timers will remember this as the original location of Tong Kee, a neighborhood institution back in the day. The store frame still has that green tint from those days. Tong Kee was a ’70’s cheap eats, late night dive known for rice plates, inexpensive family menus, and especially their deep fried stuffed tofu. I heard that the kids opened a place in San Bruno that still offers that tofu.
Back to the now, Lucky Creation has a following among neighborhood workers (Fidi and Chinatown) as well as out of town. Being a carnivore, I didn’t have much reason to dine here, but a business friend opened my eyes to this place, a softball’s throw from my workplace. After dining here with these friends from San Diego, we learned that some friends from Florida made this their annual stop when coming to the Hardly Bluegrass Festival; they termed the cuisine «temple food».
I recently stopped in to pick up a takeout box of their flavored wheat gluten… fortunately no allergy issues for me. I got a combo of their sweet and sour and curry which are nice on noodles and rice. They also have a five spiced one. However, if you have MSG allergy, do ask them as that’s what probably gives the flavor kick.
If you have vegetarian friends or just want a change of pace in Chinatown, this is a great option.

J’avais repéré quelques adresses de dim sum bien connues dans Chinatown avec toutefois une incertitude sur le fait qu’ils aient de quoi satisfaire une personne végétarienne…
Mon incertitude s’est malheureusement confirmée et nous avons donc cherché une solution de repli qui puisse convenir à tous, voilà comment on se retrouve dans cette petite cantine 100% végétarienne ! :)
Si vous y allez comme nous le midi, il y a des formules lunch sympa qui permettent de choisir 4 propositions parmi 7, accompagné de riz, tout ça pour un peu moins de 9 $
On a pensé que les portions allaient encore une fois être conséquentes, on a donc partagé 2 formules lunch à 3 avec un petit riz en plus histoire de, et on a bien fait car on a encore eu un peu de mal à tout finir !
Pour les goûts et textures, impossible de tout vous décrire car c’est très diversifié mais chacun a facilement trouvé quelque chose qui lui plaisait plus que le reste, et au final on a tous bien mangé.
Pour finir il me parait impossible de finir mon avis sans parler des toilettes et surtout du chemin qui vous y mènera (si vous osez !): on passé réellement en plein milieu de la cuisine, en essayant de né pas déranger, se tâcher ou renverser quelque chose…
C’est roots à mort, en fait ces toilettes mériteraient presque une visite à eux seuls ! :D

Leckeres vegetarisches Essen zu fairen Preisen. Allein die Öffnugszeiten ein Makel.