Best Vegan Restaurant

"With respect for all life, we proudly serve all dishes free of meat, poultry, fish, egg, and MSG," is Golden Era's motto, and the restaurant's low-cruelty ethos is good news indeed for diners who've taken that extra step past vegetarianism into the dairyless realm of veganism. But even chronic carnivores can delight in the fresh, satisfying flavors that emerge from Golden Era's kitchens. This affable Tenderloin eatery serves an array of delicious Pan-Asian specialties, from Thai salad to Chinese clay pot to Japanese teriyaki, and although a few of the dishes contain dairy products, most are fit for the taste buds of the most orthodox herbivore. Start off your meal with fresh, crisp mint-cilantro spring rolls or a hot bowl of pho with rice noodles and bean sprouts. Exemplary entrees include Thousand Layers Eggplant in pepper sauce, curry fried rice with seasonal vegetables and coconut paste, and crunchy wheat noodles with greens and mushrooms. For dessert there's dairy-free flan, ice cream, and chocolate cake as well as avocado smoothies, green coconut juice, and salted plum lemonade. Prices are very reasonable, and the sublevel setting is as friendly as the cuisine.