Longs is excellent, too! Really feels like a family operation.
I do miss when Won Kok was open late. Their special chicken bun was the LA Chinatown answer to the NY dollar slice after bar hopping.
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You have my attention! Braised pig tails and peanuts!
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I love the big chicken buns at Longs. Those snow mountain bbq pork buns always sell out
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Both those items are great at Longs.
Have you tried the ones at the former CBS Seafood? They have nice herbaceousness.
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If you are in the SGV, they have chicken buns at Ocean Island which are top notch. They are my current favorite to go Dim Sum. Really good quality stuff.
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Thanks for the tip, Dommy!
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Hi Y’all,
Any recommendations for Chinese Vegetarian in Chinatown? Vegetarian, not “vegetarian-friendly”.
Thanks!
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Does that mean the restauant has to be completely vegetarian?
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Yep, think Happy Family but in Chinatown. If that’s an impossibility then very vegetarian-friendly.
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I don’t think you’re going to be able to find that.
Most likely best thing is to call some of the Chinatown mainstays like hop li or golden dragon and see what they can do vegetarian. A lot of places can sub fried tofu, soft tofu, tofu skin, and other tofu products for meat items.
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I don’t think there’s anyplace in Chinatown (Historic Cultural) that is primarily vegetarian, but yeah plenty of places offer vegetable-only dishes and tofu dishes. I’m recently a fan of Jade Wok, which makes its own tofu. (may need to check the ingredients on the brown sauce)
It’s more likely to find a vegetarian-focused place out in SGV, probably ?
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Have you considered Au Lac (vegan Vietnamese) near Chinatown? It’s pretty good. We go sometimes before LAPhil (block away). Favorite dishes: fried konjac-textured “shrimp,” fried tofu with birds eye chilis, raw curried wild rice, yuca fries.
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Wait, for real? I didn’t know egg tofu had soy in it. I thought it was like steamed eggs or a more custardy tamagoyaki
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Eggs are often considered vegetarian because they are not the flesh/meat of animals. AFAIK the base definition does not exclude eggs, and many vegetarians consume them (I imagine that’s where classifications like lacto-ovo and ovo vegetarian come from). Many do not for religious or ethical reasons, but are also not strict enough to be vegans. 
I have had to get really specific in the past to accommodate vegetarian friends 
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Thanks, food talkers!
It’s a family meetup to hangout & shop in Chinatown. A family member requested a vegetarian-only spot, but she’s coming to the conclusion that Chinatown isn’t the SGV (her neck of the woods) and we’ll need to settle for vegetarian-friendly which shouldn’t be quite as difficult. It’ll be 7 ppl.
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We decided on Yang Chow. The menu has a good assortment of vegetarian options plus alcohol which is a must when spending 3+ hrs with the family. Bookmarking Jade Wok for future - the housemade tofu dishes look good.
Lychee Martini
Long Island Ice Tea (I think) & Mai Tai
Shrimp Toast
Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
Vegetable Lo Mein
Moo Shu Vegetables
Kung Pao Bean Curds
Yang Chow Fried Rice - Shrimp, Chicken, Pork
Kung Pao Chicken
We didn’t order their specialty, Slippery Shrimp, but many tables did. Maybe next time.
The restaurant was busy and quite festive for a Thursday afternoon. The staff is busy but fun. This fit the bill for our group.
Phoenix Bakery. I call it the new Phoenix Bakery because I’m pretty sure many years ago it was in the spot where Wonder Bakery is now?
Bought a rubber tree at KimThai Garden, a great spot for indoor plants. Many types of plants you won’t find at a Home Depot and lotsa pots. I bought a pot and they potted my plant for free and carried it to my car.
(internet photo)
Happy Chinatown Excursion!
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to confirm — jade wok (specifically, the sesame chicken, green beans, tofu, and the exceptionally kind and warm family that runs it) is worth the trip.
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Yum. Jade Wok is probably the better choice culinarily and they were so nice when I called. Will definitely check it out. My cousin found Yang Chow and I agreed it was the better fit for this particular group & occasion. 
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yang chow is a treat too — i’ve always loved their fried rice
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