The Golden Era                                             The Golden Lotus

Nancy Dang                                                     Van Dang

572 O’Farrell                                                  1301 Franklin St

San Francisco, 94102                                 Oakland, 94612

415-673-3136                                                 510-893-0383

The Bay Area has always been one of my favorite tour stops, whether the Peninsula, the East Bay  or downtown San Francisco. I’ve discovered a kinship with two enduring friends there – The Golden Era and The Golden Lotus, both totally vegetarian.

A reliable measure for the excellence of a vegetarian restaurant is the continuous patronage of veggie and non-veggie folks alike.  A diverse public frequents both of these eateries because the food is so flat out great.

I first discovered The Golden Lotus in Oakland several years ago. This restaurant was quite modest in the early days. It has now been expanded and is a steady presence in downtown Oakland.

In chatting with Van Dang, I learned that her sister, Nancy Dang, owned a companion restaurant in downtown San Francisco. In fact, The Golden Era menus and recipes are almost identical.

I began frequenting both restaurants, determined solely by proximity to my tour location.

These restaurants are Asian in flavor and flair, as is so common among veggie stalwarts. However, there are numerous creations that I’ve never seen replicated anywhere vegetarian. My considered favorite is the caramelized chicken (soy), but I have browsed their menus with delight and found it all beautiful and succulent. Another must mention is the pot sticker appetizer (small fried veggie turnover) – I believe I haven’t passed this item up once in the last ten times I've eaten there.