福林素食 Laughing Buddha Vegetarian Bistro

Went with some friends so I got to try a bunch of things since it was served family style. We had a good time, liked everything, but our favorite dish was definitely the Veggie Crispy Noodles. The rest of our order was Hot and Sour Soup and Laughing Buddha Delight. I really liked the soup and if you’re vegan be sure to see if egg is included or not since many of the soups have egg flower broth or egg white broth. I do wish that there was a more even ratio of noodles to veggies. All of us had plenty of vegetables but would have liked more noodles. The cups of tea are HUGE. Sitting in the back patio is very comfortable

I personally am not vegetarian, but came here with a Vegan friend so we could eat out together. We were both thoroughly impressed. I eat a lot of Chinese food and I really enjoyed all of the dishes. They all had depth of flavor and were distinctly different. I was especially happy with the green beans - this dish traditionally is made with minced pork but instead it’s got a bit of a twist with jalapeños. Sooo good and honestly better this way. Also loved the longevity tea. My vegan friend was really happy with the meal and said he’d be back for sure. The staff was attentive and very kind. Flexible and super knowledgeable of the menu.

Very yummy vegetarian food. The tofu in their clay pot dish was spectacular. I also really enjoyed their lemongrass, eggplant, mushroom ball and tofu dish. The mushroom ball had the exact same texture as a fish ball. The dish was lacking in lemongrass taste though.

Wow can’t believe this was my first time here. Dining in the patio is so nice! It’s covered so you don’t feel hot outside, it gets a nice breeze. It’s very pretty. The food is so delicious and the serving sizes are generous. Friendly service too!

The server was incredibly sweet and thoughtful and offered some of the best service I've had in awhile, but the food was ok to good. My daughters enjoyed themselves because they never go out. I liked the tofu wonton, and the udon noodles had a nice texture, but I don't recommend the sweet and sour lychee and seitan.

I get it's really difficult to work late on a Sunday night. However I still expect a business to do what they say and say what they mean. We walked in at 8:30pm because they said they close at 9. They informed us they were take-out only at this point. We ordered the "Triple Mushroom Saute" and the "Curry Veggies & Gluten". The mushroom dish did not have enoki as the menu says, it had the more common cremini. I thought "Gluten" meant it would include Seitan, but apparently not. Yes I should have asked. All it had was about 3 pieces of tofu skin. But the quality of the ingredients was excellent, everything was cooked fresh, and the flavor was excellent. The atmosphere looked nice from a quick glance, though the place was colder then outdoor temperature.

This place is the absolute best of Oakland! The food is delicious and the service is impeccable. The prices are affordable and the menu is extremely extensive. They decorated the place in a very tasteful fashion that is intentional and modest. We will be coming back here very often and hope to see this place get really popular. They did an amazing job.

What a beautiful restaurant! Ever since they first opened, I was reluctant to come here as a vegan because i would rather go to fully vegan spots and avoid the egg stuff. But I quickly fell in love with this place anyway since the staff was so knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. There are great plants, and beautiful areas to sit. The teas are really satisfying and unique. So many good mushroom dishes, fresh vegetables, nourishing food. Homemade seitan! Tofu skin! Yes please, I'm in heaven. Overall meditative and peaceful vibe here. It wasnt busy at all when we were in, so that was great too. Yummy fortune cookie at the end 🥠 Come here if you're vegan or vegetarian. Or if you are just a person in general. My mom, who eats meat, loves this place

Great veggies place just opened on Piedmont Ave ! Love the name , Laughing Buddha Vegetarian Bistro. Sat in the beautiful patio and enjoyed a Lychee Spritzer and had lunch. The veggies were very fresh and well seasoned. Had the green Dumplings, Triple Mushroom Soup and a Crumble Tofu Zha Jiang Mein. The service was great!

Exciting! A vegetarian restaurant on Piedmont Ave, right across from Kaiser. Lighter fare than the usual viscous cornstarch laden sauces that dominate American Style Asian food. Had the Szechuan pepper soup-pleasantly numbing . Laughing Buddhas delight featured adorable and tasty rolled yuba skins, and two, count em, two, different types of fungus. The veggies were crisp and fresh. Singapore curry noodles were a bit of a disappointment. Dry and could have used more veggies. Overall, lovely experience, and I look forward to exploring the rest of the menu

Delicious! Great vegan options and delicious oolong tea. Will definitely be back to try more menu items.

Great service and great food at this undiscovered vegetarian Chinese restaurant. The ginger lemon tea is amazing. I really liked the crispy tofu appetizer. In case it matters to you, the outdoorpatio is fully enclosed with solid walls and a glass roof.

This place is a great. All the food was fresh and the flavors were on point. We got a few plant forward dishes. They were flavorful and pretty to look at. We walked out feeling satisfied and healthy.

I've been here a few times and the food has been great each time. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The menu is extensive so there are a lot of dishes to choose from. So far my favorites have been the "on fire" won tons and an lemongrass eggplant and tofu dish with ginger from the specials menu. I look forward to coming back and trying as many as I can!

This is a nice option for vegetarian Chinese. The salt and pepper trio was my favorite. Mustard green and tofu soup was nice. Other dishes were good but could use a bit more depth to flavor. If you are vegetarian this is a fantastic option for Chinese food! Service was very nice, ambience is better than hole in the wall but not fancy. A great addition to the neighborhood

Good food, friendly staff, nice patio! Also, they have beer and wine unlike many vegetarian restaurants in the area.

We are so excited that this place is now open. Everything that my wife and I have tried on our multiple visits has been amazing - the vegetables are really fresh and there are so many options to choose from. All the dishes have been super flavorful without being oily, and the back patio is lovely. A must for veg forward people in the Bay Area.

This place is soooo good. A gorgeous aesthetic that elevates the dining experience, making it feel fun and playful. The staff is very accommodating -- for instance, if you want to make a rice dish vegan, you can (and in case it wasn't clear, the entire menu is already vegetarian and mostly vegan). Also, as someone who doesn't eat onions and garlic, it can be hard to dine out but this place had a plethora of options. The food was tasty and the service was fantastic. This is a new restaurant and I'm hoping they stick around for years to come.

5/5! Flavors, textures, setting, staff! We ordered like 5 things and they were all great.

Third time in 3 weeks. Don't care to go anywhere else until I've tried more items. Hasn't disappointed.

Amazing food - came with friends and had 4 dishes family style. Every one was excellent. Service was fast and friendly. The patio is also very cute, sunny, and cozy. I will note it's not an outdoor patio which makes it perfect for cold or rainy weather but less ideal for Covid precautions.

It was the perfect lunch for a rainy day post hike . Soup options are fantastic - we had the sizzling rice soup with ginger broth, which had a perfect balance of hot and sour . The salt and pepper tofu trio was Singapore noodles were great too - lots of options with customizable spice levels for anyone going with kids . The sesame balls dessert was the highlight of- so soft , mildly sweet and packed with flavors . Patio has nice ambience and service was very courteous , although not meant for a quick bite .

We are thrilled that Laughing Buddha has come to town! Our favorite Asian takeout restaurant in the East Bay closed during COVID, and we have been searching for one that both of us like, and now we've found it. We tried it for the first time last night and could not be happier with our meal. At very good prices, our entrees were seemed high-end creative dishes with great portions (two meals easily for us). We red chili tofu (out of this world) and a fantastic version of kung pao tofu, and we also got vegetarian pot stickers and jasmine rice. High quality vegetarian cuisine is not as common as it used to be, and this will be a mainstay for us.

Found a vegetarian restaurant on Piedmont Ave! Very fresh and new style of Chinese vegetarian dishes. Had the Veggie Pot Stickers and Cold Sesame Noodles! Both were delicious. Decor was a beautiful garden setting!

Came here with my partner as we live nearby and wanted to check it out. I'm not even a vegetarian and I still thoroughly enjoyed the meal. An appetizer plus 1 entree is the perfect amount to split for a couple. The food is tasty, healthy and reasonably priced. We will be coming back again!

YAY! Welcome to the neighborhood Laughing Buddha! EXCELLENT food, service and atmosphere

Are you kidding me?! This place is so DELICIOUS and needed in Oakland! I've lived off of Piedmont for 8+ years and I am blown away with the food here and can't stop going. The food is so FLAVORFUL and never makes me feel overly full after- even noodles; I think it's because everything is so fresh and not oily! And this is coming from someone who usually always adds spices, salt or lemon/lime to foods when I eat out but nope... not needed here! I'm so excited to continue going and supporting them! This space has not had a restaurant stick yet (they keep closing) but I think this one will be a keeper!!! (Oh I hope!)

Finally a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in Oakland!! The food is authentic, fresh, and fast and the service is very friendly. The patio area and in the back is also a welcome oasis to have your food. Highly recommended!

Had takeout tonight and everything was so fresh and delicious. Excited to try more from their extensive menu but for not I can highly recommend the veggie rice noodles with tofu and tofu lettuce wraps. Huge portions and very friendly service as well!

Amazing food and service! Dare I say the best vegetarian Asia food I've ever had. I highly recommend stopping by and supporting!

Food, Service and ambiance were great. They really cared about us having a good time.

Excellent selection and flavors! The Pepper Udon Noodles were yummy, as was the Buddhist Delight and Crunchy Veggies with Lettuce cups. Super nice service that was accommodating and attentive. Very pleasant patio! We brought our pooch. It's so nice to have a new vegetarian/vegan Chinese place in Oakland!

This place is outstanding! There is a lot to choose from on their menu. Veggies are so fresh they taste like they have just been picked. Even something like fried rice which can often be bland was full of flavor. We loved the sweet and sour vegetables with an excellent assortment of vegetables and a lite sauce that was not cloying which often happens with this dish. The cold tofu and veggie salad was also very good. It was a little spicy but that was a nice counterpoint to the sweet and sour veggies. Portions are very generous and prices are very reasonable given the portion size and quality. We ordered delivery which was prompt and everything was well packaged. We look forward to eating their food again soon.

super flavorful dishes, fresh ingredients, generous portions, fast friendly service, lovely outdoor space. we especially loved the veggie potstickers. so stoked to have this gem in the neighborhood!