If you’re concerned with healthy habits while eating out, check out Vegetable Delight, the vegetarian restaurant in Granada Hills.

Vegetable Delight is a quiet vegetarian restaurant with vegan options, which includes noodles, soup and several protein substitutions.

Whether you’re conscious of your meat intake or not, it’s worth trying their savory and natural substitutions for fish, chicken, beef and pork. They even have replacements for more exotic foods, like jellyfish and shark fin.

One of the most popular dishes is orange chicken ($7.95 for dinner), which uses deep-fried mushrooms in place of chicken and is covered in a sweet and spicy orange sauce. It tastes very similar to the orange chicken at Panda Express, except with a crunchier outside and a less fatty inside.

The restaurant has an expensive feel, with sea-foam green walls and matching  draping tablecloths. Christmas lights line some of the walls for extra lighting, which contrasts charmingly with the Chinese sculpted ceiling tiles decorated with phoenixes and dragons.

Despite the décor, it’s not too expensive. The lunch specials are $6.95 and the dinners are between $6.95 and $9.95 (and 10 percent off if you mention Yelp), with $0.85 brown rice and complimentary tea.

For those particularly concerned with diets, there are details online about how the food is made and with what ingredients.

The meat substitutes are made from wheat protein, soy protein, tofu, mushrooms, tarro root and/or seaweed. The entire menu is available online as well.

The service was fine and the waiters were kind and patient. Although there was complimentary tea on the table, it was odd that the waiter didn’t automatically bring water to the table until it was requested.

The chow mein and the fish and mushroom dish ($7.95 each) was tasty. The texture of the “fish” was similar to real fish, but the sauce and the soft, juicy mushrooms really made the meal.

Parking is was available in the rear and you must enter throught the back. But in the front, there is a bookshelf with dozens of books on Buddhism, chanting CDs, as well as some brochures and fliers from animal rights groups.

Vegetable Delight has a lot of personality, and is a great option for those looking for a more formal eating experience for a reasonable price.

*****

Tuesday-Sunday 11:30-9:30
17823 Chatsworth St, Granada Hills