Vegan
American
International
Macrobiotic
Organic
Buffet
Take-out
Small restaurant serving macrobiotic and vegan buffet including desserts. Open Tue-Sat 11:30am-3:00pm.
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581 Moody St, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, 02453
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Last update on 13 May 2023 by veganri
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33 Reviews
First Review by zaphod46
veganri
Points +566
You Can Taste the Love In This Food! - Edit
Vegan Pay-by-the-Pound Macrobiotic Buffet with a few regular menu items. The only place I can say that I feel more alive after eating there!
Read moreOne of our favorite places! Simple and pure!
Pros: Kind owner!, Wide selection!
Guest
LaraChick
Points +20
Veg comfort food! - Edit
Always fresh and delicious. Always a calm, happy vibe. Love it here!
Read morePros: Great selection of food, Many options despite small venue
Cons: Go early - some items run out, Small seating area - not for groups of 4+
Guest
BrightonMD
Points +1266
Homemade healthy food - Edit
Absolutely the best. Simple, tasty seasoned to perfection- if you want to customize, sriracha etc available.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Healthy food
Guest
vegandinosaur
Points +356
One of my favorite restaurants ever - Edit
I dream about the seitan cutlets and barbecue tofu
Read moreGuest
Gimmeedaball
Points +37
Can’t Be Beat - Edit
It’s very hard to find someplace that cooks only vegan, but Masao is an absolute wizard in the kitchen. Plus, he has a very kind and peaceful vibe, who wouldn’t want to eat here? Anyone leaving less than a five star review might not actually know what vegan means.❤️
Read morePros: Entirety vegan , Kind and welcoming vibe, Small minority owned business
Guest
DanielCarpenter
Points +69
$12.50/pound when I went - Edit
Great food by the pound. All 3 mains and the side were great.
Read morePros: Entirely vegan , No spicy food per owner, Meal by the pound
Cons: May be running out of food by the end of the day
Guest
WTFlexitarian
Points +151
Shokudo AYCE - Edit
This was my first AYCE vegan food! Its a small Japanese home style cafe or shokudo. The seithan variations were impressive!
Read more#flexitarian #plantbasedfoodie #plantbasedfoodies
Guest
sam654321
Points +2854
Twas ok.. - Edit
Not bad.
Read more$12.50 / lb buffet...not all you can to eat buffet.
Had about 7 selections.
It was ok if in the area.
I didnt feel it was worth a special trip.
Guest
EdiWald
Points +26
Simple, clean and tasty macrobiotic cuisine. - Edit
I was vegan for nearly two years before I learned how good tofu can be, thanks to Masao!
Read morePros: Everything is vegan, Masao is friendly and kind, Food is fresh daily
Cons: Only open 11-1:30
Guest
Prajna
Points +4496
Small place, great food - Edit
Simple but tasty food. It took me years after hearing about this place to finally go, and although the place is quite small and very simple, the food is delicious. Home-made style.
Read moreGuest
Jbird_O
Points +31
Great food - Edit
Happened to be in Waltham and been wanting to give this place a try. I wasn’t sure about a buffet, but the COVID precautions were great (all boxed up to-go dishes out and on display) and the food was stellar! Will definitely be coming back when in town.
Read morePros: Lots of options (everything is vegan)
Guest
lactovegetarian55
Points +49
Great food, simple but delicious. Weight-based pricing. Friendly. Clean. - Edit
Fresh and simple foods. Good combination of Japanese and Western options. Owner is humble and kind.
Read morePros: Fresh and simple food. , Calm and humble atmosphere. , Reasonable pricing.
Guest
lisakw
Points +1158
Simply the best - Edit
I've been going to Masao's since it was in Cambridge. Its commitment to wholesome food that tastes good has remained through the decades I've eaten here. The paying by the pound will help you not over eat.... Although it's very tempting to do so! Many gluten free and soy free options. Always delicious.
Read moreGuest
SusanDill
Points +50
Really healthy and yummy! - Edit
Exactly what my body needs! Low oil, salt and sugar but tasty and nourishing. Its a small buffet so offerings change. Get the apple strudel. They do a great job with rhe crust and the filling is perfectly sweet without a bunch of sugar.
Read morePros: Healthy, nourishing simple food.
Cons: $10 a pound so watch portion size. Food lukewarm.
Guest
NomNomNomNom
Points +43
Cozy and charming restaurant - Edit
I stopped here when I happened to be in Waltham yesterday. It’s a buffet, and I grabbed a little bit of almost everything to try. The food is not for everyone but I really liked it, and felt great after eating it. I was so strongly reminded of my grandmother’s cooking! She became a vegetarian in the 70s (before it was cool! Haha) and made similar dishes. The food is very simple and does not have a lot of salt or spice, and nothing is deep-fried. Flavors are mild but tasty. I really liked the squash and corn with the barbecue tofu, and the barley/whole grain mix. The owner was very friendly and I could sense the care and warmth radiating from him. I’ll come back if I’m in the area again. It’s a relief not having to check the ingredients of anything!
Read morePros: Everything’s vegan, Nice owner/chef
Guest
HerbyDuverne
Points +72
Awesomeness - Edit
Love the food and very tasty!
Read morePros: Love the choice
Guest
A_Bun_Dance
Points +58
Delighted and satiated! - Edit
While the inside is understated the man who greeted us had a warm smile that lite the place up. I felt instantly welcome and at ease. He explained the buffet to us, and we got started.
Read moreWhile eating we heard other patrons asking him for things by name, it is a very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.
Everything was delicious. So excited to have found this gem! Highly recommended!
Guest
cwelch
Points +76
Love - Edit
I love when you can feel the care and love in food and I believe I could here
Read morePros: All vegan, Quick, Reasonable price
Guest
BallroomVegan
Points +246
Delicious! - Edit
Have been going here for years, long before we were vegan. Kids love it too!
Read morePros: lots of vegan options , Delicious & quick (buffet), Friendly atmosphere
Guest
tcinc5
Points +81
Quick convenient healthy vegan food - Edit
Went to Masao’s kitchen for the first time and loved it. I’m newly vegan and live right off moody st. The food was very healthy and satisfying. I’m very glad I live so close to this place and will be going back often. Nothing fancy but a great place to grab some quick nutritious vegan food. Strong sense of community here. Everyone who came in knew the owner by name. Definitely going to try the buffet next time.
Read moreGuest
meganjoy
Points +128
Great food, good for quick stop - Edit
Casual spot for a home cooked, healthy, and super tasty all vegan meal! Buffet style. Don't hold back! Seitan cutlets and tofu were impressively delicious, really wowed me! Good assortment of colors and flavors. All the food was excellent. Next time I'm in the area, I'm def coming back here!
Read morePros: Good for quick stop to dine in or take out, Fantastic food
Guest
nlevine94
Points +890
This. Place. Is. Amazing. - Edit
Had been meaning to come here for quite some time now, and finally was in the neighborhood. Masao, the man behind the food, is also the man behind the counter. 17 years and counting, I can see why this place is so highly ranked.
Read moreIf i could write a post just on the BBQ Seitan Cutlets wth the Shiitake Mushroom Sauce, i would. These little guys completely stole the show. I'm not usually a fan of seitan, seeing how hardy it usually is, but these puffs of air with the mushroom sauce are actually to die for. I WILL be learning how to make these one day, because they are absolutely stellar.
The rest of the food is just as incredible though, from the bbq tofu to the barley and sweet potatoes, to the black beans. Food is buffet style and paid for by weight, so be wary. But also don't hold back. Not even a little bit.
Many thanks to Masao, and congratulations on establishing such a wonderful little home. Vegan be warned: you will NOT want to eat anywhere else.
Pros: Amazing Food, Great Service, History to prove their success!
Cons: Nothing!
Guest
nafanc
Points +1615
Feels like home - Edit
I really enjoyed my late afternoon meal here. The place is small and simply adorned, but the owner is very hospitable and the food is lovingly made.
Read moreThe place offers a pay-by-the-pound buffet. It's a fantastic value at $10 per pound, especially for fresh, homemade vegan food. The menu offerings rotate, and they're posted on their website's calendar. I especially liked the crunchy seitan cutlet and mushroom sauce. Really tasty.
Pros: Hospitable, Homey, Tasty
Guest
Tray-C
Points +527
Healthy, healing and delicious! - Edit
This place has a wonderful energy about it and the food is made with love. Great place to get some rebalancing, nutritiously delicious vegan food and heal your body.
Read moreGuest
mrgladstone
Points +86
So-so - Edit
It pains me to write this review and I'm hoping it was just bad timing, but the food, while very tasty, was all ice cold. Very disappointing. Even more so because it could have been really good.
Read moreGuest
VeganVegabond
Points +177
Seriously healthy food - Edit
This is my first time going to a macrobiotic restaurant. Lunch was a buffet in which you pay $10 a pound (your plates are weighed each time you fill up).
Read moreLet's begin now, after I've eaten my fill of brown rice, broccoli and kale, BBQ tofu, romaine and shredded daikon salad--I feel terrific and full and energized.
That experience alone makes Masao's kitchen more than a restaurant - this is a place that saves lives and builds community - indeed, nearly everyone who came in was a regular who knew the owner by name. It's no small feat to see this kind of nutritional solidarity even in the midst of this remarkable plant based food revolution.
The food itself is very simple and not especially flavorful. While there are some exceptions in macrobiotic cuisine--see Marlene Watson Tara's excellent and flavor forward Macrobiotic for All Seasons--the food at Masao's kitchen is old school macrobiotic.
As a vegan and a visitor to Waltham, I can honestly say I'd love to have a restaurant like this in my neighborhood. I don't ever plan to follow a strict macrobiotic diet but there's something healing and communal happening here. Seriously healthy food and happy people.
Pros: super food buffet, reasonably priced , very inviting communal atmosphere
Cons: lack of flavor (even with the many healthy salty c
Guest
stbenjam
Points +264
Good buffet with lots of healthy options - Edit
I've been to the buffet a few times, and the food is pretty good. I like the BBQ tofu.
Read moreI would say things tend to be undersalted or not salted at all, especially the veggie sides. There's seasonings in front of the counter on one of the tables if you need them, but no table salt that I saw. BYOS?
Pros: buffet, good
Guest
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