Asian
Fusion
Korean
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Asian food restaurant near Ave Central Market with some vegetarian dishes such as Indian curry, tofu kung pao, Korean chap che, and pad thai. Be sure to specify vegan. Menu has icons for fish, dairy, egg ingredients. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Mon-Thu 6:00pm-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 6:00pm-11:00pm, Sat 12:00pm-3:30pm, Sun 12:00pm-9:00pm.


Venue map for Tin Jo
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30 Reviews

First Review by wendystrebe

TatianaKwamsu

Points +1252

Vegan
11 Mar 2024

Ok food but expensive

Really nice place and staff, lots of options but expensive for what you get. The steamed dumplings were good but the crunchy tofu was tasteless.

Updated from previous review on 2024-03-11

Lauz52

Points +24

Vegan
09 Mar 2024

Clear vegetarian menu

The service is truly excellent! Very friendly. The place is a vibe as it has different themed rooms and there is a clear vegetarian menu where if you're vegan you specify so they keep egg, cheese, fish sauce etc off. I had the dumplings and eggplant green curry but would try something different the next time.

Pros: Great service, Nice location, Vegetarian menu

einahpets65

Points +93

Vegan
25 Jan 2024

Many options

The entrance to Tin Jo belies how big it actually is inside. We are able to sit in an outdoor covered area that was decorated nicely. The waiters brought by a plate with small crackers and veggies and a sweet sauce that was delicious. The menu has a seperate vegetarian section which clearly notes which items have dairy, eggs, or fish sauce in them.

We started with the Maya Papaya salad, which had very fresh and flavorful fruit and veggies. The avocado was my favorite part. I chose the Tofu Pad Krapao, and my dad got the vegetarian Indian curry. Both were very good, and the Tofu on my dish was excellent. Rice was brought for both dishes, but not as large a portion as I've gotten in other restaurants.

Most of the vegan dessert menu options are either sorbets or ice cream, and we didn't order either, but the waiter brought us some sorbet as a treat. We had the Papaya, Cranberry, and maycha flavors. I don't usually love matching flavors, but this was very good.

Carito.o

Points +133

Vegan
24 Sep 2023

Delicious Asian food

The restaurant is beautiful and well decorated. It keeps the charm of old San Jose buildings. Menu has a lot of vegan and vegetarian options. Food is delicious. Excelente service.

RonnyRR

Points +178

Vegan
27 May 2022

Gran variedad oriental

No se puede fallar aquí. Varias opciones veganizables. Preguntar bien, porque algunas consideradas vegetarianas contienen salsa de pescado.

Pros: Atención impecable, Ambiente increíble, Parqueo gratis

Cons: Un poco caro , Se llena mucho por ser popular

Mike_manc

Points +178

Vegan
31 Jan 2022

Good veggie/vegan choices

Happy Cow to the rescue again and this time a great find in Tin Jo, just around the corner to where I was staying.

Friendly staff, lovely decor and a chilled environment. The menu has specific sections for vegetarian starters and mains. Plenty of choice, many of the dishes being vegan too. The menu is well labelled for egg, fish, etc. A number of the “veggie” dishes did contain fish.

The food was tasty and good size portions.

Not particularly cheap but two of us paid around $40 for starters, mains and a drink each.

Pros: Separate sections for veggie starters and mains , Friendly staff

LOL22

Points +205

Vegan
30 Jan 2022

Fresh, vegan, big portion and yummy

Had a big vegan portion, the vegetables tastet fresh and yummy. The staff was very friendly and the location nice.

Pros: Yummy and big portion, Friendly Staff, Nice Location

laury_

Points +43

Vegan
20 Jan 2022

overall perfect experience!

We've been at Tin Jo at the 17th January 2022. The restaurant has many vegan options and the server (Marcel) was very friendly and forthcoming with the vegan options. It was easily one of the best meals the both of us ever had!! Therefore the rating would be 5-stars, but it's not possible because it's no solely a vegan restaurant.

Pros: many vegan options, very friendly and helpful service, very fair prices

MarianneEssaFischel

Points +26

Vegan
11 Oct 2021

Great options

Loved the tofu there. One page of full vegetarian menu. Specify you are vegan and they will help you out with the options. Great service

Pros: Plenty options, Great price

Majamaia

Points +35

Vegan
15 Dec 2019

Pad thai insípido

Pedí un pad thai vegano, muy decepcionada. Pensé que iba a estar muy rico: con semillas, variedad de verduras y salsa excepcional. Pero la verdad no tenía casi sabor y no cumplió en absoluto mis expectativas.

Pros: -

Cons: Necesitan mejorar la variedad de platos veganos.

Enuje

Points +88

Vegan
16 Jun 2019

Yum

Good options. Kung pao tofu was tasty. Fried dumplings were okay. Would go again because most places have no tofu. Friend liked her pad Thai.

PandaWolfie

Points +17

Mostly Veg
21 Jul 2018

Great!

Came here with a group of 18. The service was great & the food was delicious. I was happy to see a full vegetarian menu in the back of the regular menu. Made It easier to choose food.

Pros: Great service , Great food, Two page vegetarian menu

XOXO

Points +1760

Vegan
21 Mar 2017

Good food

Very nice place, good food and even some vegan sorbet as desserts.
Enjoy.

cc14cows

Points +239

Mostly Veg
20 Dec 2016

Nice restaurant and interesting menu

We had high hopes for this restaurant, having looked at the vegetarian menu before going. When we arrived, we were asked if we had a reservation, asked to wait, then a manager came and also asked if we had a reservation before we were grudgingly taken to a table. The place was busy but not that busy, so I can only imagine there's some snobbery going on. The food was a bit hit and miss but, overall, okay. The starters of coconut soup with mushrooms and eggplant sambal were fine. The Thai green curry only seemed to have eggplant in it, so if you're hoping for a mix of vegetables, you'll be disappointed. The paneer also wasn't authentic, with the paneer being replaced by tofu. Good for vegans though. All in all, it's fine but a little pricey and the food may not be what you're expecting.

sofiaalvarenga

Points +13

Vegetarian
05 Nov 2016

My favorite restaurant in the whole world!

I simply adore going to the Tin Jo. Not only do they have a marvellous extensive vegetarian menu with organic ingredients, their service is friendly and efficient and their 6 Asian themed rooms are truly beautiful. I also appreciate that they truly support vegetarianism by offering Meatless Mondays with a 20% discount to anyone who orders from their vegetarian menu.
They promote the no usage of plastic straws and support various environmental groups such as river protection, special discounts to cyclists, and rainforest protection initiatives.
I feel like I am contributing to the Earth when I enjoy Tin Jo’s food. I wish more restaurants would follow their footsteps.

edwardbc

Points +1021

Vegan
11 Nov 2015

Favorite Oriental Restaurant

The food in this place is very good. The quantity of options is very nice, specially after they started labeling all of their dishes and also added a specific Veggie page on their menu.

I would give them 5 stars if it wasn't because some dishes, like the Green Thai Curry are not that tasty after asking not to be prepared with fish sauce. The other options "veg by default" options are very good. Recommended

Tiger111333999

Points +1350

Vegan
29 Aug 2015

beautiful and good !

We had delicious dinner there. There is an entire page vegetarian with vegan possibility. Food was really good, though small portions for the price ( in appetizers especially ) count 20$ per person.
Otherwise the place is really one of a kind in the middle of downtown San Jose
Will go back without doubt.

Pros: ambient , vegan options

Tao Watts

Points +43

Vegetarian
18 May 2015

One of San Jose's Best Restaurants Over-All

Tin-jo is more than a great restaurant. They have an extensive vegetarian/vegan menu and it is a wonderful place for lunch or dinner. They also host activities for the local conscious community and can be considered one of the finest restaurants in the San Jose area. I have been going there for 25 years and watched the progression. I always have a great time there! I could just eat appetizers! There are so many to choose from! And the Ginger Ice tea and the Thai Ice Tea are lovely!
tao www.samaritanxocolata.com
Updated from previous review on Monday May 18, 2015

Pros: great variety of vegetarian selections, Maria Han is a lovely hostess, great decor from the owner's travels

Cons: sometimes crowded, hard to find parking sometimes

GlobalVegan

Points +143

Vegan
25 Feb 2015

Messed up badly - beware!

I usually avoid eating at restaurants that aren't exclusively vegetarian but was short on time and this place was close by, and the other reviews regarding labelling on the menu were encouraging. And indeed they do an excellent job of making it clear which items are vegetarian, vegan, or can be made vegan. However, this didn't help with the fact that we were brought out a chicken dish despite having ordered a tofu dish, along with the noodle salad we ordered. Thankfully we started eating the salad, and after 5 minutes a waier came along and informed us the'd brought us the wrong order. By this time I had started spooning the offending dish onto my plate. They cleared our dishes after I made it clear I don't eat chicken and brought us what we'd actually ordered. The potential for this kind of screw up is precisely why I don't normally eat at omni places, and was very disappointed it happened here. No effort was made to compensate us and I felt like a sincere apology at the very least would have been nice.
All in all I found the food to be less than stellar given the price tag and felt that the 'high end' setting and numerous wait staff was where most of the price was going. Wish we'd tried the place around the corner instead.

Pros: Good labelling of ingredients , High end atmosphere

Cons: Brought us dead animals to eat, Expensive

choogirl

Points +717

Vegan
15 Jan 2014

Great labelling of vegan and vegetarian food

This Asian restaurant is excellent. I went here twice and took some other vegetarians the second time so got to try quite a few vegan things. Everything was delicious and reasonably spicy for South Latin (which is not spicy). The staff are very helpful and can speak English if needed. I highly recommend the sorbet sampler!

Pros: Vegan choice, Vegan ice cream

Cons: The bill can quickly add up

corinal

Points +1617

Vegan
05 May 2013

Wonderful, high-end restaurant

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but go inside and it is a different world. A gorgeous place, this is where I take people for a special occasion in San Jose. The vegan food is so good! I love the Tofu Kung Pao, pakoras, samosas, and fruit drinks. The staff speak English so it makes it easier for out-of-town guests that don't speak Spanish - especially when there are food allergies, etc. They can accommodate pretty much anything.

Pros: Great food, Beautiful atmosphere

Pura Vida Pantry

Points +41

Vegan
09 Feb 2013

Vegan Asian Food

They have an extensive menu with soy meat products. I recommend the potstickers and their delicious teas. Otherwise, avoid all the soy stuff and go with a nice rice or noodle dish. Good food, though and friendly service.

Pros: friendly staff, vegan food!

Cons: a little pricey

crewumiami

Points +78

Vegan
24 Apr 2011

Awesome

While visiting, my friend found this place in our travel guide and it did not disappoint!! Great vegan options and the staff was truly amazing. Each dish in the menu is indicates if contains animal products or not. Such a great and tasty meal, that went back for the last meal on last night!! A place worth eating at if visiting or a local!!

Pros: excellent food, friendly staff, healthy cuisine

Richard Myers

Points +753

Vegan
21 Feb 2011

The best vegan food we had in San Jose

Tin-Jo was about a 15 minute walk from the Gran Hotel where we were staying. The restaurant is located on a quite unremarkable street but once you are inside, it is a great atmosphere. They have a separate vegetarian menu which was appreciated. We all enjoyed the appetizers, I had the samosas. Two of us had the Thai Green Curry and thought it great while the other two had the Pad Thai but were less impressed but still enjoyed it. Lots of vegan choice which made us happy. The place was very busy and the owner came to our table to thank us for dining there. All very nice and a satisfying meal.

Pros: Great atmosphere, Great food, Good service

Cons: Not cheap

pablocollier

Points +66

Vegan
29 Oct 2010

The best!

The very best Asian restaurant in Costa Rica! The section of vegetarian food is quite extensive. Also has gluten free selections.

Pros: the best food, great atmsphere, good prices

Aemt

Points +31

Vegan
03 Aug 2010

Great vegan option in San Jose

My husband and I (both vegan) were traveling with two meat eaters and constantly looking for restaurants that would be amenable to all. Tin Jo was a great option for us, and one of our best meals overall in Costa Rica. We got the ma-po tofu and another tofu dish and both were delicious. The complimentary crunchy snacks they bring before the meal are good too. Highly recommended if you are going through San Jose.

Pros: Clear vegan menu, Numerous vegan options, Nice atmosphere

Cons: Not a fantastic neighborhood

AnandaBabaji

Points +34

Raw
29 Nov 2009

veg/Vegan and gluten free menu

I recommend this place ... we've been twice and I will go back again soon! Friendly staff, and they even have a gluten free menu!!! How great is that! and yes, the Thai Coconut dish is quite good! Pura Vida!

Pros: excellent food, healthy cuisine, friendly staff




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