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2221-7605
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Calle 11, Ave 6 y 8 (at near Ave Central Market in downtown), San Jose, Costa Rica
Serves meat, vegan options available. Menu has icons for fish, dairy, egg ingredients. Has vegan-friendly options. Try the vegetarian coconut soup with shiitake mushrooms, sprouts, and tofu. The vegetarian menu no longer contains fish sauce.
Category: Vegan-friendly, International, Non-veg
Reviews (18)
First Review by wendystrebe
Contributions +322
Good food - Edit
Very nice place, good food and even some vegan sorbet as desserts.
Enjoy.
Contributions +25
Nice restaurant and interesting menu - Edit
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.
Contributions +11
My favorite restaurant in the whole world! - Edit
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.
Contributions +260
Favorite Oriental Restaurant - Edit
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
Contributions +118
beautiful and good ! - Edit
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
Contributions +33
One of San Jose's Best Restaurants Over-All - Edit
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
Contributions +99
Messed up badly - beware! - Edit
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
Contributions +415
Great labelling of vegan and vegetarian food - Edit
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
Contributions +314
Wonderful, high-end restaurant - Edit
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
Contributions +31
Vegan Asian Food - Edit
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
Contributions +50
Awesome - Edit
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
Contributions +254
The best vegan food we had in San Jose - Edit
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
Contributions +40
The best! - Edit
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
Contributions +23
Great vegan option in San Jose - Edit
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
Contributions +28
veg/Vegan and gluten free menu - Edit
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
Contributions +112
Great food and service - Edit
I went here for the first time tonight because of this site and was really pleased that their website shows a full menu and vegetarian menu selection. Both presented in English and Spanish which was very helpful. There was a great selection of vegan and vegetarian appetizers and entrees. The dishes we ordered were the Cha Gio rolls, vegetarian rolls, samosas, Pad Thai, Vegetarian Indian Curry, and passionfruit sorbet sticky coconut rice with mango for dessert.
The best items were the samosas, vegetarian indian curry and the coconut rice desert, it was similar to rice pudding and very nice. I liked that the degree of spicyness from 1 to 5 was offered for all of the dishes. The pad thai had way too much sauce on it and was a little too salty with soy sauce.
The staff was very nice and helpful and had good recommendations and descriptions of the food when asked. The food also came out piping hot and extremely fast. Even when we ordered another appetizer after initially ordering, it came out right away.
I will definitely, definitely come back here. Check out the website for their menu. This place is also a favourite of many non vegan people in San Jose. Very reasonably priced and classy, our entire meal was less than $40 USD!
Pros: great atmosphere, very clean, great selection
Cons: items with milk not labelled, downtown location can be hard to get to
Contributions +22
Good choices - Edit
Although Tin Jo is indeed a bit pricey for Costa Rica, it is worth it to eat in a restaurant with such a large and varied menu that is coded very well for vegetarians. I think the other reviewer is correct about the fish sauce, but at least the menu makes it clear, if I remember correctly. Tin Jo is obviously an Asian restaurant, and it has a nice garden patio out back too. When I was there, it seemed like a power-lunch spot for local businesspeople and also nice families.
The service was good, and they were nice and let me use their phone to make a local call, which was much needed.
The food was flavorful.
I would go back here for sure every time I am in downtown San Jose!
Pros: service, menu variety, atmosphere
Contributions +36
Dependable Great Food - Edit
When I go to San Jose, I almost always eat here. I am vegan and they have some wonderful options.
Pros: excellent food, great service, nice atmosphere
Cons: not always fast, there is a smoking section
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