Chaia (Chinatown): What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Chaia’s Chinatown counter runs almost entirely on vegetables. Nine tacos on the board. Eight are built around produce and grains, most with a vegan option marked right on the menu. One, the Aji Verde Braised Chicken, has meat in it. That’s the whole calculation for a vegetarian walking in: skip one taco, eat everything else.

What’s vegetarian at Chaia

This isn’t a menu where vegetarian options get tucked into a corner. It’s built the other way around. Braised Mushroom, Chipotle Sweet Potato Hash, Roasted Eggplant, and Skillet Sweet Corn all carry a vegan option tag. Order any of them, and the kitchen swaps out dairy or animal product on request. Creamy Kale & Potato and Scrambled Egg & Black Bean are vegetarian as written, no substitution needed. Add the Cheese Quesadilla, the Street Corn Quesadilla, and the Black Bean Enchiladas. Add a side menu of Black Beans, Green Rice, and Kale Salad. A vegetarian here isn’t choosing between two sad options. They’re choosing between about fifteen good ones.

What to order

Start with the Chipotle Sweet Potato Hash. Regulars recommend it for a reason: real heat, real char, not a vegetable standing in for meat and apologizing for it. Braised Mushroom leans savory and rich, closer to what a carnitas taco is going for than most mushroom tacos manage. Can’t decide? Order the Seasonal Sampler and let the kitchen pick three. The roster shifts with the calendar, so Roasted Eggplant and Skillet Sweet Corn rotate in and out depending on the month. On the side, Street Corn Quesadilla and Sweet Potato Nachos both hold up as a full plate, not a starter. Finish with the Cinnamon-Coconut Cookie, vegan by default.

The kitchen situation

Chaia keeps gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy fully out of its kitchens. That’s an allergen commitment stricter than most restaurants attempt. Dairy and eggs work differently. Staff say they can’t guarantee zero cross-contact there, even on tacos marked vegan. A vegan eating for allergy reasons, not just preference, should ask before ordering. One chicken taco shares equipment with the rest of the board. It’s a single item, not a full protein station, but it’s real meat in a shared kitchen, and that’s worth knowing going in.

Practical notes

A trio of tacos runs $13, about $4.33 each. A full meal with a side and a drink lands around $15 to $20. This is counter service. Order at the register or online. No reservations, no table service to wait on. There’s a second Chaia in Georgetown if Chinatown’s hours don’t line up with yours. Chinatown runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 p.m. in the summer, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Feeding a group instead of just yourself? Chaia caters, so a taco tray beats ordering ten separate trios at the register.

Chaia didn’t build a vegetarian restaurant that hedges. It built a taco shop where vegetables are the default and the one meat item is easy to spot and easy to skip.