Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant

A Chinese vegan jewell off Buford Highway.

by Ryan Sims

In Short
Harmony is one of those Buford Highway joints that you would never think to try unless you were told to go by a trusted friend. Today, we are “that friend.” With bad carpet, worse eighties-style wallpaper, and a general too-quiet vibe, Harmony focuses completely on the kitchen, serving up loads of tofu and veggie-laden dishes. Don’t skip the veggie dumplings – six coin-purse style sticky pouches filled with sweet but richly stewed and melded flavors of onion, carrot, with greens and spices. The spicy “chicken” special tastes so much like the real thing, even carnivores wouldn’t at this dish. Slathered in a Hunan-inspired sauce, it was spicy and garlicky, a sort of flavor explosion that took you by surprise. Order for the table and share often.

08/13/09

So-So

by fdoamercia

I found the restaurant to be clean and the service to be courteous and efficient. What really stood out, was their menu. It is either ingenious or prevaricated, and that depends how you read it, i.e. SHREDDED PORK WITH PEPPER, FILLET OF FISH WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE, LAMB WITH STRING BEANS, ad infinitum. But, in reality what you really get is tofu prepared dozens of different ways. The food was passable, but nothing that I would come back for. We had the chicken (yea) with cashews, sweet and sour shrimp (right) and steamed dumplings. At the end of the meal I was full but not satisfied. Would I go back... nah. Just a So-So place.

• Pros: Clean
• Cons: The food was without distinction

08/22/07

Real Vegetarian Cookin'

by jalinthom

My dad is a strict vegetarian so when we go out together, we go to Harmony. They do some real good entrees but it's not like those places that make fake meat, looks like meat, has texture similar to meat. They cook VEGGIES! My dad loves it. And since he is so strict, it's nice to see him enjoy a meal!

02/22/07

So many choices!

by joolee999

I love going to restaurants where I know that I can eat every single thing on the menu! I am not relegated to salads here, and I love it. I really enjoy all of the faux meats, because I did not become a vegetarian because I disliked meat. I occasionally miss it, and it's nice to have a restaurant experience where I feel satisfied and so do my meat-eating friends. I do not know if the faux meats taste anything like the real deal, though, because I really don't remember what most of it tastes like. The staff is always friendly and attentive. I have only ever been on weekdays, so I am not sure of weekend crowds. The location is kind of crazy, and the parking lot and entire area are dangerously busy spots at times.

• Pros: all vegetarian, so many choices, decent prices
• Cons: very busy location in a strip mall

10/28/06

Always delicious, always

by vtla

Harmony is the most reliable places in town to get great veggie fare at a fair price. The food is always tasty and the service never disappoints. Soups and appetizers are particularly special as are the curry dishes. Definitely deserves a place in your regular restaurant rotation.

• Pros: Dependable
• Cons: Limited spicy options

08/15/06

I am vegetarian, and the mock meat dishes tasted so authentic that they scared me! The sweet and sour shrimp was absolutely AMAZING.

by jes_mar_wak_hod

My boyfriend and I got the Chinese pizza and spring rolls for appetizers. The pizza was good but the spring rolls were pretty tasteless. We shared 2 entrees, sweet and sour shrimp and sesame chicken. I'm sure we would have appreciated the chicken more if we hadn't ordered the shrimp, but the shrimp was just SO DELICIOUS that we ended up eating all of it and just having most of the chicken as leftovers. Brown rice came with the entrees. It was a bit bland but filling. There was definitely plenty of food; when we were done we had enough leftovers for another meal! The prices were VERY reasonable. The meal for two only cost about $26. I had thought the restaurant was vegetarian, but as I left I asked the owner and I was informed that everything except the fortune cookies was vegan. After eating all of that great food, I was even more impressed. Also, the service was excellent. I left feeling very full and very happy with the food.

• Pros: The shrimp was awesome and the service was ok.
• Cons: The spring rolls were bland and tasteless.

07/26/06

Soy protein fizzle, but real veggies star at this Buford Highway Chinese classic.

by Contributor

The Scene
No less intimidating than other Buford Highway places, this a beacon for local vegetarians has become the venue of choice for meat-free dates and young ladies' book club excursions. Connoisseurs of bizarre Amtrakkian decorative schemes won't be disappointed by the shiny flower-print wallpaper, Jacques Cousteau reef dive closeups and a percolating hologram waterfall.

The Food
Got a craving for texturized soy protein lamb chops? Or how about Mongolian "beef"? Tempted by a fish-free fish special? Unless you're an inveterate carnivore, these dishes don't offer much beyond goof novelty value. Save your energy for the real vegetarian stuff, which is where Harmony's kitchen truly shines with pan-fried leek dumplings, eggplant with garlic sauce, Szechuan string beans, and bean curd with mushrooms.

07/22/06

Awesome vegetarian Chinese food

by corndotz1

I'm not a vegetarian, since I eat fish every now and then, but I never eat ANY other kind of meat, so my dining choices are limited. I have been anxious to try this restaurant, but I couldn't find anyone to go with me. My husband lives on meat. I finally convinced my 9 year old niece to go with me while she was spending a weekend with me. She and I loved it. We ordered "chicken" mu shu and "beef" lo mein and spring rolls. Both dishes were outstanding. I've heard other people say meat eaters wouldn't know they were eating vegetarian if they didn't know differently. I would not agree with that. My niece said "What is this?" when she tasted the "beef." When I told her that it was tofu, she said "It's good!" She didn't think it was meat, but she still loved it. Since I pass this restaurant on the way home, I'll order take out often. The ambiance is very low key. It's definitely not an upscale restaurant, but it's clean and quiet and very nice. The service is great. They gave us so much food that we had leftovers for breakfast the next day, I had leftovers for dinner after I took my niece home, and then I had leftovers for breakfast the following day. The prices are good and we got 6 meals out of two dishes for a total of about $24.

• Pros: Decor is boring, tofu meat won't fool non-vegetarians
• Cons: Everything else-food, service, value

12/14/02

All the fun without the meat!

by mekare13

I love to eat at this place. The service is nice, and the dishes are awesome. It's so refreshing to walk into a restaurant knowing that everything is vegetarian!

• Pros: great food, good service
• Cons: decor

11/17/02

Hit or Miss!

by thebigad

At this restaurant, its all about knowing what to order. I went with a group and we ordered Chinese Pizza and Curry Pockets as appetizers. The curry pockets were good. For entrees we ordered Kung Pao Chicken, Singapore Noodles, Sesame Chicken, Curried Veggies, and Steamed Chicken and Ham. The last two were quite blah. The sesame chicken was great as was the Singapore noodles. I thought the grapefruit served at the end of the meal was a great way to leave a refreshing feeling in your mouth.

Not much in decor, but great service and food.

• Pros: Taste, Variety, Value
• Cons: Decor, Weird Dishes