Ananda Fuara

Ananda Fuara
1298 Market St (at 9th), 415 621-1994
Open Mon-Sat 8am-8pm except Wed 8am-3pm
Sunday brunch once a month (call for date)

Ananda Fuara, meaning “Fountain of Delight” was established as a Sri Chinmoy enterprise that specializes in vegetarian and vegan food.

Sri Chinmoy, born in India in 1931, is an author, poet, musician, artist, athlete, and spiritual teacher. He came to the U.S. in 1964 where he established spiritual centers for meditation and spiritual growth, which have since spread around the world. He has given hundreds of lectures and, since 1970, has been conducting twice-weekly meditations at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Sri Chinmoy has written many hundreds of books, poems, and countless spiritual songs, and painted thousands of paintings symbolizing the freedom of the human spirit.

The restaurant is a large open space with about 70 seats, with a gardenlike setting. The white painted doors and seats, and pastel blue walls help create a startling atmosphere. The waitress, dressed in colorful saris, add charm to the picture. All is in keeping with the dominant spiritual theme. And it makes the food taste that much better.

A first visit to Ananda Fuara can be dramatic, entering from a busy, dark street of traffic into a gardenlike setting of white painted woodwork and pastel-blue walls, with waitresses in lovely saris. The next surprise can be the excellent food at very moderate prices.

For example, the organic mixed-green salad with carrots, red cabbage, and cucumbers, and a choice of five dressings, is a steal at $3.95. One can have a tasty and satisfying lunch or dinner consisting of a large bowl of excellent Dal (lentil) soup with an organic salad and a slice of sprouted organic bread for $5.95, or a bowl of Dal and a large sandwich for $7.95-8.95, or a pesto pizza large enough for a lunch or dinner for $5.95, and, finally, a large baked potato with sour cream, butter and scallions, and a large bowl of Dal, $5.95.

The above combinations provide a good lunch or early dinner for as little as $5.95! Large dinner entrees, with a cup of soup or small organic salad, start at $7.95. Teas and some drinks are unusual but, occasionally, a bit pricey.

Breakfast. Eggs and omelettes are served with potatoes and whole-wheat toast unless otherwise noted. Omelettes are made with three eggs. Two eggs any style $4.50, cheese omelette of sharp white an regular cheddar $4.95, mushroom, onion, and cheese omelette $5.50, Mexican omelette guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and sharp cheddar $5.75, scrambled tofu (vegan) sauteed with spices $5.75, huevos rancheros with two corn tortillas, covered with black beans, brown rice, topped with cheddar cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream, wrapped in a yellow tortilla, and served with potatoes or toast $6.75, breakfast burrito with two scrambled eggs, black beans, ranchero sauce, topped with sharp cheddar, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream, in a yellow tortilla, and served with potatoes $5.95, hot cakes (with regular syrup, add 75 cents for maple syrup) – multigrain pancakes made from organic-6-grain batter, 2 – $4, 3 – $4.75, buttermilk pancakes 2 for $3.50, 3 – $4.25, French toast, dipped in orange batter $5.50.

Sunrise Special – 2 hot cakes with two eggs any style $4.70, with scrambled tofu $5.50. oatmeal $2.50 & $3.75.

Appetizers — samosas (vegan) two fried pastries filled with potato-pea-curry and served with chutney $4.25, hummus (vegan) served with grilled chapati slices $3.75, vegetarian chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce 8 pcs $4.25, 15 pcs $6.25.

Soups and salads (choice of five dressings) — cup of soup or Dal (lentil) $2.95, large bowl with slice of bread $3.95, Dinner salad of organic greens (vegan) $3.95, bowl of soup and salad Special $5.95, Mexican salad with black beans, brown rice, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, sharp cheddar, salsa, guacamole, sour cream (vegan on request) $6.95, Greek salad with baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, kalamati olives, crumbled feta cheese (vegan on request) $6.95.

Wraps — made with whole wheat or yellow tortillas and served with small green salad — burrito of yellow chipotle stuffed with black beans, sharp cheddar, brown rice, ranchero sauce, guacamole, salsa, sour cream $5.25, Hummus Wrap in a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, chopped cucumbers and tomato $5.96, Curry Wrap with chutney and brown rice (vegan ) $7.25, Falafel Wrap combo of four falafels with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and special sauce $5.95 (vegan), Portobello Wrap with sauteed mushrooms, red bell peppers, onions, garlic, baby spinach, mozzarella in a yellow tortilla (vegan on request) $6.95.

Sandwiches (all include lettuce, tomatoes, and tofu-tamari spread, served on organic sprouted bread with small green salad, add cheese for 50 cents or soy cheese 75 cents) — Meatloaf sandwich with two thick slices made from grains, eggs, ricotta cheese, tofu, and spices, then all baked together and topped with tangy tomato-based sauce $6.95, Turkey Club, vegetarian version of two soy-turkey slices with three slices of vegetarian bacon $6.75, Tofu Burger $5.95 (Vegan on request). Veggie Burger (Vegan on request) $5.95, Eggplant Hero $5.95.

Soup and Sandwich Special — add $2.00 to any sandwich.

Entrees — served with soup or dal or dinner salad, a la carte entrees $1.00 less — Curry Dinner, choice from all regions of India, with basmati rice, chutney, raita (cucumbers in yoghourt), and pita bread $8.95, Samosa Dinner — two samosas, basmati rice, chutney, raita, and pita bread (Vegan on request) $8.95, Steamed vegetables (Vegan on request) $7.95. potato-tofu ravioli , served with two slices of garlic bread (Vegan) $8.95, Meatloaf with mashed potatoes & gravy — made from grains, eggs, ricotta cheese, tofu & spices with tangy tomato-based sauce, served with mashed potatoes and gravy $10.75.

Pizzas — served on boboli crust, with small green salad — California with sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, mozzarella cheese $5.95. Pesto with fresh basil, garlic, pecarino romano cheese, mozzarella cheese, spices $5.95.

Baked potatoes — with sour cream , butter, and scallions $3.25, with mushrooms, broccoli & onions $4.75, with curry of day as topping $5.75 (add $2.25 or $2.75 for bowl of soup or Dal, or salad).

Beverages — large choice of loose teas served in a tea press $1.95–2.95, Yogi tea (with milk) hot Indian- spiced drink containing ginger, jujube dates, and licorice $1.95, Ener-Chi non-caffeinated tonic with Siberian ginseng, ginger, and spices $1.95, organic camomille decorated with blue cornflowers $1.95, Herb teas $1.25, black & green teas $1.45, large ice-cream shakes $3.75. Soft drinks are expensive at $1.75, but you can always stick to ice-water (free).