Kalga Kafe

Kalga was boring, pretentious, so hip it made mine hurt, and the food was crap. I couldn’t be happier that it’s finally closed, hopefully someone with an idea on how to cook quality vegan food will replace it.

I love Kalga, and we used to come here a lot. Usually I’m skeptical of places that do a range of regional dishes, but I’ve not had anything here that isn’t good.
My issue with them is that they have recently put their prices up — a lot. Now, that’s fine, but in my book this place went from being a cheap and cheerful hippy place with good food to somewhere that costs as much as The Farm, but really is not in the same league in terms of food quality or service.
I’m a big fan of Kalga, and we’ll be back there, just not as often as we used to.

Been to Kalga many times and for the most part the food is good. However, I often find that it is over salted and over spiced. Someone in the kitchen has a heavy hand with the salt shaker. If you’re truly health conscious, over-​salted food is not something you want to be doing. Once I remember, I wasn’t able to eat my meal because of it. I’m not a young hippie type. I’m an old hippie wannabe. On many occasions I have had to ask them to turn the music down. I don’t know what it is about a lot off places in Portland, but they seem to think that blaring music is something that attracts customers. Personally, I don’t like having to yell to my dinner mate over blaring music. The décor is dark with shellacked plywood tables, some of which have balancing problems. The service is OK, but no one is rushing to greet me at the door. For the prices, I expect certain things besides just food. Know what I mean? One thing they could do in an otherwise healthy food restaurant, is serve filtered water. Giving patrons water from the tap is disgusting to me. Portland water might be good, but it’s not that good. There is great potential here but they don’t seem to take advantage of it. Uniqueness of the building is a selling point and with just a few changes, they could attract way more than the hippie crowd, not that it’s a bad thing. There is also very limited table space. This is a place I go to on occasion but not one I want to do all the time. Too bad

The best place to go late night if you are a vegetarian and can’t stomach The Hot Cake House one more time. Serves yummy, spicy veggie food — mostly Indian and Thai until midnight.
There’s also a DJ spinning on weekend nights so that you still feel like you are out, even if you are headed straight to bed after Kalga. My friend Marianne votes that they have the best mango cocktail in SE (I haven’t tried it, but she says it comes in a pint glass) and that also, the owner is nice to look at.

I dragged my husband along to Kalga even though he is not a fan of all vegetarian restaurants. Where the reviews mention that Kalga has spicy Indian dishes I figured that this was a way to make him happy while at the same time making me happy!
We were with a group of about 9 – 10 people and the place was fairly empty other than us and a couple other parties. Originally we were going to be a larger group and even though (as I mentioned) the place was pretty empty the wait staff still took a while setting up a table for us. Very odd that pushing some tables together would take a while but whatever. The interior of Kalga is quite cool, I loved checking out the random doors that were above the bar, I kept wondering if they actually opened to anything.
When the wait staff heard that our plan was to have a larger sized party they asked us to limit our order too four entrees. It was somewhat of a pain but whatever. Odd considering how many empty tables there were. When they realized we would just have 9 people they eased up on that restriction. My husband and I split the Thali dish and added the samosa appetizer. Although my husband loves his food spicy we went for medium spice because I am pretty much a wussy when it comes to spicy dishes.
The Thali dish consisted of a few different Indian dishes and it was good although they were out of one of the components of it. I enjoyed it and it wasn’t too spicy. I loved the samosa dish it was fantastic. It was flavorful, chock full of good stuff inside it, and the chole that it came with was phenomenal. I am so happy that I read the reviews ahead of time and knew to get that. We were both happy with our food.
Most of our other dining companions seemed pleased with their food. Everyone loved their drinks especially the ones that came in the coconuts! My husband and I both ordered a smoothie and they were quite good. My husband loved them, he ended up drinking both mine and his.
Overall, great meal… good food, good company, and really cool interior. I love that although the menu is vegetarian it is super diverse and they are all about the spices at Kalga. It is a great place to bring carnivores if they love unique, interesting dishes that are spicy. One slightly annoying thing with the bill… we were told that the Thali dishes would be discounted because of the missing item and they didn’t credit us until we brought it to their attention. Annoying but whatever… it happens.

Date Visited: Sunday 8÷24÷08 (Dinner)
This was my 2^nd visit to Kalga and it got off to a rocky start. I had been told the restaurant didn’t take reservations, so when I told them that 14 people were showing up for dinner, they looked at my like, «Why didn’t you call us for a reservation?!» They requested that we only order 4 different entrees. In any case, there turned out to only be 9 of us on this gloomy Sunday and they lightened up on the 4 entrée requirement. Someone pointed out that no one came into the restaurant the whole time we were there, so not sure how the restaurant may have coped if more showed up since they apparently don’t have a kitchen that can accommodate a larger group of people.
In any case, we ordered what we want. I wasn’t terribly hungry, so I shared the Thali dish with a friend. They were out of one of the items that comes with it, so they knocked the price down $ 2 (don’t know if that’s a bargain or not on a dish that’s already $ 15). It was okay. I preferred the Falafel dish I had the last time I visited, but it was certainly better than the pizza I’ve tried. Others in my group seemed to really enjoy the food though, so I can’t really complain.

It’s not like I’m a newbie yeep or anything, but I just noticed the «update» button.

I love the Kalga. They’ve been holding it down on Division for a good while, and have been consistent throughout. Their salads are the bomb, so good. And samosas+chole = awesome. Healthy, delicious, just a touch on the expensive side. Good date place, great for veggies and vegans.

My friend had been wanting to try this place, so when we were trying to come up with where we were going to get a drink and perhaps a little food — it came up to come here. Well, I am oh so very, very glad that we did. The place has a great vibe… dark, but not too dark, and the curved eating area gives it a nice flow such that you’re not on top of people while you’re in there. I love the dark walls too.
The food — awesome. I had the samosa and chole (appetizer menu — and only $ 6). Holy awesome. It was so flavorful (I got medium plus because he said that the spicy was a little over the top) — I’m glad that he warned me. Usually when people say that it’s spicy in the US, it’s not that spicy. But he was right — it’s spicy. And for that, I’m thankful. The samosa was great — moist, and flavorful. The chole was fantastic — and I was so full that it took me the whole evening to feel «normal sized» again.
Prices are great, and portions are perfect. Service could have been a touch better, but overall pretty good — especially considering that the guy was running the bar and the entire restaurant. Good thing that I wasn’t in any kind of hurry though.

I had been wanting to try this restaurant for quite awhile, and finally did. I liked the atmosphere (except for the dj table…) but I have to say I was disappointed in the food. We ordered the Samosas for an appetizer — they sounded and looked delicious. The pastry was ok but the filling was really dry. I ordered the Thali for my entrée, my guy ordered the Asian Stir Fry. I liked his better than mine, but it’s a dish I could easily make at home, so nothing really special there. The Thali sounded good, and I liked the idea of having a variety of dishes to sample. The Dal was pretty ok, but the other stuff didn’t impress me. The flatbread was good, though, so my dinner ended up consisting mostly of that. Also, the server was kind of friendly but towards the end I felt a little uncomfortable with the awkward timing and eye contact.

I would have given Kalga the FVSTR! were it not for their use of the «K» instead of «C» on Café. Shit drives me nuts.
Judging from some from some of the other reviews, we got really lucky on our visit to Kalga. The place was empty, and our server was the owner. Which 99% of the time guarantees better service (for the other 1% SEE: Sagittarius)
We were just looking for something quick before a movie, so we split a salad and the Dal. The greens on our salad were excellent, no complaints there at all. The Dal was perfectly spiced. Made me sweat a little, cleared the sinuses. But I could taste what was going on under it all.
We were in and out quickly, and the price was not bad at all.
Feels like and excellent place to bring a date. Very relaxing vibe with low lighting and good tunes.
+ 1 sexy bathroom art

Yum. The fusion of flavors from so many different cultures: brilliant. It is hard to accomplish this successfully (prime example: Thai peanut chicken pizza, anyone?) (shudder…).
Kalga Café has fusion nailed. The slightly extra price is worth it. And I have never felt so calm in a restaurant, almost as if I had entered an ashram. The server was so centered, it was like being served by the Dalai Lama. We tried several things on the menu and all were delicious. I realized when we left that the restaurant is vegetarian –the food was so exceptional I didn’t even notice.
One star off for the big huge DJ table/​eyesore, thankfully unmanned.

GREAT Atmosphere, I almost thought that I was back in SF, and tasty food, we got the samosas, a lovely salad and thali. The only downside is while the menu featured an interesting mixture from Indian, Thai and Mediterranean fare, it was a little narrow. I would have liked it if they mixed it up a bit, or maybe focused on just one region per night… Just a thought. But I’ll definitely be back to Kalga for a romantic candlelit meal, it’ll treat you right!

Homemade Iced Chai for the table: $ 5
Pad Thai, Green Curry, and Tomato Coconut Soup: $ 25
Watching your self-​professed Chileheads sweat and squirm over what was presented as «mild» dishes… PRICELESS.
(Why one star off? The waiter seemed to forget about us once the food was dropped at the table… and the sweat was pooling to a dangerous level…)

I like Kalga. I love a couple of dishes. A couple of things bother me too.
Good —
Clean tasting and some organic food
Cozy environment
The service is typically very friendly
Vegan dessert options and many vegan dinner options
Interesting metal service ware.
I like the stir fry and the vegan pizza is thin crust-​margarita style and great!
Bad —
The price is high for what you get to me. $ 12.95 for veggies and rice? They are good and the sauce is good, but? And — the infamous $ 9 burrito — I can get one 5 times as good down the street for $ 3. And it is bigger. I will gladly pay more than $ 10 for something «foodie» with an interesting concept or a more upscale approach — but these are just good and well-​done already invented dishes… but yeah don’t get me wrong — still good.
Also — the tables are wobbly/​thin and at a weird height. I always come in looking for a relaxing comfy environment and it looks the part, but I find sitting at the tables a little precarious at times.
Anyway — it is a good option. The food is grubbin’ without making you feel like you ate at a dirty grease pit. The atmosphere (other than the actual sitting) is very comfortable and nice.

We haven’t visited many new places lately, and after skimming through Unilocal and finding the Kalga Kafe … we were pleased with what we discovered.
It’s seat yourself (and we literally JUST beat a big crowd of people). We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a beer before out meal and perused the menu. It’s not extensive but they have some great choices. We ordered the Samosas and the Chole Bhatoore.
Both were delicious — unique, fresh, filling.
The service is also friendly and impeccable. I always consider it a good sign when you ask the server for their recommendation between 2 items and they recommend the less expensive.

I am not a vegetarian, and I love this place. I had been meaning to try it for years, but only got around to it when I moved to SE. I was missing out. The ambiance is über chill, the service is always friendly, the food is great, and the music is always interesting.
The Chole Bhatoore is super, super, super dope. It’s a spicy garbanzo bean dish with a handmade fried flat bread. It comes with onions and cilantro on top. I can’t seem to get past it. I want to branch out and try other things on the menu, but every time I walk in I order the Chole. Chole, I love you.
Thankfully, my wife always is sampling different things, so I get to try hers. She loves the black bean burrito (BIG), and the curry is fantastic (props for the gratuitous use of Kaffir lime leaves!!!).
I also start with the samosas, which are quite tasty. They are filled with potatoes and peas, and come with mint and tamarind chutney, both of which are very tasty. Samosas and Chole (damn, just writing this makes me want some), mmmmm. The Wakame salad (seaweed with some sesame soy dressing) is REALLY good. Don’t be shy, just TRY IT!
I have tried the vegan pizza and… well, I think it would be more exciting for me if I were Vegan. My wife (currently vegan) likes it a lot. Its not bad, but its not really pizza. I think its about the closest vegans are gonna get to «pizza».
They make some damn fine drinks as well. The Indian soda pop is good too (lime, what??). Plus, they usually offer a few vegan desserts that are not too bad.
All in all, I can’t give this place anything less than a 5 star rating. Just sitting in the place calms one’s energies, and the food is comforting to boot. One of these days I will break out of my rut and try the other Indian dishes on the menu.

Offering delicious vegetarian-​friendly food from cuisines around the world, Kalga is a gem. They serve up impressive entrees in their dimly-​lit sophisticated setting. Although sometimes they seem a little pricey, it is always tasty as can be, and the most fancy of the family of business on Vegan Lane (it shares the neighborhood with Food Fight and Scape Goat).

Delicious vegetarian delights found here!
My boyfriend and I decided to try this restaurant for a special occasion, and found that it’s a special occasion just dining here! We greatly enjoy the miso soup, and have tried the Pad Thai, Green Curry, and the Indian sample dinner. The Pad Thai is the best I have tasted and the tofu is perfect. The mixed drinks are a bit small, but the non-​alc. fresh coconut milk is well worth the money.
As for the setting, the mood is beautifully set off with candlelight for each table in the evenings. A very romantic or just calming experience. I highly recommend this place to anyone who loves their Thai/​Indian/​Veggie experience.

After passing by this restaurant many times on my way to Stumptown coffee down the street, I was finally taken to dinner here. The vegan pizza is supposed to be amazing, but this time I went with a curry. The waitstaff were friendly, and even though they were a little slow it goes with the vibe of the place.
I wouldn’t go here if you’re in a hurry to, say, catch a movie, but this is a good place to sit back, have some tea, and have a conversation with your date. The dishes take a little while because they’re made from scratch, but it’s well worth the wait. The room is painted in dark reds and accented with candles, with a long curving wall of windows looking out on the quiet street.
A word to the wise: They are not kidding about the spice, so only order hot if you really mean it. Otherwise they have a range of mild to low medium to high medium and all the way up to scorch your tongue hot!
All in all I’d say Kalga is a great space for a romantic date or dinner with friends, and I’ll certainly be back for the vegan pizza soon!