Hsi Lai Temple - Hacienda Heights

The temple is nice to visit, especially during the New Year. Our photo club (one of our members worshiped there) went to make pictures and we all ate at the buffet later. The food was mild, no intense aromas or spicy dishes, but it was all vegan and we had a lot of options to choose from. We were very satisfied and stayed full. It is a great day trip so if you want to see a place that is amazingly beautiful that has a beautiful vegan buffet, this is a great place to go.

To answer the last question... 100% VEGAN FOOD HERE. This is one of my favorite places. Donation $5 for buffet lunch, daily. The food is not always spot-on, most of the dishes are fairly bland and some VERY strange vegetables can pop up. If you 're into the fake meat , you may be disappointed by the scarcity of it here. But there are several selections on the buffet line, and most of them are delicious. They have SALAD BAR now, which really rocks, though they are a bit lax about keeping the trays full. A large fresh fruit bar as well. If anything, THREE STARS for the food, FIVE for the value, and FIVE for the Temple grounds themselves... simply gorgeous. No one will EVER APPROACH YOU about Buddhism... guaranteed... but there is free literatute galore for the curious. DON 'T BE AFRAID OF THIS PLACE! The diners are always an interracial mix, not all Chinese people, and clearly not all Buddhists. We 're Agnostic post-punks, and have spotted other weirdos here on more than one occasion. Make sure you bring $1 for the museum, the root carvings and miniature tablet writings have to be seen to be believed. And the infinity room at the end is a STONE TRIP. Oh yea, bring a handful of pennies with you. There 's a bell in the lower left-side garden, and if you manage to hit it with a coin, good fortune of some kind is supposed to shine on you. For FIVE BUCKS, this is the best deal going. Parking is crowded so you may have to hike up the hill from the street. I know it starts at 11am, but I think it ends at 1:30 and not 1... not sure... but when it ends, it ENDS, and all the food trays disappear whether you 're ready or not... so get there on time! And enjoy!

Does anyone know if the food is vegan friendly? I've tried calling a couple of times to find out to no avail. :

The vegetarian buffet at the temple is excellent and definitely worth a visit.

This restaurant is a convenient option for dining after a visit to the Hsi Lai Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the western hemisphere. The lunch buffet is reasonably priced at $7 per person. The food is house-style Chinese cuisine that is not overly greasy or spicy, unlike some other restaurants in the area. However, the selection is not as extensive as you might find at a typical buffet. If you prefer more flavorful options, you may want to try other restaurants in the vicinity, such as Happy Family.