WHAT'S THE SCARIEST vegetarian restaurant you've ever eaten in?

I don't mean scary as in all the cooks have dirty hands and you find a piece of gristle in your grilled cheese sandwich. –Rather, I'm talking about those vegetarian restaurants affiliated with spiritual movements wherein you feel as if you'll be coerced into giving all your worldly possessions to the master in lieu of a tip. I'd be tempted to question why it's only vegetarian places that get linked up with spirituality, but the Bible verses reproduced on In-N-Out cups and burger wrappers prove that religion is omnivorous.

In San Francisco we're lucky to have some great vegetarian places. Some are run by religions and faiths, but it's easy to enjoy a meal at them without giving the spirituality a single thought. A few books or magazines scattered about, an inspiring bit of wisdom inscribed on the menu, a somewhat rigid no-alcohol policy are all that indicate these places are about anything more than a good meal. (Although at Ananda Fuara on Market Street at Larkin, the video of 70-ish Sri Chinmoy doing his morning exercises and playing every instrument known to humankind can be a little distracting.)

Not so in other cities. My New York friends talk about the Seventh-Day Adventist-run Country Life restaurant, which used to be in midtown Manhattan. The propaganda for various retreats and other spiritual activities was so thick it spooked them. They never returned, although it's unclear whether it was the religion or the unexciting food that kept them away. I doubt the food at the Soul Vegetarian restaurants to be found in the East and Midwest is boring; run by the folks of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, it can draw its menu from two of the world's tastiest cuisines (although in reality it serves mostly organic juices and vegetarianized African American favorites).

And just about everybody who has been to college or lived in a big city has been invited to feast on vegetarian food courtesy of the saffron-robed philanthropists of the Hare Krishna organization.

And while the chances you'll be induced to join up on the strength of a good meal are slim, there are those who don't like the idea that their restaurant dollar is going into the pockets of a spiritual movement. Of course, spiritual organizations aren't the only potentially peculiar places your restaurant dollar might go to; if you eat at PlumpJack Cafe, part of the bill could go toward electing Gavin Newsom mayor.

But what are you going to do? There are only so many purely vegetarian spots in the Bay Area, and for many vegans of conscience, giving their money to a place that serves meat (and therefore promotes the killing of animals) is pretty abhorrent in itself.

And besides, the food at Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant kicks butt. We stopped in recently, nearly too hungry and tired to make sense of the wide-ranging pan-Asian menu. With more than 60 items, all of them vegan, making a choice was agony. We ordered a refreshing Thai salad of cucumbers, mint, rice vinegar, and red pepper to fortify us while we pondered the menu.

Although Golden Era leans heavily in the direction of Vietnamese food, this time we skipped the vegetarian pho, imperial rolls, and rice noodle dishes in favor of Chinese items. A chewy steamed "Buddha Bun" was brimming with tofu, bean threads, and veggies. It was oversized enough to share.

Hong Kong-style chow mein featured crispy pan-fried noodles with a garlicky mix of tofu, mock chicken, mushrooms, and veggies.

The deep, savory sauce was the best part of a very tasty clay-pot dish featuring chewy chunks of vegetarian lamb and mushrooms. This is the dish to order if you are feeling carnivorous. Happily, the Quanyin meditation method and the Supreme Master Ching Hai don't prohibit caffeine, so a wide variety of beverages are available, including Vietnamese iced coffee and Thai iced tea in a regular or vegan version, along with fresh juices and smoothies.

The atmosphere at Golden Era is certainly nothing to write home about. A few steps down from street level, the restaurant is plain but comfortable, with glass-topped tables complete with inspirational notes tucked under the glass. A section up front has magazines, books, and videos you can borrow, should you suddenly realize the need for a deeper spirituality in your life.

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