Plumeria Vegetarian Restaurant

Unlike Bahn Thai's picnic-table hustle, Plumeria runs polished and proper — indoor seating, wine pours, reservations that actually matter on weekends. This is the spot for business lunches that need to accommodate the vegan consultant, family dinners where half the table eats plants and nobody has to compromise. The fact that it's fully vegetarian doesn't feel like a limitation — it feels like a lane they've mastered while the rest of University Heights was still figuring out what mock duck is.

The **yellow curry** is the anchor dish — turmeric-forward, coconut milk dialed to creamy without crossing into heavy, and unlike the watered-down tom yum some reviews lament, this one delivers. Ask for it with steamed tofu if you want clean, fried if you want texture. The **pumpkin curry** runs sweeter and softer, good for the spice-averse in your party. **Cashew mock duck** gives you the chew and soy-glazed richness you'd expect from the real thing, though the rice — white or brown — is utility-grade, not the star.

Service moves fast, even on weekends, which is rare for Thai joints in this price range. The spring rolls get called out in reviews as some of the best in the city, and that tracks — crisp wrap, clean vegetables, sauce that doesn't taste like it came from a jar. They do beer, wine, and full outdoor seating when the weather's cooperating, which in San Diego is most of the time.

Downsides: consistency wavers on delivery orders — that tom yum mentioned earlier showed up stripped of spices, and mango sticky rice without coconut cream is a cardinal sin. Dine-in or pickup keeps quality tighter. This is a neighborhood staple because it does one thing uncommonly well: Thai food that doesn't need meat as a crutch.