Meat eaters who never will give up bacon, burgers or any sort of roast beast need not make any life-changing commitments in order to try the vegetarian and vegan fare at Water Drop Vegetarian House.

The food is eye-openingly delicious, despite a lack of onions, green onions or garlic in addition to the lack of meat.

The smell of such aromatics is too strong, said Venerable Abbess YiHung Shih, who is in charge of the restaurant and its adjacent temple.

“We use the Buddhist way of cooking,” she said, which of course includes a philosophy averse to killing.

“No killing, more harmony,” she said.

The kitchen staff cooks with ginger and the rest of the universe of herbs and spices to make the restaurant’s flavorful dishes, which change daily. Find each day’s menu posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page, facebook.com/WaterDropVegetarianHouse.

On a recent day I intended to get the smaller of the two plate sizes offered, but as usual my eyes-bigger-than-the-stomach miscalculation combined with the siren call of Brussels sprouts and spring rolls prompted me to upgrade to the very large $10 combo plate. It was too much food for one sitting. But the leftovers made a tasty treat later and did not go to waste.

About the business: The restaurant is a for-profit operation that supports the nonprofit Fo Guang Shan Hawaii temple, one of some 260 temples within the Taiwanese-based Buddhist order around the world. The 300-member temple opened May 30.

Shih has “planted” several temples, said Shirley Lum, president of the Buddha’s Light International Association in Hawaii, and Fo Guang Shan liaison for the Water Drop Tea House.

Temples in Vancouver and Toronto both have restaurants, but those are solely for temple members, Shih said. “This is unique,” Shih said of the Honolulu restaurant, which opened Dec. 1.

How to order: Get in line, and when it’s your turn make your choices from the items on view. Pricing is simple. For a minicombo you will pay $7; for the larger combo plate, $10. The minicombo comes with two entree choices; the larger plate gives you four. With either plate you get a choice of two starches, say, one scoop of brown rice and one helping of noodles. Along with rice, regular offerings include stew veggie rice and chow mein or Singapore rice noodles.

What to order: Vegetable entrees include lo han jai, also known as monk’s food, spicy ma po tofu, braised turnip, turnip cakes, Brussels sprouts cooked with ginger, spring rolls, pot stickers, deep-fried potato croquettes and more. Some dishes include vegetarian ham, but many of Water Drop’s dishes are vegan.

Beverages include a different hot tea each day, coffee, bubble tea and something called smoked plum juice. The latter’s main ingredients are purchased from a Chinese herbalist and include smoked plum, hawthorn (a berry), Chinese licorice, roselle (hibiscus) and cane sugar. Being a fan of Japanese ume, it seemed a natural choice to try. It didn’t taste like ume, but was immediately delicious on the tongue, followed by a smoky, campfire flavor at the finish. A cup is $3.

Water Drop recently added desserts, including a unique gelatin that uses no animal-based collagen. Shih makes it herself with the seeds of a variety of fig. She places them in a cloth bag, submerges them in water and gently rubs the seeds together to extract a gel that sets when chilled.

Ai yu jelly is served in a liquidy mixture of honey and lemon and is light and refreshing, even on a full belly.

Grab and go: Denizens of downtown are fortunate to be within walking distance because street parking is a challenge. Paid parking lots in the area can cost as much as $5 for even a brief visit.

For grab-and-go purposes, the 30 minutes allowed in the metered parking lot at Merchant and Richards streets near the U.S. Post Office is a cheap option, within a quick block’s walk to the restaurant at Alakea and Queen streets.

“Grab and Go” focuses on takeout food, convenience meals and other quick bites. Email ideas to crave@staradvertiser.com.