Friday, October 09, 2026
Vegetarian's guide to Vietnam
In addition to the wonderful Vietnamese tofu we've been having and the hot fresh soya milk & mung bean milk you can find at the night markets, we have been to multiple vegetarian &/or vegan restaurants which we would recommend (as well as a handful that we wouldn't - which are not listed below)
Note that even spots that are not vegetarian tend to have at least one tofu dish on their menu, and they're generally quite good! (Also keep in mind that if you need purely vegetarian or vegan you will need to be VERY specific - saying "I don't eat meat" will not be sufficient....). Look for the word "chay" which means "meatless"/"plant-based" (and for strictly vegan look for "thuan chay") - this diet is rooted in Buddhist dietary practices which are abundant in Vietnam.
Where you should go:
- Sapa - SU Vegetarian - high-end restaurant - beautiful location and wonderfully prepared food
- Hoi An - Peanuts - nicely curated options at this small family-run spot
- Nha Trang - Senta Vegetarian - nice selection of Vietnamese veggie-forward dishes
- Da Lat - Vegan Heaven (the name doesn't lie!) - with its full menu of Vietnamese dishes prepared 100% vegan 😀 & Quan Chay Bo De - our local spot with just a few choices (tofu & veggies with soup, noodles, or rice) - note there are MANY small spots also with the "chay" label which we didn't visit...
- Ho Chi Min City - so many.... food everywhere... (happycow.net lists 845 spots in the city) from restaurants that cater to vegetarians to Bahn Mi Xanh's 24 hour vegan bahn mi shops, the choices are endless!
Note: we are not vegan, we are not even vegetarian, but we love food! Kepfram, when eating the absolutely delicious vegatarian & vegan foods we are finding here, is finding himself particularly critical of past meals he's had which sacrificed flavor for principle...
Ellie and Kepfram, 2:53 PM
