Finding the Vegetarian Food in Vietnam

One thing you observe in Vietnam is the love for food. Some even call it a foodie’s paradise. Vietnamese culture and food are inseparable. The country is predominantly rich in meat and seafood. But there is another side to the coin: Vietnamese vegetarian food is present.

Everywhere on streets, on sidewalks, and outside houses, you will see small colored stools lined up and people sitting and indulging in Vietnamese food or tea.

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Vietnamese Vegetarian Food

Although meat and seafood dominate the Vietnamese palate, there are quite a few vegetarian options. Rice is a staple diet of Vietnamese people and is grown in abundance.

Tip: Vegetarian is termed ‘Chay’ in Vietnamese. So, if a dish name includes the word’ Chay, ‘ you know it’s vegetarian.

My mother is a strict vegetarian, and she finds it difficult to stand the stench of seafood. The smell wafts in the market area and streets, so we had to consider that when choosing where to eat.

But we will try to help you with the vegetarian Vietnamese food names that you can enjoy safely. Not only were there many vegetarian meal options, but we were surprised to explore the enormous variety of Vietnamese desserts and beverages. So, let’s dig in.

Related Read: Prettiest Places in Vietnam

1. Banh Mi (pronounced Banh mee)

Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that can be found in every nook and corner and is one of the best street foods around the world. Banh Mi is a Vietnamese word for bread. It’s a baguette split lengthwise and filled with lettuce and other ingredients. It’s a complete meal in itself.

Banh Mi Chay is the vegetarian version of Banh Mi. It’s wholesome and has a humble filling of lettuce, cucumbers, other veggies, mayo, and tofu instead of meat.

Note: If you are allergic to soy, please avoid Tofu.

This is the best Vietnamese vegetarian food, and it can be customized to your taste. This is one Vietnamese food recipe that you can even try at home.

If you are ok eating eggs, then fried eggs can be added too.

Learn More: 10 Days in Vietnam Itinerary

2. Pho (pronounced as ‘fuh’)

Did you know? Pho is the national dish of Vietnam.

Vietnamese people begin their day with a flavorful, wholesome meal. Pho is a broth soup with rice noodles, vegetables, chicken, beef, or shrimp in it.

Pho Chay is the vegetarian version of Pho. Usually, Pho is made from chicken or beef broth, but in Pho Chay, the broth is made from vegetables. The vegetarian version includes mushrooms and tofu for a healthy dose. Pho Chay is primarily available in Vegan or vegetarian restaurants.

Pho is mainly a breakfast food perfect to begin the day with to keep you healthy and going. Pho is available at all street-side eateries and even at the makeshift eating joints outside homes, but it will mainly serve the non-vegetarian version.

If you want to eat like the locals, then we highly recommend taking food tours and knowing about the food culture. Choose from the tours:

3. Goi Cuon Chay (Vietnamese Spring Roll)

Unlike the fried versions of spring rolls that we generally eat, these are the healthiest and the most flavorful rolls that I have ever eaten.

The vegetarian version can have tofu. Loaded with fresh veggies and thin rice noodles, these no-cook rolls are easy to make within minutes and perfect for warm weather.

The delicate, thin rice paper sheet is kept in shallow, warm water to make it soft and filled with all the ingredients. The colors and flavors ooze out of these transparent rolls, making them irresistible to eat.

In fact, it is very interesting to watch how they make these thin rice sheets from smooth rice paste over steam. They are then spread over to dry.

4. Stir-fried Vegetables/Mushroom

Stir-fry vegetables are the best for vegetarians. With a wide variety of mushrooms available, this versatile dish can include broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms, bok choy, etc. It can be teamed with steamed rice or noodles for the meal.

5. Stir-fried Tofu

Tofu, the bean curd, is made from soy. This power-packed protein makes a great alternative to meat. When stir-fried with sauce and seasoning, it’s hard to resist this simple yet tasty dish.

6. Rau Muong Xao Toi (Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic)

This is a favorite side dish that is generally eaten with fish. But this stir-fried water spinach can be very well eaten with steamed rice for a great meal.

7. Veg Fried Rice

Rice is the staple food of Vietnam. So, you cannot go wrong with it. With a healthy dose of veggies, this is the best dish to have anywhere.

Even if the restaurant doesn’t have Veggie fried rice on its menu, it can customize it according to your choice of veggies.

Please Note: Eggs will be added to Veggie fried rice, so please specify not to add them if you do not eat eggs.

8. Veg Noodles

There are many kinds of noodles available in Vietnam – the most common being rice noodles, rice vermicelli (a thinner version of rice noodles), egg noodles, glass noodles, and Banh Canh (noodles made from tapioca flour). The list doesn’t end here and is very elaborate.

Just like veg fried rice, veg noodles can be ordered or customized at any restaurant serving noodles.

Do you need a visa for Vietnam? If yes, how do I get one? Our Ultimate Guide to Vietnam Visa answers all your questions.

Vietnamese Beverages

Vietnam is a tea and coffee-loving country. So, going from Vietnam without trying them would be incomplete. Besides them, there is a wide variety of Vietnamese drinks and dessert drinks.

1. Vietnamese Tea

Tea has been an integral part of Vietnamese culture since the 13th century. They begin their day with a hot cup of tea and can have it multiple times a day, either cold or hot green tea.

You can see their love for tea or bonding with each other. Many roadside makeshift shops called Quan Coc serve tea.

It is a common scene during the day to see students, workers, elders, or homemakers sitting on small stools lined up on sidewalks and bonding over a cup of hot or iced tea.

2. Egg Coffee (Cà phê trứng in Vietnamese)

If you are okay with eggs, egg coffee is a must-try. I was amazed to hear this combo, as I had never imagined it. So, I am taking the liberty of mentioning it here, even in this vegetarian list.

This is a typical Vietnamese drink made from egg yolks, condensed milk, sugar, and robusta coffee. It is served both hot and cold.

We tried the cold version at the Giang Café, the birthplace of egg coffee, and loved it. We could not smell the eggs; we just felt the smooth, silky texture.

Price: 25,000 VND

Did you know? Egg coffee was created during the French war when there was a shortage of fresh milk; hence, whisked egg yolk was used as a substitute. Who knew it would be a sensation in itself?  

Learn more about the tea and coffee culture in Vietnam and take some cooking classes:

3. Coconut Coffee

You can realize the love for coffee that the Vietnamese hold with the wide variations of coffee available.

Café Cong ca phe is famous for its coconut coffee, which is served hot or cold.

Price: 45,000VND

Did you know? Vietnamese people like their coffee strong. They generally add condensed milk instead of fresh milk to their coffee.

4. Che Suong Sa

This is a very popular multi-colored and multi-layered drink made from jelly, tapioca pearls, and coconut milk, along with fruits like pomegranate seeds and mango.

This beautiful and scrumptious rainbow drink can be savored as a dessert and is a popular Vietnamese dessert drink. The chewy jelly with soft tapioca pearls blending with cold coconut crème and the crunch of fruits is a wonderful combination.

We highly recommend trying it.

5. Nuoc mia (Sugarcane Juice)

is the sweet sugarcane juice that you can find being sold on the streets and in restaurants. Extracted from pressed sugarcane sticks, this is refreshing to drink in the hot Vietnamese weather.

Tip: Travelers should only try the Sugarcane juice from a clean, hygienic place.

Desserts in Vietnam

The Vietnamese seem to have a sweet tooth, as there is a wide variety of Vietnamese desserts available in restaurants and as Vietnamese street food. Vietnamese sweets range from dry-fried snacks to cakes, puddings, and dessert drinks.

1. Banh Tieu (Vietnamese Doughnut)

Banh Tieu are lightly sweet, hollow, and fluffy doughnuts sprinkled with sesame seeds on the outside. They are sold on the streets.

2. Banh Cam or Banh Ran

These are deep-fried rice balls filled with mung paste and covered with sesame seeds. They are a traditional Vietnamese dessert that can be consumed for breakfast or snacks. (Mung is a lentil that is soaked overnight and cooked to make a fine paste.)

These dried sweets can be eaten as snacks and are addictive. I had to literally stop myself from eating another.

3. Che Ba Mau (three-color dessert)

It is a popular dessert with three colored layers: Yellow mung bean paste, Green agar jelly, and Red kidney beans covered with condensed milk or coconut cream.

Dig into this chilled dessert and relish the symphony of different textures that create magic in your mouth.

4. Che Chuoi

This is a pudding made from banana and tapioca (also called sago) pearls cooked in coconut milk, usually served warm. It is a popular Vietnamese dessert cooked at home.

5. Che Bap

Che Bap is a Vietnamese sweet corn pudding made from simmering corn kernels and tapioca pearls in coconut milk into a delectable thick pudding.

6. Mango sticky rice or Xôi xoài (pronounced soi Swai)

Mango sticky rice is a popular sweet dish across Southeast Asia and has variations across the region.

Vietnam, an agricultural country, produces a wide variety of rice, including glutinous sticky rice.

The sticky rice is cooked with sugar and coconut milk, and the thick sticky rice is served with chilled mango slices. Even though it looks very simple, the combination tastes terrific.

Tips for Vietnamese Food

1. It is always good to clarify that you should not eat meat or seafood while ordering a vegetarian dish unless you are in a vegetarian restaurant. If you don’t eat eggs, please specify this as well, as an egg is added to vegetarian fried rice at most places.
2. If you are going on a cruise or taking a tour, mention your food choices in advance to avoid any glitches. During the cruise and day tours, we were served vegetarian noodles/rice with stir-fried tofu and veggies.
3. When you get bored of rice and noodles, head to an Indian restaurant for a wide variety of vegetarian options. There are many Indian restaurants in Vietnam.
4. Download the Happycow app or search happycow.net for vegetarian/vegan restaurants in any city.

Planning to visit Hanoi? Read our post on Top Attractions in Hanoi to help you plan a memorable trip.

Vegetarian Restaurants in Vietnam

Even though the Vietnamese are mainly non-vegetarians, there are many Buddhist monks who follow a vegetarian diet. Across Vietnam, there are many Vegan & Vegetarian restaurants in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and other major cities:

Minh Hien Vegetarian Restaurant

This family-owned vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An is a favorite among travelers. They even conduct informal and fun cooking classes.

Hum Vegetarian

This is the most popular vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, with three locations. With its classic ambiance and all-natural ingredients, it prepares flavorful and delectable dishes that are free of MSG.

Saigon Vegan

It is a vegan restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. Boasting over 100 vegan items on its menu and even a vegan kids menu, it is a place worth trying. The coffee and other drinks are also served with soy milk instead of cow milk.

Secret Garden

It is a vegetarian—and vegan-friendly restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. It is located on the rooftop of an old building and offers many home-cooked vegetarian options on its menu.

Loving Hut

Loving Hut is a chain of vegan and vegetarian restaurants worldwide, including in various cities in Vietnam: Hanoi, Ha Long City, Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh, and many more.

New Day

It is a popular vegetarian-friendly restaurant in Hanoi that has a separate veg section. There are various ala carte options or as set meals.

Cong Ca Phe

It won’t be wrong to call it the Starbucks of Vietnam. It is the most popular café across Vietnam, where you can sit and enjoy your cup of coffee or tea. We recommend trying Coconut coffee and iced tea.

Did you know? Vietnamese people refrain from eating non-vegetarian food twice a month—on the full moon and new moon days.

Vietnamese Words to Help

1. Chay – means vegetarian
2. Chè – traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage or dessert
3. Rau – vegetables
4. Bánh – category of food including cakes, pastries
5. Tôi ãn chay” means “I’m a vegetarian.”
6. Không thịt – means “without meat”

Have you been to Vietnam? Did you have trouble finding vegetarian food? We have tried to add many vegetarian food items, but this list is not exhaustive. Do share your recommendations about vegetarian food to try in Vietnam. We would be happy to update you.

Looking for the best amusement park in Vietnam? Then, head over to the Pearl Island of Phu Quoc. Read our post about Vinpearl Land Phu Quoc.

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