Foreign visitors: Is it easy to eat vegetarian food in Vietnam?

Every year, Vietnam welcomes millions of international visitors, many of whom are vegetarians, so 'Is it easy to be vegetarian in Vietnam?' is a question that many tourists are interested in when setting foot in the S-shaped country.

Various types of salads, rice vermicelli with vegetarian roasted pork... at a vegetarian buffet restaurant in Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NHA XUAN

“Which city is the most vegetarian-friendly in Vietnam?”, “Can you eat vegetarian in Vietnam?”... are also frequently searched questions online.

For example, the topic “Is it easy to find vegetarian and vegan food in Vietnam?” attracted many discussions on the online forum Reddit.

“I will be in Vietnam next month, traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central region and ending my trip in Hanoi. I don’t eat pork, clams, oysters, chicken or beef. I want to ask if it is easy to find vegetarian food when I go out to visit?”, a tourist about to visit Vietnam asked.

Bread served with vegetarian pate and mushrooms at a vegetarian restaurant in Phu Nhuan district

“It's easy, most places can make stir-fried vegetables,” one person replied.

“I will learn this Vietnamese phrase: I am vegetarian,” another person 'tipped off'.

“There are plenty of options in big cities. If you’re in a hurry, get a tofu or fried egg sandwich. And in the suburbs, head to temples, there are almost always vegan restaurants nearby,” added another.

Vegetarianism in Vietnam: Endless Choices

In fact, in Vietnam, finding a vegetarian restaurant is not difficult. People have countless options from the city to the countryside for their vegetarian meals.

It could be a vegetarian sandwich shop with tofu, mushroom, vegetarian sausage fillings... on the street corner, or a popular vegetarian restaurant with dozens of vegetarian dishes from fried, stir-fried, steamed, boiled...

A portion of mixed vegetarian rice costs 15,000 VND at a popular vegetarian restaurant in District 12.

Or it could be restaurants that specialize in vegetarian dishes, or a separate vegetarian menu in restaurants that sell meat dishes.

Recently, the vegetarian buffet model has also been popular with many people, from vegetarian restaurants that choose side dishes in buffet style, or vegetarian restaurants that serve dozens of buffet dishes from Asia to Europe, from vegetarian broken rice to vegetarian sushi, vegetarian burgers...

Vegetarian burger at a vegetarian buffet restaurant in Phu Nhuan district

Prices also vary from a few dozen to a few hundred thousand dong, depending on the quantity and quality of the dishes in the buffet.

If you want to cook for yourself, local markets and supermarkets will have all the fresh ingredients for a healthy vegetarian meal.

Vegetarian pancakes at a vegetarian restaurant in Phu Nhuan district

In the two Michelin Guides published in Vietnam over the past two years, many vegetarian restaurants were also mentioned, contributing to proving the richness and diversity of Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine.

In addition, this has also been verified by foreign tourists.

“Are you on a vegan diet and want to travel to Asia but don't know which country to choose?

Are you worried about whether you will have many options for vegan dishes, afraid of hidden spices in dishes like fish sauce, or think that if you go to the countryside, you will only be able to eat white rice and drink coconut water to survive?

I spent seven weeks in Vietnam and can tell you that you will have no trouble finding vegan food in this amazing country, even in remote places like Pu Luong (Thanh Hoa) or Da Bac (Hoa Binh) - where tourism is just starting to develop”.

That was the opening line of the article Vegan Food in Vietnam: Everything You Need to Know! posted on the blog Travelers & Dreamers last December by a female blogger named Annelies.

In the article, Annelies asserted that Vietnam is a vegetarian-friendly country. As long as tourists know how to look for restaurants with the word "vegetarian" in their names, they will be assured that they have a variety of vegetarian options.

According to her, vegetarian food in Vietnam can be cheap or expensive depending on the needs of diners, because there are both shops selling a bowl of vegetarian noodles for less than 1 dollar and luxury restaurants where customers will pay 5 - 10 times more for their high-end dishes.

Blogger Lucy Johnson, also a vegetarian, agrees that “Vietnam is a great destination for vegetarians.”

Vegetarian broken rice at a vegetarian buffet restaurant in Binh Thanh district

In the article Which city is the most vegan-friendly in Vietnam? posted on the blog My Vegan Travels in September this year, Lucy gives readers tips on the cities where one can find the most diverse vegan food in Vietnam.

Accordingly, her list includes Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Da Lat, and Nha Trang.

“The variety of vegetarian food in Ho Chi Minh City is amazing. You can start your morning with a delicious bowl of vegetarian pho and end your day with a delicious cashew cheese bread.

Not to mention vegan snacks and dozens of vegan desserts," Lucy writes about Ho Chi Minh City, which she calls "one of the best destinations for vegans."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khach-nuoc-ngoai-den-viet-nam-an-chay-co-de-khong-20241025162111869.htm