A hundred years of nostalgia for Tin Nghia vegetarian rice in Saigon

Quietly for 100 years on a bustling street, Tin Nghia vegetarian restaurant is not too crowded, but everyone who comes here will come back because... they miss the old days.

Simple dishes at Tin Nghia vegetarian restaurant - Photo: DANG KHUONG

Tran Hung Dao Street in District 1 (HCMC) is one of the most vibrant and bustling places in the city, especially where Bui Vien walking street is often bustling at night.

But few people notice that there is a small restaurant, looking very old and nostalgic, located right on the street front. The signboard seems to have been renovated to be new: "Tin Nghia Vegetarian Restaurant".

The restaurant has been passed down for three generations and is now nearly 100 years old.

Tin Nghia vegetarian restaurant in the heart of the city

The impressive point of a restaurant located right in the heart of District 1 is its rusticity and simplicity.

Tin Nghia vegetarian restaurant is not too big, inside there is a faint smell of old country houses, mixed with a bit of humidity.

Small space of the restaurant - Photo: DANG KHUONG

Tables and chairs are neatly arranged, giving diners a comfortable, airy, and not cramped feeling.

Not only that, the restaurant's simplicity is also reflected in its dishes.

The restaurant sells many dishes with a "homemade" flavor. A diner commented on Facebook: "A true vegan restaurant, the menu does not confuse vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes."

One of the restaurant's best-selling dishes is steamed tofu with soy sauce. The tofu dish is unique, attracting diners both visually and taste-wise.

The ingredients are layered on top of each other, accented with two bright colors of orange and green, from simmered carrots and cucumbers.

Besides, the tofu is cut into pieces and not too soft, which is also a plus point of the dish.

Dishes that make diners feel nostalgic - Photo: DANG KHUONG

The most "rice-consuming" ingredient is the sauce. The black bean sauce has a rich, sweet flavor made from beans. The more you eat, the more you realize that this sauce creates a tight harmony between the ingredients of the dish.

Watercress curry and soup also contain a very distinct sweetness.

Curry is cooked with ingredients such as potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, tofu... with a distinctive color. The dish has a light sweetness, mixed with the salty taste of pepper.

On the contrary, watercress soup with vegetables, not too strongly seasoned, gives the eater a very light sweet feeling.

All three dishes are sweet. But when eaten together, they are three different sweet flavors, giving the eater a unique experience, from one flavor to another, not the same.

The restaurant has a "never-miss" taste

A quiet vegan restaurant with light seasoning in the heart of Saigon is not too rare.

However, Tin Nghia vegetarian rice is still the choice of many Saigon people, although the restaurant still receives a lot of controversy.

In a Facebook dining group, one person commented: "The old vegetarian restaurant is run down, the space is small, and there is no investment in upgrading the restaurant.

Eat to remember the old atmosphere, but not to come back regularly.

On the contrary, a person eating at the restaurant said that on special occasions, Tin Nghia vegetarian rice would be the choice for vegetarian meals because the seasoning is so delicious.

Along with the Facebook post, some people shared: "Oh my god! It's exactly the same restaurant that I ate at nearly 20 years ago. I remember the enoki mushrooms rolled in flour and the sour soup was delicious."

"The best vegetarian restaurant in Saigon for me, besides being delicious, it also brings back nostalgic feelings"; "I've eaten here several times. The vegetarian dishes are very delicious and eating here brings back old feelings"... - some other people commented.

Although there are many mixed opinions about the restaurant, most diners agree that the vegetarian dishes here are delicious, seasoned with rich flavors that make anyone who eats them… remember the old days.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tram-nam-thuong-nho-com-chay-tin-nghia-giua-sai-gon-20241024212309546.htm