The Vietnamese people are super accommodating to vegans. On most menus you will see multiple vegan or vegetarian options that you can make vegan. The food is flavoursome and full of vegetable goodness and usually tofu packed (which I love). There are two main dishes that the Vietnamese eat Côm and Pho.
Côm is a steamed rice dish served topped with different types of vegetables and tofu soaked and marinated in delicious sauces. Using the Happy Cow app we have found many places along our travels to eat vegan côm some as cheap as 10,000 Vietnamese Dong which is less than $1 NZ (around 80 cents). Côm is my favourite flavour packed Vietnamese dish and always leaves my taste buds completely satisfied. Com at 'An Lac' in Danang. Pho is the other popular dish which is a noodle soup. Pho is often not vegan and is made with bone broth so it’s hard to fond vegan versions of this dish. Some restaurants will offer vegetarian pho but sometimes that just means without meat so it always pays to ask if the broth is vegetarian before making your order. Pho is delicious when you do find a place that serves it vegan but sometimes it can be tasteless if there are not many vegetables. If you are ordering pho at a strictly vegan/vegetarian restaurant then you are bound to get a delicious vegan option of this dish. The Vietnamese have so many other dishes to offer that will make your taste buds dance but these are two of the most popular dishes that you will find on your travels. Vegan restaurants aren’t too few and far between but it pays to know where you are going so you are not searching around for a long time especially in more rural areas. In the areas of larger cities where there are many backpackers or travellers it is much easier to come across food as most places will have options for you on the menu. You will generally find things like spring rolls, fresh rolls, fried noodles topped with vegetables, vegetarian sandwiches made with fresh baguettes, vermicelli noodles topped with fried tofu and peanuts, delicious vege packed hot pots cooked right in front of you on your table and a lot of pizza and french fries. Each dish averaging around 60,000 VND ($3NZ, £1.50) in the larger cities. Make your own spring rolls in Hoi An. On a budget vs treating yourself:
Most of the time on our travels we eat on a budget as we want our money to last as long as possible so that we can keep travelling and exploring the world however sometimes you have to treat yourself to a delicious, soul warming meal that will make your senses implode with happiness like when you eat a home cooked meal made by mama. In Hue and Danang we found two completely vegan places that served us the most mouth-watering food and both meals were great for our budget. In Hue we found a place called Lac Thien which is one of my favourite restaurants that I have been to in all of Asia. The food was ridiculously cheap but packed with flavour and fresh vegetables. To buy a vegan côm you will pay 10,000 VND per dish and there are many other options on the menu. We also got a large hot pot for 40,000 VND ($2.50 NZ) that was full of fresh tofu and came with a full plate of greens, mushrooms and sprouts to be cooked all together right in front of our eyes. The place is ALWAYS busy and bustling with local people which is usually a good sign that the food is awesome. We went back here three times in our one night stay in Hue and every time we were lucky to get a table seated right next to some local people. The vegan restaurant that Rhys and I loved in Danang was ‘An Lac’ about a 5 minute walk from Danang backpackers hostel. We each paid 15,000 VND for a plate of delicious côm. You can also buy a wee fried bun that is jam packed full and stuffed with vegetables. Perfect for dipping in the soup that comes along side a plate of côm. An Lac was not as busy as the first place we went to but still had many locals gathering around a feast fit for a king. Tofu, mushroom and vegetable packed hot pot for 40,000 VND at 'Lac Thien'. We treated ourselves in Hanoi at Loving Hutt. Loving Hutt is an all vegan chain so it is possible you have seen a Loving Hutt branch in another city somewhere in the world. There is a minimart downstairs full of vegan treats. You can even buy Daiya (imported from America) and fresh tofu and vegan paté. The restaurant was beautifully set up. The ladies dressed in traditional Vietnam fancy dress and the men in suits. The food was some of the best I have ever had especially the baked macaroni. The prices are definitely quite high for a backpacker but by New Zealand standards eating out you definitely get your moneys worth. We ended up spending $40NZ which is far more than we would usually spend on a meal. We got four dishes – One baked macaroni, one mushroom curry cooked in a clay pot, a traditional Vietnamese pancake and a cheesy pizza. It was one of those days where we just needed a heap of good food that would make us feel at home. Every bite was divine! The delectable dishes at Loving Hutt. Aside from cooked food you can find fresh fruit everywhere you go. Try to buy fruit that isn't peeled as it is less likely to make you ill. If you purchase fruit that is already chopped you are risking the fact that it could have been washed in Vietnam tap water which could cause problems for your health and affect your travel plans. you can pick up all sorts of bugs and illnesses from the tap water here so avoid it at all costs.
Vietnam has been amazing for vegan food and has some of the most flavour filled dishes I have ever eaten. The hardest part to stomach is the animal cruelty here. Unlike western culture who like it behind closed doors so is easier to forget it is out in the open with no shame. This is definitely the hardest part of travelling in Asia. Rhys and I have fed street dogs and puppies, we have saved a rat from getting squished in the middle of the buzzing traffic, paid to release smaller birds and even untied a chicken that had his foot tied to a tree that was clearly about to be prepared for ‘dinner’. Do the best you can and what you can because at the end of the day that is all we can do in life. Be the change you wish to see in the world!
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