Vegetarian Food in Vietnam That Tastes Better Than Meat

Vietnam is one of the best countries for vegetarians and vegans, here are great traditional options for vegan and vegetarian in Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is one of the best countries in the world for vegetarians and most people have no idea. Here are three restaurants in Saigon that locals actually go to, with dishes that will make meat eaters forget they are eating plant-based. *Rau Ơi – Nhà Hàng Chay* 55/15 Lê Thị Hồng Gấm, Bến Thành This place is lush, green and nothing like the no-frills vegetarian spots you find all over the city. The chef is a former meat-eating restaurant cook who understands texture and flavor in a way that shows in every dish. The MI TRỘN QUACK QUACK is the one to order: a dry noodle dish made from tofu skin, oyster mushrooms and tapioca designed to replicate the layers and texture of duck. It takes two days to make and nothing else on the menu tastes quite like it. We also had the CHẠO CHIÊN SẢ and BÚN CÀ RI CHAO. Come early and come hungry. The menu is enormous. Also worth knowing: outside the restaurant there are meal tickets that anyone in the neighborhood who is hungry can take and use for a free meal. On the 15th of the lunar month the restaurant serves between 500 and 1,000 free meals to people in need. Great food and a restaurant with a real purpose. *Nhà Hàng Chay Hoa Khai* 124 Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Cầu Ông Lãnh This one sits below a Cao Dai temple, which makes sense once you understand the religion. Cao Dai started in Vietnam in 1926 and draws from Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity with a core principle of do no harm. The ĐẬU HŨ KHO SẢ ỚT is tofu with lemongrass and chili: crispy outside, soft inside and tossed in a salty chili batter that is genuinely addictive. The CƠM CHIÊN HOA KHAI is a vegetarian fried rice that an Indonesian approved of, which is a meaningful endorsement. The set lunch for one person is 45,000 dong and includes rice, soup and a braised dish. Get the fried spring rolls on the side. *Quan Chay Chỉ Cũ* 4/7 Trần Đình Xu, Cầu Ông Lãnh A local spot a little further out in District 3 with serious portion sizes and prices to match. The BÚN CÀ RI comes loaded with tofu, mushrooms, noodles and jackfruit. The CƠM THẬP CẨM is a rice plate with more toppings than you can track including fried tofu, steamed tofu, mushrooms and what tastes like a vegetarian sausage. Everything here looks brown and tastes better than it looks. One thing worth knowing before you go: on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month millions of Vietnamese who normally eat meat choose to eat plant-based. That is why there are so many chay restaurants across the city and why they are so good at it. If you are ever in a non-vegetarian restaurant and need a meatless meal, ask for chay and they will know exactly what to do. 💖 HOW I TRAVELED HERE + WHERE I STAYED & OTHER DETAILS 💖 you can help support the channel using my affiliate links at no extra charge to you! 💰 BANKING: I travel non-stop and I use Wise as my primary bank card to pay the lowest fees and best transaction rates. To get the first transfer free use my referral code here: https://wise.com/invite/ihpc/ayngelinab You can also support my work at   / ayngelina   where I share tips that don't make it into videos and behind the scenes content. // MY EQUIPMENT // I travel light and use two small cameras. Most of my food /eating shots are on this: https://amzn.to/3ymnPfE For stable walking or market shots: https://amzn.to/4dui6n7 Drone: https://amzn.to/2Y2tg1n Mic: https://amzn.to/3ycmJTP Travel Tripod / Selfie Stick: https://amzn.to/3SxPkcS // GET THE BEST FOOD + TRAVEL TIPS // SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/FoodTravelNews Like the music? Here's what I use: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra... My travel insurance: https://bit.ly/nomadcoverage Onward Tickets: https://onwardticket.com/ayngelina Protect Yourself With a VPN: https://bit.ly/MY-VPN // MORE ABOUT ME!// Hi I'm Ayngelina. I'm Canadian and my full time job is my site BaconisMagic.ca it's all about the best food around the world and how to make it at home. You can also find me here: Find me online Instagram:   / ayngelina​​​​​   Facebook:   / baconismagic   Blog: https://www.baconismagic.ca 00:00 Vegetarian in Vietnam 00:45 Rau Oi 08:12 Why Vietnam Has So Much Vegetarian Food 08:58 Nhà Hàng Chay Hoa Khai 09:18 Cao Dai Religion 14:15 Chay Restaurants in Vietnam 15:07 Quan Chay Chỉ Cũ #vietnamesefood #vegetarian #vegan