Vegan eating, difficult in Vietnam? That definitely doesn’t have to be the case. Gabriëlle traveled through Southeast Asia and gathered her favorite vegan hotspots. She was in North Vietnam in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Cat Ba.
Hanoi
This busy city is full of vegan gems. You can eat so incredibly well here!
Jalus
By far my favorite breakfast and lunch spot: scrambled tofu, sweet potato slices, mango pancakes, pumpkin curry, nori wraps, sautéed aubergine, you name it. The flavors are amazing. Oh, and the smoothies here are fan-tas-tic. And they even have vegan chocolate cake on the dessert menu. Does it get any better?
Minh Chay
This was my travel partner’s favorite restaurant. They mainly serve Vietnamese dishes, but vegan. From sweet soup with longan, zucchini soup to hanoi pho (with fake meat) and vegan snail noodle soup. And the staff is super sweet.
Cai Mam
I happened to walk by this restaurant that has ‘vegan’ prominently on the facade. On the menu you’ll find regular dishes, but also some vegan options like stewed tofu and mushroom, vegan rice noodle soup, and slimmer aubergine in soy sauce.
Aubergine Café
The last night I was in Hanoi, I found this place thanks to a tip from someone via Instagram. The menu is full of vegan options and you can make your own spring rolls (and thus leave out any allergens!).
La Studio
Hidden in a little alley is La Studio. You really have to search for it, and when you find it, it feels like you’re walking into someone’s home. Two small living rooms have been transformed into a cozy place where you can order tea, smoothies, and cake.
Cat Ba
From this town, it’s cheap to book a tour to Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay. The food is – to be completely honest – quite bad. However, there is one restaurant, called Buddha Garden, where you can eat many vegan options. They call themselves vegan, but there are dishes with yogurt on the menu. So check carefully to make sure what you order is really vegan. They serve a kind of daily special that varies and is often very good.
Ninh Binh/Tam Coc
In Ninh Binh there is a restaurant with exactly the same menu as the Buddha Garden, simply called Vegan Restaurant. Again, not everything is vegan, but the dishes on the menu are fine.
Chookie’s Beer Garden
Brand new in Ninh Binh is Chookie’s Beer Garden, a cool hangout with vegan dishes, including some divine vegan smoothies. If you have an allergy, it’s not a problem and the staff is super nice.