Đồ chay — Vietnamese vegetarian/vegan food — has a dedicated champion in San Diego with Thanh Tinh Chay, a restaurant that specializes entirely in plant-based Vietnamese cuisine. Beyond that, most Vietnamese restaurants offer a few vegetarian options, but finding a full đồ chay menu requires knowing where to look.
Thanh Tinh Chay Restaurant top-pick
Thanh Tinh Chay is a leading Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant in San Diego, and indeed it is excellent. The entire menu consists of plant-based Vietnamese dishes, from vegetable pho to vegetarian Hue-style beef noodle soup, vegetarian meat substitutes, and stir-fried vegetables. The pho broth is rich and flavorful without using beef bones, the spring rolls are fresh and full of herbal flavor, and the vegetarian meat substitutes are delicious even for non-vegetarians. It's a popular spot for Vietnamese Buddhists on vegetarian days, and that's the highest praise the restaurant can receive.
Phuong Trang best-value
Phuong Trang's menu of over 200 dishes includes a separate section for vegetarians featuring vegetarian pho, spring rolls, tofu dishes, and stir-fried vegetables. The vegetarian pho broth is cooked separately from beef broth, and it's truly delicious – light, fragrant with herbs, and rich in flavor. They understand that vegetarian food isn't simply about "skipping meat" – it needs to have its own distinct flavor.
Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant hidden-gem
Bolsa offers a fairly extensive menu of Vietnamese vegetarian dishes, including vegetable pho and stir-fried tofu dishes. The vegetable pho broth is light and flavorful, and the tofu dishes are very well prepared. This is a good option at Mira Mesa when dining with a group of vegetarians and meat-eaters.