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I didn’t expect an abundance of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Hoi An – but how wrong I was!
I’ve become a bit of an expert, in part due to the lovely group of Hoi An digital nomad friends I made there last summer, most of whom were vegetarian or vegan. For a city with a traditionally meaty national cuisine, I was surprised but pleased to find an increasing supply of veggie and vegan food in Hoi An, from cheap eats to beach bars and dedicated food tours.
Contrary to what I thought, there are actually a few Vietnamese vegetarian dishes to look out for. After eating the meat-heavy street food in Hoi An, I badly needed the detox.
HOI AN ESSENTIALS
Copy of Lonely Planet Vietnam
Getting there: flight (Skyscanner) / bus / train (12GoAsia)
Getting around: on foot / scooter / Grab taxi
Staying connected: E-sim data plan
Accommodation: Booking.com // Hostelworld
Book your airport to city transfer
Tours & activities: GetYourGuide
Vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Hoi An
It’s all been so tasty that I decided to put together a guide (what else does Where Goes Rose do, right?) to all the best vegetarian and vegan food in Hoi An.
I hope this blog will be a useful resource for plant-based eaters coming to Vietnam, plus those who just need a break from fish sauce and pork!
In this guide, I’ll be running through what we ate on the tour whilst filling you in on all my other favourite vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Hoi An…
Related: where to drink coffee in Hoi An
The Fisherman, An Bang Beach
I believe The Fisherman to be the first all vegan restaurant in Hoi An. It’s run by a local family and the name dates back to a time when they served seafood before becoming more eco-conscious.
The vegan dishes on the menu are very creative. I like the Buddha bowl with avocado, brown rice, black beans, satay sauce, sweet potato and mushrooms. It’s very filling but also healthy, and not too pricey at 90,000 VND (£3).
Other highlights include the chickpea curry and the Mexican wrap… The fact that you’re at a beach bar just metres from the ocean isn’t bad either!
Nourish Eatery
For a lovely restaurant in Hoi An serving healthy Western favourites, Nourish Eatery needs to be on your radar. This predominantly plant-based eatery serves tasty and beautifully-presented burgers, salad bowls, tacos and all your favourite breakfast items like avo toast, granola and smoothie bowls.
If you need to cool down, there are fresh juices and smoothies and we can’t forget the delicious espresso coffee made by the house barista. If you don’t believe me, check out the countless 5* reviews on Trip Advisor!
Not only is the food fantastic but it’s a lovely venue ideally located on the edge of the Old Town with fans to keep you cool on a hot day. The spacious venue with high ceilings and comfy seating is suitable for socialising, relaxing and co-working, plus there’s also an outdoor area.
The staff are really friendly so if you need any menu advice, just ask!
Prices range from 75,000 VND for tacos to 125,000 VND for the nourish bowl.
Ấm Vegetarian Restaurant
Ấm is my go-to vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An for fresh spring rolls and moreish pad Thai. Most of the dishes can be made vegan, for example the pad Thai can be cooked without egg.
The interior might be the highlight, however. You can eat your dinner on squishy sofas while admiring the colourful lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Could it be more Hoi An?
Tam Quang Minh (veggie versions of Hoi An’s famous dishes)
My favourite restaurant on the vegan tour I took was Tam Quang Minh, an eatery with nothing but 5* Trip Advisor reviews. We tried veggie versions of the two most famous dishes from Hoi An:
- Mi Quang: noodles with prawn, pork, peanuts, quail eggs and spring rolls
- Cao lầu: thick noodles with barbeque pork, crispy crackling, bean sprouts and stock.
(We had tofu and tomato broths substituting the meat).
Both were tasty but I especially liked the subtly chewy noodles of the cao lầu. This dish is only found in Hoi An due to the fact that it includes ash from one particular tree and water from one particular well – plus the fact that only one woman apparently knows how to make it!
Tam Quang Minh (another one!)
With the same name as the first place on my list, this vegetarian restaurant can be found at 63-65 Phan Dinh Phung. This Tam Quang Minh is not mapped on Google (type it in and you’ll be taken to the first one) so it’s a bit of a local gem.
Here they serve one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes, bánh cuốn. Soft, gooey rice paper is wrapped around ingredients but I’ve only had it with meat before. Here it’s served as a fresh and flavoursome vegan dish with tofu and salad. I loved the flavour and have eaten it without meat since.
Minh Hien (don’t miss the garden!)
Minh Hien is probably the most famous spot for vegetarian food in Hoi An. Right in the heart of the busy Ancient Town, it’s the perfect escape during a busy Hoi An itinerary.
The pretty garden includes a stream and bridge, plus the food is just as au naturale. I love the aubergine cooked in banana leaf for 60,000 VND (£2) which makes for a main meal when served with rice. You can also try vegetarian versions of Hoi An’s signature dishes like white rose dumplings.
Address: There are two, Minh Hien 1 at 50 Tran Cao Van and Minh Hien 2 at 30 Đinh Tiên Hoàng.
Ba Dam – a bargain vegetarian buffet
The cheapest vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An is probably my favourite. The food at Ba Dam is served buffet-style: you point at what you want and get it dished up, from morning glory to pulled jackfruit, sweet corn fritters, fresh spring rolls and sauteed veg.
I paid 30,000 VND (£1) for the biggest plate of veggie goodies which made me feel healthy even though I was absolutely stuffed!
Nhan Duyen
For the final stop of our tour, we headed to another vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An, Nhan Duyen. This cosy spot had a local feel and very reasonable prices. We tucked into a hotpot packed with various organic veggies (grown up the road at Tra Que Vegetable Village) including pineapple and star fruit.
Vegan Zone Hoi An
This new addition to the scene is a highly rated vegan restaurant known for its traditional Vietnamese dishes like lemongrass tofu. The relaxed setting at Vegan Zone Hoi An is unpretentious (think Nepalese prayer flags and pretty wall murals) but the food is beautifully presented and very tasty, served in clay pots with healthy side salads.
Don’t miss the tasty fruit drinks like apple, mint and lime juice!
Do you know any other vegan or vegetarian restaurants in Hoi An I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments.
Read my other Hoi An blogs:
- The ultimate Hoi An itinerary
- The best Hoi An cafes
- Where to eat vegetarian food in Hoi An
- A complete street food guide to Hoi An
- Co-working cafes for digital nomads in Hoi An
Tips for Asia travel:
Check out my Northern Vietnam posts:
- 3 x Northern Vietnam itineraries
- 3 days in Hanoi for first-timers
- Where to eat street food in Hanoi
- Where to drink coffee in Hanoi
- The hidden gems in Hanoi
- Truc Bach, Hanoi visitors guide
- Ngoc Ha, Hanoi visitors guide
- The ultimate guide to Hanoi egg coffee
- How to spend 3 days in Sapa
- Ha Long Bay guide and tour review
- Ninh Binh from Hanoi day trip
Central Vietnam posts:
- Breaking into Hue Abandoned Waterpark
- How to spend 2 days in Hue
- Phong Nha National Park travel guide
Saigon posts:
Check out my complete 2 week Vietnam travel itinerary!
Thanks for reading!
See you next time for more adventures,
Rose
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Vietnam quick links
Getting around by air – it’s easy to get between cities by flight. I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going.
Stay connected with E-sim data plans that don’t require delivery or collection; just span the QR code.
In my opinion, Lonely Planet offer the best guidebooks. Get the latest Lonely Planet Vietnam.
For Vietnam buses and trains, I use 12GoAsia. The search feature allows you to compare prices and durations.
I use Booking.com for accommodation. They have the best range of hotels and self-catering apartments, plus you can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld.
To save money on accommodation, I use Trusted Housesitters, a website that connects homeowners going away and travellers who can sit their homes & pets.
For activities, I use GetYourGuide as they have a huge range of affordable tours.
Need travel insurance? I use True Traveller (for UK & Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote.
For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing.
Check out my resources page for more travel discounts and tips!
The food in Hoi An looks delicious! I love the fact that there are so many different restaurants to choose from and vegetarian & vegan places often also immediately look appealing. A great reason to visit Hoi An!
Annen Yoga Vegetarian Restaurant. Probably my fave. I love their Vietnamese pesto (vegan) quang noodle dish as well as their oyster mushroom clay plot dish. Oh and poor man’s caviar (made from eggplant) is a great appetizer. They even serve ca phe sua with soy milk.
Banh Mi Chay (Vegan Banh Mi) is a great vegan Banh Mi food cart that’s only open for breakfast. Got to get there early because it closes at 10:00 am sharp. And on the full moon / new moon she serves pho.
Quan Chay Nhat Da is another great Vietnamese vegan restaurant closer to the side of town near Nhan Duyen Vegan Restaurant. I really liked their coconut coffee and Cao Lao.
I think I’ve pretty much tried all the ones on your list (except for Tam Quang Minh). The only one that I don’t see that I also still need to try myself is Quan Chay An Nhu. The reviews look promising though.
Thanks for your lovely write up! Now I need to go get some vegan eats! ?
Ah Michelle – what a helpful comment! Those are some great suggestions… Soo looks like I need to come back to eat them too, right!?