Vung Tau is the perfect getaway trip when the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City becomes a bit too much for you. Before it became known as Vung Tau, the name was Cap Saint-Jacques and was frequented by French colonists, hence the French name. Nowadays, you can walk around and gaze at the old colonial buildings, laze around in one of the city’s many beaches and see the giant Jesus statue, which is in fact, larger than the one in Brazil.
There’s plenty of things to do in Vung Tau and one of them is to discover new restaurants, namely vegetarian restaurants! Vietnam might not be known as a vegetarian friendly country, but it is in fact, just that. The Vietnamese kitchen contains lots of vegetables and tofu for example. Just beware if you go to a “regular” restaurant as they use a lot of fish sauce. But if you want to make sure that what you’re eating is entirely plant based, you can pick and choose one of the many vegetarian restaurants in Vung Tau, or simply say “com chay” in Vietnamese, which means vegetarian food.
Whether you’re a vegetarian or simply just enjoy eating plant based food, these are some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Vung Tau.
Hoa Sen
Address: Trung Tâm Thương Mại – đường, 23 G4, Nguyá»…n Kiệm, Phường 7, ThĂ nh phố VĹ©ng Tầu, BĂ Rịa – VĹ©ng TĂ u
This local restaurant has some very budget friendly options and is one of the most popular vegetarian restaurants in Vung Tau. The food is fresh, tasty and you can order various delicious Vietnamese food here such as hot pot or simply rice with fake meat and water spinach sautéed in garlic (it’s a must in Vietnam!). If you want to enjoy freshly made local food, go to Hoa Sen. It won’t disappoint you!
Thuan Duyen
Address: 188 Nam Kỳ Khởi NghÄ©a, Phường 3, ThĂ nh phố VĹ©ng Tầu, BĂ Rịa – VĹ©ng TĂ u
Although this place might not look like a lot to the outside world, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. They serve a vegetarian buffet where you can pick and choose whatever you’d like to eat, so you can try a bit of everything. They usually have plenty of different type of salads to choose from, tofu, fake meat, rice, noodles, spring rolls, etc. The prices are also very reasonably here so you can fill your plate until you’re full without having to break the bank!
Bep Chay Co May
Address: 77 HoĂ ng Hoa Thám, Phường Thắng Tam, ThĂ nh phố VĹ©ng Tầu, BĂ Rịa – VĹ©ng TĂ u
If you want to go to a place where you can sit down, unwind and eat delicious vegetarian food, you must visit this zen like place. It’s a relaxing space where you can sit either in their outdoor garden space or inside. The prices here might be a bit more on the expensive side, but is still very reasonable. One meal costs about 50,000 Vietnamese dong, which is approximately 2 USD, but it’s filling and incredibly fresh. You get good value for your money here, and a beautiful space to sit and enjoy your meal at. It’s one of the most popular spots in Vung Tau for both locals and foreigners.
Ngoc Dinh
Address: Duong Nguyen Van Troi, Vung Tau, Vietnam
One of the specialties of this vegan restaurant is their delicious pho. It’s not always easy finding pho that’s entirely vegan, but in Ngoc Dinh, you have it. They also serve various other dishes, but people usually come here for the famous noodle soup. Although it’s a vegan restaurant, they do sell yogurt to drink.
Once you’ve decided to travel to Vietnam, you must remember to apply for a visa. Some countries are on the visa exempt list and can stay in Vietnam for up to 15 days, but if you’re planning on staying for longer or are not on the visa exempt list, you must be able to present a valid visa to the immigration officers when you enter Vietnam. The visa process is simple though and you can get your visa within days, even hours, if you need to get a so called “emergency visa”. Depending on which country you are a citizen of, you have three options: Visa on Arrival, E-Visa or applying at the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate. The most popular and preferred option is the Visa on Arrival, which most countries can apply for. It’s all done online, all you need is your computer and internet. The E-Visa is only eligible for 80 countries in the world and is a 30 day, single-entry visa. The third option is to go to the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate and apply for a visa with them.
