In recent years, Da Nang has seen a significant increase in the number of vegetarian restaurants to match the growing number of vegetarian diners.  It is believed that a vegetarian diet is one of the most effective methods of treating a number of diseases, as well as being an efficacious way to make one’s innermost feelings purer.

The An Lac Restaurant on 46 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is a typical example and was one of the first vegetarian restaurants to open in the city. 

60-year-old Nguyen Thanh Anh is the restaurant’s owner and main chef.  A native of Hue, he has many years of experience in cooking vegetarian dishes.  He said that all of his restaurant’s dishes are made from such fresh and pure ingredients as tofu, wheat flour, and a wide range of vegetables, all without any harmful chemical substances.  Each dish is named using simple words to reflect its ingredients. 

The Hoan Hy Restaurant, located in alley 142/4 on Le Duan Street, is another example.  Opened in early 2009, the restaurant has become very popular with local vegetarian diners.  The venue receives an average of over 100 diners on normal days.  It is especially crowded on the 1^st and 15^th days of each lunar month, when Vietnamese Buddhists do not eat meat.

The Hoan Hy Restaurant

The restaurant offers a varied menu of over 70 unique dishes made from fresh vegetable ingredients, including “sup bap nam huong” (corn and mushroom soup), “nam xao sa ot” (stir-fried mushrooms with chilli), and “ram Hoan Hy” (Hoan Hy-style spring rolls).

Salad

Customers will be delighted by the fresh, hot and tasty dishes, which are prepared by the restaurant’s main chef, 27-year-old Do Van Quynh, who was born and grew up in Ha Noi.

Mushroom hotpot