Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Vietnamese
Serves Vietnamese soups and noodle dishes, appetizers, entrees, and teas. Some teas are sweetened like dessert drinks. Around 50%+ menu items are vegan. Complimentary iced tea with meal. Casual nice and quiet atmosphere with wooden tables as well plush seating upstairs and mellow folksy American and European music in the background. JULY 2015 REPORTED SHUT DOWN IN EARLIER 2015.
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106 Xuan Thuy Street, Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Last update on 22 Jul 2015 by Guest
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Added by LM on 08 Apr 2013
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6 Reviews
First Review by LM
Atomicpen
Points +108
cool restaurant - Edit
Nice food, atmosphere. Nice range of dishes and teas. The meals are from 45,000 and up. Nice service
Read moreGuest
flytheorient
Points +323
Closed - Edit
Seem to have gone out of business. The sign says closed for remodeling but it's been 2 months plus even the sign outside has been removed. A shame since the food was really good.
Read moreGuest
Miggi
Points +2982
Lots of tasty vegan options! - Edit
Vegan options are clearly marked on the menu, and there are loads of them.
Read moreThe almond-crusted tofu cubes with chilli sauce were our favourite, but the crisy coated seitan was a close second! Also had some amazing tofu and mock-meat dishes, fried rice, noodles etc.
Very friendly service from a guy with limited English who even, on spotting us outside after the meal looking about for a taxi, rushed out to offer to call one for us.
After a couple of disappointing meals at vegan cafes in the city we went back for a second visit here to make sure we had a brilliant last meal in HCMC at the end of our holiday.
Pros: Most of the menu is vegan, Almond-crusted tofu is gorgeous!, Friendly staff
Cons: Shame not 100% vegan
Guest
Kimxula
Points +1185
Nice tea, underwhelming scones - Edit
My friends and I decided to try Nirvana after we had read that they do 'afternoon tea'. Two scones with cream & jam and a pot of tea at 89,000 dong seemed reasonable so we went to try it out.
Read moreThe place itself is modern, clean and relaxing, so we felt good there. My friend and I ordered the scones & tea as well as a couple of iced teas - I had the date and cinammon one, which was really yummy, but we were sorely dissappointed with the afternoon tea. We had to wait for 45 minutes for it to arrive and there was absolutely no one else in the cafe but us! We tried to get the waitress' attention several times, but she was very unresponsive when we asked where our order was. I joked to my friend that maybe they were making the scones from scratch and when they finally arrived, they were extremely disappointing. Two tiny (literally bite sized), mediocre, scones with cream that was mostly like whipped cream from a spray can with a tiny bit of jam. After such a long wait, it really wasn't worth it at all.
However, we did have a flick through the menu and the variety of veggie food on offer looked very promising, so I'd go back to try it out and hopefully write a more positive review than this one. Perhaps it could change my mind after the massive scone fail.
Pros: Nice atmosphere, Extensive menu, Great tea
Cons: Slow service (at least on that day), Mediocre and tiny scones, Squirty cream from a can
Guest
jdoyle221
Points +31
Excellent Atmosphere and Tea, and Good Food - Edit
The restaurant is very quaint and provides an excellent atmosphere to relax. I got an iced tea first and it was fantastic, worth going there just for the tea. The food came out and it looked very good, but looked better than it tasted. Not to say that it was not good, but I just had high expectations after the great tea. But I would certainly go back and try a meal again and absolutely have another tea. I also like that it is in a quieter area of the city
Read morePros: Atmosphere, Tea
Guest
LM
Points +111
A for Atmosphere, B for Beverages and Bites - Edit
Nirvana hits the spot when it comes to ambiance. The music is always soft and relaxing, never intrusive. Plush chairs and stools make the balcony dining area super comfy and perfect for a date or an evening study session. The decor is understated and tasteful. The waitresses are usually dressed in elegant outfits that add to the classy-yet-casual vibe.
Read moreBecause Nirvana isn't on the main street of this expat-friendly neighborhood, after being open for a year it still has yet to be discovered by most locals. It's been empty or nearly empty each of the half-dozen times I've stopped in for lunch or dinner. Great if you like a quiet, private place to eat, but possibly bad for Nirvana's longevity.
The waitresses check in with customers regularly. They're friendly and happy to chat, or leave you alone, as you prefer. They speak ok English, and I sometimes need to ask them what they're saying once or twice before I get it.
Some of the dessert teas, like the cinnamon-date and the passion fruit ice teas, are outstanding, and I can't bring myself to leave Nirvana without at least two glasses per visit. The complimentary mild iced tea is a nice touch.
The food is mostly excellent, to my taste, though one of my local Vietnamese friends wasn't impressed. Raw ingredients like herbs and lettuce are generally very fresh. I enjoy the pho and hue soups but find a couple appetizers, the yam cakes and the crispy coated seitan, really bland.
It's particularly nice that every vegan, gluten-free and nut-containing item is marked clearly as such on the food menu, though this isn't true of the drink menu.
Prices are in the moderate to high range relative to restaurants in other neighborhoods of Saigon, but are typical for expat-oriented fare in this neighborhood. Two dessert drinks, an appetizer, and an entree comes to a little over 200,000VND or US$10.
Free delivery. Offers catering.
Pros: vegan, gluten-free, nuts menu indicators, amazing sweet drinks, great atmosphere
Cons: drinks not marked as vegan, gluten-free, advanced English not spoken
Guest
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