Quan Chay Dam family-run eatery where you choose from many veggies and soymeats dishes, rice, and noodle soup. Located in small alley in town center that is difficult to find. It's between Le Loi and Hai Ba Trung. Take the alley mid-block to the south, toward the river, from Phan Chu Trinh for 30 meters and find the restaurant on the right. Confirmed still open Feb 2017. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-8:00pm.
Category: Vegan, Buffet, Take-out, Vietnamese
Reviews (33)
First Review by rach
Contributions +13
Worth seeking out - Edit
If you don't know where you're going, it could be a little bit tricky to locate. Head down the alley between 69 & 71; you'll eventually spot it on your right.
It's a straightforward buffet: rice with a mix of vegetable, tofu & mock meat dishes (with other options available a la carte). The exact options vary day-to-day, and the price seems to depend on what you choose (from roughly 15-30vnd, or 1-2usd).
Not much English here, but lots of smiles & chatting across languages.
Contributions +202
good, cheap food - Edit
It's a little tricky to find this place at the end of a small alley, but the all-vegan food there is unbeatably cheap and definitely worth searching for it. Both the pho and the "special local" dish were delicious and just 15.000vnd each. Paired with a large dumpling, we only paid 38.000vnd total, so less than 2$ for everything! Serves all the basics of a Vietnamese local kitchen. Definitely will go back again soon!
Pros: friendly staff, tasty food, low prices
Cons: address difficult to find
Contributions +129
Cheap, fast, good - Edit
The headline says it all! You get a plate of mixed delicious vegan food choices (vegetables/mock meat) with rice and a soup for 30.000 VND.
The staff is a bit harsh but this restaurant concept is not about becoming friends with each other I guess.
Contributions +25
Good place for a cheap lunch - Edit
A good place for a delicious lunch at low cost. I enjoyed the variety of the different dishes. You will even get a soup and some water/tea for free. If you had enough of the fancy tourist places that's the place to eat. I are here many times.
Contributions +1259
Cheap and tasty - Edit
Little and local vegan restaurant with a a very cheap buffet where you can try some Vietnamese food . Good mock meat and rice .
Pros: Cheap
Contributions +35
tasty but greasy - Edit
Vegan buffet with some tasty but greasy mock meat options. Prices vary according what you order. Starting price is 35k. No fresh options, everything is either fried or boiled. Friendly staff.
Contributions +116
Cheap and cheerful - Edit
Great value for money as £1 a plate depending on how much mock meat you have. The food was all cold and the lady didn't let us help ourselves to the buffet she served us with just a little of each item so I asked to serve myself which she agreed to
Pros: Cheap
Cons: Cold
Contributions +135
Overcharging with a smile - Edit
This is a buffet style vegetarian with a good selection of mock meats and veg. It's a cheapie so don't expect anything amazing. The food is always pretty cold but you get a good sized plate and lots of tastes to try.
We stopped going after it became progressively more expensive each time they saw us. The first time it was 20,000 VND, then it became 25,000 and then 30,000. We ordered a really small portion the third time as we came for a snack. They over charged us all the same.
Still, this place is a good option in a town where it's hard to find good vegetarian food.
Pros: local prices at first, good selection , open all hours of the day
Cons: over charging, all the hot food is cold
Contributions +32
buffet très abordable - Edit
100.000 vnd for 4 people (2adults/2kids).
petit restaurant buffet qui ne paye pas de mine mais le choix est varié et la nourriture est de qualité.
Contributions +86
Lots of food! - Edit
40,000 vnd and was completely stuffed. I got everything but you can chose what you want. I would pick less of the fake meat options and get more of the veggies next time. My stomach hurt a little afterwards, so maybe I ate too much or ate too much fake meat. Anyways, such a good option if you are vegan and hungry and you want to navigate the crowded city center!
Contributions +617
Good Food and Reasonably Priced - Edit
I found the restaurant after some effort; it is a ways down the alley off the street address. The food was good and reasonable, ready to eat buffet. The communication wasn't easy. I would return.
Pros: Good Food, Several Choice at Buffet, Reasonably Priced and Very Clean, Ready to Eat Buffet
Cons: Tricky to Find
Contributions +78
Awesome - Edit
We went here three times in a row. I ate the most delicious eggplants I've ever had and the mock meat is also genious (caramellized soy meat(?) with coconut strips inside).
They have a buffet with 10 or 12 different foods which were both days the same. For a big plate we paid 40'000 and were satisfied for the next 8 hours.
We can only recommend this place.
Pros: Delicious, No MSG, Inexpensive, big portions
Cons: Well hidden
Contributions +24
Pleasant Surprise & Exceptional Meal - Edit
I was a bit apprehensive about trying Quan Chay Dam (Quan chay means vegan in Vietnamese) but I am SO glad I did because the meal was exceptional.
When you walk in, there is one menu on the wall and a small buffet. Someone who worked there was eating and asked what we wanted. My carnivoresque husband opted for the first noodle dish (Maekong Noodkes I think..) and I got the buffet. I was handed a plate of white rice and chose between about 9 items. I took a little of everything. We got 2 diet cokes and our total was $3.
Let me tell you... I was blown away by how tasty the food was. The mock meats were crispy and so flavorful. Even the tofu, which appeared plain, was exceptionally flavored. By the time I fjnished my plate I coukdnt even touch the soup that came with my meal.
As a tip, from the main road you will see a shop that is 71. Go down the alley and you will see 71/5 and 71/12... Just keep going until you reach 71/20. We had no trouble finding it and it's clearly labeled outside.
Highly highly impressed.
Pros: Cheap , Delicious , All Vegan
Cons: Limited English, Hot just like everywhere in Hoi An
Contributions +78
INCREDIBLE hole in the wall - Edit
Not super easy to find but a local helped us, after trying to get us to go in her shop for 20 minutes. Definitely a hole in the wall. No one spoke English. Menu on the wall had 6 dishes and listed in English. We chose pho and chicken fried rice. Both were out. So we got bun and something else. Both were excellent. I loved it. We sat at a table that was the door to the house and a girl was laying on bed, watching tv. It was very hot and the owner took a fan from inside to cool us off. 2 entrees, a soda, and a water were $3. Plan to go back before we leave!
Contributions +22
Budget freindly - Edit
This was another place we were looking for and walked right across it atleast a couple of times. Located in a small alley it's a very simple eatery meant for locals, so they don't really cater to tourists. In fact thats possibly the reason they are not overjoyed to see tourists in their place. But for tourists like me, its always a matter of joy to walk in to a 'vegan restaurant' especially when most of the veg food options in other places always have a strong after taste of fish or eggs.
Anyways after a bit of confusion about ordering I pointed to a noodle broth on banner they had up. Be warned, they just didn't have forks, so be prepared to use chopsticks
Thankfully we had a wonderful young local couple sharing the table with us. They helped me with the ordering, Gave me an explanation of what I had ordered and how to eat it) and finding out about the forks. Overall a fun experience and the food was pretty good. And its really inexpensive
Pros: Sweet simple place
Cons: no forks!
Contributions +93
cheapest pho chay in town - Edit
been here a few times since ive been in hoi an. pho is pretty good for 15,000d(75 us cents). they have the typical buffet type deal. its all really good. the karela(bitter gourd) was done better than ive ever had. eggplant was ab-fab. plenty to choose from and its not the same every time i go. maybe its the time of day. dunno. when i eat there i get stuffed for less than 40,000(2usd). its not the cleanest place or nicest. but we are in vietnam. who cares. its like camping. we all like camping right?
Pros: real vietnamese price, real vietnamese food, real vietnamese filth
Cons: hard to comunicate, again, who cares
Contributions +64
Nice, authentic family restaurant - Edit
Almost everything has been said about this place in the other reviews. Apart from the dishes on the menu and the buffet they also sell tasty buns with tofu, lettuce and the like (great for trips etc as you don't often find ready made vegan food on the way).
I think the food quality is good but not outstanding. I still find this "excellent" for what it is: very cheap - you have to eat a whole lot to even spend more than two dollar - and quite authentic. Here you get a vegan version of the Hoi An "Cao Lau" noodles, as well as the "chicken rice". Make sure to try the " fish" tofu rolls from the buffet: they look like spring rolls, but are filled with tofu and seaweed. Haven't seen them elsewhere yet and loved them.
Tea is for free like in most of the small family restaurants.
Note: Don't be irritated if they won't come to your table immediately, just go over and order. They are not really excited about nor bothered by tourists, which is quite a bless compared to the rest of Hoi An. The main part of their customers seems to be Vietnamese which is another plus!
Pros: Cheap local food
Cons: Hardly any English
Contributions +78
Nice Local Food - Edit
We went here twice and tried almost everything on the menu (there are 2 noodle dishes, 2 soups, fried spring rolls and mock chicken rice). It was all quite good, not amazing, but good. And it's cheap - 30,000 vdn ($1.50) for two plates. Worth a visit as it is one of, if not the only, cheap veg/vegan options near city center.
Pros: Price, Local Foods, Location
Cons: Lacks Flavour, Small Menu
Contributions +20
delicious buffet - Edit
Delicious local eatery on a side street. We ate here 3 times on our trip and they always had different dishes and soups. Big buffet of vegan meats and gluten style dishes plus soups. Costs 20,000-30,000 dong depending how much you pile on. Was delicious the first two times we went there, but the third time was in between meal times approx 3pm, a lot of the dishes had run out and what was there was cold and had been sitting for awhile. Best to go at meal times
Pros: variety, cheap, delicious
Cons: not cooked fresh for you so go early or dinner tim
Contributions +26
Best budget vegan food in Hoi An - Edit
This place is so amazing. The food is excellent, they have 6 dishes to order on the menu and a hot buffet with rice. If you want the buffet just make the staff aware behind the counter and point at which dishes you want. The pumpkin is very good and a large selection of deep fried mock meat goodies. The noodle dishes are excellent and good size portions. The homemade soya milk is also worth a try (it is sweetened). We have eaten here twice, 2 noodle dishes 2 soya milks and spring rolls = 80,000 vnd. 2 hot buffet = 50,000!
Not too difficult to find, it's the first alley way off le loi, keep waking until you see 71/20. Clearly marked vegan throughout.
Pros: Cheap, Tasty, Soya milk
Cons: Slightly off the beaten track, Limited menu choices
Contributions +30
Friendly, cheap vegan fayre - Edit
Really liked this wee place. It is mainly frequented by locals and the food is good and plentiful.
The owner speaks very good english and was very helpful. Highly recommend it.
It is fantastic value!
Not the easiest to find: from the river head up Le Loi and turn left in the lane just before the nursery on the right. follow the lane and after a sharp bend right the restaurant is on the left.
Pros: good food, cheap, local
Contributions +13
Simple and delicious vegan buffet - Edit
So as you ve read in the past reviews it's not easy to find, but you won t regret it!! The food is tasty, crunchy and spicy! One of my best vegan place in vietnam so far!
Contributions +137
V E R Y Good - Edit
As simple as good. The family is vegan already in 3rd generation. Very authentic.
I've posted an image, which makes it easier to find.
The food is made once/twice a day. The earlier you arrive the warmer and fresher it is
Pros: Cheap, Clost To Center
Cons: Cold
Contributions +11
Amazing Vegan Gem! - Edit
This place was a beautiful find for us, once found we ate here twice a day!
It is hard to find the first time but then your fine.
Buffet style, good selection unless you go later for dinner you may only be left with a few choices, still great though.
We paid 20,000 dong a plate during the day and 25,000 once at night. No msg, no plastic bags and no smoking.
The family is beautiful and once we became regulars after the second day they let us serve our selves and grab a cheeky spring roll on our way out.
Free drinkable water and tea also available. I highly recommend, you won't find cheaper or tastier eats in Hoi An!
Pros: Good selection, Cheap, Beautiful family
Cons: Hard to find the first time
Contributions +19
Delicious Vegan Buffet! - Edit
I have been to this restaurant pretty much every day whilst staying in Hoi an. It is a buffet style eatery you point at everything you want and the lady will put it on your plate for you. At first glance the food looks cold, but most of it is warm and all is freshly cooked all day. It has a really nice mix of vegetables such as spinach, roasted eggplant, spicy bamboo, okra and lots of tasty mockmeats like chicken fish and tofu, you also get a soup on the side! Very popular with the locals. I pay 30,000 dong but i think the locals pay 15,000 but still very very cheap! Nice relaxed atmosphere in there with good vegan posters and buddhist statues :)
Pros: tasty, cheap, nice atmosphere
Contributions +23
Cheap And Nice - Edit
Hidden down a small alley as mentioned by others. Small menu for orders, or buffet available. Limited English, but freshly cooked and very nice. Also extremely cheap. Fairly standard in cleanliness for small restaurants in Vietnam. Not too dirty. meals for two people came to 45000 dong. For that price, it was awesome
Pros: Tasty, Cheap!, Friendly People
Cons: Hard To Find, Minimal Menu
Contributions +116
cheap & tasty but prices vary - Edit
We ate there twice and liked it. You can get a plate with rice and choose from a variety of mockmeat or vegetables dishes, just say "com chay". Soups are available as well but apparently only if you get there early enough (probably before noon). We also tried Cau Lau, a special noodle dish of Hoi An.
Prices for "com chay" varied between 15 000 - 20 000 dong (though a group of 4 tourists next to us paid as much as 30 000 for a plate). We couldn't figure out why. You might wanna try to agree on a price before you start loading up your plate.
Pros: cheap, variety of dishes to choose from, nice staff
Cons: prices vary
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