Vegan
Asian
Vietnamese
Small place with good food - try the sesame 'chicken' sandwich or rice plates and steam buns. Operated by disciples of master Ching Hai. Also known as "Ben's" after the friendly owner. Reported fully vegan Jan 2018. Open Mon-Fri 9:00am-6:00pm, Sat 9:00am-5:00pm. Closed Sun.
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388 E Santa Clara St (at 9th St), San Jose, California, USA, 95113
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- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 15 Nov 2022 by villain
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49 Reviews
First Review by 20YearVegetarian
Seatown_vegan
Points +8637
A Gem - Edit
Came to this place and it did not disappoint. Very small place with a few tables and seats. I ordered the spicy noodle soup but from my observation they gave me pho. No worries at all as the pho was delicious! Ordered a banh mi to-go and that was delicious as well. Definitely highly recommend this place if in SJ.
Read moreGuest
NickTustin
Points +1216
Good food, but not the cleanest - Edit
- Eggplant curry - 9/10 great
Read more- Lemon chicken - 8.8/10 great
- Kung pao soy curls - 8.6/10 great
- Layered bean curd steaks(?) with chopped spring onion - 5/10 okay, but had kind of a funky cheesy taste that didn't quite taste right
Great value, but all tables were sticky. Made me wonder how clean the place is in the back. Would be nice to see more veggies mixed in with the various plant based meats too.
Guest
duckysmash
Points +69
San Jose staple - Edit
Delicious vegan food, worth the stop in, they’ve been here for a long time. The first time I ate here was 20 years ago!
Read moreGuest
JakeFuller
Points +1566
Fantastic Soup - Edit
I really enjoy a great Vietnamese soup when done well. This had three different protien types, delicious broth, and fresh basil. Highly recommend this because it was only $13.
Read moreGuest
ricki42
Points +611
great sandwich, superb pho - Edit
Had the veggie pork sandwich, which was flavourful and filling, great portion size for the price. Had the pho some time ago and it was probably the best pho I've had.
Read moreNote that they don't accept cards for orders under $20, so if you're just coming in for a sandwich or soup, bring cash.
Guest
jollieduck
Points +2545
Mock meat galore - Edit
A small place with friendly staff and lots of realistic mock meat options. Just wish that the dishes had more veggies!
Read moreGuest
Brycew
Points +1334
Homemade Food from Humble People - Edit
I have a lot of affection for this place because a friend who inspired my passion for the veg lifestyle introduced me to Chef Benjamin decades ago. The fact that he is still in the same shop serving up delicious pho, banh mi, and all kinds of straightforward delicious vegan food warms my heart. I pay them a visit every time I’m in the area.
Read moreGuest
Gonzalo559
Points +82
Great price and great portions - Edit
Great price with huge portions
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-01-26
Pros: Great food , Fast service , Better price than other restaurants in the area
Cons: Bring cash, they charge more for card payment
Guest
NicoleParks
Points +2452
so so good - Edit
we got the banh mi sandwiches ($7 each, tax included) one with grilled veggie pork and one with chinese veggie sausages. they were absolutely incredible. the portions were big, the vegan meat was savory and delicious, and the veggies were crisp. they tasted like they cost double what we paid. make sure to bring cash!
Read moreGuest
vegSpot
Points +140
Tasty and worth it - Edit
Ordered spicy noodle & Appetizers shrimp shaped one.
Read moreIt’s easy to miss the spot,
Pros: Food was tasty, Portions are huge
Cons: Finding the spot first time was slightly hard
Guest
madavgso
Points +28
Great food. - Edit
Had the Vermicelli with soy based chicken. Great flavor and good portion. The place is small. The owners are great.
Read moreGuest
Geeokonkwo
Points +536
My San Jose staple - Edit
Affordable delicious Vietnamese vegan food. Combo meal well priced. Dessert and side order options aplenty (check the fridge or next to cash register).
Read moreCons: Place Could use a deep clean, They microwave ppls food. I take mine as is.
Guest
DanTheVegMan
Points +16
Delicious and affordable - Edit
Really good and affordable food with friendly owners. Good place for take out as well.
Read morePros: Lots of Vegan options, Good portions
Cons: A bit small size restaurant
Guest
Tinofruit
Points +85
Great value - Edit
Had their $10 rice and two sides offer. Great selection to choose from, taste was ok, but could also have been my selection. Place is a little bit small and dark to dine in.
Read moreNote: Only offers card payment over $20 and with 3.5% extra.
Updated from previous review on 2023-05-13
Pros: No plastic dishes
Guest
caseymcq
Points +16
Rice and two items for 10 dollars. Literally insanely good . - Edit
Also got the “pork” wrap mouth wateringly delicious. We let them choose the combo items and he absolutely got us right.
Read morePros: Cheap
Guest
BenKerry
Points +94
Amazing Tofu restaurant - Edit
The place was small but amazing food and staff.
Read morePros: Loads of Vegan Options , Staff are friendly and helpful aka nice, Big portions and very good price.
Guest
TheVeganWerewolf
Points +90
Quick - Edit
Yummy good priced food in a smaller area.
Read moreGuest
andyjng
Points +5485
The Best Vegan Pho! - Edit
This Mom & Pop shop is one you might miss if you weren't looking out for the storefront. It reminds me of shops in Southeast Asia that are tiny businesses that pack a punch. They have a very small inside area for dining (2 people max per party) and a few tables outside.
Read moreWe loved seeing the range of items on their menu. You could either select a a combo plate and order yourself a variety of entree items along with a grain, or pick some main specialty items. We ordered the Summer Rolls ($6), Tofu Teriyaki ($6), and their vegan Pho ($10). The two appetizers were excellent - nicely seasoned and a vegan fish sauce to dip your rolls. Our hearty bowl of pho came with an amazing veggie broth that honestly mirrored the likes of my former days eating meat. The fake meats included were also pretty good too.
We also love that it was so affordable. So many vegan restaurants charge a higher premium that makes plant-based eating seem bougie and expensive. This shop doesn't do that and offers a fantastic meal for a no-frills experience.
I have fallen in love with this place and the wonderful and helpful owners. I hope they continue to thrive and offer the community more of their vegan deliciousness.
Pros: Very affordable, Excellent pho
Cons: Very limited dining area
Guest
HCJA
Points +100
Not Gluten-Free friendly - Edit
The only Gluten Free offering is plain mixed veggie. Hoping they add more GF options.. I’ll update the review when that happens—would love to give this place another shot, it’s so easy to make delicious GF options, please make it happen Tofoo Com Chay!
Read morePros: No MSG
Cons: Not Gluten-Free friendly
Guest
MarcusK
Points +1146
Mediocre - Edit
I really wanted to love this place but it’s lacking in many ways. It really is a typical ‘hole in the wall’ and I was worried about cleanliness of the food. I had the spicy noodle soup, fried wontons and summer rolls. The food came out super fast so everything was premade but I would have appreciated heating up of the dumplings. The soup was way too watery and bland. The summer rolls were pretty bad too. They broke apart immediately when I picked them up and the bean sprouts looked wilted. I couldn’t finish and realize I’ve been tremendously spoiled by excellent vegan Vietnamese cuisine in Vancouver
Read moreCons: The price is too high for mediocre bland food
Guest
avocadowong
Points +235
Small Vietnamese Restaurant - Edit
My brother brought me here 10 years ago when he was attending San Jose State University which is nearby. I loved it but haven't been back. Was glad to return and it looked exactly how I remembered it. The food is just as tasty as I remembered it. It was one of those hot sweltering day but still had pho which was delicious. I did want more noodles since I am use to lots of noodles at typical pho places and it would have been nice to have more veggies. My partner had the two items over rice where you can pick from several premade items on display. She had the eggplant over rice. It was tasty over the rice which was purplish and soft and tasty as well.there is only three small tables inside and three outside so limited seating
Read morePros: All vegan , Affordable , Friendly service
Cons: Limited seating , Wanted more noodles and veggies in soup noodles
Guest
SophiaHanna-Askin
Points +30
This place is my fav! - Edit
I go to Tofoo every time I visit San Jose everything I’ve tried has been amazing! I love the spicy pho and the pudding they have!
Read morePros: 100% vegan , Vietnamese owned , Small business
Guest
EmiliaKendrick
Points +28
My favorite - Edit
The family that runs this place has always been very kind. They have a variety of options. I even had a cheeseburger here one time which was amazing. My favorite is the sesame chicken which they sell in circular slices and cut up rectangles. They offer lunch boxes so you can get 2 sides and the option of rice or noodles. They have drinks and desserts like pudding. This is my favorite place in all of San Jose.
Read morePros: Fully vegan , Kind, Cheap
Guest
DonRainbow
Points +627
Great food - Edit
Small place but great, amazing food
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-05-10
Pros: Amazing tofu
Guest
Mrs.PA
Points +94
Amazing! - Edit
A fully vegan authentic Vietnamese food joint? I thought it impossible before today. There were five of us who got a pretty good range of items and were pleasantly surprised at how tasty everything was. I would definitely eat here again! Highly recommend the Thai Tea! We wanted to sit outside and one of the owners jumped up and set us out a table with chairs. Loved the owners’ enthusiasm for their business. Great place!
Read morePros: Everything is vegan, Inexpensive , Lots of options and combos
Cons: Not much sitting area
Guest
hetalshah24
Points +1096
Awesome vietnamese food - Edit
My husband introduced me to this establishment as his go to place during school (even though he wasn't vegan then). The food, the price is all very good. Especially love the lemongrass tofu in a banh mi and the pho.
Read morePros: Great food-all vegan, Price
Cons: Smallish place
Guest
solparaiso
Points +20
A big Let down - Edit
Im very supportive of all vegan places but this one was a big dissapointment. The place is dirty and the food is all precooked and sitting there for who knows how long. The egg roll was soggy and cold. The teryaki sauce was gross, tasted like ketchup and bbq sauce mixed together . Everything was rubbery and cold. The staff was pushy and rushed my order after ignoring all the customers. Also they will only take cash which is extremely inconvenient.
Read morePros: The lemon grass tofu and the chow mein tasted good, But were cold
Cons: There are too many better options to go back.bye
Guest
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