Level 1 for the ăn chay Buddhist food tradition — considerably harder at conventional restaurants where fish sauce is near-universal and invisible on menus.
DIFFICULTY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Easiest → Near Impossible
One of the world's oldest Buddhist vegetarian traditions meets one of Southeast Asia's most complex hidden-ingredient landscapes — navigation matters here more than anywhere else in Level 1.
✓
Self-Catering
Strong in cities — Co.opmart, WinMart, and wet markets stock excellent fresh produce, tofu, and a growing range of vegan-labelled products
✓
Vegan Scene
Expanding fast — dedicated ăn chay Buddhist restaurants nationwide; Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have well-established dedicated vegan scenes
!
Hidden Risk
Fish sauce near-universal at conventional venues — invisible on menus and present throughout traditional Vietnamese cooking at non-specialist restaurants
△
Language
High — Vietnamese required at most restaurants outside tourist corridors; assume limited menu-level English beyond Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hội An tourist zones
Traveller Note
Ranking contextVietnam ranks #22 globally — a ranking driven almost entirely by the depth of its Buddhist vegetarian (ăn chay) infrastructure. The gap between city and country is significant: Ho Chi Minh City scores considerably higher at city level and appears consistently in HappyCow's global top rankings for vegan-friendly cities. Hanoi has a strong and growing dedicated scene. Outside these two cities and established tourist hubs like Hội An and Đà Nẵng, the ranking feels considerably harder to leverage in practice.
The ăn chay traditionVietnam's ăn chay (Buddhist vegetarian) food culture is the primary reason for the Level 1 ranking. Dedicated nhà hàng chay or quán chay (Buddhist vegetarian restaurants) operate in virtually every Vietnamese town and city, serving menus that exclude meat, fish, and seafood — and many serve fully plant-based food with no eggs or dairy. On the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, demand for ăn chay food surges and even venues that do not normally specialise in Buddhist food may offer chay dishes. Look for the words ăn chay or chay on signage — this is your primary navigation tool outside tourist areas.
Ăn chay does not always mean fully veganThe ăn chay spectrum includes venues that are fully plant-based (thuần chay) and venues that include eggs and dairy (ăn chay trứng sữa). The distinction is not always visible on the outside of a restaurant. Always confirm whether a venue is thuần chay (fully vegan) before ordering — the phrase panel below gives you the exact confirmation question. A venue describing itself simply as chay without further qualification requires this check. Terminology also varies by venue and region, so use the full exclusion list (no fish sauce, shrimp paste, oyster sauce, egg, or dairy) even at chay restaurants rather than relying on labels alone.
Packaged foodVietnam's food labelling standards are improving but allergen declaration is not mandatory in the way it is under European law. Always read ingredient lists on packaged products — fish sauce and shrimp paste derivatives appear in many prepared sauces, condiments, and instant noodle seasoning packets. Never assume a product marketed as vegetarian is vegan without checking the full ingredients list.
What not to rely onDo not rely on dishes appearing plant-based without asking directly about fish sauce — nước mắm is invisible on the menu and present throughout traditional Vietnamese cooking at conventional venues. A dish with no meat on the plate may still contain fish sauce in the broth, marinade, or dipping sauce.
The Real Challenge
What's Hiding in the Kitchen
Fish Sauce
Everywhere
Nước mắm · the foundational seasoning of Vietnamese cuisine
Fish sauce is added to virtually every savoury dish at a conventional Vietnamese restaurant — soups, stir-fries, marinades, dipping sauces, and dressings alike. It functions the way salt functions in Western cooking: as an invisible background seasoning, not a named ingredient. International visitors consistently underestimate how foundational it is. At ăn chay venues it is absent entirely; at conventional restaurants, assume it is present unless the kitchen explicitly confirms otherwise.
Fermented shrimp paste is a primary flavouring in bún bò Huế broth and bún riêu, and is served as a dipping condiment alongside dishes such as bún đậu mắm tôm. It has a distinctive aroma but can be invisible when incorporated into a broth base. Visitors who know to ask about fish sauce may not recognise shrimp paste as a separate risk — it requires its own direct confirmation, particularly for Huế-style dishes and any fermented dipping sauce.
Vietnam's most famous dishes — phở, bún bò Huế, hủ tiếu, and canh soups — are based on long-cooked meat or bone stock at conventional venues. A vegetable topping does not indicate a vegetable broth; the broth itself is the issue. At ăn chay restaurants this risk disappears. At conventional venues, assume meat stock at traditional and non-specialist restaurants unless the kitchen confirms otherwise — modern city kitchens and tourist-facing venues may offer vegetable broth, but this requires direct confirmation each time.
Dầu hào · used to finish stir-fries and vegetable dishes
Oyster sauce is widely used to glaze stir-fried vegetables, tofu dishes, and noodle plates — appearing especially in dishes that appear confidently plant-based on the menu. A plate of morning glory (rau muống) or stir-fried tofu may be finished with oyster sauce without any seafood signal. Worth confirming separately from the fish sauce question when ordering any vegetable or tofu dish at a conventional restaurant — both questions are needed.
Mắm nêm · thick fermented anchovy condiment, distinct from nước mắm
Mắm nêm is a thick, pungent fermented anchovy condiment served as a primary dipping sauce in Central Vietnam — it is not fish sauce and requires a separate direct question. Visitors who know to ask about nước mắm often do not recognise mắm nêm as a distinct risk. It appears alongside dishes such as bánh xèo and bún thịt nướng, and arrives as a table condiment in many Đà Nẵng and Huế restaurants even when not ordered separately.
Regionally concentrated in Central Vietnam — most prevalent in Đà Nẵng, Huế, and the surrounding coast. Less common in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where nước mắm and mắm tôm are the dominant fermented condiments. Treat it as a routine separate question when travelling through the central region.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. If you are unsure, show the Vietnamese text directly — that column is what matters most in practice.
Pronunciation guides are approximate — show the Vietnamese text to your server if you are unsure how a phrase sounds. Full audio guides are in the phrasebook.
Tôi ăn thuần chay — không ăn thịt, cá, trứng, sữa, nước mắm, mắm tôm, hoặc hải sản.
toy an thwen chay — khong an thit, kah, chung, suah, nuoc mahm, mahm tom, hoac hai sanSay this first at any conventional restaurant
I am fully vegan
Món này có nước mắm không?
mon nay koh nuoc mahm khong?Ask for every savoury dish at a conventional venue
Does this contain fish sauce?
Món này có mắm tôm hoặc mắm ruốc không?
mon nay koh mahm tom hoac mahm ruok khong?Essential for Huế-style noodle dishes and dipping sauces
Does this contain shrimp paste?
Nước dùng được nấu từ xương hay rau củ?
nuoc yung duoc naw tew suong hay row koo?Ask before any soup order at a conventional restaurant
Is this broth made from bones or vegetables?
Món này có dầu hào không?
mon nay koh yow how khong?Ask for any vegetable or tofu dish — alongside the fish sauce question
Does this contain oyster sauce?
Nhà hàng này là thuần chay hay ăn chay trứng sữa?
nyah hang nay lah thwen chay hay an chay chung suah?Confirm vegan tier at any ăn chay venue before ordering
Is this restaurant fully vegan or lacto-ovo vegetarian?
Món này có trứng không?
mon nay koh chung khong?At ăn chay venues — not all tiers exclude egg
Does this contain egg?
Tôi không ăn nước mắm, mắm tôm, dầu hào, hoặc bất kỳ hải sản nào.
toy khong an nuoc mahm, mahm tom, yow how, hoac bat ky hai san nowSummary exclusion — use as a follow-up when ordering multiple dishes
No fish sauce, shrimp paste, oyster sauce or seafood
Món này được xào chung với thịt hoặc hải sản không?
mon nay duoc sow chung voi thit hoac hai san khong?If this matters to you: shared wok cross-contamination question
Cooked in a shared wok with meat or fish?
Chỉ dùng nước tương thôi, không có hải sản không?
chi yung nuoc tuong thoy, khong koh hai san khong?Confirm soy-based sauce used instead — ask after confirming no oyster sauce
Can you use soy sauce instead, with no seafood?
Survival Guide
What Actually Works
🏮
Find ăn chay first — always
Look for nhà hàng chay or quán chay signage. These Buddhist vegetarian venues eliminate the fish sauce, shrimp paste, and meat stock problem in a single step. On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, ăn chay options multiply even in smaller towns. HappyCow lists verified ăn chay venues with notes on vegan tier — check before arriving in a new city.
01
🗣️
Use the phrases — every time
At conventional restaurants, the fish sauce question is non-negotiable. "No meat" is not sufficient — fish sauce and shrimp paste are not understood as meat by most Vietnamese cooks. The phrase card above covers the minimum; the full phrasebook covers dish-specific questions for phở, bánh mì, bún dishes, and ăn chay tier confirmation.
02
🛒
Self-cater at markets and supermarkets
Vietnamese wet markets have excellent fresh produce, tofu, and tempeh at low cost. Major city supermarkets — for example Co.opmart, WinMart, and other large chains — stock a growing range of vegan-labelled packaged products; always read ingredient lists, as fish sauce derivatives appear in many condiments and seasoning packets. Useful for breakfast, travel-day meals, and any day moving between smaller towns.
03
🏙️
Base yourself in HCMC or Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have dense dedicated vegan restaurant clusters with English menus and strong HappyCow presence. In HCMC, Districts 1, 3, and Bình Thạnh are particularly well served. In Hanoi, the Old Quarter and Tây Hồ areas have the strongest concentration. Outside these cities the picture changes quickly — plan accordingly.
04
Know Before You Go
Where It Gets Harder
Vietnam's Level 1 ranking reflects its ăn chay infrastructure, not its conventional cuisine. Step outside dedicated vegan and Buddhist vegetarian venues and the picture changes sharply — fish sauce, shrimp paste, and meat stock are the defaults at conventional restaurants regardless of what the dish appears to contain.
🍜
National Dishes
Phở, bánh mì, and gỏi cuốn
Vietnam's most internationally famous dishes are not reliably vegan at conventional venues. Phở broth is made with beef or chicken bones; bánh mì typically contains pork pâté and processed meat; gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls) often include shrimp or pork. Each requires specific confirmation — a vegetable filling does not address the broth or dipping sauce. Ăn chay versions of all three exist and are widely available; confirm the venue type before ordering anything.
🌿
Signage Traps
Vegetarian symbols and V marks
Vegetarian symbols and V marks at Vietnamese restaurants and street food stalls do not confirm vegan preparation — they do not cover fish sauce, shrimp paste, oyster sauce, or egg. The word chay on signage is a stronger indicator, but even then, tier confirmation is needed: ăn chay alone does not guarantee thuần chay (fully vegan). Always ask directly whether a venue is thuần chay before ordering.
🗺️
Rural and Off-Trail
Beyond the tourist corridor
In smaller towns, rural homestays, and off-trail areas — the Mekong Delta, the central highlands, the far north — conventional local cooking is the default and ăn chay restaurants are sparse. Menus are Vietnamese-only and language barriers are significantly higher. The practical rule: seek ăn chay signage first; fall back to supermarket or market. Pack emergency provisions on itineraries moving through multiple small towns in a single day.
🏡
Accommodation
Guesthouse and homestay breakfasts
Guesthouse and homestay breakfasts typically include eggs, processed meats, and bread prepared with fish sauce or animal fats. Buffet spreads at mid-range hotels often have limited clearly vegan options — fresh fruit, steamed plain rice, and plain vegetables are usually safest. Request a vegan breakfast option in advance at accommodation outside major cities; results vary considerably.