Being a vegetarian in mostly meat-loving Hanoi: Must-try Vietnamese vegetarian dishes
Stir-fry snake?
Pork offal congee?
Snail noodle?
Blood pudding with pork and peanuts?
Plonked on a grey chair in Sheraton Hanoi Hotel's Oven D'or all-day dining restaurant, I, the vegetarian, was caught in the bog-standard Vietnamese meal. No, these were not listed in Oven D'or's beaut menu but I had a million questions. Snake? Sandworm? Weasel? But Nguyen Cong Chung, Executive Chef & Director of Food and Beverage, Sheraton Hanoi Hotel was being gracefully patient. 'Not all, but some Vietnamese do have a menagerie on their dinner plates but the vegetarians needn't starve,' Chef Chung's lilting accent carried reassurance.
Vietnamese women in traditional Ao Dai (dress) and Nón lá (hat). This painting adorns the lobby area of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel (Photo: Preeti Verma Lal)
Vegetarian Pho?
Bircher muesli?
Hanoi Vegetarian spring rolls?
Vegetarian Fried noodle?
Vietnamese braised tofu in tomato sauce?
Chef Chung rattled off tempting options but in the beautifully lit restaurant, I was distracted. By the nattily dressed people around a pretty cart loaded with gigantic pomelos. A lady in tidy toque was serving Chè bưở, a sweet, slimy pomelo rind soup topped with sweetened coconut milk, tapioca and shredded pink pomelo flesh. And there could nary be a dessert more sustainable than this - it is made of pomelo rind that is usually discarded as waste. And there is nary a sweet soup better than the Chè bưở. Slimiest & sweetest.
Vietnamese Summer rolls (Photo courtesy: Marriott Bonvoy)
In Hanoi, the World's Best Culinary City Destination 2024, I forgot the weasel, the snake, the sandworm and the balut (18-day fertilised hen or duck egg) that is often on the 'most disgusting/strange/terrifying food' list, and stepped into Hemispheres restaurant, a Michelin Selected (2023, 2024 & 2025) and TripAdvisor Best of the Best 2023 & 2024. In the tony restaurant, a set Vegetarian menu (roughly INR 4,000) awaited - La Dolce Burrata (Fresh fruits, pesto, pine nut, balsamic jelly and basil leaves), Pumpkin & Coconut Soup (Butternut pumpkin and coconut cream, salsa verde, feta cheese), Wild Mushroom Risotto (Chanterelle mushroom, peas, cherry tomatoes, asparagus & morels emulsion) concluded with Coconut Parfait (Coconut ice cream and granola).
At Hemispheres, Chef de Cuisine Nguyen Nam Nguyen is famed for combining European techniques with local ingredients like Quang An kumquat, Ly Son garlic, Phu Quoc pink pepper, fish mint, Vietnamese mint that lend a seductive aroma to the dishes in this hugely popular fine-dining restaurant.
Nguyen Cong Chung, Executive Chef cum Director of Food & Beverage, Sheraton Hanoi Hotel was named Chef Hotelier of The Year at the Hotelier Awards 2017 - Asia.
Nowhere in the world have I looked at a calendar to know which day of the month is better for being vegetarian. In Vietnam, I was poring over the June calendar. Alas, I missed the best vegetarian days - the 1st and 15th of every month when Buddhists abstain from eating meat. Consequently, more vegetarian options are offered in restaurants and roadside eateries.
In Miếu Đầm Temple dedicated to a snake-god that was raised by a farmer like his own child, the deity had lavish offerings - mango, lychee, bananas, biscuits, Pepsi. Not sure whether the gods prefer vegetarian dishes but I certainly do, specially the non-fried Vietnamese spring rolls. But that humid afternoon, I wasn't ready to pick one from The Lounge at JW Marriott Hanoi. I wanted to pick fresh herbs from the garden, wear toque & gloves and roll a roll in the hotel's manicured garden.
Vietnamese Braised Tofu in Tomato Sauce (Photo courtesy: Marriott Bonvoy)
A table was laid with braised tofu, sliced mangoes & avocado, finely cut cabbage & carrots. and a dainty rice paper sheet lazing on a wet towel spread on a porcelain plate. Cuong Trinh, Executive Chef of JW Marriott Hanoi, wore the toque, slipped his fingers into a pair of black gloves, and began the Vietnamese roll lesson. 'Hydrate the rice sheets with a little water. Add the vegetables/fruits at the centre. Then, gently roll. Gently into a wrap.' Quite like a diligent student, I followed his instructions to make a Vietnamese roll. I wore no toque, my roll was not as neat as the chef's but at least I rolled that popular Vietnamese summer roll. Ah! The joy of picking your own herbs, rolling your own roll, dipping it in soy sauce and eating it under a gazebo where the birds chirped and blue pea vine snaked around the laced roof.
Housing some of Hanoi's best restaurants (Kumihimo Modern Japanese, Chinese Restaurant Wong Chi Ming, French Grill by Jean-Francois Nulli, The Lounge, JW Cafe), JW Marriott Hanoi was designed by the renowned architecture firm Carlos Zapata Studio. Inspired by the country's coastline, it evokes the image of a dragon and is also known for its 'reverse skyscraper' design with a dramatic cantilevered structure. (Photo: Preeti Verma Lal)
Three days in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and all myths about it-is-impossible-being-a-vegetarian-in-Vietnam was shattered. I picked up handy phrases Tôi ăn chay (I am vegetarian), không thịt (no meat) and Không nước mắ (no fish sauce) to cajole the man in Phở Gà Nguyệt to rustle a Vegetarian Pho for me. The vegetarian request flummoxed the man at the street side restaurant that Michelin Guide calls a 'Gem for Chicken Pho lovers'. Minutes later, the man with a huge cleaver served the Vegetarian Pho on a low table flanked by plastic stools so low that the arse nearly hits the ground.
At Kumihimo Modern Japanese, a must-order vegetarian dish is Savoury Mushroom tartlets filled with tender eringi mushrooms, fresh shiso, and a touch of Maldon sea salt (Photo: Preeti Verma Lal)
But I was not done yet. Another day, more vegetarian delicacies: Savoury Mushroom tartlets filled with tender eringi mushrooms, fresh shiso, and a touch of Maldon sea salt, Cauliflower steak, Burned Eggplant with Orange Miso dressing at Kumihimo Modern Japanese, and Steamed Rice Roll with Mixed Mushroom, Braised Homemade Corn Beancurd, and Stir-fried Broccoli with Garlic at JW Marriott's Chinese Restaurant Wong Chi Ming.
Chinese Restaurant Wong Chi Ming has several vegetarian options including Braised Flower Mushroom with Broccoli, Stir-fried asparagus, Steamed Bao, Fresh Mango Cream with Sago & Pomelo, Boiled Black Sesame Cream with Traditional Dumpling (Photo: Preeti Verma Lal)
History tells us that King Gia Long of Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) ate the simplest food - only fish meat with vegetable rice while King Dong Khanh had 50 different dishes for every meal. When the meal bell rang, the food was delivered to the guard, the guard turned to the eunuch, the eunuch transferred food to five ladies favoured by the king who knelt to serve food for the emperor.
In Hanoi, no meal bell rang for me, I had no guard, no eunuch, no favoured ladies but there was Nàng Thơm (Fragrant Lady). It is rice, silly. Not a lady.
Must-try Vietnamese vegetarian dishes:
Phở chay: Vegetarian pho
Bánh mì chay: Vegetarian baguettes
Gỏi cuốn chay: Fresh vegetarian spring rolls
Mì xào chay: Stir-fried vegetarian noodles
Fried Vegetarian Noodles (Photo courtesy: Marriott Bonvoy)
Nộm hoa chuối: Banana flower salad with lime
Đậu sốt cà chua: Braised tofu in tomato sauce
Rau muống xào tỏi: Stir-fried morning glory with garlic
Bánh xèo chay: Savoury rice pancakes with bean sprouts, and mushrooms
Cao lầu chay: Hoi An noodles in soy dressing with greens
Đậu hũ chiên sả ớt: Tofu fried with shredded lemongrass and chilli
Cà tím mỡ hành: Eggplant simmered with green onion
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