Bo De Tinh Tam Chay
15352 Beach Blvd, Westminster, CA, 92683
Bo De Tinh Tam Chay Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Westminster for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Westminster for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Westminster for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
15352 Beach Blvd
Westminster, CA, 92683 - Phone (714) 891-4455
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Charles P.
When the Buddhist monks are eating here you know it has the approval of the Vietnamese community in Westminster! I walk in for lunch as notice how clean and well decorated it is for a strip mall (5 stars for cleanliness and decor!)... I didn't think anything of the Vegetarian label, that was too bad for me. I ordered the Beef Pho, egg rolls and soda water with lemon. I hadn't eaten Pho in a while so I was craving it in a mean way. When the bowl of soup came there was tofu mixed in and it was skimpy on beef. The broth was good and I use that as a basis to judge pho. The egg rolls tasted funny and by the time I realized that they were vegetarian I had eaten three. I am particular about Vietnamese egg rolls and it had been awhile so naturally I had a little buyers remorse. The whole lunch came up to about $20 with a modest tip, kinda pricey for lunch. So I would go back and bring my vegetarian friends or Vietnamese family for something different. I hope that when I do come back the monks are still there, providing a calming influence to the otherwise clean and orderly establishment. However for classic Vietnamese cuisine in Westminster the quest continues for the best.
(3)lauren h.
This place is amazing! Everything are soy products and they make'em into delish meals..yummieeeeee...cant wait to be bck again..their spring rolls are the best! Very recomended..try some people :)
(5)Jennifer P.
I have been here twice. We tried the shrimp spring rolls, mushroom hot pot, and short ribs. The short ribs were VERY realistic (I think, because I haven't eaten real ribs in over 7 years). The variety of mushrooms in the hot pot was vast. The spring rolls didn't have a lot of flavor unless you drenched them in the yummy peanut sauce. The decor in this place is beautiful. It looks like a little cafe in a tropical far away place. When I went the first time about a month ago, they had this odd song on repeat and I still can't get it out of my head. I sing it to my bf sometimes randomly just to annoy him. He gets really mad. LOL The only reasons this establishment gets 4 stars is because: 1.) They charge 50 cents for a glass of ice water, which I'm pretty sure is not legal. and 2.) Their menu is very difficult to read and the few pictures they have don't always match the item. You pretty much have to trust the recommendation of the server which hasn't let me down yet (I'm sure everything is delicious and you can take a chance because there are no funky meats to be afraid of!)
(4)Hamilton L.
Vegetarian food is nice and all, but the food is half and half. I have had vegetarian dishes they were more flavorful. The restaurant is nice on the environment giving it a nice experience but the food is mediocre. I have hu tieu my tho it was a surprise that it was decent but I had the non vegetarian version so it was different for me to eat vegetarian version and anything vegetarian in general.
(3)Amanda P.
Since my first review, we've come back here several times and tried a variety of dishes, though we haven't yet sampled the hot pot that seems to be so popular. We're big fans of the crispy wontons and my husband loves the beef steak with rice--#42, I think. He always gets that, while I usually try something different each time. The food here is excellent and I've never been disappointed, but the service is not so good. The wait staff usually doesn't come back to our table after the food arrives, so it's almost impossible to get drink refills, and they're slow about bringing the check. I'd gladly give this place five stars if the staff were more attentive, but I'll keep coming back for the tasty veg food anyway.
(4)Christina T.
Ordered a simple appetizer togo. The longest wait and was contemplating getting my money back and leaving. But food ok
(3)Dean Y.
One of the best vegi restaurants I've ever been too. Much better than Au Lac in Fountain Valley. Been there a couple of times and have never been disappointed. Ask a waiter to suggest something and they'll hook you up, cuz the menu is huge.
(5)Lalaine L.
I love this place! The crispy noodles are my favorite :) this place is a pretty good vegetarian spot.
(4)Stacey C.
4.25 stars 5 stars for food. 3.5 for cleanliness After an Elite Yelp event... b/c they ran out of food, we were hungry, we found this place on Yelp! For the sheer love of food - I would go back! It was my first time at a Vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. With a help of the server's suggestions, we ordered: 1. Veggie Spring Roll (nothing special) 2. Pancake appetizer (full of bean sprout, fried, and flavorful! Yes, I did like this one.) 3. Pan fried rice noodles with vegetables (my favorite b/c the noodles tasted like mochi & I liked all the veggies!) We saw people order a lot of HOT pot looking dishes so I will be trying that next time. Prices were good, modern decor, and friendly service. The only con was that it seemed messy for some reason...I don't really know why... Regardless, I will be going back for me when in the area! Love a good find!
(4)Marissa G.
The nicest cheap Vietnamese restaurant I've been to in Westminster. Delicious food with a great environment - the theme is chic hole-in-the-wall. My brother and I ordered: 1) tofu & vegetable vermicelli : flat rice noodles with perfectly cooked-but-still-crispy vegetables. the fake meat is a little weird because it looks like meat but it's still really great. The noodles have a sweet savory flavor. 2) Spring Rolls : they're decent, but basically like springrolls you can get from any place else. 3) Dry tofu pho - really great texture of the "meat," noodles super good. I want to go back but it's so far from my house so I think I will just cry many vegetarian tears instead. If you're in the area, check it out. Their menu is dauntingly huge but the photos help a lot.
(5)Beth H.
I'd give this place four stars if the service was better. Actually the service is great initially. However, if you ask any questions, be prepared to get a "Yes" answer with a "No" shake of the head at the same time. Or the other way around. Therefore, you really don't get a straight answer. At least one that you understand. There are several times that I've received items that I didn't order. However, all of these items have always been outstanding so I can't really complain. The fried mushrooms are the best I've ever had anywhere. They are meaty, light, crispy and flavorful with no greasy texture or taste. And yes, the mushrooms are something we didn't order but received anyway. I was so thankful for this error. I've had several dishes and liked them all. The #16 with crispy noodles is really, really good. Especially for someone who wants something somewhat generic and safe. Not that its a bad thing. It is amazingly flavorful and has great texture and I order it every time. I'm just saying it's something a newbie would love and be comfortable ordering. Don't miss the combo hot pot either. The plethora of fresh veggies and mushrooms to pepper into the rich, bubbling, flavorful broth is a really nice surprise and brings the flavor and texture of this dish to a whole new level. Now, the service.....once you order and get your food, the servers disappear. Even if you try to flag them down it is almost impossible to get their attention. I've considered throwing myself on the floor and flopping around like a fish to get my check, but the floor isn't carpeted and I bruise easily so I think twice each time. It just seems like once you get your food, they are done with you and want to move on to other patrons. Is it because I'm white? I don't know. The food is so good here, I don't really care too much. If the service gets a little better, I'll upgrade my review to 4 stars because the food is actually really good. Believe it or not, you don't even miss the meat either, and I'm a true carnivore at heart, baby.
(3)Marvin V.
Love the Phu Chuc Nuong Trui (#30) Charbroiled Vegetable Fish Shish Kabob!!! This is actually my second time here. The only reason its 4 star because of one of our order took very long to come. Other than that, no problem at all with this restaurant. I will definitely come back for more.
(4)Lisa T.
Went again. Staff are friendly as usual. Quick seating. Food was good, bit tasted a bit old. I am thinking that because yesterday was a full moon (an chay for Buddhist), they served leftovers today. Boo.
(3)Justine L.
Used to go here at least once a week when I lived in Orange County. I would bring family and friends that aren't even vegetarian/vegan and they loved it. I still come when I am visiting home. Nice interior, good prices, great food.
(5)Khoi D.
I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years and just turned vegan 6 months ago. Eating out was never this good. I just moved here from Atlanta and they had no where near the level of Vegan/Vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant as this. Food: I've only had a couple dishes from this place and can't wait to try more. Everything is so flavorful and delicious! I've been here 4 times since I moved back to So Cal 3 weeks ago. If you have 3-4 people please order the Lotus Flower Hot Pot($25) I've had this twice and 2 people can not finish this. The broth(silken tofu, sqash, taro) is soo good and they give you so much mushrooms and greens to put into it. I love their yellow noodles here too which they serve with the hot pots and noodle dishes. I had the Wonton Noodle dish this morning and it was also very good. Can't wait to try more from their menu. Service: The service is fairly quick and the servers are very knowledgeable and always suggest what's good. It's nice to speak Vietnamese here too. Place: I love the dark wood decor of this place, it has a very buddhist temple feel when you eat here. Floors, tables and everything was clean. If I want Vietnamese food and want to eat out, this is where I'm going.
(5)Carol H.
OMG.. I was just browsing the places that I've been and I cannot believe this place got the rating that it did. This restaurant was the WORST place I've ever step foot in! My boyfriend and i decided to give this place a shot since it was nearby. The horrible experience is too long to describe so here is the list: - waited 45 minutes until food arrived along with our check to pay. - my food was cold like it has been sitting out for awhile - the waiter asked if I wanted wanted brown rice and since my food was cold he would bring out the "warm" brown rice with no extra charge (he ended up charging me for it anyways) - my boyfriends soup was cold! Like straight from the fridge cold! It was also powdery!!! And there was a dead ant on the edge of the plate!!!!!!. We told the waiter and all he said was "let me take it to the back and I'll wipe the ant off" seriously???? No effin way..... - this table next to us had the same issue of their food being cold, so what did they do? The waiter took the plate back and microwaved it! They actually had a microwave by the register to MICROWAVE their food and give it back to the customer!!!! - to make matters worse, when I took my first bite my boyfriend and I heard nail clippings! Eewwww!!!!! We heard someone clipping their nails behind the register counter but thought maybe it was something else until one of the worker(I'm guessing she is the owner) stood straight up and guess what was in her hand? Yes, a nail clipper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I threw up my food after one bite and i mean literally threw up! We were so disgusted that my bf threw the money on the table and just left with our plate barely touched. Take this rating into consideration for those who are thinking of trying this place out. My advice, unless you don't like to enjoy your food, dont even bother! It didn't even deserve 1 star but the site won't let me put 0 or even -5 stars.
(1)Elaine f.
Yuuuum! Everything is full of flavor and so delicious! I think they get the rolls from Lee's a few doors down . . . The place is really nice insude, its not too loud and the service is pretty efficient. I would definitly come back here over Pho Vie. Its about a dolllar or so more, but definitly worth it!
(4)muzzie c.
love love this place, food are great and service are really fast
(5)Tea N.
I liked the Banh Xeo! I also tried some other mushroom with faux beef in it and didn't enjoy it as much.
(4)Kevin W.
This was the first time I've ever had vegetarian vietnamese food and it was amazing! We got a ton of food from the menu because I came in a large group. Everything I had was amazing. Also, the dishes were not oily nor overly salty which is rare when you go out to an asian restaurant. That is a huge plus in my book. Although I was a bit intimidated by the menu since it was written in vietnamese with minimal english descriptions but luckily I came with vegetarian vietnamese people who ordered everything. Specifically memorable dishes include the curry that comes in a coconut shaped bowl, one of the spring rolls with the white rice paper wrapper with tofu inside, and the papaya salad. Awesome! I definitely felt good and extremely full when I left.
(5)Katheryn H.
Ambiance and decor of the restaurant is really nice - very clean and modern. Vast selection of vegetarian dishes are are packed with flavor. I often see Buddhist monks dine here, which somehow add authenticity and character to the restaurant. I usually order the bun canh and the bo bia chay, but nothing I've order have disappointed me yet.
(4)Kent H.
The decor is definitely cool and the service was very horrible, but this is more about the food. The selection is vast with vegetarian chicken, seafood, ham and other meats. We ordered some vegetable dishes, the hot pot and jack fruit salad. The hot pot had a pretty good broth, but the ingredients were mediocre. It had a variety of fresh mushrooms so you'll have to like mushrooms. The jackfruit salad was a good mixture. The mixed vegetables and tofu wasn't much to rave about. More mushrooms so it was a very fungus filled meal.
(3)lipitorkid d.
Vegetarian nirvana. While I have been going to Au Lac ever since they opened (easily over 10 years ago...right? God I'm getting old.) This place is better than Au Lac unless you want a smaller, quieter, fancier, and more expensive experience. Clean, large, nice atmosphere and really good food. Get the following: -snow peas in oyster sauce (not the normal snow peas) this dish for some reason tastes like you are eating a healthy charred steak. -Mango smoothie -ice tea -the mushroom hotpot I really like that I can get 25+ vegetarian egg-rolls and bring them to a Christmas party. The only downside is that some of the servers are UBER-helpful and some of the servers look like they are doing community service work... begrudgingly.
(4)Steph H.
After reading about this place in the LA Times, I was very curious to try it. I must say, it was pretty darn good! My friend and I got there around 6:20 or so and there were plenty of open tables. We were both struck by how nice it was inside--kind of dark and soothing, with lots of nice wood furniture and floors, and beams and parts of tiled roofs to bring the sense of the outdoors in. And lots of fake bamboo that helped screen out the brutal late afternoon sun along the front windows. We were seated in one of the booths along those windows, and it was very nice. They have quite an extensive menu, and it took us a while to figure out what we wanted. Since it was a very warm evening the hot soups were out for me, but I was intrigued by their "chicken" curry. My friend ordered the vermicelli with greens and egg rolls. We both got young coconut juice to drink, yum. I love it when it comes in the actual coconut. Our order soon arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised by the nice white plates/bowls and metal chopsticks. I've never seen metal chopsticks outside of a Korean restaurant, but these were hollow and therefore more easy to use than the solid steel Korean variety. The food was very tasty overall, but I don't know why they bothered calling the vegetable protein chunks in my curry "chicken," even in quotes, because it was nothing remotely like chicken. I was thinking I'd encounter something like what the Veggie Grill uses, which is pretty convincing as chicken, but this, not so much. It was still very good, but "chicken," it's not. The curry was like a Thai yellow curry (my favorite), with that hint of sweet coconut milk. It was also full of veggies like eggplant, broccoli, bamboo shoots, that "chicken" stuff, chunks of regular tofu, and some other stuff--veggie goodness! They also give you the option of getting white or brown rice. I got the brown rice, but I was surprised to see that it was really that dark purple variety, which was good, but rather unexpected. I really liked my friend's vermicelli dish too. Her fried veggie spring rolls tasted like regular spring rolls to me, and the whole thing was light and delicious! The prices were reasonable, the staff was extremely nice and spoke great English. Overall, a great option for vegetarian Vietnamese food.
(4)Victor N.
Quite possibly one of the most beautiful vegan restaurants that I've had the pleasure of dining in! I am a lover of vegetarian dishes (I grew up in a devout Buddhist family and was a loyal Buddhist scout in my younger years... yeah kinda like Boy Scouts but for Buddhists) and I must say that this restaurant far exceeded what I had expected to find! The decor and the ambiance of the venue itself was well thought out (except for the ceiling... if you're going fancy with everything else please make the ceiling pretty too!) and well put together. It didn't look like it was overcrowded with billions of eclectic decorations collected over the years from trips to Vietnam or China. The food itself was fresh, light and tasty. Everything I look for in vegetarian dishes. I hate vegetarian dishes that overcompensate by deep-frying too much or sauteeing the hell out of an item. I will definitely be back to this location for lunches and dinners and will bring and/or drag my dear friends along for the ride!
(5)Row Bear F.
Excellent food. Have been coming here for years and try to stop by whenever in town.
(5)Christine V.
Good food. Great service. I left my phone there once ,, I came back and they gave it back to me :)
(5)Cathy N.
This vegetarian restaurant is incredible. The scenery is beautiful, the service is excellent (The Mexican waiter deserves an A+), and price is exceptional. The fish stew was soooo good, only $6.99! They give you a decent portion that will make you full. The hot tea had flowers in them! I loved their bowls and plates, white and plain but so pretty. :) Overall, the experience was positive. I would definitely return again (and probably will sometime this week)!
(5)Govinda A.
Food was ok, then charged me extra for something i didnt order and charged me 50 cents for having water WOW!!
(1)Tu L.
Probably my new favorite vegan restaurant. The menu is extensive and there's so much food to review, I'll just say try as many as dishes you can. It's all pretty good. Favorites are the lemongrass 'chicken', the yellow curry (served with baguettes), and the papaya shake. Plenty of seating here even though it gets crowded, and they're quick and friendly.
(5)Jennifer Y.
The papaya salad was super good! This place was pretty good. :) Everything on the menu is vegetarian. Service was exceptional, food was good, nice ambiance and atmosphere, and the bathrooms were super clean. I would definitely go here again next time!
(4)Henry L.
Came here again, tried the veggie suon nuong version, wasn't really great, the flavor was like too rich. I find it ridiculous to charge for water, even if it was one cent, still stupid. I hate how some of the vietnamese restaurant still use chipped plates just like this place, the tea pot was chipped, the plate was chipped, even the cup was chipped. Wtf? Fucking replaced it, damn cheap fucks.
(3)Liz H.
The food is amazing and the ambiance is beautiful. It's a little pricey for Vietnamese food, however, it's worth it! Great vegan options! They said everything on the menu is vegan except the curry.
(5)Mel M.
Don't tell Mitasie 3 but I'm hot for you, on the inside.
(4)Phuong L.
Friend show me this place. Inside there is a replica of a partial bamboo hut which you can eat you meal in the booth. The food is TASTY. Vegatarian curry was so good and the atmosphere feels calm and quiet.
(4)Peter P.
Another great Vietnamese restuarant close to my house. The woman that served me showed me how to eat my fish stew correctly with the rice and the vegetables because I am just a foreigner in Little Saigon =P
(4)Tram L.
I would have given this restaurant four stars had it not been for the service, but I'll talk about the food first. I went here in a large group (14 people), and was very impressed with the food. I love vegetarian food, and everything we ordered was delicious - the pho ap chao (fried pho noodles), the canh chua and dill tomato soups, sauteed vegetables, fried tofu, etc. After ordering water for the whole table, our food came out first. For some reason, it was easier to crank out the food than the water. We asked the servers 5 (yes, I said it) times for water, and only got 6 waters. (Again, we had 14 ppl). We had to stand up and go directly to the server at the bar and ask for 8 more waters, to which she said "EIGHT WATERS?" And for some reason, they filled up another 4 waters and gave it to another table before ours. We didn't get the rest of the waters until we were almost done with our meal. When we paid, they asked if everything was ok with our dinner. We replied that the food was very good, but our waters came out very late. To which they replied they were sorry, but they were busy because it was rush hour. This may be a fluke, because we were a large group and they probably weren't used to large groups of people with reservations during rush hour, but I really dislike having to remind people about little things like water. Plus, I was really thirsty. I would recommend the food to others. The decor was really beautiful, ambience was nice, and the price was very reasonable, but beware, you might have to put up with inconsistent service.
(3)Stephanie V.
A proper and probably more expensive version of their first location on Moran Street. Begin there for lunch and end up here for dinner, if you know whatup. The grilled fish with dill is still the best dish here, even if you don't even like dill. That's how good it is. Eat it in a bowl with plenty of fresh greens or wrap it all up in a tight lettuce blanket. Dip. The curry is just OK--too sweet and spiceless for my taste. Order the pho ap chao if you need more food. Eat it with chili sauce. Done!
(4)Adriana S.
The best Vietnamese food ever, IMO. They happen to be vegetarian, for me that is beside the point. Their food tastes awesome. Try the "fish", it's amazing how they can get tofu to taste that good. I've moved from Orange County, but I still go there just to eat their food, I crave it.
(5)yuna l.
I love this restaurant! Just had a family diner there and all of the dishes were yummy! Tofu, noodles, fish ... plus the decoration is pretty nice and the service good. The tea is also above average (:
(5)Tina P.
Whenever I'm up for vegetarian I'm heading to this place for their Mushroom Hot Pot. Lots of vegetables... so good!
(4)Lisa L.
They have one of the best vegetarian phos I've ever had! Even my omnivorous boyfriend thinks its delicious!
(5)Angeline D.
I usually don't eat vegetarian food in an actual restaurant; I actually prefer getting it from a Buddhist temple or to-go establishments. My friend Tom invited me to eat dinner here one night, and it was an overall good experience, both food and service-wise. Tom said that the LA Times (not too sure, though) had written a review on BDTTC, which led me to believe that the food would be decent. We had originally planned to go with the Bun Rieu, Com Tay Cam (a stone pot rice dish), and Cha Gio (egg rolls), but our server was kind enough to recommend ordering less food; she said it was WAY too much for two people and highly recommended the bun rieu and com tay cam instead. Tom was convinced that she was out of egg rolls, but we'll never now, now will we? Along comes the food, and as the server said, there was plenty of food for the both of us. We asked for small bowls to split everything, and everyone was very accommodating to us as guests. I'll have to say that the bun rieu wasn't really a favorite of mine; it was a little too sweet for me (though understandably, bun rieu vegetarian style is generally sweet -- just something I should've taken into consideration before ordering). I really enjoyed the com tay cam, but would preferred that there was more crispy rice at the bottom of the stone pot bowl. There was plenty of "meat," which is great because a lot of vegetarian restaurants get skimpy on toppings for this particular rice dish. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very tranquil and aesthetically pleasing. This place is relatively new, having opened in May of this year, and it was evident in the condition of the silverware and dishes. I love new Asian restaurants because they are always so clean and modern looking; however, you know the rule: the dirtier it is, the better the food! This place exceeded my expectations, especially since it was so clean! Oh yeah, the menu is HUGE! Lots of items to choose from, but the classic favorites are there, too. Definitely looking forward to bringing my parents here for lunch one day. :)
(3)Dave S.
They don't speak English very well and will charge you for a glass of tap water on top of a $30 bill($1). The waiter brought us the wrong food at one point and expected us to accept/pay for it. The food was OK. I won't return here, though; unfriendly atmosphere
(1)Andrew G.
Was working and we got our break in Westminster. My partner and I quickly checked yelp and found this gem down the street. The ambiance is very nice. You could easily bring a date here. The food is fantastic. Unfortunately we only had 30 minutes so we scarfed it down very fast. I'll definitely be back in a more relaxed setting to enjoy myself. The staff went out of their way to accommodate us and were very very very nice. I highly recommend this place. Great food and service. Plus they have a take-out section if sitting down isn't your thing. Yay for great vegetarian restaurants.
(5)Allen H.
So I went to this restaurant cause my friend wanted to eat some vegetarian food. I don't mind vegetarian food i find it to be actually pretty tasty. I didn't really feel like eating an entire meal so i just ordered a taro shake. I was pretty good. The food here looks pretty good from what i was able to observe. I would not mind giving this place another look one of these days.
(3)Choco L.
The food here is the best vegan Vietnamese you'll get in the Southland. I've suffered through many crappy vegan Vietnamese meals, and this place made it all better. Thank you Bo De Tinh Tam Chay ("BDTTC"). This restaurant is related to Bo De located on Moran Street, by the way. One family member owns this one and another owns the Moran location. I've had a lot of things on the menu. They took pictures of the most popular dishes and put them in the menu. That menu is horribly disorganized, but the pictures make it easier to order. Love the Bun Chia Gio, that dry vermicelli dish with a cut up eggoll on top, the citrus grilled pork version. This is the first dish I always try when I go to a new Viet place. BDTTC's version was, as the Yelp kiddies like to say, a "party in my mouth". This is my favorite version of this dish of any place I have been to, even though the citrus pork is really chewy sometimes. The egg roll, sauce, and variety of greens is what makes it. To me, this is a home run for BDTTC, a comfort food dish that I will order again and again. Their pho ap cham is pretty good here! Also, the banh xeo has a variety of "meats" and was as good as I could find at a vegan restaurant. Their various noodle soups were good, but the Bun Vit Xiao Mang (Duck Noodle and Bamboo Soup) and the Bun Rieu Cua (Crab and Tomato noodle soup) were pretty amazingly like the "meaty" versions. The Bun Cha Han Oi is pretty good, but I don't know how veggie pattie would stand up to the original porky version, because you don't have all that pork fat running through it. I actually prefer another Bun Cha dish, which is one of the pictures you see, but I forget the name. I love how the "meat" on that dish just fell apart. One time I got this rice plate with "beef stew", which was like chunks of very, very tender beef and a bowl of rice. I thought it was awesome. Nobody talks about this one. I chose it at random from the menu. I've tried several of the salads and the lotus root one stands out as really good. The jackfruit one was good too. Damn it, they're all good. The only dish I'm not a huge fan of is the ginger fish. Thought the sauce was kind of bland. Oh wait, I also wasn't a huge fan of their Hainan rice plate. I thought Loving Hut (Orange location) had a good version, love the wokked rice, even if the "chicken" part is pretty dry when they're done with it. Gosh, I know I've had a lot of other dishes, but those stand out in my memory. They have a longan drink and "special weeds dessert" drink that's about $3 that is pretty refreshing on a hot day. The longan one is my favorite. The service is very, very kind, at least in my experience. I've seen all kinds of customers here, mostly Vietnamese families, but also non-Asians, and they take pains to help out customers. In fact, I'm not Vietnamese and they were kind enough to point out their own favorites to me. Probably the best service I've gotten at a Vietnamese restaurant, to be honest. Love them Buddhists.
(5)Richard D.
I have been coming here so offer I should be a resident, this is my favorite place ever! I try to take as many people here to introduce them to the best Vietnamese veggie food around!
(5)Dinh T.
Who needs meat?! Not I! (this time) Wow, can vietnamese vegetarian food be any better? I am just going straight to the meat (no pun intended) of this review. This place is a pleasant surprise. That have almost every traditional vietnamese dish on their menu and it actually tastes like it's meat counterpart. Can my taste buds tell the difference? Yes, but it was still delicious. Ordered the curry, stir fried noodles, and faux fish simmered in a clay pot with lots of rice. The curry was nice and creamy with a good helping of potatoes, the stir fry was well seasoned with a variety to different types of vegetables and tofu strips and the clay pot faux fish... well, order 2 because that plus white rice is more awesome than Chuck Norris! So much as the food fills the tummy with lots of happy, I cannot say the same for the service. Waiters were really slow with water fills and a few times, I had to use my "outside" voice to get their attention. If you are one who is a stickler for service, it is so-so here. However, if you just want good vegetarian food, then it is something you have to bear with to get that full belly. For those who do not eat meat and want to have a delicious vegetarian experience and love vietnamese food, drop the boca burger and bland tofu and make this place one of your staple restaurants of choice in terms of taste. As for those carnivores out there, drop the cow and chicken once in a while and give this place a whirl, your taste buds will thank you!
(3)A M.
I've been here a few times now, and I really like it. It's now the place I go out to eat. I'm vegetarian. Basically you should go eat here. There are so many things to try on the menu!
(5)Theresa D.
This is mine & my parents' go-to Vietnamese place when my better half is in town. She & I, both, are vegetarians so when she comes to visit my parents want to surround her with our culture and insist on going here to share in a "traditional Vietnamese" meal, together. EVERYTHING is to die for! This isn't the run-of-the-mill vegetarian restaurant. This place is jam-packed with flavor in every single bite of every single dish! I've taken my meat-eating friends there and they, too, LOVE the place! The service can be a bit slow, but I'm willing to let that slide as the food is worth the wait. And if you don't feel like waiting, they even have a separate take-out area so you can take this goodness home to enjoy! Anyone weary of vegetarian food and everyone else for that matter - this place is A MUST TRY!
(4)Jeff S.
thanks yelp, this place was awesome. I dont know much about Vietnamese food but I know good food when I have it. Very friendly & helpful service, good prices and I loved everything I ordered. Will def. Go back.
(5)Ryan H.
Ok, I can't rate the service since I've only order to go. Food is awesome, I had the best tofu ever here (unfortunately, I wasn't the one who ordered that dish so i'm still trying to find it! ) Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside! :) I had the vege ribs the other night, and they were amazing as well! Will definitely be back!
(5)Becky P.
1st time eating here coz I have been enjoying the varieties of really good vegan/vegetarian foods that are out there to experience. This was an ok place lots of people actually. But having so many waiters waiting on your table is a cause for confusion. They forgot one of the dishes we ordered. Only 20 mins into our dinner did we realize we better ask if the dish was even going to be served. And the 2nd waiter who is also waiting on us looked at the receipt noticed that one of the dishes indeed was forgotten. On our 2nd time here, to see how they are during lunch, let's just say just the same, 3 people waiting on us & none of them comes by to see how were doing or if we need anything else. They forgot my order of Black ice coffee & to top it off, when we were ready to pay, we notice the check had us being charged a $1.00 each for tap water!! WTHeck, I know the rate of water went up, but to actually charge your customers $1.00 for a small glass of TAP water was ridiculous. Maybe next time, if there's ever a next time, I will bring my own clean water! Maybe I should come just to let them say something about me bringing my own water.... Hahahahhahaha! I'm only giving them a 3 star coz service was terrible both times, food was so, so!
(3)Tiffany L.
My mom took my sister and i out to this restaurant a lil while ago.. we came in around 5pm and it was empty~ we were greeted by a very friendly waitress who promptly seated us and took our drink orders. she was so sweet~~ she recommended menu items and came around to chat with us a few times we ended up ordering the imitation fish that you wrap in seaweed and lettuce and then imitation caramel-sauce fish (ca kho chay) i realllly enjoyed both dishes! i wouldnt say its the best vegetarian food i've had (that honor goes to my granny) but the service was INCREDIBLE~~ i would definitely come back to try other menu items~!!
(5)Joanne N.
This is a great vietnamese vegetarian restaurant. Everything is excellent. The restaurant was also super clean and had a very modern decor. prices are insanely reasonable. every single item on this menu is vegetarian and yet the selection is extensive. Best vegetarian place i've been to so far in terms of asian. I had the ap chao- loooved it!
(5)Vicky N.
I like this place! Their Banh Xeo is tasty and their Bun Bo Hue has such a flavorful broth. Who knew vegetarian food could be so good! I had leftovers of the Banh Xeo, came home, got hungry again, microwaved it, and it still maintained it's crunchiness! Mmm so good.
(4)Anisa T.
so I went here for good friday with my friend since I couldnt eat meat,.. and to my surprise its really nice inside! its clean and has a nice decore but it was really hectic in there and very crowed that is wy i only gave them 3 stars because they are very nice but so busy that they cant give you attention.. we ordered the pho ap chao the noodles were very good and the sauce has flavor it was just a bit sweet for me. we also had the veg bi spring rolls lol that was my favorite but if you are looking for a soupy dish, go for the mi hieu tu sooo good! if your going veg go here!
(3)Michelle N.
I went here for the first time yesterday with my dad's side of the family after my paternal grandpa's funeral. Being a vegetarian in a family of mostly meat eaters, I was ecstatic that they chose a vegetarian restaurant to dine at. There was a lot of food on the table, but since there were 20 or so people and I couldn't see or hear what was being ordered, I'll stick to reviewing the food that was around me. Before my fried rice came around, I ate the veggie spring rolls and a loaf of bread that one of my aunts ordered for everyone as appetizers. My sister's mushroom hot pot came out before my fried rice, so I had some of that as well. After a couple minutes passed and I didn't see my fried rice anywhere, I began to wonder where it was. Turns out, it was on the other far end of the table where my mom was sitting. D'oh. It was good, but there was something lacking in the taste. For drinks, I ordered a taro shake. Loved it as well.
(4)Kim T.
Since both of my parents are vegetarian, I'd like to think I know what good vegetarian food tastes like and this place is it. I think I have tried every vegetarian restaurant in Orange County and this is the only place that I'm excited to go to with my parents when I eat with them. It is vegetarian vietnamese food and they do it so well! The taste is spot on and they have a great selection. It's also very clean and decorated nicely for a vietnamese restaurant. The service is good as well. Love this place!!!
(5)Eve L.
Bun bi cha gio #24 - that is what I ordered. (vegan eggrols with noodles and lots of veggies with imitation fish sauce) It was so delish I practically inhaled it and only came up for air a couple of times. very very yummy
(4)Adam B.
Beautiful decor. Sumptuously flavoured dishes. Unbelievably accommodating staff. Free Buddhist movies and music. Heaven might look a bit like this unassuming gastronomical paradise.
(5)Lisette L.
The best vegetarian restaurant ever!! And the waiters are very helpful, fast, and friendly. The food is wonderful and very flavorful. I have tried the com tay cam, Bo luc lac, curry, and several items from their food to go station. No complaints here. :) Also I love the decor inside, very Z gallerieish!
(5)Jennnnnn Y.
Maybe the experience would be different if I came with someone Vietnamese?? I ordered a coconut juice that came after my meal - but I saw a Vietnamese lady sit down, order, and her coconut juice arrived way before mine. I ordered a the Viet pancake and it was really tasty - not too oily. I expected there to be more than bean sprouts and two slices of ham inside - I've had it elsewhere where they added other veggies but it was still good. I just wouldn't order it again. I was seated promptly and was please with the ambience during lunch - crowded, clean, and efficient. I would come back but definitely order something else.
(3)Q W.
First time here. It was very crowded but we were seated pretty quickly. The staff was very friendly but it took a while to get our food. Yes, this is to be expected when it's busy but having worked in the restaurant biz previously, it shouldn't have taken this long. I had the yellow curry and friends had banh cuong and something else that I can't remember. I didn't enjoy my curry. The soup part is good but I'm not sure about having broc and cauliflower in my curry. I wanted more potato and 'chicken'. I think all asian restaurant should stop putting western veggies in the asian dishes where it isn't the 'norm.' Banh cuong was very good, however. Overall, I would recommend this place but just not during peak hrs ... or the yellow curry
(4)Tien P.
Tha first time I tried this, it was amazin! It deserved the great ratings it got on yelp. Then each time I came back it wasn't as good. Maybe I was expectin too much? Maybe I wasn't that hungry? Last time I went, I was cravin Bun Hue (or Bun Bo Hue). It tasted exactly like the real thing except with a buncha fake meat thrown in. It was strong, and full of flavor, not like that watered down crap at other chay places. Wut made it even better was how authentic it was with the basil and spices. I was a little disappointed with the presentation though. I'm not sayin a want a masterpiece or anythin, buh the bowl was just greasy on the outside and looked like it was used as a spoon to scoop the soup! My boyfriend ordered the Pho Ap which included veggies and a mixture of imitation meats. It was nice, nothin you can't throw together at home; it would've been mediocre if it weren't for the imitation meat. But he, not bein asian, loves any kind of greasy, fried, asian stuff. Then we had a taro shake, which hit the spot, tho it had more ice than it did taro. We thought might as well get a drink, cuz they charge you 50 cents for water anyways! Who does that?? Tha service was ok. We waited 10 minutes before anybody noticed we were waitin. I would understand if the place was packed, but we were one of the few people there. I just hope this place doesn't go downhill like other new viet restaurants in Westminster. It's hard to find good viet food with a clean and nice environment. So 4 stars for 1st/2nd time there 2 stars for tha others giving an average of 3 stars
(3)Trang F.
This place is relatively new. I love the vegetarian dishes here. Beef, chicken and fish dishes all made from tofu and vegetables. I really like their banh xeo, their dry noodle dishes, and 'meat' dishes. Everything is really good here. I wish I could replicate all theses dishes, but obviously I don't have vegetarian cooking skills. The place is very nice, clean, and new. I've been here at least 5 times, and each time, i walk away a happy customer. Oh and yes it sucks they charge for water, but I'll live with it as long as they continues delivering the goodness they do each time I restaurant here.
(5)Jennifer T.
SO delicious. Cannot put into words how good this place is - and the staff is nice. The hot pots, the pho, the vermicelli, the rice dishes - incredible. It's nice to see everyone from Vietnamese families, to the corporate white guys, to the Buddhist monks eating here. This place pleases everyone.
(5)Dao N.
if you're vegetarian or just want to eat a little healthier, bo de thinh tam chay offers a taste of vietnamese food without meat or the extra calories that go with it without sacrificing too much flavor. dish by dish comparison, they aren't exactly the same as their meat counterparts, but they are tasty nonetheless; you'll get the essence of vietnamese food and unless you really need to have meat, you won't miss it. i had the vermicelli with egg rolls, marinated tofu and tahini tofu shreds (bun bi tau hu ky?). the egg rolls were pretty good and not greasy. i enjoyed the intense sweet salty flavor of the fried marinated tofu and the texture and flavor of the tofu shreds. the only disappointment was the mixed fish sauce sans fish sauce. it needed more salt and lemon or vinegar. oddly, the pickled veggies were just right. my friend had the "chicken" curry, which had various veggie meat products with vegetables. i'm not a huge fan of vietnamese curry. this one was tasty, but none of the varieties of meat products in the dish were reminiscent of chicken, so if that's what you want, you may not like it. however, i'm also not a huge fan of meat products imitating meat. personally, i'd rather just eat tofu for protein. some people don't like tofu. go figure. so you may like this if your heart isn't set on chicken, but just want something tasty and textural and protein rich to go with your veggies. service was good. the place is one of the newer, cleaner styles of vietnamese restaurants with friendly stereotypical asian decor.
(4)Hiroyuki M.
Ordered the vermicelli BBQ pork of course with fake pork meat and it was bomb dot com! I work as an EMT and went in with my partner that's a die hard vegan and he loved the food too. Excellent service and since we were in uniform we receieved 50% off!
(5)Pat D.
had the beef pho and it was fantastic. Very diverse menu and a beautiful restaurant, all designed in dark wood. The staff is friendly, although our waiter didnt speak any english and asked us a few questions I wasnt sure what they were. No worries, we made it work. Will be back to try more.
(4)james V.
It's sad to say that this restaurant falls into the same fate like most Vietnamese restaurants: the quality of food and service go down hill as the restaurant becomes more popular and crowded. Consequently, we had to downgrade it to a 3 stars. We came back today for lunch. The place was packed. For appetizer, we ordered bo bia (fresh egg roll with peanut sauce). It was good as usual but this appetizer came out after all the main dish! The lotus salad came out next to last. It was obvious that the chefs didn't coordinate with one another. They just serve whatever foods come out the assembly line. It also happened to a few tables around us. This lotus salad used to be so good now it's not worth it. The dressing is so water down which gave no taste. For the main course, the saute rib was bland, lack of taste. Deep fried mushroom was still excellent. Banana flower soup was full of mint that dominated the taste. Most of the main dish were warm! It seems that they were sitting in the kitchen for a while. For the price of $60 bucks that we paid for a party of four, there are so many better Vietnamese vegetarian restaurants in town. We probably won't come back for a long time so that the owner has time to improve its operations. We were disappointed this time.
(3)Cheyne N.
Came here on a recommendation from a friend. Great tofu chicken Pho here. Nice decor and extensive menu, if I wasn't in a hurry I might have tried something else. Little slow on the order taking side but it's worth the wait. Be back soon!
(4)Dennis P.
One word...delicious!!!
(5)Yralla L.
I went here for lunch. The food was tasty, but I miss having meat. I love tofu, but it really does not replace meat. This joint seems really popular amongst many vegetarian Buddhist. We encountered groups of monks while dining here. I might convince my meat eating buddies to give this place a try.
(3)Brad N.
This is one of the best vegetarian restaurants I have ever been to. Come in a group, order a grip of different dishes, and dig in. OMG so good...
(5)Anina G.
So delicious. Menu is huge and a little intimidating at first, but try anything and you won't be disappointed.
(5)nicholas n.
I am not a vegetarian, but this place can almost convert me into one. I have eaten a lot of vegetarian food in my lifetime. In fact, I spend 3 years of my life living in a vegetarian city, Loma Linda. So, I do know what a good vegetarian dish taste like. food: 4/5 The food here taste almost like real meat, which is a compliment. The best vegetarian dishes are soup bases, which can hide the tofu taste. overall, their dishes are good, closely resemble their meat counterpart. ambiance: 4/5 A little dark inside with artificial bamboo providing shades from the sun. cleanlyness: 3/5 resemble most dive-y places in Little Saigon cost: 4/5 most dishes cost $1-2 higher and the portions slightly smaller. However, being vegetarians is not cheap. Trust me on this one. It takes a lot to try to make a dish taste like real food. parking: 4/5 no problem with a private lot service: 2.5/5 The waiter is slower than most places. They must be tired from not eating enough protein! Every time I go here, service is slow. overall: 4/5 I am giving this place a 4, due to the effort it takes to make a dish taste like the real thing. P.S. There are a lot of people out there that have very high opinion of themselves when grading food. I, however, like to be impartial and nonbias when grading food, service, ambiance, and cost. For example, most Vietnamese and other Asian dive-y place is different than American dive-y place, with most Asian places, as how you say this politely, more Third World Country ambiance. You come down to Little Saigon, more for the food than the service or ambiance, with the cost of the food slightly less, since most of these restaurants are Mom and Pop (and little brothers or sisters) stores. However, the food tend to be more authentic than what you would get in upscale restaurants. So, if you do not want the risk of dysentery, then by all mean don't eat at these places. Thus, Kudos for the adventurous folks that want to live like dying. In the end, we all die, and what do you have to show for you life.
(4)Jonathan B.
Delicious food and great service! The most flavorful vegan broth I have ever tasted + they respected my request for actual spice. Huge servings and great prices as well. Would definitely eat here again.
(5)Jenny B.
- noodle soup with two types of noodles, yellow and white. bit of tofu and veggies. broth kinda good - 3 stars - chicken drumsticks- 4 - #2 or 3 spring rolls, very good!
(3)Dave C.
it's been a few weeks since i went to BDTTC, and i don't remember much about it. i remember it being pretty good. the pho was OK, the noodle dish i got was OK, and the spring rolls were OK. the whole time i was there i was wishing i were at bodhi tree or mitasie 3.
(3)Ken L.
Great vegan food
(5)Charis L.
Yum, yum, yum! This is a wonderful veggie restaurant! The decor is beautiful and food is fresh and delicious!!
(5)Madeline J.
This place is out of this world! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Banh Xeo! I don't even order it with the tofu meat stuff, just veggies! Omg to die for! The atmosphere is gorgeous and my server was so sweet! he explained each dish and was very attentive! My meal was under 20 bucks and I ordered a lot! I wish this place was closer!
(5)Angela C.
DELICIOUS! the food is amazing and the atmosphere is very peaceful. I could eat here every night!
(5)Jessica D.
I've been to a lot of vegetarian restaurants but this one is SOOO awesome!! The environment is incredibly beautiful and the food is incredibly good! Like a million times good. I highly recommend this place for family dinners, lunch, going with friends, etc. The price is very reasonable, it fills you up, and they definitely have food presentation in mind when they serve the dishes...which is on white porcelain no less. The food in itself looks really good, not like some other places where it looks like they just threw it on a dish and bring it out to you. I usually order Phu Chuc Ca Kho To, the sweet and sour tofu, and those are my family's favorite hands down. Also the Chan Chua. Yeah definitely by favorite vietnamese restaurant!
(5)Sarah S.
I went here after reading the article in the LA Times, like many others. This place isn't really my kind of restaurant, but it's good quality stuff. The food is yummy but quite a bit queer, and doesn't exactly taste like meat, but this is vegan, vegetarian stuff, so I cut the people some slack. I came in around 11-ish for lunch, and there weren't that many people, understandably. My first impression walking in, was, "Hey, this place looks really fancy," but it wasn't really that expensive. For starters, I had the banh xeo. The texture and flavor wasn't that great, but the fish sauce tasted real and the meal itself was quite authentic. I then had some fake, excuse me, vegetarian chicken, spare ribs, and fish. The fish was wrapped in seaweed, giving it a real fishy taste. That was a good call, of course. From the outside, it looked like an unassuming restaurant, but inside, the waiters were friendly and kind. I probably won't come here again, but it's an OK place to visit once in a while.
(3)Tricia A.
yay, this place was worth the drive to westminster! i have been wanting to try this veggie vietnamese restaurant and we finally made it happen. scooped up a couple of friends and we drove to bo de tinh tam chay. 4 people--7 dishes to share--an extra table for the spread--full bellies--tranquil setting--smiling faces--plans to go back again--5 stars!
(5)Jacqueline L.
Living in San Diego now, my diet is mostly Mexican so I am always craving Vietnamese food. Whenever I come back to Orange County, I always come here for Vietnamese food. It's one of the best Vietnamese vegetarian places around! I love living in Little Saigon because of these options. Anyway I really recommend the lemongrass chicken pho. Umm that's basically what I come for haha. My non-vegetarian friends have gotten the fried pho and curry and they say it's a good as the meat version that their mothers cook. I've had com tam, spring rolls, and egg rolls and they were ok. I pretty much love this place because I can have pho finally. But also, the restaurant is really cute (not too asian tacky) and the waiters are really nice. It gets kind of busy around dinner time but the wait usually isn't too long.
(5)Peter P.
Best viet veggie food around
(4)Z N.
closer to a five! i go here almost once a month now. service is getting better, though would prob not be easy for someone who doesnt speak vietnamese my recs: nem nuong! YUUMMM- must try bo luc lac (shaken beef YUUMMM)- must try bun rieu (there are all types, any of them is good) lau (hot pot, i've had all three which were good) canh chua (sour soup)
(4)Suong N.
Boy, is this a huge fancy upgrade from their setup over at Asian Garden Mall! My brother and I came here for dinner a couple nights ago. This location is closer to my house and I could easily ride my bike there to pick up some to-go and get a little exercise haha! We were seated immediately and our drinks came shortly after (we only got water, which were served in these large, transparent, neon orange glasses. Nice!) I ordered the veg. lemongrass chicken and my brother ordered the combination fried rice. The "chicken" was yummy, and it had a LOT of shredded lemongrass and mushrooms along with it, which gave it a nice kick. My brother's fried rice was just okay, kind of stale almost. I get that you're supposed to use day-old rice to make fried rice but it had a little crunch to it, but I'll overlook it since this Bo De has only been open for a little over a month and they're still working out the kinks. All in all, a very nice, peaceful establishment.
(4)Paula N.
Healthy Food! They have 2 locations. But I prefer this place better. It's little bit pricey than the other one but you will get better service here. Should try the hot pot, salad and crispy noodle.
(5)J K.
My friend is vegetarian- she was visiting and sugested we go here. OMG! It was soooo good- I didn't even miss having meat! I know alot of people complain about getting charged for water- but it's $0.50 cents people- that's really NOT alot of money. And the food is priced so low, who cares? We wanted everything on the menu- but ended up ordering 4 dishes. The bill was only $30! and there were enough leftovers for another meal for 2. The crispy pancake on the apps part of the menu was DE- LI- CIOUS! and HUGE! Regarding service- I think it's probably better if you speak Vietnamese. (waiter really didn't engage in conversation when asked to recommend something) That said, it still wasn't bad- the food came out amazingly fast which was great since we were starving. I think you could randomly pick out anything on the menu- and it would be great (hey maybe i'll do that next time!)
(5)R C.
I have been twice thus far, one of which was for our Thanksgiving dinner! It was great. I have been dreaming of the clay pot rice bowl since Thanksgiving and will return soon to have it again! I am not a fan of all of the meat that swims in the sauce... wish I had the menu for better reference... but that may just be my personal taste. However, the spring rolls, and clay pot rice are DELICIOUS!! The menu is a bit confusing as some of the food titles look very similar and the descriptions are minimal from my recollection. Our server was unable to help me understand the difference of some of the similar titles due to language limitations. It also seemed that the meal that I had on my 2nd visit was exceptionally similar to what I had the 1st time, and we had been trying to order something different. That said, the menu is huge and I look forward to continuing to try out more!! Though I didn't find the menu so user friendly to someone less familiar with the cuisine, I felt totally comfortable exploring and trying it out so don't let that be intimidating!!
(4)Ivy D.
The food here is good but be prepared to wait for a long time. I ordered the pho ap chao, pho thanh tam la chanh, and bun mit. The pho ap chao is really good. The noodles are soft and the sauce that's on it tastes good. The pho thanh tam la chanh tasted too sweet in my opinion and they only gave me THREE PIECES of tofu chicken. My mom tried the bun mit and said that it was okay. I had to wait for almost an hour for the food. The service here is good and the waiters are very attentive. The only problem I would have is that the wait for the food is too long.
(3)Hethr K.
Amazing food, comfy place, pleasant service and great atmosphere. Everything about this place was great.
(5)Michelle G.
We come often because the food is amazing. The service is usually lacking. Today was our worst experience yet. We waited over 20 min after being seated before anyone came to ask what we wanted to drink. By that time we decided on food and drinks and I let the server know we had been waiting in hopes he would expedite our service. One dish came 20 min later, but they didn't bring my rice or the other dish we ordered. 15 minutes later, the 2nd dish came, but the server didn't bring our rice and walked away before we could ask for it. We tried to flag someone down, but the servers were so busy and distracted that no one looked our way. My boyfriend basically walked over to the kitchen to ask for 2 bowls of rice. 10 minutes later, 1 bowl was brought to us. We told the owner about our bad experience when we paid and she apologized, but nothing was comped except for the rice we never received. If they had more staff and were more attentive, this place could be 5 stars.
(1)Jamie N.
My mom has been raving about this spot for the past three weeks, maybe more, so I finally caved and had to see what this hype is all about. Specializing in Vietnamese cuisine, the vegetarian menu covers across a lot of categories from noodles, rice entrees, soups and salads. I let my mom take rein and order everything. The first to hit the table was Gi. I can't remember which one we got since the ordering process was so quick! It was a a green papaya salad topped with crushed peanuts. The papaya was snappy and retained their crunch, with an added crunch from the nuts. The seasoning was perfect with a bit of tang and saltiness. Very nice! We also had other appetizers like Äu HÅ© Chiên Giòn (soft tofu tempura) and Nm Chiên Giòn Xà o Lá Qu (mushroom tempura with fried basil leaves). Both came with a gingery, sweet chili sauce to accompany the plates. Very good, but nothing super spectacular. They were just done well. The dish that my mom raved about was the Phù Chúc Nng Trui. A charbroiled, vegetarian "fish" cake served with seaweed sheets, mixed green salad and vermicelli to create your own wrap. You dip it into the house special sauce. I personally didn't make my own wrap, but the fish cake had a meaty texture. It was okay, but nothing for me to write home about. My mom loved it though. I ordered the Canh Chua Thái Bp Chui (Thai soup with banana blossoms). I love banana blossoms and was intrigued with the accompaniment in Canh Chua. The soup was very salty, which could have been easily fixed with added lemons or limes on the side for that added sourness. I ate everything except for the broth, which completely defeats the purpose of ordering a soup. We brought it to the attention of our server and he sort of just shrugged it off. I don't think they even know what they're serving. Overall, I really enjoyed the vibe and ambiance, but the service really put a damper in my mood. Before I even had a chance to open the menu, they were already asking for our drink order. Dude, I seriously just sat down. Can I get comfortable first before you rush me out the door? Aside from the service, the food was mediocre at best. Nothing really WOW'd me, but it's probably because my mom had been talking about it nonstop. Nonetheless, I found myself thirsty at the end of the meal, consuming every water cup left on the table. Flavor was lacking in some dishes, while the simple dishes took the prize. Overall, I'd rather go elsewhere for vegetarian and enjoy my meal in leisure.
(3)Jaimie L.
This place is delicious! Authentic Vegetarian Vietnamese Cuisine. Who knew vegetarian food would be this delicious? My family (3 people total) ordered the Banh Xeo, Fried Tofu, and the Vietnamese mushroom hotpot. That was plenty of food, and we even had some leftovers. The Banh Xeo was huge! It was flavorful..however just a tad too much dairy. Fried Tofu was fabulous with the sweet and sour dipping sauce. The Vietnamese veggie/mushroom hotpot was really good! So unique!..the broth was tasty and herb-y...and the sauce they give you to dip the noodles/veggies in is sweet and a tad bit spicy. Would definitely come here again and try the million other items on their menu. It is a very clean, spacious restaurant and the interior decor is nice.
(4)J C.
Came here yesterday for our weekly vegetarian day. Decor was the most impressive for a vegetarian restaurant. Love how it felt like you were sitting outside of two awning/buildings. Upon entering, they have a few people waiting. That tells me this place must be good if there's a line on a Monday! We were seated and ordered our fried basil mushroom appetizer. It came out fairly quickly, it actually came out before they gave us our water. It was nice and crunchy but the flavor wasn't there. It was a bit bland, not enough seasoning for our liking. I ordered Bun Hue which is pretty much Bun Bo Hue and my fiancé ordered Bun Rieu. I am always so impressed when they can make a vegetarian dish taste similar to the real deal. This broth definitely tasted very close to the beefy broth with the lemongrass. I would say that my noodle soup tasted far better than what my fiancé ordered. The Bun Rieu didn't taste right. I can't pinpoint what was missing but definitely not something I'd order again. Overall, I was happy with our meal but there are a few other places that I would chose over this place, BUT for the vegetarian Bun Bo Hue, I will definitely return.
(4)Ly L.
One of my favorite choice of vegetarian! Must get the fried oyster ( mushroom) - made crispy till the end. Love the taste of ginger and garlic. Deep pan fried white noodles is a a must try! Crispy enough to give you the satisfaction and soft enough to still enjoy the taste of rice noodles. You know the wok was extremely hot hot when you can taste the wok brunt taste. Yum....! I was disappointed with the Thai hot pot. No thai Taste or spice. Not enough imitation of meat in the pot. Not the same as I remembered. Seems like many ingredients are missing.
(4)Nguyen V.
It's my place to get food to go every time I get veggie. It's cost so much but it's hard to find the vegetarian of the restaurant so. Other complaints is they are close so early the food to go is out off like noon so it so hard if yiu want i want to get food ti go. The customer is so suck. Because they are busy that's why they don't care. The food is OK nothing special. I dislike the sour soup too sweet like deserve (che).
(2)Darren P.
typical Vietnamese service - aka they will ask you if you are ready to order before you even sit down and open a menu lol. But that is way better than non-responsive and slow service! We ordered the shaking beef (bo luc lac), pan fried noodles (mi xao dong), egg rolls and some thai iced tea. Honestly, if you gave this to me without telling me it was fake meat, it would definitely be passable. I am not a vegetarian, but my girlfriend is. I have had the real deal before. They all taste really close to their meat counter parts. Can't get enough of this place.
(4)garbanzo b.
I love love love this place. Vegetarian (CHECK) Delicious Food (CHECK) Quick and friendly (CHECK) Sometimes you have to wait for a table, esp during evening hours on the weekend...but isn't that a great sign? We come here at least 1 to 2 times a month. (and my family loves it, family happy = bean happy!)
(5)Van D.
This vegetarian restaurant comes highly recommended by many of my mom's friends and I admit they have a wide variety of vegetarian food, but their prices are pretty steep and the customer service always manages to irk me. Bo De Tinh Tam Chay offers a full menu of Vietnamese vegetarian food. They offer: appetizers, salad, vermicelli, egg noodles, rice noodles, rice noodle soups, rice dishes, hot pot, porridge, soup, mixed vegetables as well as house specials and other extras. They also offer beverages, smoothies and desserts you would see on a typical Vietnamese restaurant menu--which are also vegetarian of course. My mom and I have tried the Bi Cuon ($4.50) which is an order of three fresh shredded tofu spring rolls. Three rolls is cheap as it is, but these rolls are extra small. They even cut the rolls in half for esthetic display but it only makes it look even smaller. The taste was basic... nothing special. My mom has also tried the Bun Bi Cha Gio Tau Hu Ky Nuong ($8.99) which is a vermicelli dish with shredded tofu, egg roll and charbroiled bean curd. Sounds fancy right? Well it probably would have been more appetizing for her if the bowl it came in wasn't wobbling the whole time. She was pretty annoyed. I find their chipped bowls and plates to be irritating. I have also tried a wonton noodle soup. I forgot the exact name and price on the menu but I specifically remember how irritated I was about this dish. Mi is translated to be egg noodles, but eggs aren't a necessary ingredient in making in. When I buy it for my mom at the asian store I make sure to look at the ingredients carefully to get the brand without the eggs. When I asked the waiter about the Mi they serve, he said it has eggs. It messed me up on my veggie day for my new moon/full moon business... but that wasn't the reason why I was annoyed. I was livid because this restaurant actually serves to many monks in the Little Saigon area and I think it is unethical to be so careless as a business who makes a name selling vegetarian food. And I know some people don't consider eggs to be a living creature... but I feel like... when in doubt, leave it out!! The food can taste as good as real meat for all I care. Unless my mom demands to come back here-- which I doubt-- I will not come back.
(2)Kimquyen L.
Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake): 4 stars Big portioned & crispy & crunchy; just the way I like it. It needed more filling inside of it though. Egg Rolls: 4 stars Crunchy & not greasy but came out pipping hot...yummy Fried Tofu: 3.5 stars Good & crunchy but didn't have any lemon grass seasoning on it. Veggie chicken w/fried tofu: 5 stars This had a delicious tasting sauce that was drenched onto the veggie chicken but was a bit too much towards the end. Mi Quang: 1 star Way too spicy & didn't have enough veggie meats in the bowl. Overall: good Vietnamese veggie place that vegetarians/ vegans can dine at. =) Service: D Very slow & unorganized, they took forever to bring out one of the dishes until we had all finished our dishes, then they brang it out. -1 Decor & ambiance: A Very nice Asian styled decor & Buddhist themed decoration they have going on here. =)
(4)Maianh H.
Came here for lunch at 1pm on a Tuesday and it was PACKED! There was no wait though. Don't be fooled by the ghetto parking lot, the interior of this restaurant is very calming and zen. This is a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant so the decor consists of many Buddhist shrines. Staff is very quick and friendly. I had the mi quang and it was awesome! The portion is huge so I brought half home with me. The broth was had a quick but did taste like a traditional mi quang dish. The proteins and mushrooms were great! Tofu disguised as cha (pork party) and squid were delicious! This dish resembles a traditional mi quang but the taste was very "veggie" tasting. The vegetables included with this noodle soup were bean sprouts, purple lettuce, rau ram and crispy garlic flakes. Mmm. Would definitely try again! My aunt ordered a noodle soup and it was really tasty too. It was like eating bun bo hue! For dessert, we had the taro and ginkgo pudding. It was amazing. Very silky and subtle flavors. Also, the restrooms were very clean!
(4)Amy I.
Came here after my great massage a few doors down. I really loved it. I really like vegetarian "meat" when it's done well. I had a noodle dish with "smoky" sauce that was reminiscent of pad see ew, and a lemongrass "chicken" that was SO delish! Agree with other reviewers that the service could be a *bit* more attentive. But who cares? I thought the food was great, so I'm willing to forgive an empty water glass.
(5)ChiBoi L.
Great vietnamese vegetarian food, large variety in their menu to choose from noodles to soup, rice, etc. Since I became vegetarian, dont know how many times I've been here. Food is so so great and taste amazing. Especially "bun hue", "com xa xiu" and some more but I forgot the name. Anyways, everything is great except I think it's kinda pricey. Other than that, nothing to complain and I will be back a lot more
(4)Diana M.
Love their selection of vegetarian healthy dishes. Everything tasted amazing and the waiter was great. The problem was that they brought us Styrofoam for our leftovers. Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. According to Washington University, Styrofoam takes 500 years to decompose; it cannot be recycled, so the Styrofoam cups dumped in landfills are there to stay. With enough Styrofoam cups produced each day to circle the earth if lined up end to end, the potential for major ecological impact is great.
(4)Rebecca H.
Bo De Tinh was actually a random place we had to quickly looked up on Yelp, since the original spot was closed on Tuesday. It was def a blessing in disguise that the original spot wasnt open because we probably wouldnt even thought to give this place a shot. Seeing that this place had over 300 reviews and 4 star rating we were excited! My whole family are vegetarian so we were throughly surprised on how nicely the place is decorated. On top of it all the food was pretty darn good, my middle sister is one picky eater but she finished EVERYTHING on her plate - #52 ( noodle and soup mixture) full of flavors! My other sister order a rice dish and it came with a soup as well and though it looked simple it was also pretty good! We had #3 for the appetizer ( cold roll with peanut sauce) this was SOO good! def order!
(4)Sam M.
I'm not vegetarian, but I can be if I can afford to eat here for all my meals! Delicious, lots of variety, and fresh. Yes it's a little pricier but you get what you pay for. Also, I think it's only expensive if you compare it to other Vietnamese restaurants, it's just normal price compared to most cuisines. We got the Thai hot pot, can easily feed 5 if you get appetizers. Fried soft tofu was also a win. My husband got #106 which is some beef dish....super yum! I'm hooked. Will be back!
(5)Darin S.
--Terrible service: Forgot our app, no check back, didn't refill waters or pickup plates, and I had to hunt them down for the check. --Mediocre, over-priced food: We shared two dishes (they forgot the app we ordered). One was garlic sauce sauteed Viet bok
(1)Alyssa L.
I came here with my friend the other day. The food is okay. I tried "ca kho to", "canh chua kieu thai", and "goi nem chua com chay." The "ca kho to" was really good. I didn't really like the "canh chua kieu thai". The "goi nem chua com chay" was huge! I feel like you can be full after eating it by itself. Lol. The "goi" wasn't really good though. I would recommend you try some other kind of "goi". I like this place. Would come back! :)
(4)Rei M.
My friend who took me here says this is a special place because it's run by monks. Maybe there's really traditional spirituality that goes into preparing food, at least I saw monks dining there at lunch when I went today. The menu is big, shows the full range of what Vietnamese food consists of and how little I know. My vegan self is delighted that I can order anything on the menu.
(5)Elizabeth K.
First time at an Vegan Vietnamese restaurant!! We tried the Lau Spicy Hot pot (for two parties). Definitely was delicious it had mushrooms, vegan ham, and we got lots of veggies (sprouts, tomatoes, mint leaf, etc). It was not spicy at all! It tastes like Thai Hot pot (Tom Yum soup in general). I definitely recommend it!!! I'm not a Vegan Foodie, but this was by far the best Vegan Restaurant I've ever been too, will be back for their food!! Cleanliness of restaurant was Okay. Bathroom was mediocre. Customer Service was Mediocre.
(5)Folasade M.
Great spot for vegans. Everything is plant-based except for the egg noodles and egg rolls. I ordered #73 and #101 with a pot of chrysanthemum tea. These dishes were good, but I'm not a fan of their meat substitutes. They have a huge selection so its probably a matter of finding a dish that suits my palate. Decor is beautiful and well-thought out. Service was friendly, but waiters' thick accent made communication difficult. Clean bathrooms. Parking is free and plentiful. Overall opinion of this restaurant is high but I like An Lac Duyen better.
(4)Tina T.
Love this vegetarian restaurant and their Combination Hot Pot Soup! It's big enough to share for like 3 people (family-style).
(4)Stephanie L.
I came here for lunch with my friend Stu. It was pretty crowded and we waited less than five minutes to get a table. The servers are friendly but busy. We ordered the fried egg rolls at $7.99 as an appetizer and #90 at $9.99, a stir-fry of flat wide rice noodles in a smoky black bean gravy sauce. The waiter tears off a piece of paper with the table number which you take to the counter to pay the bill later on. The fried egg rolls, about six, came with a basket of greens (lettuce, mint, basil) and a tasty clear liquid sauce with pickled strands of carrot and radish. The fried oil, greens, and light tartness of the sauce harmonizes beautifully in the mouth. The noodles were tasty. And there is a side of sauces, siracha, chili siracha, fresh chili peppers, pickled chili peppers, veggie fish sauce, salt and pepper, and soy sauce to season it. Our bill came out to less than $19. We paid our bill at the counter. There is a candy dish of Thai tamarind candies. I saw at least five monks here today in brown robes. It was a peaceful atmosphere and I enjoyed a healthy vegetarian lunch!
(5)Jill M.
I'm not vegetarian or vegan at all, but my friend is, and he loves this place. So do I. It's really good Vietnamese food. I've had a few of their dishes now, and I generally crave going back. Also, the strawberry and mango shakes are pretty delicious as well. Depending on the time you go, there may be a long wait, but if you can wait until right after lunch "rush hour", seating is pretty quick. The service isn't always the best (not very attentive or quick to get order), but the atmosphere and the food make up for it.
(4)Terri L.
Loved it! Our party tried 5 different dishes and loved them all. But there has been a big line both times we've gone to this restaurant (even though it's big and there's a lot of seating). I'd have to give a 2-star review for the service though... that was pretty mediocre.
(5)Vicky D.
For a vegan joint it's pretty good. Over 200+ food on the menu and pretty friendly. It would be great if they cleaned up their tables. They always leave it there and I don't really like that.
(4)Nguyen A.
Ordered nam cuon bo de , always delicious . Hu tieu bo chay is also a great choice .
(4)Jay R.
I used to go to the old place in the Mall, I know this place because my cousins work here, the food is very good because they care about the ingredients and as a member of Ba Nha temple she been cooking for years and a lot of people have try her food and approve by Buddha , with this new location the decor is very warm and inviting . Service is top notch the waiters know the food so if u are not sure they can advise you on the right dish and what you feel at the time . All the fish are good so be adventurous and try new stuff my favorite is the bird nest noodle with a brown dipping sauce that is one of a kind ..... Happy eating
(5)Channy M.
Will I ever become a vegetarian? More than likely never, but when I do have a craving for a healthy meatless alternative I will definitely be coming back to Bo De Tinh Tam Chay. Bo De Tinh Tam Chay is known for Vietnamese vegetarian dishes. They have a wide variety to choose from. Think of any Vietnamese dish possible and they probably have it as a vegetarian option. The restaurant is big with plenty of booth and table seating. The ambiance here is very relaxing compared to your traditional Vietnamese restaurants where it's loud with a lot of commotion. The added plants may have some effect to this calming feeling. I had the banh beo and banh hoi with bean curd. Banh beo is a small steamed rice cake topped with scallions, shallots, and other tasty ingredients topped with fish sauce. They are all served on single serve small plates. The presentation was very nice, all the small plates were plated on a wooden tray with fish sauce and hot water in the center. The rice cakes can sometimes get stuck to the plates so the hot water will help assist you in separating it from the palate. I think the banh beo here was rather over cooked since the rice cake was a bit hard/tough. The banh hoi with bean curd on the other hand was absolutely delectable! Banh hoi consists of rice vermicelli noodles woven together to create small flat sheets. They come out bundled in the bean curd and you are to enjoy it wrapped around in lettuce with fish sauce. It's been quite sometime since I've had banh hoi and when I do it's with crispy roast pork. This is a much healthier alternative and still very delicious. Even though the presentation of food was pleasing to the eyes, if you look closely, there were chipped saucers. This was seen with both of the saucers. Overall I was very pleased with my first trip here. When I opened the menu, I was overwhelmed with how many options there were. There are so many dishes that I want to try. Looking forward to coming back.
(4)Cammi H.
Menu is extensive. They have a wide variety from a la carte items, noodles, soups, refreshments, and desserts. I love the interior, it's clean and decorated very nicely with bamboo trees and zen-like props. I got their veggie chicken. The chicken seemed a little overcooked and dry but dipped in the accompanied dipping sauce it was good. The brown rice that came with it was a bit weird tasting cause there was wayy too much ginger, so all I tasted was ginger. Ginger is very strong, so a little bit goes a long way. The dish also came with a side (or should I say a bowl) of leafy green soup. Again, there were big chunks and chunks of ginger in there. This whole dish altogether, was a bit overpowering with ginger I felt like. My bf got their bun "bo." The bowl was huge. I just tasted the broth and it was pretty flavorful but that's all I can say about that dish. Service can be a hit and miss. Some are friendly and some can use a smile, but none are rude or anything of that sort.
(3)David A.
My wife and I are vegetarian, almost vegan. We love Asian vegetarian/vegan restaurants. My wife loved this place right away, but I was kinda "meh" on it until the third or fourth time when I discovered THE DISH. More on that later. Their menu is so deep and my brain so forgetful I don't think I'll ever get to try everything, especially since I'll repeat stuff I forgot I've already tried. So what is THE DISH? The dish that blew my mind at Bo De: rice with beef (I think #106). If you're familiar with Thai food, it is essentially Pad Kee Mao ("drunken noodles" - lightly sautéed onion, bell pepper, basil with wide rice noodles), only with rice rather than noodles and with crispy faux beef on top. Add chili garlic paste and the sweet sauce it comes with... good gracious. My wife really loves the Bun Bo Hue; it's a bit sweet for my liking, but that is her favorite Vietnamese dish, so I'll let her be the judge of that. There is a wrap dish that is amazing; I don't know what it's called, it comes with pre-rolled noodles around faux meat, wrap it in lettuce with a few mint leaves, dip it in the sauce (chili garlic paste makes it even better), and it's like crack, but it's good for you. With such an extensive menu, you have to expect not every dish will be equally stellar. Their banh beo is so-so (the tapioca to topping ratio is too high - the best I've had is at Quan Hy). Their banh canh chay also loses out to the one at Quan Hy, which is amazing though it's possible Bo De's is more authentic (Quan Hy uses fat, soft and chewy rice noodles, while I've read it should be tapioca noodle). Try the recommended dishes first, then branch out once you're hooked. I'll be eating here for years to come.
(5)Adam N.
My favorite vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. Love the rice noodles with black bean sauce and the canh chua
(5)Rashad K.
Service is horrible here, wasted my whole lunch waiting for food and it took 20 minutes just to give my order, will never visit here again and it would be good if the server spoke some sort of English and would stop ignoring their clients
(1)Diana T.
I came here on a late Friday afternoon around 2:30pm and it was pretty dead. Yes, what a weird time to eat because it is neither lunch nor dinner time. Anyways, my boyfriend said this place was awesome so I thought I'd check it out! My friend and I shared a plate of Com Tam and egg rolls. The Com Tam was actually pretty good! Although the meat was a little bit salty, it was good. Just eat more rice! I really LOVED the egg rolls! I think I like it better than normal egg rolls that I usually eat, with MEAT! These egg rolls were super crispy and full of flavors! The restaurant is pretty big so I think this would be a great place to go during Lent time! I will definitely be back to try more items!
(4)Nina P.
The bad Catholic in me don't always do as the Bible say. The least I can do is not eat meat every Friday during Lent time. That's why a buddy of mine and I came here last Friday afternoon. Rau Ma (pennywort drink) must get! So refreshing! Com tam was good Spring rolls was delicious - My friend who's a really critical person say he gives this place overall 3 stars because the spring rolls were good. The peanut sauce was sweet and yummy! Ban Hoi was excellent I didn't know vegetarian food could taste so good! I could easily turn into a vegetarian but love meat too much to turn. Decor is really nice for a Vietnamese restaurant. Located in the same plaza as Q's Lounge.
(4)Diana V.
Came here when it wasn't that packed and waited for over 40 minutes and still haven't received our water. Apparently the health inspector is in today. None of the tables in the restaurant have been cleaned up so people are waiting for tables when only about 5-6 are waiting for food. No one has gotten their food yet either. Had to ask 2-3 times for water already. Apparently they can't do anything until the health inspector leaves? Then why let customers in if they can't even make food for the customers??
(1)Mike P.
I came back again and again, and the food quality is still the same. Their portions are still generous, place is clean and services are quite good - food came out pretty fast. Definitely the place to go for vegetarian food.
(4)Amy L.
Out of the various Vietnamese vegetarian restaurants I have been to, this one is one of the best that I've had. Restaurant is clean, which sometimes may be a rarity. Service was pretty good and I really like their tea :) Food: Banh Xeo (fried egg crepe w bean sprouts) - large portion and good flavor, must have w fish sauce. Comes w lettuce and mint leaves also. Fried eggplant - Really liked this one! yummy flavor and eggplant wasn't overcooked and too mushy. I was really stuffed after sharing some dishes and drinking lots of tea. I would recommend this to any vegetarians or even meat loving people like myself!
(4)Cassidy N.
I'm regular here and the food is usually really good. However, we recently ordered the crispy rice noodle (which I always get) and it was extremely hard and tough, so difficult to chew on that we decided to talk to the waiter. He told us to accept it as the way it was served and that they couldn't do anything about it. I have recommended this place to my whole extended family and we will never come again.
(3)Samantha R.
They have great food, lots of varieties to choose from. The only down side is that we had to keep getting up to get service.
(4)C K.
It's a good vegan vietnamese restaurant but the service is so so. And it's also cheap so I guess what you pay is what you get. Plenty of parking spots and it's right next to the asian super market do its convenient for your shopping needs. Good food tho
(4)Kenzie K.
Worth trying out! I love this place! Such a hidden gem. I am a fan, oh yes I am!! LOL ;D I was starving after my final and I was in the area and I normally go to this shopping plaza but never noticed this place until recently. From the outside, you will never tell what it looks like on the inside. It's kind of like I entered another world, the decor of this place is so different, in a "Zen" type of way and very relaxing. I was very impressed by the design of the place. Anyways, 266 reviews of this place? I'm only here to confirm everyone else's reviews. I like it. But it's vegetarian so just a warning. No real meat, at least not land animals, (not sure about sea animals) only vegetable/tofu meat. I had no problem because I know Vietnamese food very well so when I was given a menu, I flipped through it in 2 seconds and already knew what I wanted. Bun Rieu!! It's one of my favorites. Bun Rieu - Is a rice vermicelli rice soup served with vegetarian mean, vegetables, in a tomato- based-like broth. They top the noodle soup dish with either crab or shrimp paste. But since it's vegetarian here, I am not sure what the real ingredients are. No real clue what "vegetarian" really means. I'm not sure how else to explain what Bun Rieu is but it comes with a side dish of your normal vegetables you would get if you ordered pho' which I love as well. I was starving that I almost forgot to take a photo of my dish. I had already put all my side veggies on it and than I remembered, OH CRAP, I forgot to take the photo. But at least I got a snap. It is worth trying! It was delish!! I would definitely go back and try out their papaya salad which is a very popular appetizer and also one of my favorites. But like many Viet restaurants in the Westminster area, they charge for water, hot/cold tea. It's usually 50 cents for water, free refills of course, and a buck for cold/hot tea, free refills of course. I tripped out about it the first time but than I got used to it and I really don't mind it all I mean, their prices you can't beat. Try going to an American restaurant and walk out with a bill under $10 for one person WITH tip. Almost not happening. American restaurants want to serve you a huge plate of food so that way you get leftovers for lunch tomorrow which I do not need thank you. I like Asian restaurants because their servings are just enough for you for one meal still leaving your tummie satisfied. So if you're in the area, I say it's worth trying, whether you're a vegetarian or not. I think you'll really like it. And don't let the outside fool you. When you go in, it's totally different. And another thing, don't wait for the check. Like most traditional Vietnamese restaurants, they prefer you to go up and pay for your meal. Some places they will give you the check if you flag them down but normally I just go up and pay just because I'm used to it. Happy Eating!!! :)
(5)Joy A.
The pho soup was perhaps the best I've tasted. No need to add condiments. My family has been coming to this place every other week, driving about an hour to eat here. The spring rolls were addicting too. Very enjoyable, but slow service.
(4)Sanj M.
===ABOUT IT=== Bo De Tinh Tam Chay is Vegan, Vietnamese Asian restaurant. ===PROS=== Love the food, it was fresh, service was fast, great décor. ===CONS=== Long wait, they don't take reservation, the menu can be overwhelming, no alcohol, no delivery. ===
(5)Emory J.
So this is my go to vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. I come here at least once week to get my weekly Pho fix. My favorite so far is the Chicken Pho. I would also recommend their springrolls (menu item number 2-4), they are probably one of the best I've eaten in a long time. Also their deep fried mushroom with basil (menu item 18) is my new appetizer favorite. For the most part, their food are pretty good. There are a few dishes I have tried though that are not to my liking. My first time coming here I tried the Bun Hue, and although the soup was spot on, the noodles were absolutely disappointing. Maybe that day the vermicelli was just bad. I might try it again sometime. I have also gotten their Malaysian fried rice, but it didn't really impress me that much. Overall their food is good, not that pricey (in comparison to other vegetarian restaurants)
(5)Ely A.
This is probably one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants, but not quite with the customer service. Likes: Plenty of selections to try. The ambiance feels like a Spa place. Their dishes here don't taste like usual vegetarian! It tastes like yummy fast food! :) Dislikes: We had to walk to the register to pay for our dine-in orders. A few of the servers were not very attentive at all. Overall: Great dishes. I'm glad my favorite server Shanice always remember my delicious orders. Try it! You won't believe you're eating vegetarian dishes! Note: Thanks to Mr. Cris B. for recommending this place! Cheers Vegetarians!!!
(4)J S.
Awesome Vietnamese restaurant! Everything I've ever ordered here's been fantastic and I love this restaurant every time I'm in the area I definitely go there. Added bonuses they have a free Buddhist book section which is kind of nice most of it's in Vietnamese but still cool and yeah I am still talking about the restaurant.
(5)Christie V.
Came here with a party of 10 for a birthday lunch. Our party ordered a little bit of everything from the pho ap chao to the cahn chua. The top 3 highlights would definitely have to be the sinh tos (durian for the elders and avocado for me), the fried rice, and the fish in claypot. The smoothies are so creamy and smooth. The fried rice is so flavorful and tastes almost like there is a hint of curry in there. The faux fish in claypot is seriously the bomb! You really can't tell the difference and won't be craving for real fish. Don't bother getting the spring rolls unless you don't mind that the sauce that accompanies it is bland. Often times when I eat meat I have a huge food coma and just want to go to sleep. BUT after eating here I felt very energized and my tummy felt just right. **definitely take your friends here to have a different perspective on vegetarian cuisine! Life changer!
(4)Tiffany L.
I like this place! Had a super refreshing meal here for dinner the other day and I'm craving for more! We ordered two things here- the Vietnamese crepe (banh xeo?) and this other item that was a cold dish and had rice noodles, veggie meat, and tofu along with some veggies. Considering that both items were just appetizers and they filled us up nice and good- it was worth it! I really liked the Vietnamese crepe and I've tried it at Brodards but theirs is just as good. So crispy and the crepe itself was huge! We were kind of surprised at the portion sized when our food came out and we even had left overs! The crepe had a hint of sweetness (which I loved), and eating it along with the plate full of mint, lettuce, and basil was perfect. I love asian food but sometimes feel that it can be kind of heavy- which is why viet food is such a good option! I was stuffed after dinner but I left feeling like a had a relatively healthy dinner (because I don't know how heathy the fried crepe is even despite the fact that it came with tons of veggies). Give this place a try even if you're not vegan or vegetarian! You won't miss the meat!
(4)Dennis N.
My parents being vegetarian really helps me get a glimpse of how good vegetarian food can be. Bo De Tinh Tam Chay is good, but it's nothing that I rave about or look forward to going back over and over again. My pallet normally doesn't do too well w/ fried items when the texture over powers the flavor... I feel that everything from the fried mushrooms to the banh xeo is too fried to a perfect crisp that I always leave feel a bit like my stomach is coated in deep fried goodness. Tonight I had a chance to try the fried rice... I had high expectations for it, but again the rice was a bit too fried and dry, flavor was good, but texture was not... so it's usually a hit or miss one way or another for me. Service could have given this a 3 star review, however the organization is subpar and our drinks (just water) came 15 minutes after our first dish had already come out. What made matters worse is.. they missed an entire dish that we ordered, at that point we were so over it that we asked them to cancel. The servers were polite and helpful which definitely beats RUDE if you want some positive feedback on service :)
(2)Chung N.
Haven't even got my food yet but 1 star for the shitty as service. Sat around forever, no one came to take my order so I had to go up to the cash register to make an order. When I make my order I requested for a side of soup and the lady says to me no one eats a side of soup with that dish haha. well news flash lady, not everyone eats the same way open up ur mind! Stil haven't gotten any water, napkins or utensils! Urgghhh. The service here sucks donkey balls.
(1)CC K.
Can't believe it's not meat! We tried the "fish" and "chicken". Both very super yummy and had such bold flavors. I'm not a vegetarian and I never choose to go to a vegetarian restaurant, but I would definitely go back to this place. I would recommend trying their house special "fish" dish (forgot the name), but you wrap it with seaweed and add lots of veggies w/ a viet style dipping sauce similar to fish sauce but deeper flavor. The "chicken" salad was really good too! I would eat that any day!
(5)Julia T.
By far, one of my most favorite restaurants to go to. I may not be a vegetarian, but the food here inspires me to be one and that says a lot considering that I cook my own steaks. The atmosphere is so mellow and the workers are so nice! My server had a great sense of humor and it kept my mood at a positive level. For my drink, my mom ordered me fresh coconut juice from the actual coconut. It was at a perfect ripeness where I could thoroughly enjoy drinking the juice and scraping out the actual fruit. For our meal, we had banh xeo, banh hoi, and bun bo hue. Signature dishes that can be eaten by people of diverse backgrounds! The banh hoi was with pork belly but because it was vegetarian, I was so confused cause it tasted like meat yet the actual protein was clear. It was ridiculously good and my mom had a great time eating as well. The prices are SO REASONABLE. 7-9 dollars was the average for each of the dishes but honestly, I would have been open to pay at least five dollars more. Love the generosity of each of the dishes and I'm so excited to come back with my mom as well as introduce this place to my friends! The reason for it being four out of five stars is just the fact that it is vegetarian and people could have a hard time really believing that any of the food is edible and good. I know for myself that when I ate that pork belly, I was paranoid that I may just be eating the fat and not necessarily the meat for it to be vegetarian.
(4)Turtle D.
Service is worse recently. Thai Hot Pot is too sour and they dont add more lemongrass as before. I wish they have more than one size for food cuz a bowl of pho is too big for one person.
(3)Tay N.
This is a great place for vegetarians or anyone in general. Everything here is vegetarian, there is no real meat. Everything is served fresh and the workers serve you well. The food is very delicious and there are a lot of options to choose from. Highly recommend this place.
(5)Fabian A.
The food was unbelievable! We had some mushroom soup that we put in fresh herbs and vegetables into the broth and it was amazing. Highly highly highly recommended!
(5)Tawny Lynne F.
DELICIOUS. We ordered (1) spring rolls, (2) baked eggplant in garlic sauce, and (3) veggie chicken in ginger sauce. Holy smoke, those were amazing! So flavorful. Definitely coming back!
(5)Christine L.
Last last Sunday, we called in just before noon to reserve a large table (party of 20) which they happily set up for us within 30 minutes. Luckily we did too because the restaurant filled up quickly. Despite their large space, it's a popular restaurant so you might end up with a wait. The menu has plenty of individual dishes to choose from as well as family style dishes to share. I ordered a broken rice dish with shredded "pork" and egg loaf. It was good, but very simple. I would have enjoyed an extra item on the plate to really complete the meal. I also thought the fish sauce was too sweet. If you order the curry w/french bread, the curry is served in a ceramic coconut shaped bowl. Cute, but not very functional. Makes it difficult to dip the bread or scoop the curry. But at least it was good- I'd recommend the curry!
(4)Logan N.
I guess this place is good if you're a vegetarian, but it's just not for me. I feel unsatisfied. Sure, the food was good, but I'm not all that sure that it's healthier. I felt like the foods were fried to give it crisp and flavor. We tried all sorts of dishes.... -fried tofu "Dau Hu Chien Don" (good, but not as good as Japanese Agedashi Tofu) -fish in claypot "Phu Chuc Kho To"-love the sweet caramel sauce -spring rolls "Bi Cuon"-good, but nothing special -egg rolls ""Cha Gio"-good, but again, nothing special -eggplant "Ca Tim Xoa La Que" -the best dish because it didn't have imitation meat -tom yum soup "Canh Bap Chuoi"-sweat and sour I don't think I'll come back, but maybe you'll like it. This place is packed especially during lunch/dinner hours. You've gotta give it a try.
(3)Nik A.
Bo De Tinh Tam Chay is the real deal. This is a healthy restaurant with class. Monks come to eat here. Vietnamese families come here. The decor is dark, gorgeous wood with plants, bamboo, and a Buddhist reading section. And additionally, It is quick, delicious, and vegan. The menu is expansive, with over 150 items. I usually get the hot pot with nuts, which comes with rice, veggies, nuts, and fake meats. It also comes with cilantro broth. We also always order the egg rolls, which comes with a bountiful selection of greens and herbs to wrap around the egg rolls and a sweet vinegar dipping sauce. We eat here at least twice a month. You can stuff yourself here and never feel weighed down. Everything is so healthy and wonderful. And it just feels like a nice restaurant, so it's nice to come here on a date or important event.
(5)Suz A.
Great service. The waiters are so nice! The food was delicious! We ordered some hot tea and some spring rolls to start. Everything was so fresh and tasted wonderful. We then ordered some chicken and rice; again, very fresh and tasty! Many families and locals eat here- verifying that it is a great place!
(5)Monica S.
Vietnamese Vegetarian - I would eat at this place anytime. Here's what I had: Bì BÃa (qty 3) - Spring rolls with carrots, jicama, mushroom, & tofu. Served with peanut sauce. Bánh Bèo (qty 8) - Vietnamese rice crêpe serve with lettuce & herbs. Served with nuoc cham. Pho Ãp Chao Dòn - fried rice noodles with stir-fried vegetables Bún Huê´- spicy tofu noodle soup Ly Trà Cúc Ky Tu - chrysanthemum + gogi berries tea Our server, Ngon, was pleasant and helpful and courteous. The next time I eat here, I will try the #19 Dâu Hu Chiên Dòn - deep fried tofu
(5)Grace C.
Split the mushroom based hot pot w 4 others. It had pea shoots, various mushrooms, Taro, pumpkin, Other leafy veggies, tofu, and egg noodles. The broth was delicious but i was surprised they charged us $4 for extra broth when we needed more to cook everything. got #79 Bun w fake pork and vermicelli and fish sauce. Bbq pork spring rolls were flavorful but the pork texture was like that of shitake mushroom. all was delicious.
(4)Pearls P.
Loved the food! Flavors were outstanding! I recommend the papaya salad here as well as the clay pot with vegetable #102 This is going to be a comeback place :)
(5)Tammy T.
This place has the best vegetarian food. Any plate you choose is yummy and so flavorful. I've tried many vegetarian places and none of them compare to this place. Clean nice atmosphere, peaceful decor. I'll be going here lots. It feels good to eat healthy delicious food.
(5)Lily T.
Compared to their location on Bolsa st next to the Asian garden mall, this place is bigger, cleaner, is designed more like a restaurant, but is lacking when it comes to their food. Don't get me wrong. I mean the dishes I've tried here are pretty decent but the Bun Hue from the other location deserves a 5 stars where as this location deserves 3 stars. The flavor is just lacking here their #105 fried rice was ok, I would order it the next time I'm here their #78... It was like bun thit Nuong, was tummy too! You can't compare the food here to other Real meat dishes but for Vegetarian, this place is pretty darn cheap and good enough with their variety and flavors! I heard their ca Nuong was good too but I have yet to try. Instead of giving you rice paper to roll the fish, they give you dried seaweed. Pretty creative if you asked me.
(3)Quan N.
Love this place. I dont understand why anyone would give less than 5 stars besides if the service was bored. I recently went vegetarian and have only been eating american food. I crave my motherland's food and i always knew about this place but completely forgot until last night when i got take out. Theyre very good at making vegetarian substitutes for viet staples that should not have alternatives. Such as the pork ham roll(cha lua). But they do a very good job at it. Try their egg rolls... Best vegetarian egg rolls i have ever had... Almost fooled me! Great place! Kudos to the owners!
(5)MNhung N.
We (7 of us) went here to celebrate Dad's birthday (He's eating healthy, now for his condition) (said we were going to a veggie place - had wanted to try this place before - peeked in and saw how fancy it was; figure it would be good and pricey. It was a tad pricey and just good enough not spectacular.) The menu had tons of items - would be inviting w/ more pictures though; so many items where to start... I love the ambiance of the place - very nicely decorated - warm and inviting w/ a fountain by the entrance and bamboo window decor. They had the best decor of all the vegetarian/vegan places I've been to. I had the Jasmine rice w/ shredded tofu/minced ham, jicama/carrot... (Com Tam Hi Cha Tau Hu Ky Nuong ) - the veggie were crisp, clean and very fresh. The papaya smoothie was alright. I didn't care for the taste of one mushroom in the hot pot dish - (Lau Hoa Tuoi) nor the hot pot soup - too much of a strange taste for me but loved the taro & squash (didn't get to taste all the items in the hot pot though) I was so full (had only 1/2 of the spring roll w/ peanut sauce at the end); could not eat anymore or I would burst. My sisters loved the hot pot dish and their pennywort (Rau Ma) drink. My nephew didn't care for veggie food; he's 9 yrs old. He was afraid to taste - didn't eat much and he could eat!
(3)Emmy N.
Delicious veggies food. The restaurant is clean and pretty. The customer service is fast and excellent. The prices are reasonable. Definitely recommend for everyone and I will come back to try more dishes here.
(5)Dorian F.
The food is outstanding! The only downside is picking what to eat from the many offerings! Service is good and efficient. We plan on going back often.
(5)tiffany l.
The owner of this place only cares about money. A group of 12 of us went here for lunch. We ordered 3 appetizers, 5 bowls of noodle soups, one crunchy egg noodle dish, and one fried rice dish. Instead of bringing the appetizer dishes first, the waiters brought out the rice dish first then the fried egg noodle, in other words, whichever the chef was able to make it first. Then the 5 bowls of noodle soup at once, then the appetizers. I immediately brought up our wishes to have the appetizers be brought out first to the owner, who is the young chuppy lady who always sits at the cash register. Instead, she said that it was our fault for not telling the waiters the orders the dishes should have been brought out. WTF??!? Are you serious? We were so full from the noodle soups that we couldn't finish the appetizers. The bottom line, you'd think the owner would open for suggestions. It seems to me she's only concern how to bring the dishes out at the convenience of the chef. That way, all of our dishes could be brought out faster so she could collect money faster. Such grave disappointment! If it were up to me, I would never come here by myself or suggest this place to anyone. Thank goodness. They didn't charge us water this time!
(1)Michelle K.
Great pho place. I really loved the atmosphere and the service was great. I don't live out here but I'd definitely come down here again. I loved my Pho Thap Cam. :-)
(5)Alida R.
Bo De Tinh Tam Chay was a brilliant high point in an otherwise rough weekend. The bad news was that my car broke down while driving in the carpool lane of the 405 in Westminster, and I had to have it towed to the nearest Pep Boys. The silver lining is that I got to eat at Bo De Tinh Tam Chay across the street after picking up my car the next day. (Thanks, Yelp!) It's all vegetarian, but even meat-lovers will find plenty to love. There are straight up veggie dishes, and also many dishes containing a variety of artificial/soy "meats" -- sausage, chicken, beef, etc. We tried the tofu spring rolls, which were excellent, the "duck" noodles, which were in a broth flavored like duck noodles I've gotten at Thai places, and a couple of other dishes that were tasty but whose names have unfortunately slipped my mind. Prices are in the $7 - $12 range per entree, and portions are big. It took quite a long time to have our order taken, but once it was the food came out lightening fast. The service is bare bones, but that's what I expect in a place like this. And a note to the ladies: the place is filled with cute waiters. Hooray! The menu is enormous, almost to the point of being overwhelming. You could eat here every day for three months and never try the same thing twice. But it's user-friendly, even for people unfamiliar with Vietnamese food, as all of the menu items are numbered and have complete English descriptions, and there are a few photos along the way to help you out. The waiter also warned me that the dish I was ordering was a soup, even though it was just called "noodles" on the menu. The restaurant is in a strip mall and there's an adequate, if somewhat tight parking lot. It's busy -- we arrived at around 5:30 on a Sunday night. By 6:00 PM it was packed, with a line of people waiting. If you come here, keep an eye out for the maximum occupancy sign, which proclaims a maximum number of "sentient beings." I couldn't tell whether this was the result of a weird translation flub, or a Buddhist statement about how all sentient beings (not just humans) are equally valuable -- it is a vegetarian restaurant, after all!
(4)Chloe S.
My favorite is Lau Thai (sweet and sour Thai flavored hot pot). I ate in a party of three and in the end the three of us could still not finish it. Love the soup flavor. Food quality and service is great, bit pricey. There's not very much lighting in there but it's the fanciest looking vegetarian restaurant I've been to. Looks nice and love the bamboo type of theme/design. Also, the hot tea is delicious. You can tell that it's freshly brewed from Chrysanthemum.
(4)Tina M.
I came here for lunch on Sunday with a big group of people. I've had Vietnamese food all my life but this is the first time I've had vegetarian Vietnamese food. I ordered the vegetarian version of one of my favorite dishes, #101- broken rice, shredded tofu, charbroiled bean curd, and minced ham all with fish sauce. This dish was delicious and I didn't miss meat at all this meal! I also tried a bite of a friend's "fish" in a clay pot and it was really good. Service was good and everyone enjoyed their meal. I'll definitely be back if I'm ever in the area!
(4)Jacklyn T.
I don't usually like vegetarian eggrolls because there's typically too much taro, but this place got it just right. It came out hot, had the perfect crunch, and went well with their mislabeled "garlic sauce." It honestly tasted like normal Vietnamese fish sauce. Anyway, my only problem was that I didn't get enough vegetables to eat with my eggrolls - I like one big leaf for each roll, so I was disappointed when I got 4 leaves for 5 rolls - but hey, guess that's just the Vietnamese in me. Overall, the food was good, and I would come back.
(4)Robbi N.
Though I am not a vegan, I love this place. I can order anything on the menu and feel as though it is something I am going to enjoy, secure that there is nothing in the food that I wouldn't enjoy eating. Every time I come there, we try something new and are always delighted. It feels like an adventure because of the enormous menu. However, I have a few favorites too, such as the fried mushrooms (in the appetizer section of the menu) and we order those all the time. The service can be a little slow, and we have had to ask for serving spoons and napkins, but the servers are nice enough and the food makes everything worth it.
(5)Lucy T.
This place is always busy for a reason. The food is fantastic ! EVERYTHING on their menu is delicious and I mean EVERYTHING !!! Do plan on waiting for a table cuz they are always crowded. Beware of other Asians trying to cut past you when in line at the door. Every time I go there, someone does it. However, the food is so worth the frustrating wait. The gentleman at the cash register is always so friendly and speaks great English. We get there after work on most days which is usually one hour before closing and not once have they ever made us feel like we were inconveniencing them by staying a bit after closing. Even though they are probably exhausted, they are always so nice. Regardless if you are an omnivore or vegetarian...you MUST try it out at least once ! Highly recommended :-)
(4)Mike T.
Vegetarian restaurant. I came here 'cause my girlfriend couldn't eat meat for lent (which pretty much means I can't eat meat). Mi Xao Don - $9.49 -taste average. I can only describe this as a huge ball of noodles w/ stir-fry sauce, w/ tofu & veggies. Noodles come out crunchy but if you mix the sauce it becomes soft. The portion size can easily feed 2 people. A solid dish, but pretty expensive at $10. Pho - $7.49 - slightly above average. For a vegetarian place the pho here wasn't that bad! It didn't quite hit the "pho" spot but it's solid. TIPS: -Atmosphere is REALLY nice inside this place. Feels pretty upscale & nice. Not your typical OC hole-in-the-wall place.
(3)Timothy P.
I spent 10 days in Southern California and was happy to have had the opportunity to eat at many 5 star worthy restuarants. But for the most part, its not a hard thing to find a great well-liked restaurant on Yelp. Bo De really is the opposite experience, a place that I stumbled upon without yelp, only to find that Yelp loves it - thus I had no "it must be good" preconceptions! With good reason too! Even my 90 year old grandmother recommends this place, and she's from a generation where being a vegetarian is virtually unheard of. So my family and I go here on a Thursday night and it's absolutely packed. We manage to get a table in a quick amount of time. We order some classics - like Banh Beo, Bo Hue, Mi Tiem - of course all vegetarian. The Banh Beo was an okay translation into a vegetarian dish, you could still sense its "off-ness" from its original counterpart. The Bo Hue and Mi Tiem were fantastic though - especially the Mi Tiem. I had a moment, my "come-to-the-veggie" side moment! I COULD NOT believe this wasn't actual duck soup. The flavors were magnificent, I would not be able to differentiate this from a real bowl of duck broth. I have had a lot of a-ha moments when it comes to vegetarian and vegan food, but this really made it to the top of that list. Thanks Grandma for being food savvy and thanks Yelp for agreeing with her!
(5)Isaac D.
Best veggie pho I have ever tasted! Maybe even better than the real thing. My recommendation is for the beef pho with an extra side of soy chicken added. Amazing.
(5)Leyna V.
I came here for the first time when my good friend and her hubby decided to be vegeterians for 1 month (to celebrate getting a new job....). I still don't really understand that because If I got a new job that I've been wanting I would celebrate for the next month at my most favorite restaurants eating whatever my heart and stomach desires. I guess it's a Buddhist thing to do to be vegetarians when life goes your way. First of all, I love the Decor of this restaurant....very "zen" and makes me feel like I need to go to the Temple more often. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue (I order this every possible chance I get). My future Hubby ordered the Broken Rice dish and our friends got the same thing. I really enjoyed the Bun Bo Hue but for sure it doesn't taste the same as the Bun Bo Hue I make at home....regardless, I still think it's good since its vegan. Everyone else really enjoyed their food and surprised at how "Fish Sauce" made from Oranges or something like that tastes so good. I am just amazed at the things they can do with tofu. My second time here was with my cousins who are full-time vegetarians visiting from Canada. We ordered the Thai Hot Pot and the Mushroom Hot Pot...both were very delicious and I actually really enjoyed it. Like my cousins would say "vegetarians food makes you more relaxed" I don't know about that....but I was sure hungry about 2 hours later. I enjoy the food here...I like the fact that they can pretty much dish into a vegetarian dish, I like the way I feel when I am here or when I leave here after a meal..."relaxed". I just don't like the fact that I get hungry so quickly afterwards because my little body is not used to just eating vegetarians food. If I could...I totally would. I guess it takes some getting used to. Eating meat is really gross sometimes and the more I think about it...the more I want to eat more vegetarians food, so this is a good start for me. On the way out...I grabbed a couple of the Buddhist book in English to read since its free...they even have CDs too. What a deal....a meal and a free book.
(5)An V.
Came here for a Sunday lunch with my mom and dad and service was really bad. We order a "Phu Truc Nuong Trui" for 3 of us since we are not really hungry and I wanted to introduce this nice restaurant to my parents. However, they disappointed us. We had to wait for half an hour for our food. When they put the dish on our table, the souce cup was spilled all over the plates and the veggy was soaked with water. When we complain and asked what happened to the souce, the waitress answered coldly: "Do you want a new one?" without smiling. I won't come back
(1)Jenny H.
I love this Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant! Their food is good and I always order too much when I'm there with a group of friends/family. It's far from where I live but would make the trip on occasions... It's a pretty big restaurant, biggest vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant I've been to. MUST GET THE AVOCADO DURIAN SHAKE!~
(4)Thong N.
This restaurant has a lot of problems. First, it is very dirty. Our table was very dirty, there were trash and oil precipitate on the surface. Their man restroom was full of trash, its floor and sink were so black which will make you nauseate. Service was horrible. We waited for 45 minutes to get a table. Waiters just ignored us. They let us wait for a long time for the food. We waited for 1 hour for the first dish. We were so mad that we just walked out of the restaurant. We did complain to the female owner and she apologized. I don't think they care much. The only dish that we tasted was a vegetarian fried fish dish which was oily and salty. I think they just threw the fish into an old oil pot and deep fried it. No care for food preparation. Bad bad bad. We will never return to this place due to its uncleanliness, bad service, and horrible food.
(1)Phuong K.
I love love love this place!!! I could probably eat here everyday. My mom likes to eat vegetarian every now and then and it has rubbed off on me. Its usually pretty packed and busy here whenever I go here, but for good reason. I always get the spring rolls as an appetizer. Then I usually share the Thai hotpot with egg noodles. Ive also gotten the chicken and garlic rice dish, which was also very good. I haven't been disappointed by any of the food here. They have a big selection to choose from. The only downside to this place is that service can be a bit slow at times and it is a bit on the pricey side.
(4)David G.
Most recent lunch at Bo De Tinh Tam Chay was disappointing. You could tell that the fry oil was old. The rice was dry, and the pho was way overseasoned. Please improve!
(2)Guy F.
Food is great, but the service is pretty bad. They are unattentive from when you sit down until you're ready to party. I keep coming because the food is just so good considering it's vegetarian.
(3)Jessica L.
Food was ok, but very bad service. It's almost self-serve for us when we had to go get our own napkins and water!!!! And all the servers ignored our request Also, we ordered Lu hoa ti, but there was no hoa ti at all. We asked the server, and he responded "yes you have the carrot flowers made from carrots since the fresh flowers (as advertised) were not in season". Well they should have warned us first when we placed order. Not sure if I want to come back there for awhile
(1)Rue A.
Good service and friendly staff. Spring rolls were good, but I was not particularly satisfied with the noodle dish I ordered. I was turned off by all the tofu, and the flavor was bland. However, there are plenty of items on the menu, so I will definitely return to try other dishes.
(4)Summer T.
Their customer service was horrible! Their foods were oily and tasted alright. They sure poured in a lot of MSG into every single dish. MSG is really bad for your body. I get a headache whenever eating it. I'm definitely not coming back to this place. If you want delicious and healthy vegan food, go to the following places: 1) Au Lac in Fountain Valley 2) Pho Veggie aka The Thuyen Vien in Anaheim 3) Mitasie in Huntington Beach
(2)Janie V.
A bit of a disappointment. My husband and I recently discovered the amazingness that is Vietnamese vegetarian food and have been hooked!! Except, our favorite place, Thuyen Vien Pho Veggie in Anaheim, randomly closed down for remodeling leaving us feeling lost and confused. Seriously, we showed up to the closed restaurant not knowing what to do with ourselves. We drove home in silence, shook our fists and screamed and cried. We eventually composed ourselves after several weeks and decided, it's time to move on. We found this restaurant on yelp and based on the glowing reviews, we thought we were saved. Excitement took over as we entered the beautifully decorated restaurant. The ambiance was really nice and the hundred items on the menu looked promising. We were ready to order everything for lunch, come back for dinner, and even get take out for the next day! That was when things started going down hill. A server came over and asked to take our order. We told him we needed to look over the menu but placed our drink orders first. Then immediately after he walked away, another guy asked to take our order. We figured, alright, let's just order appetizers so maybe it'll actually come out before the entrees for once. So we placed our appetizers with him and told him we still want a minute to decide. He said ok and seriously, I kid you not, 5 seconds later, someone else came over asking to take our order! True story! Rush much?! You have 100 items!! I can't even read that fast! But fine, we placed our order with him to get it over with. Then of course, our appetizers came out at the same time as our entrees despite us placing that order first...then our drinks came out last hahaha. All of that would've been fine if our food was excellent. Which it wasn't. Everything looked super pretty, but taste wise? I've had much better. Thai papaya salad: Not bad. The best thing we had. Although, the seasoning was a bit overwhelming. "Bi Cuon" (Pork skin spring rolls): Ok. A bit too dry "Canh Bun" (Shrimp Ong Choy noodle soup): Bland "Bun Cha Ha Noi" (Ha Noi style grilled meat and vermicelli): My fiancé had this and said it was only ok. Their dressing was too salty. None of this would've been such a huge problem if the servers were more attentive. All 5 of them stood around chatting when I literally raised my hand for minutes to get their attention. When we asked for the check, they dropped it off but never came back for it. After waiting awhile, I brought it to the register myself to see all the servers hanging in the kitchen laughing. Awesome. The icing on the cake would have to be the soundtrack of Buddhist monks chanting. Their droning chanting the ENTIRE time was annoying to say the least. I understand its a Buddhist establishment but its not a temple! It's a restaurant! Is the chanting necessary? I'm Buddhist myself and I had a difficult time zoning it out. What if you go to a Christian restaurant and had to listen to preaching while you dine?! Anyways, not sure we'll come back to this place any time soon. We won't rule it out completely but we'll definitely have to explore our other options first. Any other veggie delight suggestions?
(3)lion l.
I came in with a high expectation but it turned out to be one of the worst vegetarian restaurants that i have encountered so far Food did not match description...feels like they just dump in whatever ingredients and just put them together..they taste was okay.. Just things didnt match Service was horrible and the waiters were not attentive at all... Avoided helping me twice... Walked away and never came back.. Food came in very late as well
(2)Dean W.
First time visit here - went on a less busy Wednesday evening. Thing to note : I came here because I saw a yelp picture with a to-go section. That section no longer exists. Their to-go "section" is now a refrigerated case full of tiny side dishes you can buy, instead of the fresh - point and serve buffet-style format the picture implied. I asked for a menu to place an order to go. I'm not a typical vegetarian eater - and have only started eating "healthy". Their menu is extensive. We're talking nearly 110 entrees. The menu has both the Vietnamese entree name and a English description. Anything you get here will be similar (entree-type) to something you'd get at a typical Viet restaurant, except all the "meats" are now vegetarian-style (meatless). While the waitress did make a few unenthusiastic suggestions (I told her it was my first time here and she fired off a few menu numbers without adding much more to it - like why a certain item would be good), I could not settle for anything, so I went for a safe bet - Banh Uot Cha Lua. I was also curious to know what vegetarian cha lua tastes like. The prices here are decent - about $7 to $9 a plate. Some entrees do not include rice - so that's obviously going to cost extra. The interior is clean and sorta "zen-like". It's very tranquil - you can hear waterfalls, etc. Music is also soothing/relaxing. One of the few Vietnamese restaurants that actually keep the A/C on during the summer! Seat-style is table/chairs and booth. Food wise - the Banh Uot looked just like a "normal" Banh Uot that you can get at like Banh Cuon Tay Ho. The portions were just right - I was concerned whether I'd get full or not eating meatless food. The little bag of veggie garnish was well proportioned for my meal. As you can see in my picture - there is a container of nuoc mam (sauce), a few layers of banh uot (flour cake), cha lua (meatless though!) and fried tofu sticks. OMG the fried tofu sticks were amazing! Sooo yummy. I dipped it in the sauce. The meatless cha lua - okay so the texture was okay - I mean you can't expect it to taste like the same thing because it's not the same thing. But it was very passable. Overall a good meal. Looking forward to trying the other menu items and will report back. Parking was decent today, but it was a weeknight, I've been here on the weekends and parking can get pretty bad. It's in the same shopping plaza as Thuan Phat/Westminster Supermarket, Lynda Sandwich and the Enterprise RAC.
(4)Bebe C.
I always come to this restaurant because its the only vegetarian place close to my work place. I like Bo De's food a lot. Most of waiters and waitress are friendly. Soup come out hot and delicious, but sometimes the portion is kind of small, lots of time after I eating, I still feel hungry... I don't eat onion, garlic, and leek, every time I order my food, I always tell the waiters not to put onion, garlic, and leek; however, sometimes when the food came out, I still see onion, garlic, and leek in my bowl, which is the only thing I really not happy about.
(4)Julie L.
Do you ever have problems thinking of what to eat on Fridays during Lent? Next time try out Bo De Tam Chay! Huge portions and really tasty vegetarian options. Among my favorites are canh chua (sweet and sour soup) and ca kho to (fish smothered in some dark sauce). The restaurant is very spacious, feng shui-ish, and calming with all the green plants. Don't mind the busy plaza with cramped parking....the inside is a whole different vibe. I think this would be a great place to take tourists who are visiting the area and want vegetarian food. Its very clean and pleasant, and the service is decent. The food comes out piping hot and again, in huge portions. I would definitely recommend sharing the two entrees above. The soup can easily feed 3-4. Note: They charge $3.50 for a pot of rice, a bit pricey in my opinion. They also sell some goodies at the cashier, like the seasoned rice crispy-like rice, which I highly recommend! Will be coming back here very soon!
(4)Dan R.
The food is good, vegetarian, very tasty, and recommended. The waiters take the time and explain to a round eye like me what everything is. There are some pictures at the end of the menu that do help, but only for some of the dishes. Why not have pictures of all the dishes, I bet more non Vietnamese people would come over. It takes a long time to order food and takes a long time to get it, and that is my biggest gripe. Also as other people have noted, appetizers and main dishes come to the table in a random order. But hey, if you want vegetarian this is the place!
(4)Gau L.
Food is excellent but is so busy almost all the time Price is a little bit pricey compare for a vegan restaurant
(3)Tony L.
If you are in a hurry, this is not the place to order a to go. Wifey want a bun Bo hue the cashier said the wait time is 20 minutes minimum!!!!
(2)Brian O.
Service on a Saturday night was really great. Food, Every dish was amazing in texture and taste. the PHO broth is So yummy its one to crave. The Coconut Curry App, So much Flavor and the bread was so yummy The "steak" with garlic and Veggies ( cant remember the name) was by far the best texture and quality i have found and i am a heavy meat eater
(5)T N.
a little on the pricy side but great selection and delicious food. i tried the bun rieu there. not much of a big fan of the imitated meat but the broth and noodles are delicious. as u can tell i'm not of a vegetarian eater but i wanted to give it a try and it was decent. would definitely come back to try more food there :)
(4)Janice L.
Healthy and good for you! We ventured out here after seeing so many pictures and rave verbal reviews from my Vegan BFF and were also nurturing a hangover from the previous night's festivities. It's nicely decorated inside and we were promptly seated (albeit in the back) in front of a crooked art panels... We ordered the Banh beo and Fried Tofu as apps, Pho Ap Chao and Com Tam for our entrees, while my BFF had Bun Hue and other friend had Bun Thai Everything was so flavorful and delicious ! There's just something about knowing it was vegetarian/vegan that didn't seem truthful. We have our go to place to not exclude my BFF anymore when we're back in town! ^_^
(5)marilyn v.
This restaurant is for anyone! Meat lovers, vegans, vegetarians, nhummie food seekers. I've never had a bad dish, I recommend going with a large group so that you can try all different things! Plus you won't feel too guilty cuz you're eating veggies! Recommendations: -Pho ap chao don: crispy pho noodles with veggies - Lau Thai Lan: thai style hot pot, the best I've ever had anywhere!!! The broth is a bit sweet, sour, and spicy. Comes with vermicelli noodles. - Goi Du Du Thai: Thai style papaya salad. There's something really unique to this salad, it doesn't taste like your typical thai papaya salad... It's almost a bit cheesy and it's amazing! -curry: tasty if you like coconut curry. It comes with french bread and taro Tip: make reservations if you're going during dinner, it can get packed! Veggie on!!
(5)Ann C.
4.5 stars for the Food. 2.5 stars for the service. When you eat at any Vietnamese restaurant you are not there for the service! This is the best Vietnamese Vegetarian restaurant ! Menu is extensive ! Must try is the Hot Pot (mushroom) and you can't go wrong with any of their Spring Rolls!
(4)Catherine N.
Is this place really vegetarian?! If this is vegetarian food.. then I've been missing out. I came here with Sany N. and her fambam to eat lunch and I have to say... everything that we had there was quite tasty. I had their curry (#13) and it was DELICIOUS! The curry was the right consistency, not too thick like japanese curry but not too watery like thai curry. This curry was perfect and it came with FRESH coconut, taro, and tofu. They served a french baguette on the side. This curry made me fall in love with vietnamese curry all over again :). I also tried 2 types of spring rolls as appetizers and both were really good.. especially the one with the peanut sauce (I am sooo sorry for not knowing these spring rolls are called.. but I will definitely know next time). We had our meal with a traditional hot chrysanthemum tea and it was the perfect compliment to my meal. Just writing about the food makes me want to return. Definitely give it a try.. you won't be sorry you did!!
(5)Tuan N.
Good place to have vegetarian food. There food is delicious and tasty. Live there Thai soup and their imitation fish wrapped with seaweed and noodles.
(5)Kathy N.
OMG this place is worth becoming a vegetarian for :) The ambiance and decor was soo pretty and cool. We ordered bun rieu, mi quang, pho ap chao, goi cuon and .. something else I forget shoot.. They were all delish! There are soooo many dishes to choose from I definitely have to come back to try some more. If you're asian, they greet you in Vietnamese haha, I guess they just assume. They did that for us anyway and I don't even think we look Vietnamese.
(5)Kaitlyn P.
I love the food here. Our family come here at least twice a month for vegetarians foods. My favorite is crispy noodles or mi xao don, bun rieu and pho ap chao!!! Um...so good
(5)Berlin M.
Love this place for the vegetarian food. Fit for vegans as well. Parking is packed as usual, but walking isn't that bad for what it's worth. The customer service is quick and meets demands on the first request. I usually order Bun Rieu, comes out perfect every time. Meals are a good amount to get you full with a reasonable price. On certain days, usually the vegetarian days for Buddhists, the place will be packed and there will be a wait. On a good day you'll wait anywhere from 10-20 minutes. The wait is a bit long, but the food is worth it. Complementary water is a given. Tea pots were given with no limit. The setting is very traditional. It has Buddhist art and a lot of flowers. There are a lot of tables but they are a bit cramped. Overall the experience was good even with a 20 minute wait on a day where Buddhists were to eat vegetarian.
(5)Lien P.
Came here for dinner again yesterday. The place was packed. We had to wait for about 20 minutes. The veggie and mushroom hot pot (Lau Hoa Tuoi) is the best veggie hot pot in town. 4.5 stars Pho ap chao don was a little more greasy than usual but still good. When we left people were still waiting to be seated. This place has become my favorite place to eat in Little Saigon. I am not a vegetarian but the flavor of the dishes that i've tried had outshined all of the non-vegetarian restaurants in the area, imho. Another plus is this place accepts credit card which is rare for a Vietnamese restaurant.
(4)Trina T.
Bo de is the best vegetarian restaurant in oc. Great atmosphere with a large variety of traditional vietnamese dishes.
(5)Kay B.
I like this place. It is clearly vegan and professional service. The atmosphere is great. And they even have free Buddha books. Yummy.
(5)Cindy G.
I work right down the street from this place and have never tried it! Finally found it last week and I have gone about 4 times since! The food is always fresh! Tastes just like real meat. Everything is always flavorful. Best vegetarian spot I've tried.
(5)Derek B.
One of my favorite restaurants of all time. You don't have to be a veggie person to eat here, I've even taken the linebacker, rack of ribs types and they always love the food. I like to take people here when they are having a bad day, because the energy of the place is really positive and calming, and so is the food. The combo chau and a rau ma with mung beans is my favorite and will make anyone feel like a million bucks after eating them. This is also the perfect place to bring people visiting from out of town because it's a great cultural experience. You get 3 cultures in one: 1) Viet 2) Vegetarian and 3) Buddhist. Sometimes there will be Buddhist monks in here eating. For people in OC this might be something we are used to seeing, but for an out of towner this is a really neat thing to see as it is very rare in other parts of the country. Don't let the location in an older strip mall fool you, the interior is well done and very calming, you can see the little Buddhist elements here and there, and it's always clean. It has the feeling of a secluded little oasis. The staff is also super friendly and very helpful, always being patient with me as I mispronounce stuff lol. The patrons are also always super nice, there is no "scene" here and everyone seems to be having a good time. I actually liked the food at this location vs. the original, but I haven't been to the original as much as most people probably have. Just one very minor recommendation even though this place rocks, I know there are probably space constraints, but would be nice if the bathrooms accommodated more than one person, always seems like they are in use.
(5)Jennifer D.
My friend loves this place, so she recommended it for lunch. I really like the decor of the restaurant. It seems as though the owners really spent a lot of time choosing the decorations. It's not a typical Vietnamese restaurant on Bolsa, it's more modern and very clean. After reading Yelp reviews, I decided to order the pho ap chao don, which is pho noodles fried. I thought the dish was okay, but nothing great. The fake meat that was in the dish did not taste like meat and had a mushy texture. My friend ordered the bun rieu, which she let me try. Bun rieu is a soup based noodle dish with crab and shrimp meatballs. The broth was way too sweet, and, again, the fake meat was meh. I would definitely like to come back to try more dishes, but I probably wouldn't order any of these two dishes again. My friend ordered some fried "fish" to go, and I was able to try a piece of that. I think it's marinated in lemongrass and then fried. This was actually really good. I will definitely order this dish again to bring home and just eat with rice. The food took awhile to come out, which other Yelpers have mentioned. Overall, the experience was okay, but I would like to try it at least one more time.
(3)JR B.
I came to this place for the first time on a Friday night and it was pretty busy, but we were able to be seated fairly quickly. We ordered crepes, curry and fried rice, and the food was pretty good! Price was very inexpensive, but unfortunately the service was not very food at all. At the end of our meal, we waited to receive our check for about 15 minutes, so instead I went to the counter and asked for it myself and ordered some dessert to go. Regardless of the service, I do still plan to come back for the food, but improved service would make the restaurant experience so much better.
(4)Frida C.
I was really looking forward to dining at this restaurant, but unfortunately I was disappointed in a major way! My boyfriend and I walked in and received a bland welcome, but were promptly seated. Menus were given to us and the waiter asked us immediately for our order. We placed an order for drinks and fried egg rolls. A short while later, we received our drinks and fried egg rolls. My drink was great. I ordered coconut water (in an actual coconut). The fried egg rolls were the ISH! Furthermore, I placed an order for veggie chicken pho and my boyfriend ordered veggie beef pho. My pho was tasty, but my boyfriend's...not so much! We were pretty much neglected after our drinks and food were brought out. To top it off a woman at the restaurant that appeared to be the owner, was seated on one of the chairs near us and was obnoxiously loud while talking on her cellphone. Then...two females walked in and began to ask for donations to some sort of "wanna-b" fund, and began to sing horribly. Overall, this was a crappy experience for an establishment that has a lot of five star reviews. We won't return!
(1)vivian n.
Hands down my favorite restaurant of life. I just wish my friends were vegetarians like me so I could eat here my often with them. So this is my go to spot with my mom since we're both vegetarians and I think we've tried every dish on the menu.. And yes their menu selection is huge!! Some of my favorite dishes; chicken curry, vermicelli noodles, mi quang, hu tieu bo kho, ok I can go on and on. My mom and I venture out to try different vegetarian restaurants but this is still my favorite. The service isn't so bad but it can be improved. I think they just need more workers during rush hour. The service is very attentive when it's slow but when it gets really busy, I can see them working really hard trying to get to everyone. Overall, I've always had a good experience
(5)Ivy T.
Love the extensive menu. If you are indecisive, you will surely have trouble picking a dish!
(5)Sandy V.
I really enjoyed the meal I had here. My grandmother and I shared the House vegetarian hot pot that included Squash flowers. I have never had them in hot pot and they were very good. The broth was not overly salty or loaded down with MSG of which I am very sensitive too. I would be lying if I said it didnt have any there is always some in asian cuisine. Since it was our first time here we had a lot of questions ... Like can we substitute the noodles for rice? Do we really get charged for more broth? (Most hot pot places dont charge you for more broth). They do charge you if you need more broth but our server was nice enough that he got us a bowl of it on the house. The service was above and beyond helpful. I felt truly bad for all my grandmothers hand waving, poor Vietnamese and her endless questions. But the waiters were all so kind as to pack up our left over hot pot for me including sauce! I left a 25% tip since I was so impressed by them. The place is fair in pricing, for a hot pot that could easily feed 3 and happily feed 4 I paid about $25. My only complaint is all the bums sitting outside asking for money and the ones that came in and walk to each table asking for money. I dont mind giving to those in need but dont badger me especially when I am trying to spend one on one time with my grandmother.
(4)Allen C.
It's vegetarian and delicious If you personally know me, my parents use to have to convince me I was a dinosaur to eat my vegetables. My brother was always the one who ate his vegetables (which probably explains his fantastic bowel control.. TMI?), and I was always the one who ate hordes and hordes of meat. I've come to accept that being vegetarian is most likely out of the question, but still ponder the possibilities of what it would be like to make that shift. So here comes "Bo De Tinh Tam Chay",a restaurant who's name I can't even pronounce, more or less spell, giving me one of the biggest surprises in my food eating career. From the moment you enter this elegant jungle of a restaurant ( I'm not kidding, it looks like the swamps of Vietnam) you are hit with a sudden calmness that would be found while taking a meditating right next to a river bed. My favorite part of the building is how there are temple structures that are inside the building so that you feel like your outside. Its building-ception!! Now, I haven't even gotten started on the food yet. Having some Vietnamese descent in my family line, I'm pretty familiar with how Vietnamese food should taste. For this particular visit, I ordered the Bun Rieu which is white noodles soaked with tomato soup base. When I received my food, I was impressed by the color and mixture of assorted vegetables, tofu, and what appeared to be.. MEAT? (But wait!.. I thought you said this was a vegetarian restaurant.. how can there be meat?!) Good question, because its not meat.. ever been to veg-grill? ( which I love by the way too) Its like that but Vietnamese style.. Yes, it was on point, I could not tell that it was vegetarian at all.. Best believe that this meal was quickly devoured guilt free (darn activists.). So there you have it, a restaurant that has slightly shattered my otherwise impenetrable wall of being a meat eater. Go there now. NOTE: Make sure you bring someone who can speak vietnamese, it'll make ordering easier.
(5)Amiee H.
Really fancy modern Vietnamese theme'd decor! Loved' it! IT's not your typical hole in the wall Vietnamese place! The food was really good! The service was great! Ambiance was psudo-exotic! The price was decent! It's all vegetarian so it's "healthier." I just love the whole package here! No complaints! Would totally LOVE to come back!
(5)Carolyn P.
Delicious Vietnamese VEGETARIAN food! There's a lot of items to choose from and you definitely want to share. Even the simple items like banh cuon and canh chua is pretty good. can't wait to try more dishes. Super busy on Sundays.
(4)Ami S.
With my sister again, my Vietnamese food partner in crime and expert, we came back here after my sister was so desperately craving some Pho! I have to say I really really like this place! This time I got #78 (i think) which was basically the vermicelli noodle salad. SOOO SOO GOOD! I loved the fake beef, so flavorful. The entire dish was just delish. My sister got the Pho, the broth was very flavorful, bit on the clovey side but good as well. ALthough the Pho does come with all sorts of interesting fake meats, which I think next time we both determined to stick with the beef just cuz we like that texture/taste the best. I can't wait to come back here with my sissy! Yes, the menu is still overwhelming and I probably won't venture out from a few of the basic items, which I'm perfectly ok with! I now know my go to Vegetarian Vietnamese spot! YAY!!!!
(5)Nguyen P.
Terrible service and below average food. The waiters bounce around tables so fast they get orders wrong, bump into people's tables, and drop utensils (I hope they cleaned them after!). My family tried a variety of things and ALL the food was either bad or served wrong. We had the bi cun rolls, and the fish sauce had spilled all over the rolls when it got to us. I ordered the pho ap chao mem (soft) and they brought me the don (crunchy). The ban xeo tastes like cookie dough (it's sweet and hard) and is soaking in oil. I had to mop up the excess oil with multiple napkins. Bun ca was truly unmemorable. They charge for tea, which is customarily free to Vietnamese restaurants. And finally, when we went to check out, they rung us up for another party's orders doubling our bill! Awful to the last minute! Will not be coming back.
(2)Gina V.
First time her and the 5 stars was for the food. Service was okay but we felt we were treated differently because we were not Vietnamese. Their fried garlic tofu was to die for...I highly recommend it! Also tried their spring egg rolls #3 and they were delicious. Great ambiance and decoration. Beautiful orchids also
(5)Bobby N.
The food is good, but the owner will not turn on the AC so it's extremely hot in the summer. Everyone around us were sweating like crazy, the waiter's shirt was drenched in sweat. they put some fans on the ground but you're out of luck if you sit on a table that doesn't have a fan blowing your way. I brought it up to the owner but she just grinned and said nothing. They don't care to address the issue b/c it's always packed, this is typical of Viet owners. They are hawling soo much cash there, don't understand why they won't turn on AC, are they that cheap? I don't care how good the food is but if the environment is too uncomfortable it's hard for anyone to sit and take the time to enjoy their food. Bring this up next time you're there maybe when more people request it the owner will actually listen and turn on the AC!? I hate my own people for their cheapness.
(2)Melody N.
My sister took me here and it it's spectacularly delicious. I personally enjoy vegan food and the taste of fake meat but many of dishes will really have you fooled! We had pho ap chao and bun rieu which were both tasty. The bun rieu broth can't completely masquerade as the 'meaty' one, but it still goes well with everything in the bowl. Plus the 'meat' pieces for both dishes really had me second guessing. The portions are large and you walk away feeling great after eating such a big meal. I particularly enjoyed the decor of the restaurant with the many orchids and bamboo motif running throughout the restaurant. I think vegans and the meat loving companions can happily co-exisit at this restaurant. There are plenty of things on the menu to eat and be satisfied with us. I would definitely recommend to others to try - vegan or not!
(5)Yen E.
My mom and I absolutely LOVE this place! We came here the first couple months when they first opened... service was a little slow and there's obviously a language barrier, but through hand gestures, we did alright. One of our favorite dish is their Thai noodle soup (i think that's what it's called). Back in the day, the soup was loaded with all the faux meat and extras, but in the last year or two, I've noticed they have cut back A LOT. Even the soup itself wasn't as great as it once was. Another dish we loved was their marinated eggplant, but I think they don't serve that anymore? I know it wasn't on their regular menu, but part of their to go side which I think they don't do that anymore. Beautiful decor, great location, busy busy all the time, great vegetarian Vietnamese food, kinda crappy parking and I think they charge you for water?
(5)Steve L.
One of the best vegetarian restaurants (and I've had 'em all over the world) I've ever been to. Fantastic ambiance, massive endless menu, unreal flavors and combinations. Two entire tables of Buddhist monks and nuns eating there as well when we were there... now that's gotta give a message. In terms of Vietnamese food- also totally fantastic. Can't recommend this place enough. Plenty of parking. Easy freeway access. Vietnamese supermarket next door.
(4)Christine P.
By far the best vegetarian restaurant in Orange County. The decor is beautiful and the place itself is very clean. I always order: 1. Nam Chien (deep fried mushrooms) 2. Goi Thai (Thai salad) 3. Lau Nam (mushroom hot pot) this comes with a side of noodles and lots of greens, usually enough food for a party of 3-4. 4. Pho ap chao (crispy noodles) The food is always consistent and fresh. My husband is pretty anti vegetarian food and "fake beef" yada da, and this is the only vegetarian place that he's willing to eat at. I've also recommended this restaurant to a couple of girlfriends and they're hooked as well.
(5)Heather L.
First off, i'm no where near being a vegetarian and I never will be however this is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I went here on Friday craving some good comfort food and I couldn't eat meat since it was Lent. Everything here was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. It's authentic Vietnamese food, but made with vegetarian ingredients. My group and I ordered fried pho, pho soup, com tam, and fried egg noodles. ALL WERE AMAZING. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED EVEN IF YOU AREN'T VEGETARIAN. FOOD IS STILL EDIBLE ANYWAY.
(5)Bob J.
It's just okay. I don't have a ton to say about this place. The food is kind of standard vegetarian Viet food, which I'd get excited about if there weren't so many places like it. My mom found a rubber band in her noodle soup once. Otherwise, pretty forgettable.
(3)Vanessa L.
Fake meat! Fool me once, shame on me! Fake meat, fool me twice, shame on me again for not coming here more often!!! Even if you're not vegetarian, you can't deny how great this food tastes. We got the shaken "beef", the vegetable/lemon grass "sour soup", the "chicken" broth jasmine rice, braised tofu, pan fried rice noodles, vegan Vietnamese iced coffee and soy milk. For four people, this was more than enough food. We had plenty of food leftover which we continued to eat a few days after. All of the food tastes fresh, healthful and surprisingly, a lot like meat. I really don't know how they do it. The restaurant was pretty crowded when we got there and we did have some problems with the waitstaff. Our server was extremely friendly and helpful with recommendations and attentive when he was at our table. After that, it was a bit hard to flag him down. We would flag other servers to our table and ask for things (extra spoons, glasses of ice water, etc.) and that was where we ran into problems. Still, everyone was friendly and we weren't in a rush so it wasn't a biggy. Vietnamese restaurants are a dime a dozen in Westminster but this one should totally be on everyone's radar - whether you're looking to eat vegetarian or not!
(5)Kelly H.
I like this place a lot (I'm a vegetarian). I go here a lot and I almost always order their Bo Luc Lac. Delishh! You have to order a separate bowl of rice though. I've had the rice dishes here and it's not as good. They make the best imitation meat so that's what I come here for. And the pretty Asian decor. There's also another one by the Asian Garden Mall which is much much smaller and hidden but food is good there too.
(5)Damian A.
Oh wow, we had our third meal here and every time it's been so delicious! From the appetizers, to meal, to drinks, it's all so yummy. I'm just surprised that we didn't review this place sooner. Thank you for brining the best Vegan Vietnamese food around. I took my family here that are very picky and they loved everything!
(5)Marilynn L.
Really good vegan food. We got the hot pot and the broth was flavorful, noodles perfectly al dente, and hot sauce add-in was delicious. The other dishes were all impeccably prepared and beautifully presented. Good seasoning and interesting dishes that are not often seen outside of a traditional Vietnamese home.
(4)Mike B.
I can't believe I did not know about this restaurant until the portal of Dhamma opened it up to me. I had the most delicious soup I've had in a long time! The ambiance is so peaceful and wonderful! I was astounded by how large their menu was. I can't wait to go back over and over again and try different dishes.
(5)Kimberly N.
short version: - one of the best vegetarian places - meat-lovers will most likely enjoy it, too - huge variety of dishes - great and causal dining ambiance. think forest. - good for lunch & dinner - accommodates huge groups (20+) make a reservation, though. - ample parking long version: This place does vegetarian food justice! One of my favorite places to eat in general, not just vegetarian specifically. It's more like it just so happens to be vegetarian. Yea, brah, it's that good. Fellow meat-lover friends and family found themselves enjoying their meals here, too. (Yes, even the ones that are bacon lovers--you know they are hardcore meat enthusiasts if they have an affinity for bacon). Order and try everything--you can't go wrong. After your meal, you'll feel full and satisfied except the usual food coma that usually comes with that feeling is non-existent. instead, you feel more energized. One thing I'd change is that they serve better quality white jasmine rice. calrose grain would work, too.. aaand while we're at it, make it a lil stickier. might come off as particular, but, heeey, rice is a huge player in enjoying asian meals. I usually don't care for ambiance and prefer hole-in-the-walls, but this place has a comfortably beautiful temple-in-the-forest vibe. no worries if you're not buddhist--the service is very secular.
(5)Glen L.
I had the fake duck noodle soup for lunch. It was much better than most real duck noodle soup I've had. They also have the best mung bean pancake in Little Saigon. You can really taste the beans. Too bad I had to eat it with fake fish sauce. The service here is solid but not as good as the other veggie place on Brookhurst. Make sure you had a good nights sleep before eating here because the meditation music will put you asleep.
(4)Ittai A.
After first going Kosher - then vegetarian :: I found that there were only about three things I truly missed, and one of them is Pho. Oh, and Cha Gio ...oh wait Bahn Mi too and :: oh heck let's just say I missed a LOT of Vietnamese food. Looking to fill this craving, there have been a lot of veggie and vegan bowls of Pho put down in the past few years, and let me tell you - Bo De has it down pat. Pho is not the only item where this place shines :: the Mi Tiem Duck Soup - POW :: The Bo Kho Beef Stew - BAM ::seriously:: Cha Gio- perfect. I have yet to be disappointed. Also note that even my carnivorous friends are satisfied here. No need for the mea culpa ramblings to get them to enjoy the meal :: heck if you don't tell them, they may never know. The atmosphere is calm and well decorated - not really romantic, but a nice place for a daytime date - and also very clean, which is important if not rare for some other places nearby. The staff is friendly, but as per all Vietnamese restaurants - they stay out of your hair :: so they are not ignoring you , they are waiting to be called over if needed. My only complaints are :: not enough booths ( it is rare to get one - they are that busy most of the time) but they always seat us quickly. that and no Cha Da Chan Duong - but I guess Soda Chan will do and it is a small price to pay for really good Vietnamese food that happens to be vegetarian.
(5)G. A.
+1 For Vegetarian Vietnamese. -1 For Loud -1 For Seating me at a booth, and changing your mind -1 For the Wait for Food. +1 For the Tea- chrysanthemums look like daisies, and goji berries are a healthy touch. +1 for the mock meat in the soup. -1 I've deci
(3)Hieu P.
In choosing a star rating, "Meh. I've experienced better." describes this place in every aspect. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, better than average, but I experienced some of the worst service I've experienced at a sit-down restaurant. The food, like i said, better than average Spring rolls - good, but if you want the best vegetarian spring rolls, go to Au Lac. Rice Rolls (Banh Cuon) - Served with tofu, you can never go wrong with this dish. There are alot of places that do it well or well enough, this place being the latter. Sometimes you just can't compete with the meat! Did that come out wrong?... A side of veggie duck - Their menu description, which I can't recall, intrigued me, as I do love me some roast duck! It doesn't taste like duck meat, but it does taste almost exactly like duck skin! The best part in my book. Soft, salty and slightly chewy, but just lacking that crispy skin. But hey, sometime you can't compete wi... oh nvm.. Service - At just about any vietnamese restaurant, outside of fine dining (As those can be more french influenced anyways), you're not going to get baby sat like you would at any other restaurant. And I rather like that about vietnamese restaurants. They're not going to refill your water every 5 minutes, they're not going to ask you how your food is, and they're sure as heck not going to ask you how your day was. They're going to take your order, answer any questions or make suggestions if you care to ask, give you your food fast, and get you out the door. Who says Fast food has to come from a clown or a drive-thru? But Bo De just seemed to take this style and turn it from comforting standard, to annoying inconvenience. Even if they won't check on you, all you gotta do is wave your hand and someone will come even if it takes 20-30 seconds. Not here. My arm was in the air so long I was cramping up! At that time of day, the place was pretty empty. A server for every diner, six. I've never seen on multiple occasions, people standing around trying to look like they're doing something, see your hand wave in the air, make eye contact, look around to see if any of the other guys saw, and go back into the kitchen. I literally had to walk up to the counter, where they seemed to just not want to leave to get anything I wanted. Sides, water, check, everything! If you have to wait to be seated, you shouldn't have to get up and track down everything you need, even when you need to leave.
(2)Lucy Y.
Bf and I went here with friends of ours, a couple who has been vegetarian for YEARS and read the LA Times review about this place. They were here once before we all went tonight, and RAVED so we had to try it too! It's situated in a strip mall in a part of town that, previous to tonight, we had no idea was so filled with Vietnamese food! There's a GINORMOUS market of the Ranch 99 kind, a bakery (which unfortunately closed before we could get to it), a Lee's Sandwiches, a pho restaurant, a Vietnamese BBQ meats restaurant, and even one of those $15 an hour foot massage places that are now all over Alhambra. We talked food nonstop on the drive out from WLA, so we were all fired up and ready to eat when we got there! Since it's in the strip mall, bf and I were expecting some fast food-looking place with little ambiance but when we walked up, we could see that were wrong. From the outside, you can see the little bit of paradise that lies in wait just inside the doors. When we walked in, we could hear the little trickle of a fountain and see gorgeous Buddha statues and wall art all over the dark wood walls. The decor is like upscale Tiki, with flowers and loving energies all over the place. There's even a corner just inside the door with multiple shelves of Buddhist books, tapes, CDs, and DVDs - all free for the taking. Nice! The 4 of us sat in a booth and looked around, noticing that the majority of people there were Asian - a good sign! We ordered A LOT of food, and devoured it as it came. EVERYTHING was amazing, AND vegetarian! Bf and I are not veggies, but we're all for wonderful food - and there's lots of fake meats on the menu so we didn't feel deprived of animal flesh in the least. The menu is VERY extensive with categories of rice, noodles, pho, appetizers, specialties, neato special drinks (avocado shakes!, lemon & salt soda!), etc. so it was hard to pick. Here's what we had: Vietnamese crepe - GIANT, crispy coconutty crepe folded over and stuffed with bean sprouts, served with whole lettuce leaves, bunches of fresh basil and mint, a little dish of chile paste, and a creamer filled with (vegetarian!) nuoc mam. Banh Mi Cari - a creamy, flavorful yellow coconut curry served inside a coconut-shaped tureen, with french bread to dip. There were pieces of fake meat and some root vegetable in it. OMG, the flavors! This was what my friend wanted to come back for - and is still her favorite. Fresh spring rolls - tender and still warm rice noodle wrappers with fake meat, veggies, herbs, peanuts, served with a peanut sauce (great with more nuoc mam!) Pho with fake beef - this vegetarian version tasted and felt EXACTLY like the meat-based ones I've always had - and loved! The rice noodles were slurpy and tender, the sliced fake beef would fool anyone, and when I mixed in the bean sprouts, herbs, hoisin, chili sauce and a little nuoc mam, I was in messy noodle-y heaven!! BBQ ribs - chewy pieces of fake meat that looked like beautiful mahogany-colored pieces of Peking Duck! Green Papaya Salad - ok OMG, this vegetarian version was EXPLODING with flavors, and was mixed with a veggie crab or shrimp and ground peanuts - salty, sweet, lemongrassy, limey, peanutty, and PERFECT! I'd have NEVER guessed it was vegetarian if it was put in front of me with no explanation! This was bf's favorite tonight and my friend's husband wanted to get another order to go! Chrysanthemum tea - a couple of us got a hot tea with whole chrysanthemum flowers and Goji berries in it. This flower is great for high blood pressure, and the Goji berries were a nice touch. The waiter noticed my friend not drinking hers, so he very sweetly offered to put it in a little pot for her so she could pour the tea out from the flowers. But bf and I actually ATE some of the flowers - they were tender and kinda artichoke-y tasting! The verdict is - this is some of the best food that we've ever eaten at either a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant EVER. Since it was all vegetarian, I say that makes it even MORE amazing! I believe whoever is cooking this food is putting some serious love into it. On top of the awesome food, there's WAY ample parking in the huge open lot, the waiters were all SUPER polite, the prices were all VERY reasonable, and the portions were proper. It was obvious from what we saw that this place is lovely enough to be in to bring a date, spacious enough and reasonably priced enough to bring the family - kids included, and forgiving enough in noise level to sit and laugh your ass off with friends! Overall, I LOVED this place! It's got great energy that comes through in the presence of each of the waiters that we came across, the delicious food that we ate, and the reasonable prices that we paid. And now we have these sweet Daily Buddhist Devotions books to read! I wish it were closer, but even if it's not - I'll gladly come back for my favorites: another crispy crepe, a perfect papaya salad, and a pho
(5)Champ M.
I've bookmarked this place for ages and decided to throw a lunch curveball here today yes today, this very day. What was that? I couldn't hear you? Did you say---hip---what? Hip? Oh you meant to say hipster? Oh, you're trying to ask if this place is sorta hipster? Believe it or not, Westminster may have found its first hipster joint. Now don't expect PBR or waiters wearing carribeaners, but this is as close as Westminster will ever get to claim some indie cred. Food is exceptional, calm, filling, beautiful. Although most of your time is spent guessing what you're actually eating, it's by far one of the most laid-back vegetarian eats around. Laid-back as in LAID-THE-F-BACK. Service comes awkward and slow, but I think it's their "zen" agenda being performed. Expect solace, not rush-hour. See photos. (Yes, they a spick some engleesh very goods)
(4)Selena T.
My favorite vegetarian restaurant! Foods are so good. My favorite choices: Crispy Fried Noodles and Mushroom hotpot!
(5)Alyssa L.
The service here was extremely poor. Employees were slow with orders and ended overcharging for items not ordered. When asked to correct, they became argumentative and displeased. It took forever to get our food. They forgot so many little things like drinks, napkins, utensils, plates, bowls, etc. They charged 15% gratuity. Speaking with management regarding the poor service did nothing. All he stated was that it was printed on the menus therefore we had to pay the 15% tip for poor service. How ridiculous!!!
(1)David C.
Pretty good place for a vegan restaurant. Spacious and modern approach. The food is presented quite well. The curry was too sweet with the taro inside. The pho ap Chao was delish (definitely ordering that again and again). And the com tam was just OK. No need to order the drinks because they are overpriced at $3.50. All in all they got a returning customer in me. The menu is big and will have me exploring for more tummy delights next time around!
(4)Nancy T.
Sister restaurant with Bo De next to the Asian Mall which I visit frequently. This place is a better one to go to if you're going with friends and what not, considering it looks a lot nicer then Bo De. Bo De is a bit shabbier, but the prices are cheaper their for some reason aha. Food here is good. -Mi Xao Don- good, but way to little of sauce compared to Bo De's. For some reason everys ingle time I come, the portions seem to be smaller and smaller..in my opinion of course. MUST HAVE: Eat this with their satay special sauce, gahd I live for this stuff. Must order it. -Spring roll- same as any other place. -Ca Kho "stewed fish"- delicious, my mom gets it everytime. Lots of flavor. Served with white rice. -Banh Xeo- pretty good, too bad its so small:( -Bun Hue- good, but for some reason I still prefer Bo De's. Service: Meh, typical Vietnamese restaurant status.
(4)Vivian N.
I like this restaurant just because it's a following franchise of the other one by the Asian Garden Mall on Bolsa. Three stars instead of five only because the food isn't as good as their other franchise and their prices are also higher. What I do like about this franchise is that the interior of this restaurant is much more presentable and their staff is friendlier. Note: Credit/Debit on purchases over $20
(3)Desiree B.
I enjoyed the place. One day after work I was looking for a good vegetarian place to have dinner and remembered that a friend had mentioned this place. It wasn't too busy so I was sat down promptly. The decor inside was nice and the place was fairl spacious. I thought the food was good. I'd definitely come back again.
(4)Tien D.
A Lil expensive for vegan food but very tasty, one of my favorite dish is shaking beef ( means ''Bo luc lac" in Vietnamese)
(4)Carla T.
First impressions: Definitely a step above your typical Viet restaurant in terms of ambiance and decor. Also a more diverse clientele, with various Asians (obviously), African Americans, Caucasians, young peeps, families with kids, older adults, and let's not forget about the table of Buddhist monks. I know that monks aren't props, but they lend an air of authenticity to vegetarian restaurants, IMHO. Food was yummy. I had the Bun Cha Ha Noi (see photo) and it wasn't exactly what I'd expected flavor-wise (I'd only had the meaty version before from Quan Hop Restaurant), but still good. We all shared the Banh Xeo and that was a winner in my book. The crepe was cooked to perfection. All of the greens were nice and fresh and abundant--a must for any Viet place. I also tried a few bites of the ca ri ga (chicken curry) and some fish dish. Both were surprisingly chicken- and fish-like, respectively, and delicious. Even though this has nothing to do with the food, it was nice that they had high chairs available for toddlers and the tables were not all crammed together like at some Viet restaurants. We'll be back to try more dishes.
(4)Kim T.
My boyfriend and I decided to give up meat for the lent season and as two very happy carnivores, it has been difficult to say the least. We have our occasional specific red meat cravings and his was pho that day. I heard lots of good things about Bo De and I was not disappointed. We ordered the spring rolls as an appetizer, and the peanut sauce was incredible! My boyfriend and I couldn't stop talking about it. I would highly recommend that dish. I actually want some right now just thinking about it. Lol. For entrees, he got the pho of course and I ordered crispy pho. Both were simply delicious. I had a little bit of his pho and the broth was spectacular for being a veggie broth. It was really rich in flavor. My crispy pho was so good, he couldn't stop picking off my plate. To tell you how good everything was, we both agreed that we would come back even after we were able to eat meat again. I would recommend this place to carnivores and vegetarians alike. Check it out!
(4)Hemesh P.
this place was a great find. I really enjoyed it. A lot of vietnamese veg places aren't really sit down restaurants. they're more like cafeteria style. But this place has a great ambience inside. I went one morning for breakfast after a workout. Had the pho and an ice coffee and it was delicious. definitely hit the spot. I definitely would like to come back and try some of the other items. They have free CDs books and leaflets promoting vegetarianism. All in all was a neat place. Highly reccommend it!
(5)Gayle B.
Delicioius, fresh, healthy. I've been twice in 2 weeks and picked 161 and 77. Both were generous portions and treats for the taste buds. I waited for my order drinking hot tea and enjoying the wonderful energy aided by piles of books on right living offered courtesy of Kaohsiung Pureland Society, printed in Taiwan. This place is a treasure, especially to vegans like me.
(5)Thao L.
Very good food, good flavor and great service!
(4)Jimmy N.
This place blows Au Lac out of the water! Service: Fantastic. They're quick, speaks english too, and are very professional. Food: delicious! Great substitute if you like Hoa Sen on Brookhurst/Chapman and don't wanna drive all the way down there. Presentation: Great atmosphere, well decorated/designed, right down to the plates on the tables and food presentation. Very clean, very pro. Etc: very wide selection of food and drinks, we were pretty surprised that the food came out before the drinks did, their hot tea comes with natural flowers and herbs. They were also reviewed in the LA Times, unlike Au Lac's highest review was only the OC Register. And not sure if this matters to anyone, but Au Lac follows a slightly different religion, that's not entirely pure Buddhism. My family and i don't agree with what they follow and is one main reason why we don't eat there. Tinh Tam is a much more "pure" Buddhist follower (as far as the owners are concerned). We'll definitely be back and we're pretty sure it's a good idea to eat here at least once a week, aside from our once a month new-moon period.
(5)Jenny P.
Everything positive i wanted to say about this restaurant's food went out the door as i just found out that they charged $.50 for each cup of water. It's illegal as far as i know, and that's hardly a star. I spoke to both the cashier lady and the manly/dykish lady who seemed to be the owner, and i asked the obvious, "you guys charge water?" Both ladies said yes as if it was nothing. Then the authorative lady suggested that i order water without ice next time to avoid the charge. I told her that there won't be a next time and walked away with a big WTF on my face. Too bad so sad for her. She lost patrons, she's stuck with a bad review, and sooner or later, she'll find herself in a lawsuit.
(1)Frank P.
Good traditional vietnamese cuisines made available to vegetarians. The flavors and textures are all there, but i suspect lots of soy products. Decore is like an upscale rural, Buddhist theme? But nice. Was 4 but now 3 stars due to decline in service.
(3)H, M H.
My husband and i had come this resturant for a while , the food is good even the price expensive , we still ok . But last week we order " bun rieu " , small bowl with the small dish of vegtable , they charge $ 7:49 , we just asked extra sprout , and we thought no charge , or maybe 50 cent . but ...... OMG .... $2.00 for that . Can you believe it ? It make me upset . So becareful if you came ther and asking something extra ..... Or better bring something with you then you dont have to pay crazy chargessssss . The owner should think about this .
(2)Matthew N.
Absolutely delicious! It was all vegetarian and yet it felt like eating a normal meal with meat, even when there was not meat. We had the hot pot and it was really good, loved the imitation squid a LOT. Had the pho ap chao, mi xao gion, and vegetarian pho! Really loved the pho ap chao and mi xao, the noodles and sauce fit perfectly together. Strawberry smoothie was very refreshing among the ninety degree heat. Service was good and kind. A star off for the slight rudeness from the guy that called the people that were waiting to be seated.
(4)Howie C.
If you're vegetarian, you'll love this place. If you're not, you won't have to suck it up for a meal because there's more than plenty on the menu to have you curious. After scouring the menu for three or four minutes, I went with the Citrus Spareribs with Lemon Grass. It arrived with a clear tasty broth on the side. The spareribs were made of wheat gluten and burst into my mouth releasing orange, lemon, ginger, and lemongrass flavors. I think the dish was $6.95. I want to go back and try the Banh Xeo (an appetizer that's like a crepe pancake stuffed with bean sprouts and mushrooms and served with mint leaves and cilantro). There are loads of other things to try. Entering the restaurant, I felt I had escaped to a southeast asian hut, except it was indoors and a very luxurious hut at that. Dark woods and fake extended roofs make the booths seem like seperate structures to the main dining floor. Maximum capacity says 118 (don't ask me why I remembered that). The restaurant was about half full when I dined. Of those people, half were Asian, half were white. There were numerous parties of older Caucasians that arrived while I was there (in that I mean over 50 years old), which was interesting to me. For a vegetarian restaurant, Bo De is more on the high quality/refined side. Some appetizers seem overpriced, like the small serving tofu spring rolls. The main course dishes were priced fairly, ranging from soup noodels to "meat" dishes. Most dishes are $7-10. Facts that may interest you... A bowl of white rice costs $1, a bowl of brown rice costs $4. A glass of water is $.50. There is also Buddhist material galore as you exit. Pamphlets, cds, books, etc. It is located in the Sieu Thi Thuan Phat market plaza (formerly K-Mart to you old schoolers), to the left of the market.
(4)Ali B.
I've been to a number of vegetarian restaurants in my life, and none tasted anywhere near as bad as this place. The food was disgusting, overcooked, overpriced, and gave me nausea. I wanted to get up and just walk out but had to pay for this overpriced pile of crap. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to prisoners. It would help if they simplified the menu, but they have more items than the periodic table. Don't bother asking for recommendations either, they didn't want to help us and I think it's because we weren't Asian. Overall, if I pooped on a plate, it would be more appealing than anything I ate here. I hope they shut down this dump. A disgrace to vegetarianism is an understatement
(1)Christina N.
Came here for the first time on mother's day. I'm a carnivore so this place is unexpected for me but since it was mother's day I couldn't say no. I got the crunchy noodles and it was pretty good. I especially liked the sauce they used. Their décor was very beautiful and it was pretty spacious. I didn't give 5 stars because we had to ask for cups of water several times before we got it. Don't know if it was because it's mother's day or what but still. The menu is under the regular dish names, meaning with their meat names even though there is no meat in their food. Purpose is for you to choose your favorite dish and they make it taste just like meat.
(4)Pauline L.
This was probably the BEST vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant I have ever been to. I have been to another one in Westminster but it didn't compare at all to this place. Atmosphere: Bo De Tinh Tam Chay, when you first walk in, has a clean and beautiful decor. It was very spacious, with flowers and other decorations adorning the area. The set-up is based around dark brown bamboo and gives that dark intimate feeling of restaurants even during the day. Service: All the waiters are very nice and speak Vietnamese really well for being late teenage boys. They all have some crazy Japanese-Korean hairdo; it's so funny. Good, fast service. They even got out plates and spoons for us when we cut some cake we brought in. Food: OMG. Freaking amazing taste. My entire family was raving over every dish we got. I got the Com Phu Chuc Kho To (vege fish stew with rice - $7.49). It was fake fish in a soy broth with green onions and mushrooms. This was served with white rice, fresh vegetables, pickled vegetables, and a separate bowl of vegetable broth. Very delicious, but try to not put too much of the soy broth because it gets really salty. We also had the Banh Mi Cari (Curry with bread - $6.99) that my family raved about, complimenting how it had a lot of coconut milk and it was so tasty. I thought it was just good curry. There was also the Pho Ap Chao Don (pan fried rice noodles - $8.99), which was a totally new way for me to have pho. Very tasty, but the flavoring and vegetables is basically like an oyster-sauce vegetable dish. I tried my mom's Bun Bo Hue (noodle soup, Hue style - $6.99) which tasted really good too. Just like the real thing. My sister got the Com Chien Thap Cam (fried rice combo - $7.99) which was shared around the table. She really liked it. I didn't try it. All the food is VERY generous in portion size. They really are for two meals. And the price ($5 appetizers, usually $7-8 a dish, $15 hot pot) is AWESOME for the platters you get. I really recommend this place. After eating here, I seriously never want to eat anywhere else!
(5)David D.
Took me almost 1 hour to get my order. I was being patience and was not rude so I asked the waiter to check on my orders. At first he said they are making my orders along w/ 2 other people in my group. I was okay with that until 15 minutes later I asked him again and he went to the kitchen and came back with the following "I am sorry, we took order up front and sent it to the kitchen but they did not get them out of the freezer, they will make them soon and will come out right away". I was speechless but because of this place is a veggie place so I did not want to make a scene and just asked him nicely to please rush them. At last my food came out and the taste was a 3/5. I am giving this place a 3xStars base on the food.. but in reality, the service deserved a 2xStars.
(3)Mukta M.
This is my favorite Vietnamese Vegan restaurant. I eat here at least once a month. The service is spotty and slow, but the food is so good that I never mind. I always drink the young coconut. This is the only place I have found in the USA that serves quality, tasty young coconuts. The spring rolls, soups, noodle dishes and lotus root salad are my favorites. The food tastes fresh and light. No matter how much I eat, I never feel over stuffed. I don't like the fake meat much, but other than that, everything else on the menu appeals to me.
(5)K D.
Vegetarian meets Fancy! Normally I don't pay mind to fancy decor, but gawd-dayam the owners put some money into this joint. The decor and furniture was really nice and even had a peaceful little faux water well infront. White-button uniformed waiters serving you with a smile. I only grabbed some Bi Cuon to-go and was even served some Chrysanthum tea while I wait. I notice their wall of FREE Buddhist books in Chinese & Vietnamese. That was pretty cool. Bi cuon was pretty simple, a little too much on the "thin" (that's a Vietnamese word btw, and I realized I don't know how to say it in English (how fobulous of me!) but it's the powder used for the pork skin) Their selection on the menu (please see photo) was pretty big. I usually only eat Vietnamese Vegetarian at Buddhist temples (the money always goes to a good cause) but I might have to try this place again. Good place to go to if you are one of them scared of not so clean Vietnamese Veggie restaurants. No vegan stuff here. Located in Westminster Superstore (Shun Fat / Thuan Phat) plaza.
(3)ti w.
Wow! Good vegetarian food! Decor was nice and the place is CLEAN which is saying a lot for Westminster. We just ordered from the pictures and it turned out good. Hubby was frustrated cuz he couldn't read the menu (in viet only). The music was of monk chanting so I felt like i was at a Buddhist Temple. Will come again soon. Just a little advice to the waiter and waitress, is that your food is good but your service needs to be better.
(4)Howard C.
I have been there a few times and I love it. Their curry is the best in my opinion and i have had 2 of their soups and com tam. The prices are pretty good about 6 to 10 dollars per item. I would have given it a 5 if the service was better.
(4)Michelle N.
I came here on the suggestion of my friend, who claims it as her favorite vegetarian restaurant. I have to agree that the food was pretty good, although I have to wonder if there is more MSG in it than usual because I felt really thirsty after my meal. I got the canh bun and the portion was pretty big. I couldn't finish it, which was a shame because it was delicious. I'd come here again!
(4)Linda T.
very friendly ppl... got a combo take-out thingy...3 items with white rice for $6.50 -"ca kho"-vegetarian broiled fish was yummy...they used seaweed as the "fish skin" and a soy thing as the "fish"..sauce was good with rice as well -5 spice tofu was yummy...a little oily but flavorful! also delish with rice -this cold spicy sweet cucmber dish was good...a little on the salty side but its suppose to be like that to be eaten with rice as well i walked in and saw a monk eating happily...must be a legit vegetarian place.
(4)Sandya N.
bo de is very different from other vegetarian asian-esque places in the area. first off, the decor is much nicer than any of the other veggie places i've dined at in OC. though it's in a strip-mall, it actually feels like a real restaurant, not some take-out joint (i'm talking to you, loving hut) or super casual place (mitasie 3 comes to mind). second, it's clearly a vietnamese place that just *happens* to be vegetarian instead of the other way around. the service is fairly unfriendly but very, very fast. we had our food minutes after ordering -- it was great! not so great was the charge for tap water, at 50 cents a glass... but that's not a deal-breaker. what makes or breaks the place is the food, of course. after all the hype i've heard about this place, i was expecting to be blown away by the food. sadly, i wasn't. overall, the food tasted too processed and unhealthy for me, and i left feeling full but bloated from all the salty, heavy food. the menu wasn't helpful at all in the descriptions of the dishes (maybe the descriptions in vietnamese are better than the ones in english?), and for once i wished they had more pictures on the menu to show what each dish would look like. i ended up ordering the com tam, and it was pretty good. my main complaint was that it really seemed to lack freshness, and the best part of it was the shredded tofu and veggies. the "ham" was pretty weird and spongy, and the "beef" was so tough and chewy that i only ate a piece or two. they both were very salty and tasted very artificial -- and yes, i realize it's mock meat! but seriously, many mock meats are tasty and don't leave you feeling blah after eating them. if you want fresh-tasting food, i wouldn't order this dish. maybe i'll give them another try sometime, but it's hard to have a burning desire to go back when there are so many other great veggie places within a few miles.
(3)T C.
Not too shabby. I'm a meat lover through and through, but even I was able to find some tasty dishes I liked at this strict veggie eatery. I've tried the noodles - mock duck and bamboo (a-ok), won ton (a-ok), crunchy seafood chow mein (a-ok) - and rice and salad dishes. The interior is modern with an asian twist (heavy use of bamboo); there is a to-go side. The servers are nice about explaining dishes and make great recommendations. Other important info: menu has some pictures, meat-eater friendly flavors, to-go section, modern interior, fast and friendly service, prices are fair for food selection but portions are varied.
(3)L W.
Took the family here for dinner last night. I absolutely love this place. Probably the best vegan/vegetarian food I've had in a long time. Very authentic to tradtional Vietnamese cuisine. We ordered several dishes and shared (family style). Ordered: -bi cuon -goi guon -banh xeo -bun bo hue -canh chua and two other dishes i have no clue what their names were but it was "fish" and "pork". want to try the curry next time. Another plus is it's very clean. The decor is very nice and inviting. There's plenty of parking too and prices are reasonable. Can't wait to go back!! :p
(5)Kenny C.
Three of us came here for lunch during the Vietnamese New Year! We ordered Lotus Flower Hotpot and Spring Rolls. We ordered hot tea, not water like before. We enjoyed vegan food. Service was ok because it was too crowded.
(5)Kimmy L.
This restaurant in my opinion is one of the better and closer to authentic Vietnamese food you can possibly get for a vegetarian meal. I have enjoyed just about everything here. They make it well, they don't pumped it with MSG like some restaurants, the service is great, the manager/ owner makes it a point to make appearances and the staff is well trained. Even the non speaking Vietnamese staff will know what dish you're talking about. The most important part other than the actual taste of the food is that it is clean. My biggest pet peeve is going to a restaurant and feeling like I'm sitting on the side of the streets in Vietnam next to a drainage trying to eat my meal. They keep it CLEAN! Now more about the food, food that is freshly brought out that doesn't taste "warm" or "stale" is important. So the crunchy fried egg noodle dish I ordered past the test. The salad /goi passes as well. There is so much to try there I would recommend taking the time to discovering your own likes. My taste buds change frequently in my preference hence I can't say there has been anything that I have craved here that has failed the taste test. Perhaps the only drawback is that if you're a meat eater food will be less tasty for you and you might notice yourself asking for a second serving of the sauces like "nuoc mam chay". By the way, this isn't a bad place to bring a date either. The booths give the perfect setting and the decorations don't make you feel too exposed. It's a open but still gives you the privacy you may need. A family ordeal is good too, but you might have to let them know ahead of time as the seatings are only set for tables of 4. AND they also have take out. Happy Eating!
(4)Vivienne N.
After serial visits to Veggie Grill, came here with my bf to experience the Vietnamese side of vegetarian cuisine. Arrived at around 10-11 AM, and it was pretty empty. For a Vietnamese place, the interior design was interesting, and--more importantly--clean. But also as a Vietnamese place, service was on the slow and spotty side; but very friendly. Ordered the goi mit (jackfruit salad), hu tieu (noodle soup), and bo la lot (vegetarian leaf-wrapped grilled beef). - Jackfruit salad came out surprisingly warm, and was served on top of rice crackers. The texture of the salad was perfect, and the vegetarian fish sauce added just the right amount of savoriness to tie it all together deliciously. - Noodle soup was satisfying. Came with glass noodles, and a lot of vegetables (yay, Napa cabbage!), and soy products. What I liked most was that the broth tasted really pure (for lack of a better word)--no gamey, oily, or MSG-y aftertaste. - Bo la lot was interesting--definitely recommended if you're a fan of it or bo 7 mon (seven courses of beef). Aesthetically, it surprisingly looks a lot like its meaty counterpart; and although it obviously can't offer the taste of beef, the lemongrass-based seasoning gave it such a fresh, savory taste that didn't at all disappoint. OVERALL (4.5 stars): A truly interesting vegetarian restaurant that offers the vegetarian version of almost every major Vietnamese dish--and more impressively, seems to do them all pretty well. Clean, and nicely decorated, it's also a place you won't be embarrassed to take a group of friends to, either. And as an Asian place, prices are fair, and portions are large. Personal recommendations here are the goi mit (jackfruit salad), bo la lot, and hot pots.
(5)Theresa N.
Bomb diggity food. My friend is vegetarian and took me here for my first time (it's his all time favorite vegetarian restaurant). What my friend and I ordered: - #2 Bi Cuon (spring rolls) - #18 Nam Chien Don (Fried mushrooms) - #19 Dau Hu Chien Don (Fried tofu) - #88 Pho Ap Chao Don (Pan fried crispy rice noodles) Everything was delicious. We would have had leftovers but we pretty much ate everything because everything was so good. The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty nice too, very earthy environment. I am definitely going to come back and try other dishes.
(5)Joey L.
I have been on the quest to find the best Vegetarian place in Orange County. Even though, I am not vegetarian I am intrigued how they replace meat with tofu and tempah. They transformed the tofu and tempah into a tasty meat replacement. You will be unable to tell the difference unless you analyze each bite. Don't HATE until you try it! The restaurant was spacious, filled with Buddhist statues and zen inspired wall decor. The service here was efficient and attentive.So here are my recommendations: *Spring Rolls - The rolls was filled with veggie and imitiation meat product that looked like shrimp with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. *Mi Xao Don - Crunchy Fried egg noodle topped with stir fry vegetables. Scrumptious! *Bun Cha Ha Noi - The imitation meat patties was tender and soaked with Nuoc Mam Cham which enhanced the taste. It was served with a side of Vermicelli noodles with lettuce. Delicious! *Chrysanthemum tea - One of the best tea I had ever drank! Overall, the food is healthy and will definitely fill you up and satisfy your hungry appetite!
(4)Diana D.
Great place for vietnamese vegetarian food! I recently tried this place and had a great experience. I ordered fried tofu, ra muong xao chao (basically a green veggie that is stir fried with Chao, which is a pickled tofu? it sounds weird but it is so good), and sour soup (canh cua) The tofu was amazing! It is soft tofu with a crispy outside. Be careful it can get very hot on the inside of the tofu. It comes with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. The soup was also very flavorful. They give you a lot of yummy veggies (okra, bean sprouts, etc). My bf basically ate all of the ra muong xao chao and he really really enjoyed it! Got 3 dishes and some hot tea for 30 without tip and had leftovers. Probably more pricey of a restaurant compared to the typical Vietnamese restaurants in the area but well worth it! The decor inside is also very nice, and I would definitely recommend this place if you want to take some caucasian friends :)
(5)Carlos A.
I died and went to heaven and to a feast with the Buddha himself., perhaps the best sensory experience you can have with tofu.
(5)Vicky N.
This has got to be one of the best vegetarian restaurant ever! - good service - nice decor - clean eating areas - speedy service - clean restrooms - plenty of parking in front
(4)Mindy T.
I've been here a few times during my visits to OC. I've always loved their food. I do have to agree that the poor "unfriendly" service, The waiters often screwed up something or forgot any additional requests we had. It felt like they were trying to ignore us sometimes. However, it wasn't that bad when the restaurant was not too busy. I have to give this place 4 stars because of the great food and reasonable prices. Cháo thp cm chay was very tasty, even better than the regular one. Yum !
(4)Sos S.
pho ap chao was not good,after all the good reviews I dont know why its so popular it was very oily and not healthy at all the taste was very bland as well ,I would not return
(2)Cat Y.
I love LOVE the curry. Vietnamese cuisine at its best!! Great service and great prices. (whispers) it's better than au lac, in my opinion.
(5)Elizabeth N.
One of the sad things about recently becoming vegetarian is that I can't eat a lot of Vietnamese dishes because they have a lot of meat and seafood =[. I would have to say that this place isn't like the "real deal" Vietnamese food, but it is acceptable. After coming here about three times I would have to say that my favorite thing on the menu is the Mi Quang. Even though this place is Vietnamese, the prices are expensive for Vietnamese food. Come on, it's sad how vegetarian places are more expensive than regular restaurants. Until I find somewhere else to eat, I will come back here.
(3)Katrina T.
I love this place .
(5)Chanh H.
After eating here I only had one question. Why didn't anyone tell me about this before. Vietnamese vegetarian is amazing. The jackfruit salad was light and delicious, perfectly flavored. The "beef" wrapped in grape leaves tasted like....wait for it....beef? It wasn't perfect, but if you close your eyes and just appreciate it, it really does taste like what its trying to imitate and that is no small feat in itself. I also had the hu tieu, which was very good. Again, it was very light and easy to eat. This place gets five stars because of what they've managed to accomplish. It is basically a vegetarian vietnamese restaurant that rivals ordinary viet places. Try it out if you're vegetarian or if you want viet food and none of the guilt.
(5)Bruce D.
FIrst off, THEY CHARGE FOR TAP-WATER! Secondly, the food was alright, just that, 'alright'. Nothing stood out as far as taste went... In my opinion, Vegi Wokery in Cerritos is FAR BETTER for the money and time.
(2)Tweetie N.
Went here for the first time, two weekends ago with my mom. First off, my mom typically never likes to go out to restaurants, so for her to want to go here is a big plus sign. Ordered bun rieu and it was delicious - broth was very flavorful, fried tofu was tasty, lots of good stuff going on. Portion sizes are very good (I was full for many hours afterwards), service was good/attentive and overall restaurant ambiance is nice and inviting. It's also very easy to get to (and nice change from the chaos of Little Saigon and Bolsa) with ample parking. I definitely plan on making this a go-to spot for when my mom and me lunches.
(4)Anh M.
The decor is so cute and clean - it's like bamboo zen forest meets contemporary restaurant. The service is excellent. The prices are GREAT - $6 - $8 per item. The quality of the food is superb. Just amazing. We ordered the curry with french bread, egg rolls and ca kho (caramelized "fish" thingy). All so good. The curry was so flavorful and had many different types of "meats" and veggies in it. It was so rich in coconut. Delicious. The egg rolls were really good too. They came with the fresh mints and raw lettuces and a dipping sauce. I can't believe how nice, clean, delicious and great the service was. I will definitely be coming back here!
(5)Lilo B.
Hands down the BEST veggie place I've eaten!!! I love everything we ordered from faux beef stew, bun, crispy noodles, and fish hot pot! This place is beautiful inside! Loved, loved, loved the decor! VERY CLEAN! I can't wait to go back and try more stuff!
(5)Queenny C.
As I eat vegetarian food 5 days every month, I have tried so many Vegetarian restaurants, this is definitely the BEST one that you can get with Fast & Efficient service, Good food, and Inexpensive. One of the best for my taste is : "My` Quang" - the yellowish rice noodle with tasty and flavorful dry sauce ( it will be served with an extra bowl of veggie broth in case you want it more soupy) The Banh' Xeo` here is also amazingly good, very crispy, tasty, and the Nuoc' Mam' sauce for you to dip the banh' Xeo` is just like real Nuoc'Mam' which made with Fish sauce. This dish is to be ordered only when you are not in the hurry, have plenty of time for lunch or dinner, because it could take 15, 20 minutes before they serve you, and if you are in a big group, don't order this dish, everyone else will finish their food before you get your Banh' Xeo`. I can't wait to come here again when the time is due for me to eat vegetarian again.
(5)son d.
Everything I've eaten here has been delicious. My favorite is the Pho Ap Chao Chien Don (Crispy fried rice noodles).
(5)V T.
We've been to this place three times and hope that our future experiences will be as good. Excellent food (our favorites are the vegetable hot pot and the various rolls) and excellent service (the young waiters are so helpful and refreshingly polite). Prices are reasonable too. We're not vegetarian but enjoy more and more vegetarian meals when they're cooked well. We're lucky to have found this place and Au Lac (more trendy, more modern and interesting menu but quite a bit more expensive too). A real winner.
(5)Melody K.
This is hands down the cleanest Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to. The restaurant decor is immaculate (especially compared to the dirty-ish strip mall/plaza it is located in). Stepping in, I was surprised by how peaceful it is inside. The clean dark wood decor and Buddhist influence was a nice touch. I came here with 3 other girls, and we shared a Lotus Flower Hot Pot and Spring Rolls. The Lotus Flower Hot Pot was a-mazing. I'm used to Taiwanese/Chinese hot pot (fresh water broth), but Vietnamese hot pot (Lau) has a dark broth. The dish came with lots of greens, taro, tofu, squash, mushrooms, and egg noodles. I may be biased since I LOVE egg noodles, but everything else was really fresh and delicious! (Especially the squash! I don't even like squash!) I can't emphasize enough how fresh everything was! We also ordered this Passion Fruit Tea, which is making my mouth water just thinking about it. Imagine a freshly picked passion fruit in drink form. It helped that I was with two girls who can speak Vietnamese, but I'm sure I could have gotten along fine if I knew what I wanted to order. The service was great, and I loved trying Vietnamese vegetarian food. Parking was easy too (a lot right in front).
(5)Richard W.
The atmosphere here is quite tranquil to say the least and when I'm eating my food, it's like I'm one with the food. I don't know of that makes sense, you would just have to come and check it out. You will see monks here dining on some good eats. I prefer the banh beo or banh xeo! Vietnamese pancakes! I've tried the curry which is also good. The fake chicken they have here tastes like spam which is very different for a meat eater like myself. I enjoy this place and the price is not too bad. The interior is fancy but yet earthy and humble. A good balance like the food for the soul.
(4)Mary D.
Went for lunch today at 12:30pm. Had the fresh spring rolls, the "vege" beef salad and a hot pot. ALL amazingly fresh and delicious! Wonderful staff. We went with small children and the wait staff was very accommodating. Actually can't wait to go back.
(5)Michelle P.
Thank my sat nav system for taking us the long way and putting The Brit and I at the door of Bo De Tinh Tam Chay. It was soooooo good! We started off as the only white people in the place, which is always a promising sign (one never wants too many white people around, right?) ;) Seriously, the place was full of locals and we were excited about what lay ahead for dinner. The Brit is not a big fan of vegetarian, but didn't mind at all. Myself, I love vegetarian as much as I love a good steak... actually, steak would probably win, but Bo De Tinh Tam Chay had fantastic meat alternatives. We shared spring rolls with "veggie meat" and really enjoyed them with their fresh herbs and excellent peanut sauce for dipping. We also ordered a "beef" vermicelli noodle bowl that was equally excellent. We ordered one more thing... a pancake type dish, but it never came, and we didn't mind since we were comfortable with what we had shared already. I had green tea and The Brit had chamomile tea that had actual flowers in it and smelled fantastic. Service was great and everyone was very nice. Also great, we both ate well for a mere $14. Our movie tickets cost more than dinner that night! Both The Brit and I are already looking forward to going back, and I can't wait to tell all my veggie head (and non veggie head) friends about Bo De Tinh Tam Chay!
(5)Ryan R.
The meal started off pretty well. The vegetarian options are actually not too shabby (we got the panang curry, short ribs, and spring rolls). My problems with the restaurant come at the end of the meal. This is the only restaurant I've been to that CHARGES FOR WATER. We received no warning of this at the beginning of the meal. Apparently, they charge you $0.50 per person if you do not order any other drinks. Secondly, there was obviously a homeless person they let hang out in the lobby of the restaurant. I have no beef against the homeless (no pun intended), but I think it's extremely unprofessional for the restaurant to allow them to hang out in the restaurant while it is full of people. Lastly, and most disturbing, there were these two ladies making spring rolls at the front counter. No gloves, no hair nets, and worst of all, they had their FEET ON THE TABLE, NEXT TO THE FOOD. Never again.
(1)Monique D.
08/2015: If you're going to try noodle soup, expect LOTS of noodles and very little "toppings". I was disappointed at the Bun Rieu (rice noodle soup) because I got way too much vermicelli. ------------- UPDATE: 03/07/12 -- Came back here and got fried wonton appetizer -- sooo good! The stuff inside tastes like real meat. AND the tomato sweet and sour sauce is excellent and makes it ten times better! yelp.com/user_local_phot… The Mi Nam Vang (egg noodle soup) was also good. Tons of veggie goodness - broccoli, mushrooms, tofu, some crunchie stuff, onions, shallots, etc. Also recommend! yelp.com/user_local_phot… ------------- Took my parents out to eat here on Thanksgiving. :) My mom is an avid vegetarian so nothing makes her happier. LOL We tried (mi xao don) crispy noodles - nice presentation, noodle is fresh and crispy, not stale like other places, and the veggie stuff is excellent: yelp.com/user_local_phot… The curry was also OK: yelp.com/user_local_phot… We also tried bun rieu, which was decent. The Ca Kho To is delish, a definitely must-try. My mom tells me many of the workers here are Buddhist vegetarians so that's kinda nice. They're all very nice people. Zero rudeness.
(4)Anita L.
I'm sorry..... I like vegetarian food, don't get me wrong, but I like vegetarian food that tastes good. The stuff here was bland and very tasteless to say the least. The restaurant was nicely decorated, new and clean. The menu had ample offerings and it was difficult to choose with so many things offered. We got the 'chicken' mi (egg noodles), com tam with the shredded 'pork' and the egg cake and the papaya salad. "Chicken" mi -- the broth was bland and tasted medicinal..... very hard to stomach really when it is passing for something edible. The texture of the fake chicken was spongey -- really gross. The com tam (broken rice) plate was very average. The texture of the egg cake was very dense and again, very bland. The fake shredded pork skin used lots of tofu -- was okay, but not a good enough version. Papaya salad was nice -- only redeeming dish we ordered. The dressing was nicely flavored and the shredded papaya had a nice crunch. They don't mix it for you so you can adjust the dressing according to your own taste, this also means the papaya hasn't wilted from the dressing so the crunch is retained. I don't think I'll come back here again. For this type of food, go to Au Lac -- their food is simply fantastic in comparison.
(2)Lana D.
I really like the decor of this restaurant - very buddhist temple-like. There are comfortable booths, and this place is almost always busy. The service is rather unfriendly and forgetful. Many times, they would forget an order or disregard special requests. The food is average. Not great, but not bad. I usually only get two items: the Banh Xeo and the Banh Beo. Though the items are on their menu, they don't always it. It's a hit or miss, really. Everything else is pretty plain and ordinary.
(3)Shaun B.
I was in Westminster so I had to try out a Vietnamese restaurant, and this place was delicious. It was vegetarian, so i was a little skeptical, but it worked out. I ordered the fried noodles with vegetarian sauce on top (waiters reco). They managed to make the noodles crispy and a little sweet. The sauce was rich and salty to off set the sweetness. It was unlike anything I have ever had before and i really liked it. There are probably a bunch of good places like this in this area, but this is the one I tried and i definitely recommend it
(5)Janis R.
We had Bun Thai and Pho Ap Chao Don with salted lemon soda and Thai iced tea. Amazing food and fantastic atmosphere. Wait staff is very friendly and efficient. Can't wait to come back again!!
(5)Kim L.
First time dining here. My friend and u drive from San Diego to OC for viet food. Having volunteered at a local viet Buddhist temple kitchen for months, I'd like to say I know a thing or two when it comes to viet vegetarian food. Amazing bun rieu and to- go items. Super clean and nice decor. Very cute place and easy to find parking spot during a Sunday lunch hour. Took off a star for charging us $1 for ice water.
(4)Summer W.
The service is always PERFECT. For an Asian restaurant...that is freaken crazy. All the workers here are very patient, courteous and can help suggest entrees on their menu if you haven't been there before. Pho Ap Chao Don- I always order this. You can never go wrong with this dish any where you go. But, I wish there were more vegetables on this dish. The side chili tangy sauce is a great pair with the noodles Canh Chua- wow, it was really flavorful. It came in a huge bowl, you can share with 3-4 people at your table. Bo Bia Chhay- omg...fresh spring rolls are my favorite. It's delicious, comes with a peanut sauce to pair with it Banh Xeo- I love me some Crispy Banh Xeo. Comes with fresh vegetables, vegetarian fish sauce to dip. Yellow Curry- It's a hit or miss with this. You get to dip it with your fresh baguette bread. Sometimes they make it too sweet for me. but majority of the time...it's perfect. Decor: You go in there...it's like a breath of fresh air. You feel like you're in Asia...a temple... They play relaxing chants. There's books and cds for you to take home...for free! It's very clean! That's a plus for an Asian restaurant! =) I absolutely love this place!
(5)Jeff K.
I got the clay-pot rice with veggies and it was very good, my girlfriend got the vegetarian pho and she said it was great but could have used a little more of the vegi beef. Egg roles were also great.
(4)Cece T.
IF YOU'RE A TRUE VEGETARIAN, STEER CLEAR FROM THIS PLACE! My family are not vegetarian but we do enjoy vegetarian food once in a while and this has been our go to place until today. We've always wonder how in the world does Vietnamese vegetarian foods taste so good and so similar to the "real" thing. Our experience today made us rethink again if the food they cook are really vegetarian. We found a SNAIL in one of our dishes. What kind of vegetarian restaurant cook with seafood??? We pointed it out to our server and he IMMEDIATELY took the plate away without saying ANYTHING! We saw that he took it over to the guy standing near the cash register and they both looked at the plate and LAUGHED!!! He then took the plate away to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he and another server brought out our other orders. They didn't even say SORRY or EXPLAIN to us what's going on with that one dish that was taken away. They literally ACTED AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED! We asked to speak to the manager and a girl who said she's the manager's daughter was apologetic and offer a refund on that dish they took away with a snail in it. Firstly, there was a SNAIL in our dish...we didn't order SNAIL, we ordered VEGETARIAN food! Secondly, why in the world would you charged your customer in the first place for a dish they didn't even order? or get to eat properly? Did you forget that your server have taken that dish away and we have no clue whatsoever what happened to that dish? We decided to pay, leave and NEVER COME BACK. The lady at the cash register...I'm guessing is the manager...told us "YOU SHOULD'VE COME AND SPEAK WITH ME DIRECTLY AND NOT THE SERVERS WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED." Excuse me, first of all, if you don't wear a sign in front of your chest that said "I'm the manager" then we wouldn't know who you are. It is not our job to find out who/where you are to go and speak to you. It is your job and responsibility as the owner to manage and train your employee to DO THEIR JOB RIGHT! But then what can we expect when the food you serve at your restaurant MAY NOT EVEN BE VEGETARIAN?!
(1)Kelly D.
Nice space, very visually appealing inside. We were escorted to a table behind some decorations, but thankfully the waiters did not forget us. 3 different waiters asked us if we were ready to order within 2 minutes. First one normal, second one little annoying, third one downright strange. Ordered after flipping through 200+ imitation meat items. Ordered #s 52 & 86, brought #s 53 & 86. Not a huge difference, but irritating. Meat eater in my group says "might mistake for real meat" so I'm assuming that it's good. -1 star for wrong dishes. Free WiFi :D
(4)Toby W.
The food here was good. I liked the crepe and vege fish. Had their other speciality dishes which was the fried garlic tofu and some asparagus dish with nuts but those were just okay. The nice décor suggest a fancier place but the service didn't match it. Once the food are dropped off, that's it. I have to flagged down the waiter for water and he just fill our small glass half way. I think the reason is that I see his pitcher is running out of water and he didn't feel like coming back again. It's a big restaurant and the men's room is one per person so it's a hassle to wait outside as well.
(3)Jennifer H.
I really like the decor of the restaurant. With that said, coming here on a Sunday night at 7:15 was kind of a nightmare. There were at least ten people crowded about the hostess either taking orders, getting seated or just standing around in a heat bubble. It took me a few minutes and some nice people to figure out that they had a waiting list. After waiting for a table and writing in our order menu ahead of time we were instructed to take a seat in the back. When I walked to the back of the restaurant I had to stand in the middle of a high traffic area while my table still wasn't cleaned. This was the worst rush hour restaurant traffic directing ever. Why not just ask people politely to wait outside? Anyways, after getting seated the food was actually pretty good. We had the fried rice which was well seasoned and I love broken rice. Then I also got the porridge with everything which was tasty as well. We also got some white noodles in soup and the vegetarian meat was so good. Would I come back here? Probably. Would I ever come here on a date? Nope!
(3)Chau V.
My so called grand-uncle and grand-aunt love this place, even my little 10-year-old auntie are always super excited to hear we are going to eat here. That feels weird! Sometimes I don't trust my aunt and uncle's taste much, since the food from all the restaurants that were recommended by them doesn't taste that great, but all due respect to our elders, we listen and we go try for ourselves. This restaurant is no exception. The menu is spectacular but the food is not as good as everyone is talking about. Imagine all your favorite Vietnamese dishes being made of something not involving meat and killing animals. This place also has free magazines/books about Buddhism, so if you are interested, knock yourself out. My little auntie loves books so she tends to bring these books home, but I think she'll forget in the car most of time or she'll bring them inside the house and throw it in some corner she'll never remember. Take note that this place makes their food from scratch, so the price is a little higher than your typical cheap eat Vietnamese restaurants. I told an old waiter at the door the people of our party, apparently he didn't pay attention and totally pissed me off trying to reply and call me "honey" in Vietnamese, I am offended with the word itself. For me, only uneducated, gang men, and pervs use that kind of words. Then, five minutes, another chap came by to check on us while they cleaned up the table for us to ask how many people in our party. I was like "seriously? you can do a head count if you want? we're all here" The food is okay, I wouldn't return without my relatives.
(3)Justin F.
This is one of the first places I think of to go to on a rainy day; all of their food is so comforting (particularly their soups). I try to always order a taro or mango shake when I come here, although sometimes they're out by dinner time. The snacks in the front are also very good, many time of vegetarian style "meat" and things. Service is always fast and good. Quality of food is always on point. I wish this place was closer to home. :(
(5)Thomas C.
So I was sitting there for a while waiting for our food......and I asked the lady behind the counter......."Can I have a glass of water?" She looked at me blankly and said: "So u want to ORDER a glass of water??" lol....I was like so speechless... But soon I found out they charged 50 cents for a glass of cold water....!!! There are some Chinese restaurants that rush to slam a cup of tea on your table before you even pull out the chair to sit down...lol....and you have the Korean restaurants that give you enough side dishes that u just need to order rice to complete a full meal.... Am I being too spoiled to expect water should be served FREE in every restaurant? -_-" I hope they are not thinking about charging the "cold air" in the near future... Food-wise is decent. The food somehow weren't really hot when they came out but overall... not bad at all.
(3)Travis R.
Even though I'm not Vietnamese, the staff and other customers make me feel welcome. Maybe it's just good vibes, i dont know. The Pho Ap Chao Don is great, especially when you drench it with the different kinds of hot sauces on the table. I'll be back to try a bigger variety of their dishes. They even have whole Serrano peppers in case hot sauce isn't enough for you. As many people already mentioned, the spring rolls are awesome. I like the mint they put in there. Overall it's a great well-maintained place with nice bamboo background. -TR
(4)Sharon H.
This place is amazing for vegetarians and carnivores alike, no joke! The flavors are so rich, multi-dimensional, and just so darn good! I asked the waiter for recommendations and he pointed out #88 Pan fried flat noodles with mixed vegetables (9.74), Tawny Bánh Mì Carri French Bread with Vegetable (yam!) Curry, and #55 Mi Quang - all of which were so delicious. Seriously, you cannot go wrong with anything you order here. (Well, maybe if you are really craving "fish", because its basically made from tofu). But, the quality and portions are spot on, and you feel so much better afterwards without the drowsy effect from eating at most asian restaurants where the cooking oils used are often questionable. Also, going back to the Pan fried flat noodles, the optional side spicy sauce is jam-packed with flavor, albeit a tad on the salty side, but its definitely worth a try! Will definitely be back if I'm in the area again. Service was good and plenty of parking (located in a large parking lot on Beach blvd).
(4)Jennifer N.
Never a disappointment. I wish I knew about this place during Lent. I usually get the spring rolls, Thai seafood hot pot, Crispy Pho, braised tofu, and their salads. I like how they have books and literature on Buddhism, which I brought home with me to read. They also have non-alcoholic beer! O'Douls!
(4)Cindy CiCi L.
First time here and what i ordered was soooo good. Also it's a vegetarin place. I ordered the rice with mixed vegetables in a clay pot. The clay pot makes the rice burnt at the bottom and makes it 10000000xbetter. When I saw the menu that the rice will be served in a clay pot...I knew it was burnt rice and i knew I had to get it. It's an avg size bowl (not the bowl they use for pho) and it got me full. They gave me enough rice and lots of vegetables. Eating on a Sunday night was pretty damn busy. My friend had the fried rice. He stated it was really good but at the end he said he thinks they had a lot of MSG in it because he gets headaches from eating too much of that. My other friend he ate ban xeo...very plain too. He literally ordered ban xeo with no spring sprouts and no shrimp. haha yet, he said it was good. he said the ban xeo has a flavor to it.
(4)Tori P.
I love the food here! Their menu is HUGE, and there is a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Everything I've tried so far has been super tasty :) The service is really friendly too and they listen to what you want. The place is much bigger and better than the one near Asian Garden Mall. Can't wait to come back to try more stuff! Btw, if you want a healthier alternative, ORDER THE PURPLE RICE. It's soooo good.
(5)Hani A.
I love this place. Excellent food but good luck ordering. Large menu .
(5)Qui C.
Wow the decor of this restaurant is amazing! very zen :-) It's clean, new, and modern with lots of touches of plant and bamboo. The service is quick and the servers are very attentive. We were checked on many times and they love to say Hi! and bring us water lol. The food is very tasty! We ordered: Broken Rice with Bi Cha Ta Hu Ky Bun with Egg rolls Bi Ta Hu Ky Very fresh ingredients! My bun was filled with vegetables, just the way I love it, tasty like noodle salad :-) We had a great first experience and today marks the first day of our Vegetarian Hump Day. This place gave it a great first start.
(4)linda n.
I'm not a vegetarian, but always find myself craving this place. The food is super flavorful and you can't even tell that the dishes you're eating is vegetarian and vegan. My favorite dish is the "pho ap chao chien don" (crispy noodles). It comes with a sauce on the side that I can't seem to get enough of. Remember to add a bit of sriracha to spice up the dish. Bun rieu comes in a huge dish that two people can share. It tastes closest to mom's homemade bun rieu. Banh xeo is very crispy and the batter is thick. The nuoc mam sauce that comes with it is delicious. I always ask for extra. Service is great. The waiters are always smiling when they take your order and are not impatient with your questions like many other Vietnamese restaurants. I definitely recommend this place!
(5)Elaine N.
This place is one of my best friend's favorite restaurant. She's vegan so it's very difficult to find a vegetarian, let alone a vegan, restaurant! I am not vegetarian or vegan, but I do love the food. What do I love about this place? The peaceful, clean, and classy decor -- they have running water music turned on, and lots of bamboo trees inside (not sure if they're real). It gives me a sense of being at a temple. Especially during lunch hours when all the monks come in for lunch! The food is amazing. The names of the dishes on the menu would have you believe that this place isn't a vegetarian restaurant. They call the dish "___ with pork," or "simmered fish," etc. but they're made of tofu! They do taste like the real thing (I don't know if that's a bad thing for vegans and vegetarians). The way they display the dishes make you think you're at some fancy restaurant. My favorite dishes would be the braised "fish" in clay pot, and the sweet and sour "fish" soup. Mmmmm. My two favorite dishes... vegetarian style! Being vegetarian dishes, they feel less heavy in my stomach and doesn't make me feel guilty eating so much. Why only 4 stars? This place is a little more expensive than most Vietnamese restaurants. I guess it is because it's a vegetarian restaurant... People need to make vegetarian food more common so that the price can go down! Also, the best friend celebrated her birthday here -- so it also makes a great group party place.
(4)Hannah E.
I'd been eyeing this place for awhile, mostly because every time I saw it I thought, how the hell can you make Vietnamese food vegetarian? I have never, and I mean never, had any type of Vietnamese food without a big ol' pile of pig flesh of some sort, or a big ol' bowl of beef bone broth, or at least some shrimp at the very least! Or, you know, even lemongrass chicken. A dead animal of some sort is always prominently featured, and so far, I have enjoyed it that way. Basically, I was confused... but intrigued. So a vegetarian friend and I made the leap. The menu was even more confusing because it just listed all the things as though they had real meat, so the dish names were the same. I just pretended like nothing was different and ordered some standbys: banh xeo and com tam with "bi" and what would normally be lap xuong and an egg cake. He ordered a tofu tomato stew and the spring rolls. We both got salty lemon soda to drink. So the fake lap xuong was the best thing on the table! Who knows what it was, really, but it was delicious and tender and a deep burnt orange. The fake bi was creepily close to the real thing - they really got the dry-rubbed spices down. But the one thing that they didn't have to fake, the egg cake, tasted like old sweaty socks for some reason. My friend said that it tasted like tuna, and I told him that if he ever were to have tuna in his mouth that tasted like that, he should spit it out immediately. Everything else, well, I have to say I found that it suffered from the forced vegetarian-ness. I like vegetarian food, but I like it better when it's naturally that way and doesn't have to rely too heavily on fake meat (like South Indian food, for example). Aside from the tofu/tomato stew, which held its spicy red own, I would have pretty much just preferred the real meat version. But, hey. Vegetarians who can't have the real meat version can still enjoy this, and that's a good thing. Plus the salty lemon soda was, along with Dat Thanh's, the best version in Little Saigon!
(3)Lee L.
So my friend turned 45. Okay more like 32, but with all the alcohol and the smoking and the girls and the generally wanton life he's lived, I'd say his internal organs around 45 years of age...and counting. So my other friend decides that we should go to this cute newish vegetarian place to celebrate him turning 32 de jure, 45 de facto. The healthiness, the abstinence from meat, the allusion to an ascetic lifestyle- it'll be a turning point, a statement, a metaphor. It's freakin poetic. But old habits die hard. In lieu of indulging in the tender taste of fat-dripping meats, we indulged in the savory, the deep-fried, the sweet taste of gluttony. Bi cuon ("pork and pork skin" rolls) for appetizer, crispy noodle bowl with veggies, water spinach sauteed with fermented tofu, fried tofu with sweet and sour sauce, "fish" stewed in a stone pot. Don't worry about minding your manners. There's no room to put your elbows on the table anyway. The bi cuon was good, the crispy noodle bowl was ordinary, the water spinach was nice in a "my mom makes it like that" sort of way, the fried tofu could have come with more sauce, and the "fish" stew may have been better with one of the firmer vegetarian products but had great flavor. Service? Our drinks didn't come out till 1/3 of the meal was done, and we had to actively follow up to get it. To be honest, there wasn't really much service to speak of in general. I find the "new" Au Lac too pretentious and the Van Hanh too "authentic" (if you get my drift), so Bo De is really the perfect pleasant Purell-approved venue for my vegetarian wants. Okay, it's not really perfect, but I'm relaxing my standards a bit since vegetarian joints are rarer than men at a baby-blanket-quilting party. Bo De = bodhi "enlightenment" Tinh Tam = peaceful mind What better way to reverse the damaging imprints of the fast-paced, stressful, and indulgent lifestyle of our modernized society. I'll be expecting a "thank you" card from my friend's internal organs.
(4)Christina K.
We had the veggie curry, banh xeo, and this vegetarian ham you wrap in lettuce and such. Everything looked really good. This is much cheaper than the place on Brookhurst, but has the same type of ambiance and service. This is certainly the place to take friends if they want a place that's a little more upscale, but definitely cheap food that is yummy. Banh Xeo was amazing. Their fish sauce also tastes more like fish sauce and less like soy sauce. The ham was also good. Veggie curry, while it had a lot of stuff in it - fake chicken, taro, etc - was on the sweeter side and not that good. Service was great and they have a to-go area too.
(5)Jeff J.
Tasty and flavorful pho, good portions and an extensive menu. This place was packed both times we visited (during off peak hours). The only frustrating thing was the wait staff has very limited command of English so it was frustrating for us to ask questions about some of the menu items, though this inconvenience would not deter us from visit this place again.
(3)Joe L.
Here in OC we're lucky to have a lot of great vegetarian restaurants. A number of them, like Native Foods, don't specialize in any particular cuisine. Others, such as Mitasie 3, serve pan-Asian cuisine. Most of these particular restaurants are vegetarian first and foremost, and they happen to serve a lot of Vietnamese dishes. Bo De is what I would imagine a vegetarian restaurant in Saigon would be like. It's no less Vietnamese than it is vegetarian. I'm no expert, but it seems more authentic than the "Americanized" restaurants in every way. I'm not saying that it's necessarily better, though. We came here on a very rainy evening, and I, for one, was craving pho. As soon as we walked in the door, we were immediately surprised. The place was packed, and we seemed to be the only non-Vietnamese there. It's quite big, and the decor is definitely a cut above most veg places. By luck, a table was ready for us, and we sat down to peruse their extensive menu. Service was very prompt and attentive, but not overly-friendly, and certainly not insincere in the manner that is all too common in so many American restaurants. Their drink menu itself (non-alcoholic) was huge, but we usually drink water with meals, so we ordered that. We decided to split the "beef" pho and a com tam dish that came with "beef", "ham", shredded tofu, and a citrus sauce. We almost regretted not getting an appetizer, but the com tam came pretty quickly. Carnivores and fellow Pulp Fiction vegetarians: you'll love this beef. It's one of the best versions I've had. The tofu was presented in a way that I've never had before, and I thought it was great. I was afraid the sauce was not going to be complimentary to this dish, but it was quite tasty. The pho wasn't quite as "beefy" as I would have liked, but it definitely satisfied. I think it came with a tamarind sauce, but only a couple of jalapeno slices. Fortunately, there was sriracha and an even hotter sauce on our table. The pho was fine, but I think that other veg places do it a bit better. A card was left on our table with the list of what we had ordered (in Vietnamese). Here, like many places, you don't have to wait for your check. Just bring the card to the cashier when you're done. Our two meals and two waters (50 cents each) came out to about $20 with tip. Score! If you're vegetarian and you're really in the mood for an authentic Vietnamese meal, then Bo De is your go to restaurant. You may have to wait for a table. You won't necessarily get service with a smile. But, it's fast, it's affordable, and it's good. Also, I doubt you'll see Buddhist nuns at the Veggie Grill.
(4)Nate P.
Top notch Vietnamese vegetarian! Their crispy chow fun noodles with mixed veggies and soy meats was amazing! The sausage rice wrap was also good. Will definitely come back when in the area. Cons: busy and loud. Seating was a little too close for comfort
(4)Nyanceh N.
Rating: 4.5. First off, I love meat! Bo De's "fake" meat is pretty legit. My mom loves eating here and that's a big step because she hates eating at restaurants. I love the crispy noodles, the yellow noodles with the broth, the barbecue "pork" wrapped with rice cakes, and the rice in the stone pot with the mushroom, peppers, and "fake meat". AND I'M SORRY THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER ANY OF THE NAMES OF THE DISHES. Just look at the pictures... that's what I do... :) The only reason why I'm giving this restaurant a 4 is because the waiters are not attentive and the service is a bit spotty. THEY DON'T CHARGE FOR WATER ANYMORE. Finally.............................
(4)Tim H.
Really good vegetarian food. My guest and I loved it. The service was outstanding. An impressive menu and excellent service. A very nice and tastefully decorated restaurant with nice Zen kind of vibe. This place is perfect for going with friends, dates and family. This is a vegetarian must try! 5 Stars.
(5)D.G. B.
Went recently for lunch with a friend who speaks Vietnamese and was able to point out the subtleties of some of the items on the menu. Service was good and food was excellent. Spring rolls are creatively presented with a delicious brown sauce. Mixed vegetables over lightly fried noodles were terrific as was coconut ice cream for dessert. I would definitely come back here again, perhaps for dinner next time.
(5)Katie C.
I have been a vegetarian for 8 years and this is by far the best vegetarian place I have been too. Not only is it healthy but the prices are great and they have tons of options! The Lemmon chicken pho and the spring rolls are the best items in the menu! The kung pow green beans are also amazing. Its fun to order a bunch of different things and share them. The portions are big!
(5)Celeste P.
If a Vietnamese restaurant is packed with Vietnamese people, you know it's good. Ordered 2 appetizers, an entree and a hot pot with extra noodles. More than enough for 6 people. We shall return.
(5)Kathy W.
3.5 stars. The food was still good but the service is seriously lacking. Mushroom Hot Pot ($25) - very good broth - 3 different types of mushrooms, pumpkin, and taro - vegetables to soak into the soup - egg noodles were also perfectly cooked - satay chili sauce very good with the ingredients - must order if you are dining with at least 3 people Vegetarian fish with seaweed wrapper ($15) - fairly large fish filet - wrap the fish with seaweed, lettuce, and vermicelli. - pretty good but on the expensive side Vegetarian Beef rolls similar to those the ones for 7 course beef ($10) - comes with about 10 rolls - Very flavorful - good dipping sauce Bun Cha Ha Noi ($9) - comes with vermicelli, 2 small round veggie pork patties, 4 slices of veggie ham - the sauce to eat with the dish is a bit sweet but tastes good with the Bun Cha Ha Noi - a simple dish to try. Pineapple Sherbet ($3.50) - sherbet placed in the actual pineapple - sherbet itself also has pineapple bites - nice ending to the meal Mango Sherbet ($3.50) - mango sherbet in a small mango cut - also a nice way to end the meal The food was still good; however, there were some things that weren't so good. We had to ask for water 3 times from the moment we sat down to when our first dish came. As a result of multiple requests we were charged for 9 waters at $0.50 each instead of the 5 we actually got. Also we originally ordered the Coconut Sherbet as well but they ran out. We were also charged for that. In the end we were charged $6 extra and my dad didn't realize it until I looked at the bill. They were honest mistakes but it's just the lack of service that would prevent others from trying this restaurant. Some of you may be thinking if it's maybe like Korean establishments that if you're not Korean you don't get service. We can speak Vietnamese and it didn't make a difference. Hopefully they can improve their service. Because the food is pretty good, I still regard it as a great establishment.
(4)Beanne N.
As of lately, I haven't been that into eating a lot of meat so this is definitely a great place to go for vegetarian foods. The Mi xao don chay (vegetarian crispy noodle basket dish) is super good! And i love the fried mushroom dish as well to share. It's almost like the veggie equivalent of popcorn chicken. YUM!
(4)Julie K.
I spent most of the 90's not eating meat. Beef, poultry, fish, and seafood...totally wiped it out of my system fearing that I'd gain weight after heavy consumption during my teenage years. The irony is that 12-19 was literally considered my "fat phase". Go figure, man. When all that's left to gorge on was pasta, cheese, rice and repeat, I don't know what else I'd expect. Hey, I'm guilty of stupidity just like the rest of us. Who knew carbs could be so hi-cal? ;) Nowadays being vegetarian is such a norm that most restaurants actually devote an entire lot of their menu to the kind. Here in the heart of Bolsa, you can find one on pretty much every block and my personal fave: Bo De Tinh Tam Chay. Lean, mean, and a vegetarian's dream, this hi-concept haute veggie cuisine is sure to top every local's fave. I mean look at her...can't even distinguish which dish is meat and which is not right? *Insider's tip: Lovelovelove all their fresh spring rolls. If this is your first time casing the joint, I'd order one of each since they're all so fresh and delicious. Perfect for hot summer days when all you want is a nice, light meal!* Bon Appétit my beauties!
(4)Monique N.
A vegetarian restaurant (Chay) that serves chicken. I arrived with my boyfriend for a sweet little dinner expecting to have his favorite dish here--ban xeo (vietnamese crepe) and I had no idea it was their appetizer. The Ban Xeo is VERY crispy. Lacks enough shrimp but the entire thing tastes like roasted coconut. Oh, and its flippin' HUGE. Good lord. Its a meal on its own. I got the ban cuon. Pft. I've had better. Its not worthy of being spoken highly of. But the tea here. They don't F around. ITS A FRICKIN' FLOWER IN YOUR POT. Its delicious, soothing, and refreshing. Free refills on these badboys too. The place looks very nice. its very clean and we got two dishes that was entirely different from what everyone got. Which was a hot pot and this is what this place is known for. Vietnamese hotpot. :)
(4)Gigi M.
Uh, I was gonna give this place 4 stars; 4 on the entrees cuz they were quite good, 3 on the service cuz they were nice and could've been more attentive but not so much due to a large party during lunch. I liked the decor and really wanted to come back and try other stuff but . . . the spring rolls killed it in more ways than 1!! Eeek! We found a hair all rolled up and sticking out of a roll!!! Good thing I didn't care for the rolls and didn't take more than a bite after they brought it out! Worse spring rolls eva (even without the hair!) considering I'm used to the best of Brodard's! The only plus was they took it off our bill so we were all cool! . . . until a friend pointed out Ryan R.'s review about the ladies, hair and feet!!! Eeee-ugh!!!! Totally grossed out beyond belief!!! Don't think I'll be back!!!! :-(
(1)Danny N.
I am a big fan of vegetarian Vietnamese food (Do An Chay) so this place was a must try. I ordered Pho Ap Chao Don. That is basically pho noodles that are deep fried with vegetables and vegetarian meat. The sauce for this dish is pretty amazing, I think that was the best part of the meal. I personally like to save certain parts of a dish that I love the most for last. The deep fried banh pho was the best part. The portion sizes are pretty good for an 8 dollar dish. The dish was really big and I could barely finish it (and I eat a lot).
(5)Tracy T.
This is one of the better places to get some Vietnamese vegetarian food. I've been here four times so far and i actually do really love the food, the service is a mixed bag. They're very quick to take your order and to get the food out to you, but very slow to ask you if you have any other needs...
(4)Minh P.
Love their varieties :) Though some items are hit and missed. But overall I enjoyed their food and atmosphere.
(4)Bruce K.
They have around 80 - 100 different items on the menu and everyone I have tried is delicious. I highly recommend the soups or hot pot. I love that they have fresh cut coconuts on the drink menu. I normal get one or a Vietnamese coffee, sometimes I get both :)
(5)Poupee C.
Wow, this location is beautiful. I didn't even realize this was Bo De's other locale. The decor is so Zen and peaceful. All dark cherry woodish, with tables and booths. Booths really make it a little loungy, and stylish - but at the least a lounge. Anyway, if you are looking for Vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine, you must come here! Service was phenomenal. From the host to the server, we were very satisfied. The food here tastes even better than the other Bo De by Asian Garden Mall on Bolsa Avenue. We ordered: Banh Xeo - It is a type of Vietnamese 'crepe" (but crispy) filled with mung bean, bean sprouts, sliced fried tofu, shrooms, "shrimp". Served with a basket of Asian herbs and lettuce, pickled carrots & daikon, and "fish" sauce. The herbs gives off such a pleasant and fresh scent. It smells like it was just picked. Like Asian basil, Tia to (similar to Japanese shiso), sweet asian basil, anise basil, and a couple others that I don't know the name of. Sooooo good. Also ordered: Pho Ap Chao don - Pan fried flat noodle with sauteed vegetables and "ham". The noodle is crispy and fried to perfection. And my beverage: Sam Bo Luong, my usual. It is a juice with lotus seeds, seaweed, longan, barley, and other berries..on the rocks. Refreshing! Don't wait too long to try this restaurant!
(5)Richard H.
Not bad. This was my first time trying this place and I'll definitely come back to try other dishes. There are so many items on the menu, it took me a while to decide. Tried one of the few pho dishes.
(4)Jaccee C.
first time coming to this place. came here upon a yelp search. this place is a bit more on the high end so prices are a bit pricey. ATMOSPHERE: has bamboo everywhere, which reminds me of another vietnamese restaurant. the place is kind of dim though, but overall, looks really clean. FOOD: ordered the pho. i believe it is #86? the soup was really good, better than other vegetarian places i have tried before. it is a bit spicy tho? cuz i think i saw some black pepper on the bottom of my soup. noodles are really good, even though it changed color to the color of my soup (dont know why), the noodles did not break apart and it was not soft at all. it still had the chewy texture to it. uh other than noodles, i also got slices of ham, slices of oyster mushroom and only 1 piece of beef....so why do u call it pho if i only have a piece of beef lool. also got their dessert. it was a banana in coconut sauce, along with something else in it. im not sure what it is, but it is white and soft, kind of like potato, but its not potato. not sure what it is. they didnt do such a great job on cleaning it though, because sometimes i got pieces of the skin in my food. the skin is really hard? kind of like coconut texture. the dessert was really good though, the best i have ever tasted. SERVICE: well, they were pretty prompt in taking our orders, but they took WAY TOO LONG to give us our food. like nearly more than 10 minutes i believe. other than that, service was good.
(4)Norma L.
FYI, this is an excerpt from my Broowaha article. Finally a place for my boyfriend to also enjoy the fine cuisine of Vietnamese food. For all my readers who are vegeterians, dating vegeterians, fans of Vietnamese food. This drive was worth it. For my Westside readers, I would recomend this as a weekend as we know how the lovely 405 can be. The menu is quite thick and contains 100+ dishes of Vietnamese cuisine made from only vegetarian products such as tofu, eggplant, rice flour. Our waiter spoke encouraged us to try something new as appetizers, as he saw were going to order the standard spring rolls. We got a omelet looking thing(made with rice flour) that was stuffed with bean sprouts which we wrapped lettuce leaves, basil, spearmint leaves around and dipped in spicy sauce. Yummy. I of course tried the Pho, "chicken" flavored and was pleasantly surprised. There was a "meat" ball in the soup make of tofu, that really tasted like the real thing. My boyfriend got "fish" soup with rice. If any of my readers are sushi fans the "fish" reminded me of unagi wrapped in seaweed in a sweet broth served with vegetables. The prices are also reasonable. Looks like they also have buffet for lunch during the week. The only gripe I have is they charge you for water. Recommend the avocado shake!
(5)Kathy T.
One of my favorite vegetarian places. I like that I can eat a whole lot here and not feel bloated. My friends and I come here after working out at the 24 hour fitness nearby. I always order the "bi cuon" as an appetizer. I can't get enough of it! Favorite dishes: - Bun bi cha gio - rice noodles with shredded tofu, veggies and egg rolls - Ca ri with Banh mi - coconut curry with taro, tofu, veggie ham, and bread to dip into the curry - Bun Hue - this is good in small doses. I find it to be a little too spiced with cinnamon. - Bun rieu - very tasty! Service can be good if they're not too busy. It's a little hard to flag down the wait staff, especially with a drink refill. Overall, one of the best Vietnamese vegetarian places I've been to (as in...as close to the real stuff as possible without the meat)
(4)Katrina N.
When I'm looking for some good vegetarian food with good prices, this is the place! I love the vegetarian food here. And the ambiance is decorated with buddha statues and really quaint seating arrangements. My BF and I probably go every month. I really like to get the noodle soup dishes, any of them is really good. Also som pan fried noodles with some sauce on the top, veggies and tofu meat, tastes sooo awesome! The servers are nice, however they do get really really busy, and might be abrupt. My BF kind of knows the owner, and she's really good to us. She see's us there eating so much that sometimes, she'll come over and let us try some of their desserts on the house. I totally prefer this place over to au lac. The prices are pricey if you have an asian point of view, but it's just right when you look at the quality and service you're getting.
(4)John M.
If I factored service in, it would be 2 stars. Food is average and not the cheapest in area. With all the great selections, I will not be returning.
(3)Linda N.
I've been here a few times with my boyfriend who eats vegetarian on Sundays. The first time around, I didn't like this place too much. My banh xeo was overly salty. But I decided to give it another try this time and it was sososo good! So -.5 for inconsistency :( My biggest complaint is that they charge for water! To avoid this, you have to get it without ice. Also, I got a thai tea once and it was basically just 1/5th thai tea topped off with a bunch of ice. So I am never buying a drink here ever again. :( -1 for being stingy on drinks. So I guess it'd be a 3.5, but I'll round up because I think the service here is pretty good. :)
(4)D.T N.
I am traveling to south Cali. I just visited here once i can't compare this place is more nicer than other places i visited many locations. food is good. I will visit again next time as I picked this place.
(4)Mark A.
This place doesn't deserve your business. Horrible service. Stopped by here for dinner. Ordered crispy noodles, rolls and a drink. Drink and appetizer came out. Waited 45 minutes. Got the check. WTF. Completely clueless staff. I mean would I be sitting there for 45 minutes looking at the ceiling. Not even an offer to get a second drink. Went back to where I'm staying and are now having dinner at the bar.
(1)Mark N.
I have been impressed with this place not only with the amazing ambiance, but with the food. I've had the mi quang, bun bo, hu tieu My Tho, etc.
(5)Fish-Sauce Girl H.
I LOVE MEAT, BUT BO DE CHANGED ME. Everything is amazing. Canh Chua and lau are delicious. Prices are reasonable. If I have a personal chef like Bo De, I could be a vegetarian. Seriously amazing and healthy. A lot of Vietnamese goes here, but you also see some Indians and hippies and Caucasians go here too. I am so glad that Vietnamese vegetarian is getting more mainstream. And of all the vegetarian places, this place top it all. I'm so proud of you Bo De. Very busy during lunch and dinner.
(5)Angela T.
Sometimes watching movies where you see animals killed and slaughtered (i.e. Hanna) makes you compassionate about not eating meat, because it makes you cringe and shriek. To me, I would not like to see this played out on the big screen, but hey I didn't write the movie. So when I have the urge to eat non-meat entrees,I come here to fulfill this because why...meat is just so ordinary, why don't you try something unique? It's situated in a plaza where they have mainly Vietnamese stores, such as a supermarket, tea shop, and pho restaurants. It's located more toward the Elmore Toyota side and is kind of obscured from the street. It's like night and day when entering. They have bamboo in the front and dark furniture. Looked like the were going for a Zen feel to the restaurant. I totally love it! They definitely took the effort to decorate this place. I love the Bun Bo Hue here. It is a little spicy and comes with mushrooms, imitation beef, tofu, and I believe fried fish cake. It tastes delicious. I feel that flavor is important in vegetarian food because a lot of their food is bland, so incorporating some spices to mask this makes it much more appetizing. The broth was fantastic. Definitely tasted even better with their refreshingly good Chrysanthemum tea. I had a taste of my friend's Bun Rieu, which was good as well. So if you are in a soupy mood, those are my top picks. A very nice establishment. A notch above the other Bo De in Bolsa, in terms of ambiance and menu choices. Overall, a winner in my book, and I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)Debbie H.
Soy meat is not my thing. But whenever we have meat-overdose, we always come here for some vegetarian detox. The hotpot is the thing to get. Viet-style or Thai-style?They are all pretty damn good! The veggies and herbs are definitely pretty fresh here. Give it a try :)
(5)Joanne C.
I come here religiously and it never disappoints. They have a pretty extensive menu and everything I've tried (so far) has been delicious! The servers are friendly and again mistake me for being Vietnamese, but that's okay. I just nod my head and give them my order. The service is great and the restaurant is clean. It has a more modern feel to it, which makes it more inviting. Be forewarned though. If you decide to come for dinner on a weekend be prepared to wait. It's worth it, so just be patient. :)
(5)M C.
Love this place! I have been coming here for years with friends and family. Almost everything on the menu is delicious. My favorites are: * Nem nuong cuon * Mam chay and rau (tasted like the real thing without the fishy smell) - creamy and just heavenly * Lau Thai - super flavorful and just right for a group of 4 * "Bo" luc lac - the fake beef is tender and seasoned to perfection, but the salad xon is tough and chewy. There are just too many good dishes to mention here. This place is far better than Au Lac. The prices are getting a bit pricey for my taste, though.
(4)Akiko I.
- Locale destination - It's a next door of my favorite clean Asian supermarket in Westminster, close to Huntington Beach. Decor is very Asian - Vietnamese ;p Dark wood, lanterns etc. Not all people speak English, though they seem to be young.. ;( So it's
(3)Aaron L.
For someone who occasionally flirts with vegetarianism, Bo De Tinh Tam Chay (try saying that five times fast) is awesome! Although everything on the menu is vegetarian, there are lots of hot, tasty items to trick your taste buds into thinking otherwise. The menu is vast, the plates are large, the environment is clean, and the decor is cool! The service.. Well, it's pretty poor whether someone at your table speaks Vietnamese or not. I enjoyed a com tam (broken rice) dish with a side of soup broth. It both kept my interest and was flavorful. Add the fact that the prices are more than reasonable, and Bo De Tinh Tam Chay has a fan in me! Just don't ask me to repeat the name..
(4)Hanna P.
Yummm I definitely agree with a lot of the reviewers about how this place is a great Vienamese vegetarian restaurant! I was craving bun rieu and decided to take the trip out to Westminster. Now, I know I can get cheaper bun rieu around the Westminster area but I really wanted to try this place based on the reviews. Overall, I really enjoyed my bun rieu here. The bf got bun bo hue and it was just as good as any other place. I really like their decor here and everything was super clean and nice. Always a +1 for cleanliness. The soup here is super flavorful and delicious! You can't even tell it's vegetarian! I love when they fry up their tofu and put it in their soups. Service wise, I didn't have a bad experience. The waiters were really on point when it came to refilling water and were fast at responding with requests. Everything else was pretty good. One thing I noticed that there was a good number of Buddhist monks chilling inside the restaurant. I'm guessing that there's a temple nearby. I thought to myself when eating here that if the Buddhist vegetarian monks are all congregating at this restaurant, then it must be a legit vegetarian restaurant! Let that sink into your brain for a little bit. (:
(4)Nicole Q.
I wish I could like this food. It wasn't horrible. I mean, it was fresh and all. An older man, I'm assuming possibly the owner (?) was very helpful. He explained how to eat a couple items and even brought noodles out for my friends to try in their soup. I have a biased against Chinese food, and while I cannot figure what it is, I feel as though this is just too similar to me flavor-wise. It wasn't my favorite. Also, and I know my friend who brought me here will be shocked, but there was a hair in the veggies. I took the final spoonful of this garlicy-greens dish, and a very strong, black hair was sticking up in it. Nobody at the table had that kind of hair... Sad. Oh well. Excellent ambiance. Nice servers, though the communication barrier kicked in a bit. However, even if I did like the food, the hair will keep me clear of this place for the rest of my existence.
(3)Alan X.
This place was decent, 3.5. The food is all Vietnamese vegan stuff. I ordered noodles with the vegan pork, and it was really good. I have no idea how to wrap everything neatly in the lettuce leaves, so I probably didn't get as much out of the experience. The service was slightly slower than I hoped, and they didn't refill our water once. That's a big thing for me, since I always eat ice while I wait for the other person(s) to finish eating!
(4)Katrina V.
This is my second time eating at this restaurant. The food was amazing and a lot better than what I had the first time I was there. We ordered three main entrees, baked fish wrapped with lettuce and seaweed, rice cake sautéed with beef, and a rice dish. The baked fish and sautéed rice cake were very impressionable. I usually don't eat vegan food often because my thought was why eat vegan when I could eat the real thing i.e., meat, but this place serves really good vegan dishes. However, I think they used a lot of MSG as I felt light-headed afterwards. In term of service, the waiters were very pleasant and very attentive. Their service was a lot better than I had expected for a Vietnamese restaurant. I did notice one thing which seems to be a common practice in all Vietnamese restaurants was that the waiter took order immediately after we were seated. He didn't give us anytime to look at the menu. He came back to take order every other minute which I politely asked to give us more time . Considering that their menu was a binder thick and the restaurant was new to us, we needed more time to decide what to order. But this didn't bother me that much.
(4)Rachan S.
the vegetarian banh xeo is very good here. its big, its crispy, its filling, and its only cost a little less than $8. but i didnt like the fake protein they put inside the crepe. i never tried vegetarian meat before so this is the first time i had it. i dont like both the taste and the texture of it. the fake pork and shrimp just taste very weird, like jelly or rubber-band. maybe because im not used to it. other that that, the banh xeo taste perfect. service is VERY slow, especially if you want to have your order to go. but its not because they are understaffed, but its more like because they are unorganized. i waited almost 30mins last time to get my order ready. oh well, maybe ill call ahead next time and place my order before i come to pick it up. they have quite alot different variety of dishes you can choose from. you'll find at least 1-2 dishes you'll like even if you dont like vietnamese food. if come to worse, their desserts or drinks menu is always an option.
(4)Sheng S.
This place is just ok. The decor looks decent and clean but prices seem a bit high. Food tastes ok. I wanted something other than noodles and asked the server if he had any suggestions. He highly recommended some type of fried rice. Thinking this is a Vietnamese restaurant I thought it would be something different than the Chinese fried rice that I can make at home. Wow was I unimpressed. I can make better fried rice at home and definitely doesn't cost this much! What a rip off for fried rice. I've had the vegetarian pho here and it was decent but again overpriced. If you're wanting decent food at much higher prices in Orange County then this is your place.
(2)Scar L.
I loved this place when I first came here with a good friend. After that, each visit revealed to me that I need to find a new place in GG. Let's see, rude server and long wait for simple request like a straw. Not to mention, I am not a big fan of the fake meat. Everything that's vegetarian has some fake meat this...and fake meat that.
(3)Jen T.
Had this pan fried noodles with veggies and vegetarian meat was quite tasty! Mushroom Hotpot, enough said. 4 of these satisfied a family of 20! Enjoy! :)
(4)Maeraj S.
This is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in the OC. My favorite dish is the garlic eggplant (Photo #273)--this dish is seriously to die for. I have brought hard core eggplant haters to Bo De and converted them with this dish. I like coming here with a group and ordering all kinds of random stuff to share--always a fun and new experience. This place is so reasonably priced--usually comes out to about $10 bucks a person when we order tea. Honestly, I have not had a bad dish yet. But if it is your first time, be sure to order the garlic eggplant with rice!
(5)Mimi P.
I love this place! Bring a couple friends and get the hot pot, it is delicious!!! Lots of veggies, mushroom and noodles... You can order more noodles too and they'll give you more broth if needed.. the broth is soo good and has a lot of flavor!! Also try the curry - it is so good, especially eating it with the french bread! And get the pan fried flat noodles - those are good too!
(4)Sam P.
Like a lesbian sex orgy, you might miss the meat but there's plenty of substitutes to satisfy you. Enter the vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. There's all the typical Vietnamese dishes such as summer rolls, pho, clay pot, etc. except that instead of real flesh, there's tofu or fake meat. Good concept, actually. I thought that the curry meatless-chicken with vegetables was awesome and I ordered the brown rice. I was full without being overstuffed. I tried the fried tofu, but wasn't crazy about it. At around $8 a plate, the prices are very fair for what you get.
(4)Calvin C.
This is the worst place I've ever been to. The waiters gave us dirty water cups, ignored the large water spill on the table and never gave us our utensils nor plates even though they stopped by our table many times. We ordered the hot pot because it seemed like the most popular item there. Upon careful inspection, the bok choy was full of small bugs. Not only that, but there was a long black WORM crawling on one of leaves. My family and I immediate lost our appetite and had to get out of there. We are never coming back here again.
(1)Robert N.
Good food. Service is a little glitchy. Why can't the waiter at Vietnamese restaurants be trained to look up and see if their table guests require any service? Or they purposely hide once they have brought out the food. A good restaurant is one with good food, but a great restaurant is one where there is service!
(3)Giang L.
One of the best vegatarian Vietnamese restaurants I've been to recently. I really enjoyed the ca kho (faux braised fish)...I could eat this instead of the real deal and be perfectly happy! I also had the bun cha ha noi and it was awesome. If I lived in OC I would eat here much more often. The prices are so reasonable for vegetarian food. The establishment is also pretty clean compared to other restaurants in the area for the same price. They also have take away food that is in a glass display.
(5)Michelle H.
I really want to give this place 4 stars...but I can't, not quite yet. Maybe an updated review after trying more dishes. One of the main things I really like about this place is the ambiance of the restaurant. From the outside, it's in a typical average looking parking lot and doesn't like much but once you enter, it's like a whole new world! Super clean. I just love the decor inside, very authentic Asian (lots of bamboos) and it's very aesthetically pleasing. Even the menus are nice. Plus it's nice to see so many monks eating here, adds to this neat vibe! FOOD: I've been here a couple of times, usually I get it to-go and each time I've tried something different because they have an awesome variety. My reason for 3 stars is because there are definite hits and misses here, and then some dishes that are just average. Most portions are HUGE though so you will definitely leave full. - Hu Tieu Mi Nam Vang: Very bland. I had to add a ton of soy sauce to taste anything. Too much going on in the soup with all the different kinds of vegetables. I didn't have a clue on what some of it was. - Bun Rieu: They give way too much noodles for the soup. Overall it lacked flavor. Pass. - Pho Ap Chao: Among the most recommended dishes.. and it was disappointing! Isn't pho ap chao supposed to be pan fried? A lot of the noodles were still completely white and had no flavor at all. - Mi Quang: This was pretty good. Very authentic with the yellow noodles and limited soup. Good flavor. Only complaint is it was a little too drowned in different types of vegetables. - Canh Chua Hot Pot: If you like canh chua, I think you would enjoy their's. This is not a soup I generally enjoy but it was pretty good. Eat with a bowl of white rice! - Fried tofu: I tried two kinds. One regular fried and one sweet & sour fried. Both were DELICIOUS. It wasn't greasy at all and the tofu had an incredibly soft texture when you bite into it. Really big pieces too! - Banh Xeo: LOVE. I loved it so much and banh xeo is not usually something I care for either. This place made me love the dish. Perfectly crispy and the batter tasted so good with the fish sauce wrapped in lettuce. Really messy but it's so worth it. Who needs meat? - Bo Luc Lac: This is not the name on the menu, I don't remember what it was but this is definitely the veggie verson of BLL. Vegetarian or not, I would order this dish ANYWHERE. The imitation beef tasted almost like the real thing, except you don't get that heavy feeling after you've eaten a ton of meat. Win. Plus, you get a big bowl of soup to go along with the dish. Perfecto. - Thai Tea: PLEASE PASS. The most disgusting Thai tea ever. I'm pretty sure they forgot to add sugar or something. Definitely coming back to try other dishes like BBH, com tam, etc and see if I can up the rating. I have not given up on this place just yet!!! PRICE: Moderately priced for vegetarian food. Slightly overpriced for Vietnamese food...but maybe that's just the Asian in me. Most dishes are about $8+. Hot pots are $15+. SERVICE: I never expect much out of Vietnamese restaurants cause I'm so accustomed to having bad (or lack of) service... which is biased I know lol! That being said, I thought the service here was better than most Viet restaurants. They were prompt when providing us our requests. However, they have messed up one of my to-go orders before by giving me a Bun Rieu when I ordered Bun Bo Hue. TIPS: - They take all major credit cards, even Discover wooot. - Free books (mostly Buddhist) at the front of the restaurant! - Don't forget to grab the yummy melon candies at the front counter after your meal!
(3)Nini T.
I found this place by accident, I was at a sandwich place nearby and spotted this. Stopped here for lunch, and I am so glad we did. It was extremely busy during lunch time (this was on Saturday in June 2012). Disregard to very extremely busy and crowded, they tried their best with the service. They did mess up the order by giving me someone carryout foods but it was ok at the end. It happened. The place is clean, and esp the restroom :-D The foods were DELICIOUS!!!! I had Goi Cuoi (Spring roll), Chao Tam va Goi (Porridge with vegi chicken and salad). The Porridge was only $7.99, great deal for healthy yummy foods. The goi cuon was ok, I had better one. But I love the porridge :-D What do you gain from this place? Healthy foods and the price is reasonable. You pay at the front desk with the ticket they originally give you after your order (near the carryout bar). Even though this place is a bit further from home, but it is definitely worth the drive. I surely will be back here again. I am very glad we stop by here.
(5)Juliet L.
Great vegetarian restaurant for Vietnamese food. I ordered their durian blended drink and egg rolls. I have nothing to complain :)
(5)Kristen N.
This place could single handedly turn me into a vegetarian. Ok maybe not TOTALLY vegetarian, but I could definitely come here on the days when meat turns me off or my guts need a cleaning. Awesome flavors, and my carnivorous husband even loved it. Good service. Nice decor. Decent price. Can't complain. Eager to come back and try other dishes.
(5)Dee D.
It's good. Nothing really that special about it. There's A LOT of items on the menu. I wish the service was better. I hate leaving tips when the servers aren't helpful but I feel guilty if i don't leave something so I left a few bucks. I really enjoyed the Papaya Salad. I also got some Charred Black Bean Spring rolls. IDK what they were but I liked them. Food was good but I had a mad stomach ache after... Tip: You have to walk up to the register to pay your bill. Common in Vietnamese Restaurant of course but this place looked nice so I thought they'd bring it but nooo. It's fine no big thang.
(3)Amy V.
yummie! shared the - banh xeo - canh chua - hu tieu loved all 3 entrees! heard everything was pretty good so can't go wrong choosing any of the food items there :)
(4)Lynn V.
I haven't been to a vegetarian restaurant in years!!! And it's probably because it wasn't a good experience. This place definitely made me have a change of heart. I have a new found love for vegetarian food! This restaurant was really nice and clean. They had this Buddhist/Asian fusion theme to it and it was very modern. Everything we ordered was so tasty that you'd forget you were eating vegetarian food. We had the eggrolls to start off with, which came out with huge bed of fresh greens. I had the bun rieu oc- a tomato and crab based noodle soup with sea snails. The texture of the crab and sea snails were unbelievable! It tasted just like the real thing. To drink, I had a durian shake. Everything was sooooooooo good and prices are low. I really enjoyed this restaurant and will be coming back every time in OC!!
(5)Ty D.
My friend Anita S picked this place since she recently became vegetarian. It was my first time in this area of Westminster. Think of this as a Vietnamese Veggie Grill. Once I got over the strange smell of this place, I noticed how crowded it was for dinner. First drinks. Debbie ordered coconut juice, which was served in a trimmed out coconut. She loved it. I went with the sparkling lemonade. It was very good and thirst quenching. Anita decided to be non-daring and went with a Diet Coke. Our friend Debbie W looked to Yelp to select our choices for dinner. We started off with the fresh spring roll. It was served with a peanut dipping sauce. I loved it. It was filled with fresh veggies and I loved how the peanut sauce complimented the roll. Forgive me but I don't recall the menu item #s of names so I'll have to go with my description of the courses. We had a yellow curry which had mushrooms, cabbage, sliced tomatoes, carrots and tofu. This I think was my favorite of the dishes. We also had a 'fake beef' dish. Anita loved the 'beef'. It had a brown sauce to it with some green stalks and onions. It came with a seasoning sauce to dip the 'fake beef' in. The other dish we had an array of vegetables with fake chicken (most likely made out of tofu?), in a light brown sauce served over a bed of fried flat noodles. The fried noodles were interesting and sort of stuck to your tooth when you ate them. Not sure if I liked this dish much. This place seemed to have quiet the following. It was packed with Vietnamese customers on a Friday evening. The restaurant is located in a rather large Vietnamese shopping center. I'm not the connoisseur of Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine, but I did enjoy it for a change. Although I was slightly tempted to stop by at In N Out on the drive home!
(3)awneepoo l.
THE BEST !! i am not a vegan but oh my, this place is so delicious and the quality is superb! I love the thai hot pot, the soup base is yummy !! I love the decor of this place, very relaxing and importantly it is very clean ! It gets busy during dinner hours, so get here before ! Highly recommend this place if you're a true vegan. You will not regret it :)
(5)Melissa N.
Had the Pho, and it was soo good!!! I just wished they put in more broth than noodles, because in the end, my soup was mostly fat noodles and barely any broth. It's hard to come across really good veggie broth, and I think this place is the winner! For the same meal, we also had the steamed rice cakes as an appetizer, and it was so hard to finish them because they were so filling! There were 8 total and I was only able to finish 3 1/3!! So sad... so good... so fattttt. Can't wait to come back here!
(5)ThouShall N.
Every time we went to Disneyland, we always stopped by here for lunch or dinner. I have tried their pho, chow fun, and rice dishes, but my favorite is the Ga Roti (Vegetarian Chicken). Although a bit salty, it tasted very much like chicken. Other than being too pricey, the interior design and service were pretty nice.
(3)Kim Chi P.
A+ from me and my meat-eating friends! They have so many Viet dishes here. Must try: -Bun Thai -Pho Ap Chao -Cari Mehh: -Mi Go Reng Other perks: -Nice decor -Plenty of parking -Reasonable prices and portions Not served family style, but it's easy to share Waiters don't bring you the check; pay at the counter
(5)Charles R.
The food here is good but unfortunately if you are not Asian you are treated horribly here. I have been here about 7 times in the last 3 years and its always the same. Today I show up with my mother, wait to be seated. We get sent past 3 open tables until we reach the back of the room which is away from where your server would see you needed anything. 10 minutes go by and finally we are asked what we would like to drink. Like always I order myself and my mother a water along with a Mango shake.We tell the server that we are ready to order he pretends like he did not hear us and walks away. 10 minutes go by I get up find the waiter and bring him back to the table so we can order. I order about $50.00 worth of food and kindly let the waiter know we still have no waters. 5 minutes go by and 4 Asian families sit down to the left and right of my table. 2 minutes later I watch a lady come out with about 20 waters on a platter. She serves all the tables around me waters. As she is walking past my table I ask her why she just blatantly just did that. She looks at me and grin, no words and walks away. another 10 minutes go by and the food gets to the table. I then had to get up walk over to the water lady and demand that she prepares water for me and my mother whom are parched. She giggles and hands me 2 waters which I personally walk back to the table. 3 minutes later my shake gets there. At this point I am no longer hungry. In fact I am sick to my stomach from feeling so discriminated against. I say excuse me 5 different times so I could ask for a to-go container. Finally I get up from my table walk over to the counter and ask for 4 large to-go boxes. He gave me 2 large boxes and 2 tiny boxes. I fit what I can in the boxes and still need 1 more. I get up and ask for 1 more box he then started questioning me on why I needed a large box. Finally I get the box fill it up and attempt to say excuse me 3 more times so that I could get the check. I get up again pay my bill at the counter after they figure out where my check was. I am a very nice person I say please and thank you. I am the first one to open a door for others and did not deserve to be treated like that. Sadly Its these types of things that make non-racist folks, racist. If you want good service and great vegan food go to Thuyen Vien in Anaheim. Off of Katella and Euclid.
(1)Krishna S.
We got the iced coffee and asked for less condensed milk (which they did). It was pretty good but a little bit too much ice and not enough coffee. We also shared spring rolls which were good but nothing special or unique. This place has SO many options (around 200 entrees) but it can be slightly overwhelming. There were a lot of things that looked good. I ended up getting noodles in soup and it was really good. The flavor was spot on and it wasn't too spicy or anything. My cousins also got a noodle dish that they liked as well. I want to go back and try some of their other items on the menu and hopefully I'll be able to navigate it a little better the second time around.
(4)Ming T.
Vegetarian Vietnamese food in an Asian Zen atmosphere, available at reasonable prices. What is there not to love? I love the food here because the restaurant does a great job melding flavors and textures, so regardless of type of cuisine, it is just good eats. So, if you're vegetarian, or eat vegetarian on occasion, you will love it here. For the non-veggies who loves Vietnamese food, you will probably leave unsatisfied. So don't go in expecting the dishes to be exactly the same as its meat counterpart. Service was friendly and efficient. Parking available in a large lot, but it is shared with quite a few establishment. We came before noon on a Saturday and no wait, but by the time we left it was starting to get crowded, with people circling the lot looking for parking.
(5)Brittany S.
I unfortunately was not a fan. I really really really wanted to be a fan since it is right by my office. I ordered the pho ap chao chien don and it was okay but nothing special in my opinion. The flavors weren't really my cup of tea and the noodles were way to breaded and bland in my opinion. I have had crispy noodles before and it was just cooked crispy not breaded. I just overall was unfortunately not a fan at all. I did give one star for ambiance though and another for service.
(2)Joan S.
You just can't go wrong with anything here, sentient beings. I especially love the baked eggplant and the appetizer served in little saucers. I've been here about five times and sadly cannot remember the names of the dishes I heartily devour, but all that matters is that there hasn't been one dish that I regret.
(5)Ngoc T.
Awesome Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant. The Pho Ãp Chao Don is BOMB! I highly recommend the crunchy one :) Also, the fish wrap was OK. Definitely coming back to try other dishes. I am impressed with the decor because it makes me feel very relaxed. They have statues and pictures of Buddha and fake bambu trees. I also liked the coconut sorbet, which was served in a real coconut shell with whipped cream on it.
(4)Mary B.
This is one of the best vegetarian restaurants and one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have ever been to. It IS the best Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant. I have friends from LA willing to drive down to Westminster just to eat here. This is Orange County, and Little Saigon (ie Westminster), so it is authentic. I have seen Buddhist monks, huge Vietnamese families, and several old couples out on dates the various times I've gone. The best way to experience the food is family style since there are a ton of items on the menu. The space is pretty big and bustling so it accommodates this. Here are some of my fave dishes: -Pho (the classic fake beef kind) -Bird's Nest-crispy egg noodles with stir fried tofu and vegetables on top -Sizzling Beef salad -Crispy tofu appetizer -Any kind of egg noodle soup -Bun: vermicelli noodles w/eggrolls -Fresh Young Coconut! Basically, it's all good. If it's a holiday or night on the weekend it can get busy, but there are a couple foot massage parlors nearby to while away the time.
(5)Michael S.
Ordered, got the appetizer, waited 45 mins while watching other large parties receive their food ahead of us. Then a waiter came to our table asking if we were done and that they needed the table, we told them we didn't even get our meals. We asked about our order a couple more times until we said to cancel the order and then they said it's ready to come out. Granted it was busy but we were there before the rush. Service improved a tad bit once they realized they forgot about our orders but after refilling our water and getting extra napkins, we didn't see a waiter/waitress until I got up and paid. Food was good with good portions but I like to rate service more then food.
(2)Linda F.
This is my favorite vietnamese vegetarian restaurant! My family and I always come here for gatherings. its def our 'go-to' spot. You can not go wrong with anything on the menu. They are clean, prompt, and the food is delishhhh...from the thai/Viet hot pot, to the pho ap chao, to my very favorite, their curry! Delicious curry without the overwhelming potent smell, with the perfect amount of coconut milk, and consistency--it's absolute perfection! If you are on any kind of health/vegetarian kick, pay them a visit!
(5)Monkey T.
Nope. Monkey love Vietnamese food. Monkey enjoys vegetarian dishes. Tried this type of place when Monkey was all carnivore. Now tried it having gone vegetarian. Nothing wrong with fresh, crisp veggies, wholesome fruits and grains. Something very wrong with disguising tofu as "chicken, shrimp and especially fish"... You can fool the eyes and the brain can be trained to believe, but put it in your mouth and fuggetaboutit!!! No more Vietnamese Vegan-themed restaurants for Monkey. Monkey did: #3 - FRESH ROLLS w/TOFU - the most flavorful, due to fresh greens #41 - VEGGIE FISH STEW w/rice - seaweed on tofu tasted real, but overall salty #46 - NA-LAI's STYLE VEGGIE CHICKEN CURRY w/rice - when you order curry, you expect curry... in this case, Monkey appreciated the taste of veggies overpowering the curry. Something very backwards about this dish. Service is quick. Clean restaurant, very nice decor. Monkey did not get sick, although the gas lasted forever at the Dr.'s office, movies and bookstore. If you enjoy eating "fake meat," as the waiter put it, this is for you.
(1)EcoManiack K.
Bo De Tinh Tam Chay has an enormous vegetarian/fish menu so be prepared! I really enjoyed that their chefs didn't drown their food in sauce. Some vegetarian restaurants overpower veggie or tofu dishes with an exorbitant amount of sauce and spices, but this place does it right! Moderate amount of spices and just enough sauce to provide that extra little flavor. We ordered 3 dishes for two people and it was almost too much food: 1. #3 spring rolls 2. #138 soup 3. #88 pan fried noodles Enjoy :)
(4)Tony D.
Went here for the 2nd time today to eat dinner with my mom. As a person who prefers vegetarian/vegan food over meat most of the time, I thought this place was alright. Food: I ordered the Phu Chuc Luc Lac, which is basically imitation French Style Shaken Beef. The Phu Chuc is what takes the place of the beef, and this place actually had it taste a lot like the original shaken beef. The "onions" were not onions but some kind of root plant that tasted just like onions without the smell = WIN. Tomatoes were fresh with my dish as well. What didn't bode with me well was the Bo Bia rolls. I was expecting fresh rolls that had some good flavor, but the rolls came out and were stale. I know they look like they are fresh and nice in the picture I posted, but looks can be deceiving. The rolls tasted pretty stale... but the sauce was at least good enough to mask the taste. I hope this was just a one time thing for them. Service: The service was sketchy. We weren't tended to regularly, or at all. The place wasn't even that busy, but I guess they don't go around asking if their guests are okay. Also, when I wanted to get the check to pay, no one was around to bring it out. I had to go up to them and pay at the register instead. Strange. Environment/Location: I gotta say the inside of this place looked pretty nice. It would make you think you are in Vietnam's nicer areas. The location is pretty good as well, with a large parking lot that has several spots open at any given time. Overall: 3/5 This place is okay. I've had better Vegetarian/Vegan food at other restaurants.
(3)Yosuke S.
This place is a good! And it is VEGETARIAN! When I came here for the first time, I didn't know it is a vegetarian restaurant. Food: I am a HUGE fun of Vermicelli !!! Their foods are tastly, and light. You might forget they serve vegetarian. I am sure you will be happy even if you are not a vegetarian. Price: not expensive everything is around $10 range. Establishment and service : I have to say this is one of the nicest Vietnamese restaurants in this city. No offense, I believe generally Vietnamese restaurants are known as not so clean and fancy.. You know what I mean. The service is decent. I somehow only saw waiters(no waitresses). It is kind of strange to be that I don't see any female servers in a restaurant. Anyway, If you are craving for Vietnamese food in Huntington Beach area, consider this place to give a try.
(4)Geri K.
If you're not vegetarian, you just might consider being one after trying the food here! It's that delicious!!! The New Year is upon us, so what better way to start by eating healthier-vegetarian food! It's a good sign when you go at 6 pm, and there's a line out the door. This place gets packed! I've been here 3 times and my favorites are 1) An Lac Luc Lac-sizzling veggie beef w/watercress 2) Pho Ap Chao Kho-flat rice noodle fried with brown sauce and dried small pieces of "meat" (it has that yummy high heat taste that you can only get in good Asian restaurants) 3) Com Gao Luc -red/brown rice (it's a big pot for $5-so you can always take it home) 4)Banh Hoi Tau Hu Ky Nuong-fine vermicelli wraps with charbroiled bean curd (tastes like bbq pork but they're bean curd skins) If you aren't Vietnamese, I would recommend asking the waiter for his recommendations and then if you liked the dishes, save your receipt so you can remember what item #s you liked. Otherwise you go back again and guess on the dishes that were your favorites. I'm looking forward to going back again.
(5)