Meat-free for 40 years: a vegetarian pho in District 3, Saigon becomes a haven for vegetarian visitors to Vietnam

Phở Chay Như, a vegetarian pho eatery tucked in an alley in District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City, was featured by the local English-language outlet Saigoneer as a "35-year-old vegetarian eatery." It has served pho made without meat or chicken stock for years, making it a realistic option for travelers who want to avoid meat. Here's what you can eat, what it costs and how to find it, along with a look at how Vietnam's vegetarian food (đồ chay) actually works.

54 Truong Quyen: Pho Chay Nhu, a vegetarian pho shop founded in 1986 and open from 6 a.m.

The restaurant is in District 3's 54 Trương Quyền . The ward name has changed with the reorganization, and maps and reviews mix the old label “Phường 6 / Võ Thị Sáu” with the current “Xuân Hòa ward.” On Google Maps, searching by the shop name “Phở Chay Như” or by the street address is more reliable. It sits near Lê Văn Tám Park, where staff start prep at 5 a.m. and open at 6. Closing time varies by source—Saigoneer lists 9 p.m., while some map services show 8 p.m. If you go in the evening, it's safest to check that day's hours.

Budget per person:Under 100,000 dongis the rough guide. Converted at the July 2026 exchange rate (about 1 yen = 164 dong),around 600 yen, putting it in the price range of a neighborhood eatery rather than a restaurant. Cash is the safe bet; whether electronic payment or QR works varies by shop, so keep some cash (dong) on hand.

On when it started, a local food site lists the name as 'a family recipe since 1986 (gia truyền từ 1986),' suggesting around 1986. When Saigoneer featured it in 2020 it was '35 years,' which works out to roughly 40 years as of 2026. Either way, it remains a long-standing shop that has served meat-free pho in the same alley for decades.

The custom of abstaining from meat on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month is broadening the base for vegetarian eateries

The reason shops like this thrive all over Vietnam is that the Buddhist-rooted habit of 'chay' is widely established. Chay refers to both 'vegetarian, meat-free' eating and religious fasting, and practice splits broadly in two. Those who abstain from meat year-roundchay trường, and abstaining from meat only on set days of the lunar calendarchay kỳis the case.

The most common of the latter is keeping it twice a month, on the first day of the lunar month and the full-moon 15th, with the number of days observed rising further by region and sect. On these set days each month, demand for vegetarian food surges, including from people who normally eat meat. So Vietnam's vegetarian eateries aren't serving only a handful of vegetarians; they run on the premise that their clientele turns over several times a month. Behind a place like Pho Chay Nhu lasting for decades is this demand that repeats every month.

Building the broth with mushrooms and yuba: how pho stays satisfying even without meat

Why does a meat-free pho work? The Saigoneer reporter writes that this shop's bowl is built on a vegetable stock, withmushroomsandrolled yuba (tofu skin)describes X as adding umami and depth. Instead of beef bones, it uses plant-based stock and soy products to bring out an "earthy" richness.

On top of that come the hallmarks of Vietnamese pho—fresh basil, the tang of lime, the heat of chili, and the salty-sweet notes of a vegetarian fish sauce (nước mắm chay). There is no animal meat, yet the dish builds its sense of satisfaction through aroma and texture. The idea of filling meat's role with the umami of mushrooms and soy protein has something in common with Japanese shojin temple cuisine. It's a design question of how to fill the “star ingredient's gap” in a noodle dish with aroma and broth.

Vegetarian, vegan and halal are different things: positioned as a 'meat-free eatery' that serves beer

One thing to keep in mind is the difference between vegetarian food (chay) andVegan、Halalis that each follows a different standard. What's interesting about Pho Chay Nhu is that, despite being a Buddhist vegetarian eatery, it serves beer (Tiger, Heineken) inside. According to Saigoneer, a staff member asked about this found it amusing too. It isn't a place unified by strict precepts, but simply positioned as an eatery that uses no meat.

For Muslim travelers who want to avoid pork, a meat-free bowl is a practical fallback. That said, the shop does serve beer, and this isNot a halal-certified shopIf you need strict halal, the sensible move is to seek out certified specialist shops in Ho Chi Minh City (such as the Muslim-run places around Ben Thanh Market). Vegans should note that even vegetarian versions can include nuoc mam or dishes made with egg or dairy, so it's worth a quick word with the staff about any menu item you're unsure of.

About 600 yen per person: access and how to order for Japanese travelers

Here are the key points if you're visiting from Japan. As noted, the budget is under 100,000 dong per person (around 600 yen), the price range of a neighborhood eatery. That's a big gap from how pricey Vietnamese food is abroad. For instance, the X we introduced on this sitePho for 1,480 yen at the foot of the Himalayas: a Vietnamese eatery open only half the year, set alongside examples like this, shows just how much value there is in eating authentic Saigon vegetarian pho for a few hundred yen.

It's in District 3, in an alley near Le Van Tam Park. From the center, giving the shop name 'Phở Chay Như' or the street number in a ride-hailing app like Grab makes it hard to miss. It opens from 6 a.m., so it works as a morning pho before you start the day. Order around 'phở chay,' with a wide range of choices — com tam (a vegetarian take on broken rice), bo kho (a meatless stew) and mi Quang (Quang-style mixed noodles). If you want to skip the fish sauce, say 'không nước mắm.' Cash is safest for payment, so short-stay visitors from Japan are wise to have dong on hand.

District 3 is also a place where long-established shops come and go quickly. On this site, weDat Thanh, a longtime bot chien institution in District 3, Saigon, closeswe also reported the story of a 17-year-old shop that closed its doors for a building renovation. Pho Chay Nhu, in business for nearly 40 years, is one that has survived amid such currents. As a long-lasting carrier of food culture, alongside the shop that passes on its flavor via TikTokA fourth-generation hu tieu shop in Saigonalso overlaps here. It's a bowl to visit and see how an alley's flavor is passed on amid changes of generation and era.

Sources referenced

• Saigoneer — Hẻm Gems: Phở Chay Như (article introducing a vegetarian pho eatery, first published 2020, revised as of July 30, 2026)
• YESD -- Vegetarian Vietnamese Food (a guide to chay culture and lunar-calendar fasting days)
• Vietnam Tourism — A vegetarian guide to Vietnam