Vegetarian food is easy to find in Hoi An, but the label does not tell you everything about the kitchen. A Vietnamese chay restaurant, a fully vegan café, a mixed-menu restaurant with vegetarian dishes and an Indian vegetarian restaurant can all suit different travellers.
If you simply avoid meat, you have many options. If you also avoid egg, dairy, fish sauce, onion, garlic, root vegetables or cross-contact, choose the restaurant by that requirement first and confirm the exact dish before ordering.
Choose the restaurant by the diet you actually follow
Vietnamese chayLocal dishes without meatUseful when you want cao lau, banh xeo, noodles, rice and other Vietnamese dishes in vegetarian form.
Fully veganNo animal products on the menuChoose this when avoiding egg and dairy is as important as avoiding meat and seafood.
Mixed menuVegetarians and meat-eaters togetherUseful for groups, but ask about broth, fish sauce and shared preparation dish by dish.
Indian vegetarian / JainDifferent rules againUse an Indian restaurant with a dedicated policy when Jain preparation or familiar Indian meals matter.
| Restaurant | Current location | Menu type | Useful when you want |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minh Hien Vegetarian Restaurant | 26/16 Thai Phien | Vegetarian Vietnamese with vegan options | Vegetarian versions of Hoi An and Vietnamese dishes |
| V Vegan | 108 Nguyen Thai Hoc | Vegan-focused Vietnamese | Plant-based food inside the Old Town |
| Chickpea Eatery | 86/5 Phan Chau Trinh | 100% plant-based Vietnamese | Vegan local dishes and an optional vegan cooking class |
| KURUMI | 187 Ly Thuong Kiet | 100% plant-based café | Breakfast, brunch, bowls, desserts and non-Vietnamese vegan choices |
| ROM Vegetarian Bistro | 01 Mac Dinh Chi | Vegetarian / vegan | A quieter sit-down vegetarian meal outside the busiest Old Town streets |
| Rasoi | 46 Cao Hong Lanh | Indian vegetarian / vegan / Jain | Indian food or a dedicated Jain menu |
Menus and hours can change. Check same-day opening status and state any strict dietary requirement before ordering.
Minh Hien is useful for vegetarian versions of local dishes
Minh Hien on Thai Phien remains one of the most established vegetarian restaurants in Hoi An. Its menu includes Vietnamese dishes and clearly identified vegan choices, so it is a practical place to try local flavours without relying on a mixed kitchen.
There are multiple Minh Hien-related locations in Hoi An, including branches around Dinh Tien Hoang. Check the exact pin before leaving because photos and reviews for the different branches are sometimes mixed together online.
V Vegan is convenient when you want plant-based food inside the Old Town
V Vegan is at 108 Nguyen Thai Hoc, within the heritage area. The menu is built around vegan versions of Vietnamese dishes, including Hoi An-style choices, so it works well when you want a plant-based meal without leaving the Old Town for a separate food trip.
A fully vegan restaurant removes the need to ask whether meat, seafood, egg or dairy appears elsewhere on the menu. It does not remove allergy questions, so still ask about nuts, soy, gluten and cross-contact if those matter.
Chickpea works well for vegan Vietnamese food and cooking classes
Chickpea Eatery at 86/5 Phan Chau Trinh serves a fully plant-based menu with vegan versions of Vietnamese dishes such as cao lau, banh xeo and banh mi.
If you want a cooking activity: Chickpea also runs a vegan market-and-cooking class. Treat that as a separate half-day or meal activity rather than assuming every vegetarian restaurant offers a class.
KURUMI suits breakfast, brunch and international-style vegan meals
KURUMI at 187 Ly Thuong Kiet has a fully plant-based menu centred more on breakfast, brunch, bowls, sandwiches, pancakes, desserts and café-style food than on traditional Hoi An dishes.
This distinction matters on a longer stay: you may want Minh Hien or V Vegan for Vietnamese food one day and KURUMI for a breakfast or lighter meal on another.
ROM gives you another dedicated vegetarian option outside the Old Town core
ROM Vegetarian Bistro currently operates on Mac Dinh Chi with vegetarian and vegan food. It makes sense when you are staying outside the heritage core or want a sit-down meal away from the busiest evening streets.
Mixed-menu restaurants can work, but ask about the dish itself
Restaurants such as MẸT can be useful when vegetarians and non-vegetarians want to eat together. The trade-off is that the kitchen also handles meat and seafood, so the word “vegetarian” on a menu does not answer every question about broth, fish sauce or shared preparation.
If cross-contact matters, a dedicated vegetarian or vegan restaurant is usually easier to assess than a mixed kitchen.
“Chay” is useful, but it is not a complete dietary instruction
In Vietnam, chay is the key word used for vegetarian or Buddhist-style meat-free food. It is very useful when scanning signs and menus, but do not use the word alone to infer vegan, Jain, gluten-free or allergy-safe preparation.
Say what you do not eat. If needed, specify no meat, no fish or fish sauce, no egg, no dairy, no onion, no garlic or no root vegetables. A short ingredient list is clearer than expecting one dietary label to carry the same meaning in every kitchen.
For more detailed phrases and dietary communication, use the dietary restrictions in Vietnam guide.
Vegetarian does not automatically mean Jain
A Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant may still use onion, garlic and root vegetables. A vegan restaurant may do the same. That is why a fully plant-based kitchen can still be unsuitable for a strict Jain meal.
Rasoi currently publishes dedicated Jain options within its Indian vegetarian restaurant. If Jain food is central to the trip, compare it with the other choices in the Indian restaurants in Hoi An guide and confirm the exact preparation before the meal.
Know what you are ordering when you try Hoi An dishes in vegetarian form
| Dish | Vegetarian version may use | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cao lau chay | Tofu, mushrooms, greens and meat-free sauce | Ask whether the sauce or stock contains fish sauce or animal stock in a mixed kitchen |
| Mi Quang chay | Tofu, mushrooms, peanuts, herbs and vegetable broth | Check broth and toppings if the kitchen also serves meat |
| Banh xeo chay | Bean sprouts, mushrooms, tofu and herbs | Ask about dipping sauce; conventional sauces may contain fish sauce |
| Banh mi chay | Tofu, mushrooms, vegetables or plant-based pâté | Check mayonnaise, butter, pâté and sauces if vegan |
| Pho chay | Vegetable or mushroom broth, tofu and rice noodles | Rice noodles do not automatically make the whole dish gluten-free; check sauces and cross-contact |
Choose the meal around where you are staying
Ancient Town / Cam Pho: V Vegan, Chickpea, Minh Hien and several mixed-menu restaurants are easy to reach.
Cam Chau: central vegetarian dining is still a short ride away, so you do not need to choose a hotel only for restaurant access.
An Bang / Cua Dai: check the current map and delivery radius before assuming a dedicated vegetarian restaurant will be beside the beach.
Remote resort: if you need vegan or Jain meals every day, confirm the hotel kitchen policy before arrival and keep one reliable restaurant or delivery option as backup.
Food access can also influence where to stay in Hoi An when your dietary requirements are strict.
Keep the meal plan flexible
You do not need to eat at a dedicated vegetarian restaurant for every meal unless that is important for your diet. A practical Hoi An stay can mix a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant, a fully vegan café, an Indian meal and carefully checked vegetarian dishes at a mixed restaurant.
For local market food and snacks, continue to the Hoi An street food guide. For Indian meals, vegetarian curries or Jain food, use the Indian restaurant guide.