Vegetarian and Allergy Requests in Vietnam

Vegetarian food is easy to find in Vietnam, because chay restaurants are a tradition of their own. Allergies need more care: use clear phrases, carry your own medicine and expect a kitchen to promise only that it understood. This page gives you both.

What is chay food?

Chay means vegetarian, and Quán chay or Cơm chay on a sign marks a vegetarian restaurant. The menu is built on tofu, mushrooms and vegetables, and some dishes copy the look of meat.

For a vegetarian family this is the easy path. For a Muslim family, a chay restaurant also removes the pork question, though you should still check sauces and alcohol. Our guide to halal food in Da Nang and Hoi An uses this as a fallback.

What phrases do you need?

Show the line on your phone. Say it too, but do not rely on pronunciation.

What you want to say	Vietnamese
I eat vegetarian	Tôi ăn chay
No egg, no milk	Không trứng, không sữa
No fish sauce	Không nước mắm
I am allergic to peanuts	Tôi bị dị ứng đậu phộng
I am allergic to seafood	Tôi bị dị ứng hải sản
I am allergic to shrimp	Tôi bị dị ứng tôm
I am allergic to nuts	Tôi bị dị ứng các loại hạt

In the north, peanut is lạc. For pork phrases, see how to say no pork in Vietnamese.

What catches vegetarians and vegans out?

Fish sauce is the main one. It is in dipping sauces, dressings and soups. Shrimp paste is another, and so is stock made from bones or dried fish. Ask for dishes without them and watch the answer.

Vegetarian food at an ordinary restaurant is not the same as chay. A vegetable stir-fry may be cooked in lard or with oyster sauce. Choose a chay restaurant when strictness matters.

What can a kitchen not promise?

This is the hard part, so we state it plainly. A kitchen can understand your request. It cannot promise that a dish has no trace of an allergen.

• Oil, woks and utensils are shared.
• Peanuts are used as a garnish and in sauces.
• Seafood flavours stock, sauces and pastes.
• Staff may say yes to be polite.

For a serious allergy, choose simple dishes cooked in front of you, carry your own medicine and tell the hotel on arrival. Vietnam’s emergency number for an ambulance or first aid is 115¹. Save it with your hotel address.

What is the next step?

Read the next food guides in the food and daily travel hub. For water and ice, see ice, tap water and bottled water in Vietnam. For table manners, read chopsticks and table etiquette.