Saigon's Hidden Hẻm Gem: 40 Years of Legendary Vegetarian Phở at Phở Chay Như

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Saigon's Hidden Hẻm Gem: 40 Years of Legendary Vegetarian Phở at Phở Chay Như

Hẻm Gems is Saigoneer's longest-running series — over seven years of uncovering Vietnam's finest street stalls, family-run eateries, hidden cafes, and everything in between. From a 70-year-old hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho shop tucked inside a District 1 alley to the many treasures that followed, this series has become the definitive guide to Saigon's most authentic food experiences.

Vietnam offers a dizzying array of noodle soups to fall in love with, and Phở Chay Như serves up a remarkable variety — entirely meat-free.

Tucked along Trương Quyền Street, wedged between Điện Biên Phủ and Võ Thị Sáu, the restaurant sits just a short stroll from Lê Văn Tám Park. Its entrance is wonderfully unassuming — blink while driving past and you will miss it entirely, which somehow feels perfectly in character for a place whose name embodies humble simplicity.

On my visit, I ordered the signature phở chay and went to work: as many limes as I could squeeze, a scattering of red chili, a generous handful of basil from the herb plate. Then came my favourite touch — a plate of crispy fried wontons (available for a small extra charge), followed by liberal splashes of vegan nước mắm and the intensely lemongrass-forward sa tế chilli sauce.

The bowl arrived looking serene: a circle of noodles surrounded by floating mushrooms and delicate rolls of bean curd skin, adding umami depth to the crystal-clear broth. Each spoonful delivered the freshness of basil, the sharp tang of lime, the gentle heat of chili, and the savoury-sweet complexity of nước mắm — all elevated by the gloriously oily crunch of a fried wonton.

My solitary complaint? The broth could have been hotter. I am the kind of person who wants food served at near-scalding temperatures. But truly, a minor quibble.

I returned days later with the Saigoneer crew for a proper feast: cơm tấm chay (broken rice), bò kho chay (vegan beef stew), mì Quảng chay (turmeric noodles), and another bowl of phở. The cơm tấm was deeply satisfying — chewy, glistening mock meats over rice, transformed into the perfect bite when drenched in chili-spiked nước mắm. But the bò kho was the real revelation: a vegan rendition of Vietnam's beloved beef stew, fragrant with sweet spices, lemongrass, and a whisper of chili heat.

This return visit also satisfied my curiosity about the restaurant's backstory. Phở Chay Như has been serving Saigon for over 40 years. The kitchen team starts each day at 5am, preparing everything from scratch to welcome the first customers by 6:30am. They use a single master vegetable stock as the foundation, then blend in distinct sauces when preparing each dish — bò kho gets one treatment, mì Quảng another — ensuring every bowl has its own personality.

Phở Chay Như encapsulates everything that first made me fall for Vietnam: extraordinary vegetarian food served in a relaxed, unpretentious setting, with small, thoughtful details that linger in your memory even longer than the flavours on your tongue.

Phở Chay Như
Address: Trương Quyền Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (between Điện Biên Phủ and Võ Thị Sáu, near Lê Văn Tám Park)
Opening hours: Daily from 6:30am