Saigon Gourmandise

Tôi ãn chay. These are the magic words we need to utter. They mean "I am a vegetarian". However, if you are searching for com chay (vegetarian food) in Vietnam and are unsure whether the food contains the ubiquitous nước mắm (fish sauce), a safer bet would be to head for a dedicated nhả hảng com chay (vegetarian restaurant). If in HCMC, you could certainly do a lot worse than "...hum" vegetarian restaurant.

From http://www.hum-vegetarian.vn/hinh-anh.html

With two outlets in the city, the oddly named "...hum" seems to represent a significant portion of those restaurants serving solely vegetarian fare. Conveniently, the smaller of the two restaurants is located a few blocks from our flat in HCMC and thus was a perfect choice for jet-weary travellers on their first evening in the country.

The restaurant is modern and very tastefully decorated to create a calm and peaceful atmosphere. A large Buddha head sits among the greenery - a nod to Buddhists' observance of eating 'chay', which some Vietnamese adhere to on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month, irrespective of their normal diet.

On this occasion, the restaurant was populated by predominantly western diners and a smattering of Vietnamese. The food was beautifully presented and delicious with a clear emphasis on healthy eating. Each soup explained the supposed benefits of its ingredients.

Our meals introduced us to two new ingredients: the linh chi mushroom (literally the supernatural mushroom) and jícama - a Mexican tuber, which has a texture not unlike a cross between potato and a conference pear. The jícama was braised in a deeply savoury sauce with fried tofu and a good hit of chilli. The mushroom was steamed with coconut and eggs and served in the coconut with lime leaves to create a slightly sweet, citrusy scramble.

More gastronomic delights will, inevitably, follow soon.