Saigon veggie market takes root for Parents’ Festival
Let VnExpress guide you through a food bazaar in Saigon - without the meat.
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| Just off Hong Bang Street in District 11 lies a makeshift food stall. |
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| Vegetarian food, to many Vietnamese, is not so different from Italian food or French food, no more than a somewhat exotic experience off the habitual meaty diet. |
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| Sharing the lunar calendar brings people together. The vegetarian bazaar does extra business on the first and 15th days of every lunar month. |
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| All prices are advertised, reaching a maximum VND15,000. For your information, US$1 is around VND22,000 - for the time being. |
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| Vegetarian “sausage” (‘gio’, ‘cha’) made from soy beans. |
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| The broth used in vegetarian dishes doesn’t acquire its sweetness from bones and marrow, it's horseradish. |
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| Fried rice is among the dishes that can be effortlessly turned vegetarian thanks to its cocktail-like nature: mix things up. |
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| Rice with various sauteed vegetables |
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| Fried noodles lend a crunchiness to those who love snacks. |
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| Fried dried tofu, a favorite side dish for anyone who has a chance to try hotpot in Vietnam. |
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| Fresh vegetables, the main ingredients in almost all vegetarian dishes. |
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| Vegetarian noodles sell for VND15,000. |
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| Spicy Thai noodles are also priced at VND15,000. |
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| Beef noodles without the cow is also a soup of choice. |
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| Fresh spring rolls are ever-fresher with ‘bun’ (sour rice noodle), bean sprouts, sour fruits and herbs wrapped in ‘banh trang’ (dried thin rice paper). |
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| The bazaar stays open for the whole day and reaches a frenzy as the sun dips. |
