Buddha Belly

When we started looking at Cat Ba Island as a destination we realized that we were not going to be able to have a kitchen. This worried me a little bit because I wasn’t sure if there would be a good vegetarian selection. Vietnam had not been consistent as a whole because up to this point in terms of food options for me. I had found it very difficult in Ho Chi Minh but fairly easy in Hanoi. After a little research, I found that there was a vegetarian / vegan restaurant called Buddha Belly just down the road from most of the hotels. There were also a number of restaurants serving western food like pizza so I felt fairly reassured.

It’s Literally, Right There

When we arrived on the island we found that there was actually more food available that I found from looking online but we still decided to try Buddha Belly first. We were fairly pleased with the restaurant and over the course of our 10 days on the island I think we ate there for at least one meal every day but one or two.

Vegetarian Take On Traditional Vietnamese Fare

Buddha Belly offers a variety of vegetarian dishes including a vegetarian take on Bahn Mi (a Vietnamese sandwich), soup, fried rice, fried noodles, spring rolls, various pancakes such as pineapple and banana, and more. They also have a Large Set Meal and a Small Set Meal.

Affordable and Delicious

For drinks, there are a variety of smoothies including watermelon and mango among others and they also offer coffee, beer, and juice. We generally spent between 70,000VND and 110,000VND ($3.15-$5.15) total there (2 meals) depending on what we ordered and if we got drinks or not (water is very rarely complementary in Vietnam.)

Size Not Always Consistent, But Quality Always Top Notch

Portion size would occasionally differ slightly, but in general we found the food to be very filling. I would always leave just stuffed. The people who worked there were very nice and also got to know us a bit because we came so often.

After some time, they occasionally sometimes offered us extras like an accompanying soup and even gave us a free drink one time which we found to be a nice  gesture. We did end up putting that amount in the tip jar. We came to feel pretty at home at Buddha Belly.

A Furry Companion for Your Meal

An additional highlight of the restaurant was the two kitties (including one kitten) which sometimes showed their faces. At first they were a little scared of us but soon we had them in our laps purring and taking baths.

They Work With What Nature Provides

The only slight downside was that as is the case with many most places in Vietnam, there was not always perfect consistency in each dish. For example: we could order a dish multiple times and would find that sometimes it had a lot of tofu, sometimes a little, and sometimes none. There were also two different soups – according to the menu – but I think they were actually the same if you ordered them.

It’s okay, though! That is just something you get used to in Vietnam. Cat Ba is also an island so you have to realize it may be harder to always keep all ingredients in stock. We still thought the food was good and I was happy with them because it was one of the only places I didn’t find bugs in my food!

Go Get Your Buddha Belly On!

Buddha Belly also offers various tours which include vegetarian meals. You will be able to find a list at the restaurant. There are only so many restaurants on the island and this one is affordable, cruelty-free, and has some variety so I would recommend eating here whether or not you are a vegetarian/vegan.

~B~