Run Plant Based

Formerly The Raw Project - Running on a Healthy Vegan Diet

Cuisine Inspired by Buddhism

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Pho VEGAN-Asian Cuisine is one of my favorite places to drop in for lunch, it’s my relaxing and peaceful break from a busy day at work.

And I finally got to chat with the sweet and passionate power couple who brought this welcoming sanctuary to the greater Sacramento area, Julie (Thuy) Nguyen and Don Vuong.

In 2014, Julie had an awakening that inspired her to sell her Vietnamese restaurant that served traditional cuisine with meat. She has always practiced Buddhism, but recently connected the message of anti cruelty and suffering to eating animal products. She took a year to learn as much about veganism and cooking vegan cuisine before opening a new restaurant – Pho VEGAN-Asian Cuisine.

Clean, calm, and peaceful dining area.

The clean and peaceful dining area and consistently delicious dishes makes it one of my favorite lunch spots. There are a range of menu items inspired by Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai cuisine. With many options that can be oil free, gluten free, and nut free.

One of my guilty pleasures is the soy “shrimp” with sweet dipping sauce.

Mock Shrimp

Crispy and fried to perfection and very, uh, shrimp-like texture without the shrimp.

The healthier options include dishes like tofu and green beans with brown rice.

Tofu with Green Beans and Brown Rice

The deliciously strong garlic sauce brings it to life and the texture on the tofu is perfection.

Newer creations like soy “beef” cubes with veggies and special rice are always popping up too.

“Steak” Cubes with Veggie Rice

The rice has a rich and savory smokey tomato flavor that works curiously well with the savory sauce.

Another new dish is the veggie curry soup that can be served with either bread for dipping or noodles.

Veggie Curry Tofu Soup

I like curry in just about any form, but this is a delicious blend with sweet coconut milk absorbed by the tofu and noodles making for a chilly, rainy day treat.

Another recent addition is the vegan tofu Banh Mi sandwich.

Vegan Banh Mi Sandwich

A tofu version of a classic with fresh herbs, pickled veggies, cucumber, and kicky jalapeno.

Other great dishes include Mongolian “Beef”, one of hubby’s favorites to add plenty of spice to, Chowmein, Chowfun, Korean Noodle, another one of my favorites, and a comforting Mock Chicken in a creamy curry sauce with rice that reminds me so much of a childhood curry recipe. Whether it’s a trusted classic dish, or a new menu special to try, I always look forward to my lunch getaways at Pho VEGAN-Asian Cuisine.

Check their consistently delicious creations out at:

Comments

  1. Wow, that looks amazing! So much more than just the pho I was expecting based on the name, too. They should consider rebranding because they’re selling themselves short. ;)