I'll be upfront: I'm an omnivore and a big fan of meat, so I don't walk into vegetarian restaurants expecting to be blown away. Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant proved me completely wrong. The standout dish for me was the vegetarian Bún Bò Huế, and honestly this is where they won me over. The broth was deeply flavorful, rich, and aromatic with that signature Huế spice and lemongrass heat. It had real depth and complexity, not a watered-down substitute version. The plant-based proteins had great texture and absorbed the flavors beautifully, to the point where I never felt like anything was missing. This wasn't "good vegetarian food." This was just excellent Vietnamese food, period. Everything tasted fresh, portions were generous, and the balance of spice, savory, and brightness was spot on. Even as someone who regularly eats traditional Bún Bò Huế, I was genuinely impressed by how satisfying and comforting this version was. Service was friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere made it an easy place to relax and enjoy the meal. If you're vegetarian, Thien Tam is a must-visit. If you're an omnivore who thinks vegetarian food won't hit the same, I assure you the food here will make you rethink that assumption. read more

My friend is vegan so was looking for some vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurants and stumbled upon this one. I usually only order pho when I go to viet places so I wanted to expand my tastebuds and try other things. We came around 9:30 AM on Saturday morning and they open at 8 AM. Parking wasn't an issue as they have a decent-sized lot. We were greeted by friendly waiters and ordered the following items: 1. Bun Hue: 6/10 Standard noodles with veggie meats. Nothing too surprising but this was one of their more popular items according to Yelp. I appreciated the amount of veggies. 2. Banh Xeo: 7/10 This was really interesting! I didn't expect the dish to look like that but I enjoyed eating the rice noodle patties. They were delicious and the veggies were all charred well. The "gravy" was a bit weird but I used it as a sauce for the patties. 3. Pho Ap Chao: 7/10 Never had a vegan omelette before so this was a first! Lots of bean sprouts and daikon (?) radish inside. The exterior was crispy and tasted like curry? Very filling dish and they also provide lettuce/fish sauce that we eat it together with. Overall, it was a good place to try and I appreciated how they let us sit for almost 3 hours since there weren't any other customers until 11ish. Felt very healthy afterwards since it was all veggies and price wise, it's decent. read more

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I'm not going to lie I came in pretty judgmental about vegetarian food since I'm a huge meat eater. I was definitely skeptical at first, and I don't personally believe a fully vegetarian diet is for everyone. That said, I can absolutely understand why this place is so loved. The service is great, the restaurant is clean, and the menu is simple but well thought out. The ambiance really stood out to me you see a lot of people who genuinely look healthy, confident, and energized. Clear skin, shiny hair, overall great shape. It honestly makes you understand why people choose this lifestyle. Restaurants like this don't feel preachy they simply encourage and empower people to make better food choices. Even as a meat eater, I walked away impressed and open-minded. Definitely worth checking out. read more

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This is my favorite Vietnamese veggie restaurant to date. I've eaten in but mostly pick up for to go. I love that they have banh xeo and a large variety of dishes. My family prefers their ca kho here over any other place. Service is friendly and efficient. No frills restaurant but always clean and comfortable. Will continue to come back to try their other dishes. Ample parking in a shared lot. read more

I believe the kids have taken over this restaurant. The elderly couple probably has retired at this point. The broth here for their soups are not as good as they used to be. It's missing something. The bun hue does not have enough of the lemongrass aroma. I will come back for their Pho because that was my go-to here. I will say their bi cuon has gotten better though! Service is also great. At least they have this going! read more

Great experience! Food was delicious! Service was fantastic, and the ambiance was family friendly but also relaxing. Came for lunch at the perfect time apparently because as soon as we sat down a bunch of other people started trickling in. I was worried that meant we'd have to wait longer, but nope! Service was timely and done with ease. The portion are great, I love all the veggie sides that come with each dish. I have to stop myself or I'll explode. But it was so delicious I'll definitely be coming back. I think the hainan "chicken" was my favorite. Pan seared to perfection and had a great umami flavor. See you next time! read more

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Wasn't sure what to expect when I pulled into the little plaza but my tastebuds were blown away! Thien Tam has become a new favorite. You won't even miss the meat (coming from a non-vegetarian). I got the bun hue and Hainan chicken. The "chicken" for the Hainan chicken dish was amazingly textured. Even better when dipped in the ginger sauce. The bun hue was also great. Decent portions. Service was good. It's a pretty small place so easy to flag down waiters when necessary. We were served lemon-infused water immediately upon seating. Not a super fancy ambiance but the food is even better than some upscale spots. read more

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absolutely life changing!!! with such an extensive menu, i'll have to come back and try more. clean, friendly and quick service! read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - Number 12. Mi Hoanh Thanh 3 kinds of tofu, 'chicken' and 'pork' wontons all in one soup with egg noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

Small little place with great service and do ours food. It's in a nondescript plaza/strip mall of sorts. Parking: easy peasy Hainan chicken dish: the rice is flavored, but I can't put my finger on with what. Definitely reminiscent of the oil rice that comes with regular Hainan chicken. A... lemon grass rice also very good. The sauce is divine. There's enough greenery on the side as well, so it's both heavy and balanced. Definitely will revisit read more

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This place was amazing!! Everything was so flavorful, fresh and delicious! After just trying three dishes, I would consider trying every single thing off of their menu! #12 on the menu was a wonton soup with egg noodles and wow, the noodles were the perfect flavor and texture! They had multiple different types of protein in the soup too, three to be exact! The broth was very flavorful without being too salty. I highly recommend trying this dish! #20 on the menu was a delicious rice noodle salad. That would be the perfect dish on a hot summer day, but also on any day cuz it was just that good. #22 on the menu was a great entree dish with rice, pickled veggies, and lemongrass chicken. The perfect balance of flavor and freshness. And the rice was cooked to a perfect texture, like almost al dente. Not only was the food amazing, they had very good portion sizes for the price! I really felt like I got the most bang for my buck! The portions were so big that I couldn't even finish one plate of food! As for the restaurant space, it is on the smaller size and the largest party they could fit at a table would be 8. The atmosphere was very casual and quiet. The service was great, the wait staff was friendly and the food came out fast! I highly recommend trying this place!! read more

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The food, bar none, best vegetarian in SGV! A family little place where mostly locals go for the food and it does not disappoint.

I stopped by cuz it was vegetarian day & forgot to pack lunch that day. Wanted to try it since it had great reviews. Place is a bit small so plan on take out if party of 4 or more. Cashier was really friendly. I got the lemongrass chicken and it will not disappoint. One of the best I've ever had. Very flavorful & portion is huge. read more

SOOOOOO good. Clay pot fish, and lemongrass chicken were unreal. Made with so much love. Such a gem of a spot. Spot feels honest and down to earth. Service was perfect. 10/10 recommend. read more

the vegan food here is amazing! flavorful and delicious. the service is top notch, super friendly workers. the bun hue is my favorite. definitely recommend! not too many people despite going on a weekend; there are many table accommodations and people usually just eat and go. the staff works fast to clean the table and serve the food right away. read more

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This is one of my spots I go to when I'm craving vegetarian food in the SGV. Eveything is simple and fresh, they do a great job at making popular Chinese/Vietnamese dishes to be vegetarian-friendly! I ordered the Hainan Chicken, everything was good but the sauce was a little bland for my liking. However, the crispiness from the chicken with the pickled radish/carrots made up for it. Paired with the fresh spring salad and soup on the side, this dish was well-balanced and delicious. The restaurant itself and the parking lot is small, so it started to get crowded when I went during lunch time. However the service is fast and I would recommend trying this place if you want a vegetarian twist on traditional Chinese/Vietnamese dishes! read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - Hainam Chicken Rice - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

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One of the best Asian vegetarian restaurants around SGV area. Food was delicious. Service was good. Price is reasonable. Expect long wait during 1st and 15th of the month on a lunar calendar, basically new moon and full moon days. read more

They have Vietnamese vegetarian dishes here that are very tasty. Prices are fair ($15~ an entree). Customer service is very friendly. The inside is cute and looks like was upgraded/redesigned since i last visited. Cute paintings and lamps with a checkerboard floor. They have several big tables. Some of our favorite items are their chow mein and hainan chicken rice. We love their hainan chicken rice which comes with veggie chicken (fried) with flavored rice, and some cucumbers and pickled veggies with a side of ginger sauce. You can call to order ahead. The food is prepared pretty quickly. This vegetarian place has buddhist vegetarian food (no onion, no garlic, no chives, no meat). Great vegetarian place in the SGV. They have some pre packed items like veggie jerkey and veggie spring rolls. They accept credit card and apple pay! read more

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Very friendly calm environment. Let me start off by saying I am not vegetarian but the food here is amazing great flavors nice portions good food. highly recommend come trying them out. Definitely coming back for more read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - There menu - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

AMAZING VEGAN OPTIONS! This is a very long awaited review but I had to get it done because I eat here at least once a week! A small hole in the wall location packing tons of flavor! The staff is very friendly, helpful and quick! My go to order is the Bun Bo Hue, a very flavorful broth that's just the perfect amount of light spice, lemongrass, and sweetness! It's paired with multiple faux meats that are bursting with flavor! My boyfriend gets the Bun Rieu which is a tomato based broth that consists of similar faux meats. The soup typically comes with crab in the ingredients but this restaurant does an excellent job recreating that. Another favorite to both of us is the Pho, it is easily the best vegan pho i've found throughout both the los angeles/orange county region. The mushroom broth base has SO much depth in flavor, I could seriously eat it everyday. They serve each soup with the perfect amount of noodles every time, no skimping out and never too much! This place is always just right. Take out is just as yummy! Give this place a try, you'll be coming back sooner than you think. :) read more

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The service here was exceptional and the food incredible! I tried the Bun Hue and tofu spring rolls, both were delicious. Will definitely be back. read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - 15. Bun Hue - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

I took my sister to eat here and she had the bun hue and I had the pho and spring rolls. She was so shocked that her soup was not real beef broth. She tried my pho and couldn't believe it wasn't beef pho. Everything we had was amazing, portions are more than enough and the price is not like other expensive restaurants. Service was great and friendly. My favorite dish is the fried rice because it just has such good flavor and texture with the veggies. Even my husband loves it. Did I mention in the only vegetarian in my family haha read more

4 stars This restaurant was recommended to me by a family member, so I brought my other vegetarian relatives here to try it. And my thought is that they do certain dishes well and other dishes suit a saltier palate. I would say I have a milder palate, so certain dishes didn't suit me. What I loved: Bun Hue and Pho Ap Chao. Both noodle dishes were tasty and relatively mild. I would recommend both of these dishes if you like spicy noodle soups (Bun Hue) and the burnt rice crunch/chewiness style of noodles (Pho Ap Chao). For the Pho Ap Chao, the sauce is a bit too goopy for my liking, but it was still a very good dish. Fresh vegetables were very fresh! What I didn't like: Eggrolls and Bun Rieu. Eggrolls were way too salty and the Bun Rieu, while mild in flavor, was basically a watered down savory tomato noodle soup. Bun Rieu lacked any deep flavor profile, but it tasted light and clean. The tofu and veggie meats in the noodles were pretty good though. Just skip the eggrolls. Neutral: the Fried Egg Noodles with vegetable sauce was the same sauce used on top of the Pho Ap Chao...noodles were the only difference. I didn't like this dish, but I didn't hate it. If you're into crunchy, thick egg noodles, you might like this dish. Personally, I wouldn't get this again. And there was the vegetarian bao we got to-go. The bao's filling was way too crumbly for me. I think they need to mix in some flour to keep it from crumbling so much. Otherwise, it was pretty decent. Free parking is available. Service was decent. The young man was really nice. I would come back again. read more

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Hidden and tucked in an unassuming strip mall, Thien Tam exceeds in quality vegetarian (mostly vegan) Vietnamese cuisine. They are SO TALENTED in recreating and transforming Vietnamese dishes that are based on fish and meat into its vegan equivalent. Vegetarian, let alone vegan, bun rieu and bun mam is so hard to create. They even exceed in taste most of its non-vegetarian counterparts. Their pho ap chao is highly addictive and delicious. I highly recommend trying these three dishes and their other offerings. The employees are great at their job, and can explain all their dishes with great depth. If you have any allergies or concerns, they are extremely knowledgeable to help you. read more

The to-go food was good. Their lemon grass chicken is my favorite. It still tasted good even after reheating it.

The Bun Reiu Soup was good! It had a variety of veggie meats but there was one that stood out. I bit into it and it was an explosion of flavor! R had one and I had one. There was only two . But they said we could ask for extra! We also had the Hainam Chickn and Rice. R ordered a fish sauce to go with it and that fit perfectly with it. I definitely recommend not just for vegans Sorry I forgot to take pics. But it looks just like other people's pics. read more

My wife heard of this place from the YouTubers and influencers she follows in Los Angeles. They come here for homemade and classic vegetarian Vietnamese food. We decided to make the 20 minute drive from downtown LA and this was super worth it! As a meat eater, I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to fullness of flavor and texture... but this place got it right. The Hainan Chicken is not traditional - it's pan fried or deep fried and feels like a light, tender chicken breast. The rice is also very nicely flavored. The soup noodles we got were also amazing - very flavorful and without the (sometimes overpowering) richness of beef broth. I actually like the lightness of the soup because it's so tasty and you can have a lot of it without feeling nauseous. Please come here if you're in town, even if it's out of the way!!! read more

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Thien Tam doesn't look like much from the outside, but the food is so good. I ordered 22 Com Ga Xao Xa Ot. It looked exactly like the picture and tasted great. My husband was brave and ordered something without a picture, 27 Cai Xao Thap Cam. The flavor was wonderful but the gravy was too slimy for me. We also ordered egg rolls, and they were phenomenal, probably the best I've had in a long time. The only drawback was the bee that kept buzzing around us. The staff kept catching it and releasing it outside only for it to return. Clearly she thought the food was good enough to risk her life for it! read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - 27. Cai Xao Thap Cam - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

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Delicious, fresh vegan food. The lemongrass chicken is a must. Except for the shape of the chikken, I would not know it was vegan meat. I also had #19, the bowl of vermicelli with greens, egg roll, and grilled vegan meat, with fish sauce. This restaurant is in a --sorry--run-down mostly industrial section, someplace I would not have approached without the good Yelp reviews. But inside the retro, plain diner was spotless, the staff quick and efficient. If you want to try vegan Vietnamese food, this is a great option. read more

Amazing food at a reasonable price. Most of the menu is vegan and the sauce they use in the bun (dry noodle dish) is addicting. They also don't try to mimic fish sauce and that's what I like about it. The veggie stir fry has a wide variety of proteins and veggies -- more than I expected. Service is attentive and fast. Highly recommend. read more

Great food, excellent service! Small homey restaraunt. Staff is great, owner is great! Wide choice of vegan/ vegetarian plates to choose from. read more

Absolutely delicious soup! Broth was perfect and a really light lunch. Really big bowl and can be shared between two people. Lots of fresh herbs, jalapeño, and lemon on the side. We also had the spring rolls and the peanut sauce was 10/10. Recommend!!! read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

My cousin has been on a no-meat diet for about a month so she has been trying out different restaurants. She introduces me to this place and I really enjoy their food. First off, I am a meat eater but I always love vegetarian food. I have been here two weeks in a row. My first week, I decided to order their bun rieu, and today, I went with their lemongrass chicken. I have been eyeing this dish since my cousin ordered it last week. Both dishes were very impressive and I didn't miss not eating meat at all. Out of the two, I love the lemongrass chicken plate more. When ordering the lemongrass chicken you can order with rice or a la carte. I was eating at work so decided to get the plate. You need to eat the lemongrass chicken with rice so you can soak up all that sauce. The sauce is super delicious. Great dish! Back to the Bun Rieu, this was a solid dish. I did enjoy the soup. It was a light clear broth and didn't taste salty at all. They provide plenty of tofu, tomatoes, and other stuff that mimic Bun Rieu. Overall, if you want to cut back on some meat-eating or have already cut meat out, this is the place for you to try out. I would come back here again and will add it into my rotation for lunches. Side note: best to call in your order! Orders usually take about 15-20 minutes. read more

Thien Tam Vegetarian Restaurant - Lemongrass Chicken - Vegetarian Near Me - El Monte, California

Very good vegetarian hainan chicken rice here. Claypot fish was bomb. Egg rolls delicious. Small place so might have to wait during lunch hours on weekends. Parking lot in the front. Definitely check this place out. read more

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First time visit and it was delicious. We had the 2, 15 and 22. Flavors were good and fresh ingredients. Quick service and friendly staff. A lot of other good looking dishes to try, so we'll be back! read more

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It's been a while since my last visit but it's sooooo good!! My bf and I wanted to try someplace new and glad we found this spot. My boyfriend who is a HEAVY meat eater really enjoyed the dishes and was surprised how everything tasted similar to meat. Everything is delicious and it's a good change from eating meat filled dishes all the time. The pricing is also very reasonable. read more

The place was mostly empty and one of the employees was balancing the books or just doing something on a laptop while periodically checking on the tables. I don't know what their space restrictions are in the back, but this is one of the things I've always found where people just don't care what the appearance of the restaurant is. My next thought was that they're either really good because they're letting the food speak for itself. Unfortunately, it was the latter. The spring rolls were cold and the crispy noodles I got tasted like nothing other than MSG. I can honestly say that I have never had something that had MSG in it where I could distinctly taste it over all the other seasoning, and the reason for this was that there was no seasoning. Crispy noodles proivide a wonderful panoply (guess what my word of the day calendar is) of texture as the noodles take on the properties of the sauce, but without flavor, the texture deeply unpleasant. read more

I had Bun Bo Hue and hands down they are BOMB DOT COM. I am so in love with this dish. Oh! Also the lemongrass chicken and spring rolls. Super delicious. I can't wait to try more of their other foods. Just wish it was closer to me. Service was great, they were kind and the place does get crowded but that doesn't stop me! read more

Need to preface my review by stating that I am not vegetarian and regularly do eat meat. But I was recommended Thien Tam by several friends who regularly eat vegetarian; food always looks super yummy and eye-appealing in their photos, so I decided to order take-out from them on a Saturday during lunch. If it wasn't for word of mouth and social media, I probably would never know about this restaurant. It's a small mom and pop shop located in El Monte in a plaza with a fairly large parking lot. There's currently no entry into the restaurant, with all transactions done right at the door. Seems like when they were opened, the line for a table would be pretty long because the storefront isn't too large. I went with the Bun Hue - $8 for a nice bowl of vegetable broth soup and rice vermicelli, veggie meat, lettuce mix, and lime and mint leaves. The soup definitely looked really nice and for a vegetarian bun hue, I think it wasn't too bad! The broth wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked, but I enjoyed eating the veggie meat and ingredients as well as the noodles. One order was enough for lunch and a snack for later. We also tried the lemongrass chicken since a lot of people seemed to recommend this dish. For $8.25, it comes with rice, veggie chicken with lemongrass and chili, and some pickled vegetables. The amount of food you get is pretty good considering the cheap price. The chili sauce was too spicy for my mom, but I thought it was pretty good - eating that sauce with rice was a nice treat; I personally didn't enjoy the veggie meat as much as I thought I would. It kind of tasted like dried tofu, but I think they were able to get good flavor from the sauce. And also tried the rice vermicelli with shredded tofu, egg roll, veggie grilled ham, lettuce mix, and a vegan fish sauce for $8.50. This dish was quite huge and lasted my mom both lunch and dinner. The egg roll was decent, but she enjoyed the overall taste of the dried vermicelli. I added a spring roll appetizer for $4.50; comes with three veggie shrimp and veggie chicken rolls and a peanut sauce. This was pretty good - especially with the amount of vegetables inside! tl;dr - Vegetarian restaurant located in El Monte - I did enjoy the Bun Hue and spring rolls. I'm glad I was able to try this restaurant out! Probably not my preferred type of food, but considering what they make and their targeted customer base, I think they do a really good job with their food. read more

This was my first time trying vegan/vegetarian Vietnamese food and it did not disappoint. They have a great selection of vegetarian versions of popular Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. The soy meats have really good flavor and the soup dishes and fantastic. We got take out and even after the drive home everything tasted delicious. read more

Very friendly young servers at the front. Good food and easy parking. It is in a strip mall. read more

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