Restaurant: Gia Đình Đậu (Bean Family)

Bean Family is a new vegetarian restaurant with a very interesting menu.  They have a number of dishes with fresh vegetables (unlike some restaurants that are nearly all fake meats).  The food is good and the menu is quite diverse.

They have a number of traditional and modern desserts in a variety of flavors, many of which use soy milk instead of cow's milk (uncommon for Vietnam).  As with the food menu, the quality is high.  I love their blended ice drinks, and the black sesame dessert (che me den) is a rare treat!

Bean family is located in the southeast part of the city.  It's a bit out of the way unless you live at the new Tiamo apartments (in which case it would be extremely convenient), but they got themselves registered with Google, so you can map it.

It's worth the drive.

Here is their website: http://beanfamily.vn/

The ambiance is nice.

Business card.

A feast!

It's a bit out of the way, but not too hard to find.

Street Food: (nameless) sticky rice cart

Many street vendors sell xôi, or "sticky rice."  It can be sweet, savory, fancy, simple... The varieties are endless.  This particular vendor, located across from Citimart on Waffle Street, has a good selection of both rices and toppings.  Her presentation is more professional than most, and her products are above average.

I became interested in this vendor when I noticed she was selling out around 7 AM (despite having a well-stocked cart).  That's quite early, even for Vietnam.

If you're looking for authentic Vietnamese culinary experiences, this business is a nice example.  Just make sure you get here early!

I had to arrive at 6:15 AM to catch her with this much on hand.

She wraps the rice in a cute little leaf.  Classy.

Mr Cuu does not exist, but Ms Sticky Rice is near the map pin.

Thai Food: Vị Thái

Vi Thai is a Thai restaurant with great food and reasonable prices, AND it is open for lunch.  One of my colleagues found it recently, and we have all been eating here quite often ever since.  Local office workers frequent it as well.

They mostly serve noodle dishes and rice dishes, but they recently added a couple of soups and curries.  You can order most dishes with seafood, chicken, beef, or tofu. They also have drinks and desserts, including some very good tra da (Vietnamese iced tea).

They will sometimes deliver if you place a huge order.

Current phone number as of July 20, 2017:

091 888 4089

Pad Thai and Papaya Salad (a personal favorite)

Thai Sukiyaki, a yummy tomato-based dish, in two forms: Soup and stir-fry.

It is on the north side of the road, close to the displayed map pin.

Street Food: Bánh Kếp Miền Tây

This street food lady sells waffles for 6,000 VND each.

They are waffles.

I am told this is an authentic example of a traditional crepe batter, or something. I'm pretty sure they're just waffles. But they're yummy.

"Bánh Kếp Miền Tây" means "Pancakes, Western Style."

I feel the urge to start naming some of these nameless businesses.

They are waffles.

She is immediately south of MQ Coffee, on the same side of the street.

Street Food: (nameless) milk-like drinks

Singular

Efficient, exceptional

Soy milk, mung bean milk, and basic snacks

A unique drink stand that gives Thu Dau Mot part of its special charm.

a nameless bean drink cart

A cheap glass of hot, unsweetened mung bean drink is one of my favorite things in Thu Dau Mot.  A corner vendor serving fresh bean drinks is not a common sight in Vietnam, and it helps that this one is quite good (plus thoroughly healthy).  This is one of the key endearing businesses that secures Thu Dau Mot a special place in my heart.

This vendor opens around 6:00 PM and stays open relatively late.  (I have visited as late as 9:45 PM.)

They have a good view of the fountain.

The vendor is just south of the roundabout, between Highlands and the Park.
It is easy to see because it is always busy.

Bakery: Thiên Thuận Phát

I tend to avoid bakeries for health reasons--they're a bad place for nutrition and (in Vietnam) a bountiful source of food poisoning.  That said, Asian bakeries make a lot of fun treats.  Thien Thuan Phat is a bit pricier than most, but they have delicious baked goods and they are currently the only bakery I trust for hygiene.

I love their donuts, Vietnamese pastries (especially with mung beans), croissant bread, vegetarian steamed buns, egg tarts, and coconut flan.  My girlfriend particularly enjoys their "Hong Kong" flan with a hint of coffee taste.

Thien Thuan Phat has two locations in Thu Dau Mot.  I took pictures at CMT8.  The other branch is on Yersin, slightly west of the highway.

Sweet loafs.

Banana bread and cassava bread.
I prefer western banana bread, but the cassava bread is delightful.
(Cassava is the plant that tapioca is made from.)

Coconut flan in a decorative coconut shell.  Yummy.

  

They also have snazzy business cards.

Groceries (Vegetarian): Thiện Từ Tâm

Legitimate

Varied, suitable

Instant meals, ingredients, snacks

This is where you buy vegetarian food that ISN'T just fake meat.

Thien Tu Tam

This is another (rare) example of a business Google knows about.

Vegetarian Food: Quán Thuần Chay

Quan Thuan Chay is a vegetarian restaurant.  ("Chay" means vegetarian.)  Due to time restrictions, my blog posts need to be in a shortened format for a while.  That format will be--cinquains!  (A cinquain is a type of poem.  I modified the "official" format to make it suitable for a food blog.)

Variety

Uncommon, fresh.

Lunches, vegetables, Vietnamese classics.

They even have mushroom banh xeo.

Quan Thuan Chay

Mushroom banh xeo, a rare treat (on the left).
Stir-fried mushrooms are on the right.

Fried tofu with lemongrass, and stir-fried greens with ginger.
This is one of the few low-carb options in Vietnam.

Quan Thuan Chay is just north of the curve on CMT8, on the east side of the street.  It is easy to miss.