I might become vegan bc the dishes were so good! No one really reviews about a restaurant's water but their water is so good.. they really take their time to infuse such refreshing taste. Ambiance is old fashioned but it's homey. I liked their crispy chicken Helen's fried rice and their spring rolls (I got their Vietnamese sausage+jicama). I'd come back here again and try their Bahn Mi. I also appreciate their female server who explained us how these were cooked. (This place is owned by a NURSE !!)

Extensive menu for a restaurant, let alone a vegan one! If I was even a little bit hesitant to try vegan Vietnamese food, Thanh Tinh Chay dispelled all of them. Even the house water was special. The "meat" was all house made, and all the dishes we tried were flavorful. Service was attentive despite being packed, and you could tell how much pride they took in their food. We will definitely be back to try more dishes!

The last time I came to this restaurant was before my surgery last year. I finally came back after almost a year of recovering, and their food is still just as delicious as I remember. Their lemongrass chicken is still my favorite! I decided to order that again, and this time I ordered a few different sides to try. It is the absolute comfort food. I also got some dessert to try while I waited for my food. I'm very picky with cookies, but these were so good! I'm so happy to have come back to this restaurant. The staff is very friendly welcoming. I got to talk to the woman at the register for a bit and she is so nice! I look forward to eating here more often.

Delicious food, friendly service. My mom is a vegetarian and she really loves this place.

Thanh Tinh Chay is a fantastic choice for vegans. Even the water they served was incredible, infused with fresh lychees and lemon. What sets this restaurant apart is their commitment to quality--they grow their own vegetables and produce their own meatless meat at a farm and factory in the Los Angeles County. The menu offers a diverse selection, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and even some American dishes. The service was top-notch, with our server taking the time to explain their farming and food production processes. I only wish there was a restaurant like this where I live--I would definitely be a regular! The restaurant is small with a very casual atmosphere.

Stumbled upon Thanh Tinh Chay via yelp. Didn't realize it was vegan food until we arrived there. Trang greeted us and immediately told us (so that we were aware) that the food is vegan. I was surprised as I glossed over it on yelp, but we decided to try it out with the rave reviews. Their menu is EXTENSIVE. I would recommend the owner to consider making the menu smaller to hopefully reduce overhead costs and make it easier for the customer to order :D The three of us ordered: -helen salad $21.30 -banh mi hosuse speical $17.70 -vegan pho beef $21.60 -thanh toan noodle bowl $21.60 The flavor profile was definitely quite interesting having a vegan twist on all my usual flavors. Nonetheless, you can tell the ingredients were fresh and quite tasty! The food, though, is definitely a lot pricier than other places, but for a small business and fresh ingredients, it makes sense. Trang was so friendly and kept checking in. She also gave us A LOT of desserts to try out...creme brulee, cookies, and sticky rice. I absolutely loved the creme brulee and sticky rice! Their homemade hot sauce is so good! I don't really like too spicy, but the amount of kick they had was perfect. Out of the 4, I enjoyed the thanh toan nodle bowl the most. Thai was also very thoughtful in checking in on us and refilling water. Their water is so tasty too! Almost like a lemonade! They have a lot in the back, but seems to be pretty full usually, so parking can be tough during peak hours. Awesome way to try out vegan food! And for the vegan food lovers...this is your spot!

I am pretty new to Vietnamese food, but was in SD for work and decided to try this place. It already had great reviews, so I was excited to try it. The service from beginning to end was great. The water they give you is the best! On top of the great experience the food was so good! You would never know it's mock meat. Highly recommend!

My friends and I stopped by Thanh Tinh Chay for dinner from another friend's recommendation. Little did we know that the restaurant was a vegan establishment. When we sat down, we were absolutely overwhelmed. The menu is SUPER long, the classic dishes - like grilled pork vermicelli bowl, are not highlighted like at most other Vietnamese restaurants, and there are many dishes which are especially unusual, like French fries mixed with fried rice. On top of this, the menu prices were EXPENSIVE, like about $20 for a simple bahn mi or an order of spring rolls. I was ready to hate my experience, and even considered standing up and leaving all together but am happy I ended up sticking around. After seeing our party being visibly confused and overwhelmed looking at the menu, a waitress came over to help clarify what we were looking at. She provided a thorough background on the restaurant, pointing out that all the items on the menu were made in house and completely vegan. She further recommended that anything with "Helen's" on the menu were crowd favorites. We eventually settled on sharing an order of duck spring rolls as well as a pork belly rice plate. The "duck" and "pork belly" proteins absolutely blew my mind and exceeded every expectation I had about vegan food. I honestly don't know how they're able to get the texture and taste to be so close to the real thing. The cherry on top was the flan dessert. The vegan dessert utilizes agar to achieve its texture and it's perfect in every way. Give this place a chance and you'll be thoroughly impressed. I can't wait to be back.

We were told about this place by a serious carnivore. And if she says "you've gotta try this" we gotta try it. First off, it took me about 20 minutes to figure out what to order. Unlike most places where vegetarians and vegans have 3-5 options, this has pages of options. Probably 12 full pages and everything sounded delicious. But the entire time I was menu browsing, Trang continued to come over and was so helpful. Plus the "water" they provide is not plain old water. It's a combination of a juiced red apple, mint, lemon, cucumber, strawberry, fresh lychee, and juju berry. Absolutely refreshing! Eventually I had to make a decision and stumbled upon a noodle dish with French fries. And to me, that is like peanut and jelly ... a perfect combo that you rarely get a chance to partake. Crispy duck bun with a warm peanut sauce. Before I talk about the crispy duck, let's take a moment to appreciate that they make their own peanut sauce. They use mung bean and rice to thicken it and maintain its vegan-ness. The crispy duck inside the bun was one of the best items I've ever eaten. The texture was perfect with a delicious salt and savory bite. Please order this. It's the dish that can convert a meat eater. #181 - Helen Special Noodle with French Fries (eggless noodle or glass noodle or Vietnamese macaroni), carrot, walnut, tofu, cabbage with your choice of protein: * Shrimp (Tôm) $24.90 - Crispy Beef (Bò Giòn) $24.90 * Pork Belly (Heo Quay) $24.90 - Salmon $26.80 * Shaking Beef $26.80 - Sea Bass $26.80 I had the Shaking Beef and was not disappointed in my choice. Again, they really have the texture down and the flavors are great. Parking - street parking can be tough, but don't give up. Bottom line - Service is so friendly. Trang spent the time to explain the menu and how things are made.

I was pretty skeptical about the high ratings for Vietnamese vegan food but this place is amazing, our group of 8 ordered around 10 dishes, they're pretty expensive running around $15-$25/entree. However, given how everything is made fresh from scratch you're getting a great deal! Service is attentive and friendly, our waters were filled consistently and we were checked on to make sure everything was to our liking, they even complimented dessert! Thanh Tinh Chay is on our list for future trips out to San Diego! +1 Vibe +1 Taste +1 Presentation +1 Service +1 Value