Dining options for people who pursue a healthy lifestyle in Saigon

Soumaki Vietnam

Soumaki focuses on nutritious meals that can be prepared in a short time. You can create your own healthy meals based on your dietary choices or fitness goals.

Soumaki offers a wide selection of toppings, from chicken breast to shrimp. Photo courtesy of Soumaki Vietnam

Each meal comes with information about nutritious value. If you want to design your own meal, the website’s calory calculator allows you to compute the number of calories. Soumaki says that the food on their menu contains no MSG, no sugar, and little to no oil. The name “Sou” is short for sous vide, which is the primary technique used to prepare all sorts of protein. I highly recommend their sous vide chicken breast, which is moist and tasty.

Prices range from VND120,000 to VND235,000 ($5.10 to $9.99)

Address: 42 Ly Tu Trong St.t, District 1

Opening hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Kashew Cheese – Kashew Garden Villa

Kashew Cheese began as a plant-based cheese store best known for its aged cashew cheese. The eatery is changing the possibilities of environmentally friendly food choices by making cheeses using locally produced, high-quality, plant-based ingredients. A new restaurant named Kashew Garden Villa under the brand is a latest spot for food enthusiasts to enjoy plant-based delicacies made in-house.

Kashew Cheese menu includes a variety of foods ranging from pasta to pizza. Photo courtesy of Kashew Cheese

Sandwiches, cheese boards, salads, and beverages, including lattes, smoothies, kombucha tea, juices, and alcohol are on the daily menu. The cheese and chutney sandwich, pesto pasta toast, and rawberry cakes are some of the choices. Those looking for something new can sample the deli’s aged cheeses chili, which uses spicy and flavorful chili from the central region of Vietnam.

Prices range from VND130,000 to VND180,000 ($5.53 to $7.65).

Address: 11/2, Street 57, Thao Dien (Thao Dien Villas Compound)

Opening hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

T.A Kitchen & Bar

T.A Kitchen & Bar is a familiar dining spot for many locals and foreigners in Thu Duc City. With the “farm to table” philosophy, the restaurant features organic foods as well as seasonal cuisine. The restaurant not only uses ingredients harvested at its four-hectare partner farm in Da Lat in the Central Highlands, but also uses vegetables and fruits from farmers all across Vietnam. T.A Kitchen & Bar, with seating both inside and outside, is a place to meet up with friends for breakfast, brunch or after work cocktails.

The seasonal menu offers organic food and beverages. Photo courtesy of T.A Kitchen and Bar

Vegan options are available for the majority of the menu items. The farmhouse hash is one of the restaurant’s most popular meals. It is made with baked potatoes, eggs, butter, cheese, and whole grain bread. In comparison to other restaurants in the same neighborhood, food prices are fairly affordable.

Prices range from VND115,000 to VND799,000 ($4.89 to $33.96).

Address: 94 Xuan Thuy St., Thao Dien Ward

Opening hours: 7 a.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Poke Saigon

Poke Saigon is one of the first eateries in the city to serve Hawaii specialty. Each branch features a lot of greenery, warm hues, and tropical designs. This creates a simple and pleasant atmosphere.

A Poke bowl attracts diners with vibrant colors. Photo courtesy of Poke Saigon

A regular serving at Poke Saigon costs VND190,000 ($8.08), and customers may personalize it. A poke bowl includes raw cubed fish on a bed of rice, along with your choice of veggies seasoned with sauces. For VND45,000, an extra serving of seafood can be added. The restaurant serves a large selection of seafood, including salmon, tuna, and shrimp, as well as a range of sauces, including shoyu sauce, spicy mayo, and wasabi mayo. More than 20 trays of fresh veggies are available for you to select from. If you’re having trouble deciding, you can choose one of the restaurant’s recommended poke bowls from the menu.

Address: 39 Nguyen Duy Hieu St., Thao Dien Ward, District 2; 42 Nguyen Hue St. (second floor), District 1; 42 Ly Tu Trong St., District 1

Opening hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Micro Boulangerie

Micro Boulangerie is a small bakery in District 2. As soon as you step into the shop, you will be greeted with the aromas of bread yeast, chocolate, and freshly made scones. The store does not use milk, sugar, or butter, making it acceptable for customers with particular dietary needs.

Bread and cakes on the menu at Boulangerie. Photo courtesy of Micro Boulangerie

The bakery offers different types of bread, from scones to sourdough. Being known for its buttery and egg flavors, scones are not an easy food to convert into vegan. Micro Boulangerie, though, has done a good job of it. In addition to the classic sourdough bread taste, Micro Boulangerie offers a variety of sourdough breads made from nutritious nuts and seeds such as purple sweet potatoes, olives, walnuts, and almonds.

Prices range from VND60,000 to VND180,000 ($2.55 to $7.65).

Address: 25 St. No. 38, Thao Dien Ward, District 2

Opening time: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Fitfood

Fitfood offers weekly meal deliveries. All the dishes are especially created to assist you in managing your weight. The menu offers different European and Asian cuisines, from sushi, and yakiniku-style grilled beef, to macaroni salad.

All food items are neatly packed. Photo by VnExpress

Fitfood offers several meal plans on its website with a calculated caloric intake. You may select between the complete package, which includes three meals each day for the whole week, or the meat package, which includes extra protein if you exercise frequently. There is also a vegetarian package available. Fitfood provides high-quality beverage and snack options made with healthy ingredients. The menu does not use MSG and is low in sugar.

Prices range from VND600,000 to VND1,200,000 ($25.5 to $51.01) per package.

Mam Healthy Food

Mam Healthy Food is an online restaurant that sells high-quality food. The restaurant’s menu is extensive, offering sandwiches, salads, noodles, low carb foods, vegetarian dishes, desserts, juices, and smoothies. The restaurant’s menu, in particular, has dishes influenced by Vietnamese cuisine, such as sautéed chicken with sour-soup creeper, stir-fried beef with red perilla leaves, and brown rice noodles with fried chicken and sweet basil.

Food is packed in eco-friendly containers. Photo courtesy of Mam Healthy Food

The offerings from Mam Healthy Food is packed in bagasse containers, and comes with wooden spoons and forks, and is wrapped in paper bags, making it ecologically friendly. Many customers praise the portions for their quality and size, as well as their affordability and suitability for everyday use. The business also offers two combination packages, which include 5 lunches per week and 10 meals per week (lunch and dinner). You can order the food through food delivery applications such as Grab, ShopeeFood, Baemin, and Gojek.

Prices range from VND65,000 to VND95,000. A combo 5 costs VND295,000 ($12.55) per week, and combo 10 costs VND545,000 ($23.18) per week.