San San Tofu — Restaurant in Houston

The daily lunch special at this restaurant would be my last meal. There is something so sublime and cozy about the food served here that I return to this place almost religiously every Sunday. Despite being entirely vegetarian (if not possibly vegan?), every dish deliver a level of deliciousness for an unbeatable price. The aforementioned lunch special allows a choice of 3 items with white rice and soup for below 7 dollars at the time of this writing, and the portions are more than enough for most people. The different noodle soups are about $1 more than the special, but are equally delicious and hearty.

For those with a second stomach for dessert, the restaurant also offers a sweets section with some of my favorites such as the banana sticky rice cake with coconut cream. In addition, the restaurant also sells vegetarian items like a store for those who want to cook similar dishes at home.

My only qualm with San San Tofu is the lack of parking and eating space during peak hours. Faithful patrons of the establishment will crowd the restaurant during peak hours, so finding parking may be tough. In addition, seating is somewhat limited, as San San Tofu isn't just a restaurant; it's one of the reasons why I also take my food to-go. However, this only attests to why this restaurant has been able to flourish...

I switched to plant-based diet in 2020 and have been buying different Mediterranean dishes like Tabouleh and Babaganoush from places like Dimassi's and Phoenicia. Today's the first time I shop at SanSan Tofu just to find the flavors of Viet Nam again.

** SanSan overview: stand-alonw building. Nice and clean parking lot. Inside is a mini-mart of dry and frozen foods along with prepared snacks and lunch boxes. I didn't see much fresh produce. A small restaurant in the back with tables for diners. Pre-made foods are shown behind glasses of about ten selections. Offer vegetarian dishes that look like the real thing, like Barbeque, Fried Rice, etc.

I ordered Cöm Tâm Bì (Togo) and it tastes pretty good like the real dish but instead of pork and eggs, it's plant-based. I also found a lot of plant-based shrimp and chicken wings in frozen packages made by various vegetarian companies that look like the real things. Nice to do plant-based and come back to the flavors of Viet Nam. I do have to watch the Sodium and Sugar contents in the frozen packages but I think if I pace myself, I will not exceed my Sodium and Sugar allowance buying San San foods.

I'd highly recommend you try San San Tofu if you are looking to go vegetarian but still like the...

I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but I definitely DO recommend this place if you are or not. Not only is the food inexpensive, there is a good variety of food to choose from to build your combo plate. The food is not greasy, it's not overly salty, and you don't feel tired after your meal. The food is delicious and the staff is super helpful. I do wish I knew what I was ordering because there aren't any names on anything, but, what better reason than to just try everything that you can then come back and try something different. There are many different types of tofu dishes (as the name of the cafe suggests) but there is also an assortment of other vegetable dishes, which are just as equally good.

For any first timers, you might be thrown off when you first walk in and see something like a grocery store. However, if you walk passed the grocery items, you'll see the small eating area and the food line. San San Tofu actually occupies the entire building so the parking lot is all theirs, but I heard that weekends are very busy and packed.

So whether or not a vegetarian, I recommend giving this place a try. I don't think you'll be...