Shamballa Vegetarian, Restaurant & Lounge - Sai Gon — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

We visited Shambala Restaurant in November 2023 during our 1 week vacation. This was our 1st restaurant in Vietnam as we went on the same day we landed. I had made reservations to Shambala from US. Based on the website, the restaurant was started by a person who once used to be non-vegetarian but became a full vegan/vegetarian after living at a buddhist monastery in Tibet. Very inspiring and commend her dedication to change her life and diet. In addition the menu was unique and had ingredients and/or combinations that I had not had before plus they did not use MSG so I had to try it out. Luckily it was close to our hotel so we could walk it (albeit we got slightly lost as it was first day in Ho Chi Minh City) . We went there later than planned (tired from 25 hr flight!)

Food - Menu was beautifully laid out with amazing pictures that would make anyone hungry! Even though I had seen the menu before on the website, actually holding it in my hand and going thru it was very satisfying. We ordered a drink, Lotus Seed Rolls (spring rolls with lotus seeds, green beans, taro, carrots & sweet potato), Tofu Skewers (tofu, cherry tomatoes, eggplants and okra marinated in truffle sauce), and Mini coconut pancakes (assorted mushrooms and grren beans fried in thick coconut-rice batter served with fresh veggies). They also had so many other interesting items in the menu that I could go there for a whole week and probably not be able to try them all.

The Lotus seed rolls were fried just right (not too oily) and the combination of stuffing was unique and very flavorful. Highly recommend The Tofu skewers - very nicely skewered and I had never had tofu in a skewer and that was unique. The okra was fresh and crispy and not soft as I thought it may come after being Barbecued.

Mini coconut pancakes - surprisingly I had never ever tried savory coconut pancakes so was looking forward to these. They definitely were unique and small and we enjoyed them. We thought maybe they were just slightly overdone but not having had them before we did not want to judge them.

The presentation of all the food was excellent and proportion of food on each serving was just right for 2 people. We did not walk out with any left overs and we were happy as no place to store it.

Service - very good service from a team of servers and the host. since this was our first day dining out in HCMC, we took quite a bit of time in ordering and they were patient as they did not rush us even though quite a few tables were occupied.

Ambiance - Nice elegantly decorated place with indoor and outdoor seating. We sat inside but I think if it was slightly cooler, we would have loved to sit outdoors. The outdoors had greenery and Buddha statues

Overall value - very good and would recommend to all to go here. It was a great start to our dining experience in Vietnam. Too bad we were not going to Da Nang as would have loved to go to a cooking class at...

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Whether you're a tourist or local, you'll for sure feel welcomed dining at this relaxed, yet high-quality restaurant & lounge with friendly staff and memorable vegetarian food. First, their menu is so captivating, make sure you bring friends and family so you can try everything you'd want. The Que Son-style cassava salad is one that has permanently altered my perception of salad, a dynamic melange of crisp carrots, tender cassava, savory lion's mane and oyster mushrooms, tart slices of starfruit, and young bananas tossed with herbaceous thai basil and culantro in a lively fish sauce. Soaked throughout each crevasse, the textural marvel is completed when a generous heaping is piled on top of airy rice cracker puffs, making it as playful to eat as it is to look at. Easily one of the most addictive mushrooms dishes I've had, crispy abalone mushrooms with juicy, bouncy stems and whisper-thin, shatteringly crisp edges. The batter is practically paint on - light, paper-thin, and outrageously crunchy, holding up even under the glistening coat of their signature sweet/tangy/spicy sauce that reminds me of Korean gochujang. Once again, nailing the delicate balance of textures in this multi-dimensional tofu dish, the three layers comprising egg tofu, mushroom shreds and cucumbers. The cooling cucumber slices make a crunchy base for the crispy egg tofu, fried until the delicate crust is gloriously golden, contrasting the silky texture within. The roasted mushroom shreds (like vegan pork floss) bring a light sweetness and deep umami, doubling down on its pleasant earthiness with the shiitake mushroom sauce to round out the medley of flavours. Finally, the tremendous tofu skewers, where fried tofu puffs, juicy cherry tomatoes, tender eggplant and crisp okra are marinated in a truffle sauce and...

Absolutely beautiful aesthetics. Right when you walk in, there's a pond with fish and another in the back. There's just the right amount of space if you happen to come with a large party.

We came on 9/3/2024 and received extremely excellent service from Thanh Bac. She was very polite and incredibly attentive. When she noticed that I was having difficulty drinking my macadamia and brown rice latte she immediately came over with a tray of bigger straws and asked if I wanted to switch it out. She came several times to check in on us without being pushy and always greeted us with a smile. Sadly this was the best service we've received from a restaurant during our trip to Vietnam.

As for the food: Macadamia Brown Rice Latte (5/5) - lite and refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness Fresh Passion Fruit and Orange Juice (5/5) - a little sour but 100% fresh. It came in its own little bottle that we pour out to a cup with some liquid sugar - you can adjust the sweetness/tang to your liking Nam Rac Muoi Xanh Green Salted Crispy Mushrooms - Mien Xao Noi Dat Clay Pot Glass Noodles - aside from some of the noodles drying out because they were left at the end of the pot instead of properly being placed inside, this hit the spot if you're craving glass noodles Banh Hoi Nem Lui Woven Noodles & Grilled Nem - you wouldn't believe this wasn't meat. had all the right flavors of nem. perfectly cooked and succulent (normally this can be slightly dry if cooked improperly) but it was excellent

Overall, excellent spot for vegans/vegetarians traveling to Vietnam. Would 100% recommend and give a shoutout to...