Lacto
Take-out
Asian
Vietnamese

Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant that offers traditional dishes such as bahn mi, steamed buns, pho, fried rice, and drinks. All food items are vegan, but some coffee items contain milk. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-4:00pm.


Venue map for Thuong An lac
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33 Reviews

First Review by LorettaTiu

powerleegirl

Points +87

Vegetarian
03 Oct 2024

Vegan Vietnamese in Chinatown

Delicious vegan Vietnamese food in tiny mom and mom type shop. Don’t be discouraged by the amount of stuff covering the walls as the food is great. Especially appreciated the faux chicken.

Pros: Faux chicken, Fresh basil, Pandan water

Cons: Decor a bit funky

RasaFournier

Points +117

Vegan
19 Aug 2024

Gem in Chinatown

These are the friendliest people, they don’t speak English, but the menu is self-explanatory, and I’ve tried just about everything there and loved it. I keep coming back and I bring everyone I know  because of the great service and grate food. 

Pros: Soups, Friendliness, Yummy drinking water

RasmusHansen

Points +130

Vegetarian
15 Aug 2024

I was full.

For a miniscule price I got a main and side dish the size that I would actually make for myself if cooking😂 That aside, tasted great, and there were many options on the menu.
The waiter and host had that old school asian, very direct and almost yelling way of communicating, if that isn't your thing stay away, if you're fine with that cultural difference go here.
Best meal I had in Honolulu.

Pros: Food, Price

spiceislandvegan

Points +1296

Vegan
27 Jul 2024

We visited twice during our trip

We are visitors of Honolulu and searched for vegan restaurants. We visited this place twice during our trip so that says something!
Their food is authentic and gourmet Vietnamese cooking, no doubt about it . It the restaurant is small and located in Chinatown. A hole in the wall type but the food is excellent.
We enjoyed their appetizers, fried wontons were excellent, noodle soup with housemade vegan duck, broken rice, and even got Banh mi to go for our flights home. People served us are friendly and nice.
This restaurant is frequented by locals.

Pros: Food, Service

mariepeng

Points +25

Vegan
30 Jun 2024

amazing viet food

It's a small, family-owned restaurant in chinatown. It's kind of hard to find though, I got lost at first! The food came quickly, was fresh, and absolutely delicious
I got the pho, imitation duck noodle soup, and the bao (a must-try, reminded me of the ones at Hong Kong dim sum places). My non-vegan family also thoroughly enjoyed it. They said the broth was very fresh and loved the complimentary pandan tea they served. Please go support them ^^

Updated from previous review on 2024-06-30

Pros: Excellent food, Comforting ambience, Great selection

Cons: Waiter had limited english skills

Seatown_vegan

Points +8044

Vegan
23 Jun 2024

Authentic

No frills style Vietnamese restaurant with minimal seating. Ordered the spring rolls, fresh rolls, and bun rieu. What I appreciated about this place is that the spring rolls came with lettuce, herbs, and other accompaniments. Most Vietnamese restaurants I visit that have spring rolls just come with spring rolls and sauce. Kudos to Thuong An Lac for that. The noodle soup I had was delicious and tasted great.

GottaRun

Points +39

Vegetarian
28 Apr 2024

How did I not know this was here?

It can be tough to find street parking, but there's a municipal garage very close, and the rates were surprisingly reasonable.

Food was very tasty. The fried wontons said "ham, vegetable" in the menu. I asked the waiter about that. He said it was the way the menu was translated and that everyone asks. He says they were definitely vegan. I certainly hope so because I ate my share almost as soon as the plate hit the table.

We will be going back.

Pros: Excellent taste, Nice people, Other patrons were Vietnamese

FaithUgates

Points +438

Vegan
04 Mar 2024

Delicious

We went here on my birthday 2023 with 2 of my non-vegan friends. We just accidentally found this restaurant while we were walking around. Everything that we ordered was delicious. We ordered a lot, we almost couldn't finish it. 😁 But we paid less than we expected.
The owner has limited English but was really nice.

Pros: Food, Affordable

SouthernmostVegan

Points +1705

Vegan
03 Feb 2024

No Engish don't care!

The menu is extensive so I asked for suggestions but since no one speaks English they just pointed at a few items and I said yes because life is short and it was awesome.
The only downside is that when I go back, I won't remember what I had so fingers crossed that I try something new.

Jessica_Marie

Points +416

Vegan
28 Jan 2024

A hidden gem

This is definitely off the beaten track a bit. Right in Chinatown in Honolulu, this is a small and kind of rundown place, with an awesome vegan menu! It definitely has a homey feel, and the woman who waited on us had no English. But we may do and she was very friendly. She wanted to know where we were from and she clapped and sang Happy Birthday when we told her it was my mom's birthday. We got there at 8:30 in the morning to get takeout for that evening! We were thrilled to find something open in the morning that could provide us with some takeout so that when we got home from a long day of the beach and botanical garden tours we would have food. This place is only open till 4:00 p.m. We ordered the curry, a fried noodle dish, and a fried rice dish. We also got a little cold Vietnamese salad on the side. It is all very fresh and light tasting, and all vegan! She packed it up super nice and gave us a big baggy of fresh basil on the side.

Pros: Fresh and delicious food, Authentic Thai, Unique

Richards_E.C.

Points +697

Vegan
14 Jan 2024

Bring cash for tips!

Thuong An Iac
Small little Vegan Vietnamese place in the middle of China town.
The server had a bit of a language barrier, but it was ok and easy to point out the menu items that I wanted. Quick and reasonable service.
I got the wontons, spring rolls, and the broken rice w/pork chop and meat loaf.
The wontons ($5) were good, haven’t tried something like this before personally. It’s kind of like a stuffed nacho with veg
The spring rolls ($5) were really good to me
The other meal option ($15), I don’t even know half the stuff that was on my plate but it was pretty awesome :)
They also gave this little tea/soup that was pretty good as well- not sure if they added it to my tab.
Came out to $30 and I think it was very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food
I personally liked the atmosphere and seating- seems like it would be a little hard to park unless you’re willing to walk.

I think the food was quite excellent and I think that you should give them a visit. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit!

It may not be perfect, as there are “cons” that I will put down- but as a vegan restaurant in hawaii- it’s well priced and authentic Vietnamese cuisine

Note: please bring physical money for tips! #Veganuary

Pros: Great quantity/quality food, Great price

Cons: Parking could be an issue (there’s $6 parking near, Seems that they couldnt take card tips, bring cash

yosc

Points +56

Vegan
26 Dec 2023

Absolutely Delicious

Authentic Vietnamese vegan food - only the coffee drinks have dairy the rest fully vegan - AMAZING nice people try this place you wont be disappointed!! #Veganuary

veganinseattle

Points +183

Vegan
25 Jul 2023

Amazing Vietnamese Food

We saw the many great reviews and decided to try this restaurant in Chinatown after an outing at Bishop Museum. We had a party of five and it was a little tricky to seat our group as it is a relatively small space. We had the Summer Rolls, Yangzhou Fried rice, Broken Rice with Pork Chop and Meatloaf, Stir Fried Rice Noodle, Beef Stew with French Bread, and Curry with Rice. The Summer Rolls and the Stir Fried Rice Noodles were exceptional. We passed our plates around so that everyone could taste the amazing flavors. One of the members of our party could speak Vietnamese and was able to have a lively conversation with the owner. At the end of our meal, the owner presented us with some thin, sweet rice cakes studded with black sesame seeds - a nice finishing touch. We will happily return to Thuong An Lac when we visit Honolulu again.

Pros: Great food, Friendly service, Excellent value

Cons: Small dining room, Difficult to seat a group larger than six

MelissaSwinney

Points +79

Vegan
03 Jul 2023

Best meal of our trip

This was by far our favorite meal of the trip. The portions were generous and the food was fresh and delicious. The staff was very friendly

Pros: Many options, Generous portions, Reasonably priced

Parasol

Points +401

Vegan
01 Jul 2023

Wow! Best!

Holy moly the food here is delicious! Loved everything we ordered, the best Vietnamese food I’ve had outside Vietnam. Friendly staff. Authentic.

Pros: Banh mi bread - warm and perfectly toasty, Fresh summer rolls, Affordable

MariaLovesanimals

Points +73

Vegan
11 Apr 2023

Grateful for variety

This is my second visit and have enjoyed everything they served me. There's a bit of a language barrier but nothing a hungry human will care about ☺️

YajaJuliet

Points +32

Vegan
26 Feb 2023

Amazing food

My boyfriend and I go there all the time. The food is amazing!!! And it is SO CHEAP. Try the Pho and the wontons. Chicken with rice is great too. Curry is amazing.
If someone doesn’t speak English just say the number on the menu.

Pros: Everything is vegan, Very cheap , Delicious

Cons: Don’t try the fermented noodle soup, Staff don’t always speak English but understand

OperationChowhound

Points +7251

Vegan
22 Feb 2023

Vietnamese in Chinatown

Despite us speaking English and the employee (owner?) speaking Vietnamese, we had no trouble communicating. In fact, we asked what was in the "water," and they used a phone translator to tell us it was pandan leaf tea. We also asked if one of the condiments was fish sauce (because it only had a handwritten Vietnamese label) and they brought us the original bottle to show it was vegan. I ordered summer rolls (vegan ham, salad, vermicelli noodle, and vegetables) and rice served with deep-fried lemongrass tofu. The summer rolls were fresh and served with a sweet sauce. I was given a small bowl of broth with carrots, cilantro, and green onion. I don't know what it was, but I enjoyed it. The lemongrass tofu was served with cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and a sweet sauce. It was good, but there was so much rice that I couldn't finish it!

Note: HappyCow lists this restaurant as vegetarian because some of the drinks are not vegan, but the employee told us everything was vegan, so I don't know which is correct.

Pros: all vegan (?), customer service, big portions

thunderfierce

Points +20

Vegan
20 Jan 2023

Perfect little place!

If you’re looking for authentic Vietnamese food with great relaxed service then Thuong is perfect! We found this place online and thought to give it a try. The fact that they make all of their own substitute meats had us sold. It’s right in the heart of Chinatown and although small it has a really nice friendly atmosphere. It was hard to choose from the menu as everything was vegan and it all looked really good! We settled on the Banh mis, a combination one and the shredded pork, both were delicious. The bread was crusty but fresh, and the fillings were really tasty. We also shared a bao bun which was just as nice. I can also highly recommend the Vietnamese coffee with condensed coconut milk, it was perfect! $30 for a really nice lunch, leaving happy and full to go explore the rest of Chinatown. We’ll definitely be back! #Veganuary

Pros: Full vegan menu, Homemade substitute meats, Great service

Dtom20

Points +32

Vegan
01 Jan 2023

Hidden gem

This is currently my favorite place to eat out! Good value for Hawaii and the food is consistent.

Pros: Good value, Fresh, Consistent food

Cons: Some staff do not speak english, Not all vegan, have dairy options in some drinks

Juliett_Oscar

Points +155

Vegan
14 Oct 2022

A treat for adventurous diners!

What a treat to be welcomed with "everything here is vegan" upon entering this very modest restaurant. I had a soup which was flavorful, and wished I had time to return to try other menu items.

Pros: Lots of menu options including GF, Fast and friendly service, Good value

Cons: Run-down appearance of small restaurant, Might be flavorful to the point of over-salty

Agster

Points +653

Vegan
05 Sep 2022

Delicious authentic Vietnamese food

We stopped by for lunch. It's a small casual place with vegan dishes clearly labeled on the menu. The food was very flavorful and the service was great. Highly recommended!

Updated from previous review on 2022-09-05

rprasadh

Points +18

Vegan
22 Aug 2022

Chinatown gem

Absolutely amazing experience. Everything about this place is subtle, humble, and authentic. It really is a true hole-in-the-wall type place. The ambience is set in this rather plain tucked away strip mall shop with gentle music, variegated pothos vines streaming across the ceiling, and tables stocked with utensils, napkins, sauces, and house made condiments such as a wonderful lemongrass chili oil. We were greeted by the cheerful son of the owner of the restaurant who enthusiastically guided us through the menu, pointing out the popular items and helping me select a couple items that were gluten free and offering to make substitutions. He chopped some chilis and lemon and brought it out for me because I said I liked spice. Included with the meal was this refreshing and light herbal tea, and a light but umami broth flavored with fried garlic or scallion that I could very well drink by the gallon. The entree was a delicious tofu dish with vegetables and noodles that was a very big portion for the price. The flavors were light enough to let each of the ingredients shine, but powerful enough to not leave any room for leftovers. The son was very interested in conversing with us and we chatted throughout the meal. He talked about how his family moved from Vietnam not long ago and he supported the restaurant on the weekends because he is the English speaker of the family, how he and his mother became vegetarian many years ago because of her Buddhist beliefs. The magic of this place is not only in the food and prices, but the story of these beautiful hard working people, and the unassuming nature and complete lack of pretension so common with modern vegan spots. This is my first review and I felt compelled to write it because while I cannot go here every week as a graduate student scraping by myself, I truly think this place is criminally underrated and I want it to be the success story it deserves to be.

Updated from previous review on 2022-08-22

Pros: Gluten free options, Large portions , Good value

SueperVegan

Points +20

Vegan
03 Jul 2022

Incredible pho-rich broth. Pandan flavored water. All so fresh! Great service.

Great food in the heart of Chinatown. Give this place a try. Lots of variety in food and drinks.

Pros: Fresh, fresh, fresh, Rich flavors, Service

Cons: None

bvanwassenhove

Points +138

Vegan
18 Jun 2022

Fantastic, authentic Vietnamese vegetarian food

This is the real deal. Authentic, flavorful Vietnamese food. The portions are generous and the owners are very friendly. Don’t miss this!

Plant_based214

Points +85

Vegan
13 Jun 2022

Absolutely Delicious

Family owned restaurant who believes in spreading love through their food. Stumbled upon this Vegan Gem while on vacation in Honolulu. Highly recommend!

Pros: 100% Vegan Restaurant , Family Owned, The best customer service I’ve ever experienced

Cons: None

Gr8Cakes

Points +28

Vegan
13 Jun 2022

Absolutely Delicious!

Thuong An Lac has some of the best food that I have ever eaten - Vegan or otherwise. The Hunain Chicken Rice is great. This is the first juicy vegan chicken that I have ever had. Everything is full of flavor (including the rice), and the fried wontons are perfectly crispy without being dry. This family-owned business provides excellent customer service and the food tastes like home cooking and that it’s lovingly prepared. When you eat here, you are family. I recommend this restaurant without reservation. We are visiting Oahu and I cannot wait to come back just to eat here again - it’s that good!

Pros: Flavor & attention to detail in preparing dishes., Service, Great Options

Cons: Closes early (and this is just being very picky)




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