The PurpleMint Vegetarian Bistro

I have tried a lot of vegan places. This was phenomenal. I can’t wait to go back. I feel so lucky it’s practically in our backyard. The ambiance is great. The food is delicious. I tried the lemongrass «chicken» it was very tasty. The rice was perfectly made.
Purplemint has masterfully created a vegan fried rice with tofu and vegetables that has great textures (crunch from the cashews) and good flavor. Can’t get enough of this stuff.

Absolutely the most underrated vegan restaurant in san diego… totally hidden gem!!!

Unorganized, scatter brained, and barely polite is how I’d describe the staff. For a restaurant that’s half full, the kids are running around like it’s their first day on the job.
The décor is nice though they need to spruce up the koi pond, seeing hoses scattered around with I’ll placed statues breaks the tranquil feel.
The menu items look good but I’m concerned about my order getting here at a reasonable time. I order the Lemongrass chicken with noodles and a Thai iced tea, 2 ice cubes which they got right.
The food looked good but the sloped bowl isnt practical, the food spills out easily. The taste is fine but not as good as I’ve had at other times, but those places weren’t strictly vegan.
Doubt I’ll come back.

I don’t know if they were having a bad day or what but the service & hospitality this time was not up to par.
First of all, there was hair in my friend’s rice & they took forever giving us another bowl. When we showed them the waiter said «Oh shit» & didn’t even suggest a discount for our meal. I mean, I wasn’t expecting it but hey that’s just good customer service. They didn’t give us water until 10 minutes after we were seated & took forever to take out orders. When we were ready to go they didn’t bring us our checks until we asked them twice, it was not busy at all either.

Soo first of All I am not vegan, but I must say for someone who loves meat, this place is actually pretty good and also tasty, their sister store is Saigon star, so I felt this place would be pretty good if they were related.
I ordered the potato and yam curry and it was very hearty and and enjoyed it with rice vermicelli,
My friends ordered the eggplant and tofu and it was very spicy but had a lot of flavor… it was cooked well, and the last dish was the mock lemon grass beef with vermicelli it was pretty flavorful as well.
For the thirst quencher I had an almond milk tea and also the avocado smoothie with almond milk…
The ambiance is really beautiful too, my friend said it looks like a pottery barn, but it’s very inviting, try this place and you will be surprised.

I’m so glad this place isn’t too far from home. Came here for the first time today and loved it. The ambiance is so nice and romantic. Very quiet as well for a Sunday afternoon around 2pm. Everything is decently priced and you certainly get your money’s worth. Who wouldn’t want to take over such yummy leftovers?
Had the avocado eggless egg rolls and crispy wontons to start. Highly recommend those both for a starter. They were amazing. As for the sauce served with them? Heavenly. I ordered the Ma Po Tofu. Spicy and delicious.
The atmosphere, food, and service was great. I plan on coming back.

It was quite a pleasant surprise walking into this oasis on such a day. Top to bottom the surroundings will calm you… Except for the club music, that was not fitting.
The wait time was awesome for a to go order it helped having a comfy lounge chair with reading material and koi pond keeping my occupied. The vegan orange chicken I had can best be described as getting all the deep fried crunchy outer layer-​no meat. While some pieces were thicker than others I was still able have a chance of how the dish is best. Boy are those flavors great, no artificial taste.
Staff was engaging and great with selling!

Super satisfied with the overall experience. The ambiance is on point and the food is very tasty. The flavor profile of every dish is unique and exactly what I was expecting.
I would recommend trying the Avocado Eggs rolls and Satay «Chicken» Lettuce Wraps as starters.
Then move on to the Yam and Sweet Potato Curry w Jasmine Rice or the Lemon Grass «Chicken» for your entrée.
It doesn’t matter what you choose cuz most dishes are simply delicious… I’ve ordered at least 80% of their menu cuz I live 1 block away lol!
Don’t forget to try their Thai Iced Tea w Boba before you leave.
I was very impressed with the atmosphere they created inside compete with a mini water fall fountain and old wooden accents throughout.
This area needed a restaurant like this to brighten things up a bit!
Highly recommend checking this out for sure!

This place is pretty inside with light brown wood paneling and hanging vine plants. I came here for a friends graduation dinner and they were efficient in getting the food out in time.
I got the Buddhas delight (recommend!) which is a mango, pineapple juice with basil seeds.
I also got the ho tieu nam vang which is a rice noodle soup with oyster mushrooms, quail eggs (2 in mine), and vegetarian soy meat chicken and shrimp. The broth was very flavorful and tasty from the mushrooms.
I would recommend getting more of these types of dishes with minimal vegetarian meat since my friends who got the «filet mignon» or «roasted duck» were disappointed with the texture. It’s harder to make soy meat bought from a factory to be tender or even healthy… you got to make your own!

I told you guys I’d be back for the egg-​less egg rolls! My boyfriend and I came in at about 3 in the afternoon. The place was pretty empty. Our waiter was the same waiter from our last visit and he sat us at the same table. I wonder if he remembered us, haha!
We shared the egg-​less avocado rolls and each ordered our own sizzling steak filet mignon entrée. We waited ~5 minutes and our egg-​less avocado rolls came out. I was so excited. I’ve been waiting to eat these for a month.
My expectations only made the reality that much more disappointing. My boyfriend was the first to try one and he said that it tasted like a bland taquito with a bunch of avocado and he was right. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with taquitos but I didn’t order taquitos.
That experience was a little discouraging and made me question my expectations for our entrée but when it was brought out, I knew that my expectations were met. In addition to the mock meat, it comes with rice and a salad. The salad was very fresh and nice addition. My boyfriend finished all of his food and said he couldn’t eat another bite while I saved half of my mock meat and rice as leftovers.
Like previously, our service wasn’t that great. I had to ask two different waiters for our check and a to-​go box. I don’t see this place becoming a regular spot because of the subpar service but I wouldn’t mind coming down here every couple of months for the entrée I had, only thing I’ve had so far that I feel is completely worth the money.
Our total came out to be ~$ 32. The egg-​less avocado rolls were ~$ 6 and each entrée was ~$ 11.

The wife brought me here for Valentine’s Day. My first impression was the unexpected ambience and décor. I no longer felt like I was in a strip mall along Mission Gorge road. We started with drinks. I had the hibiscus flavored iced tea and the wife had chrysanthemum tea. We then had a avocado eggless role for a starter.
I didn’t get a chance to finish this review when I started it, but I’ve been back several times since then and the food has always been good.
I would say the menu feels a bit limited but I need to learn more about the options I think. The service isn’t great either but you can get by.

I don’t usually eat vegetarian food, ok like never, but just once before. Lol.
The restaurant itself is super nice inside! Very modern and earthy, and they even have freaking mini koi ponds right when you walk in on the sides of the entrance! Super cool.
They have a counter with a glass case where they showcase their desserts, but they only had like two small cakes in there. So I’m assuming that they serve a different kind of cake each day or week, so its random what dessert they might have. And its about $ 7 a slice.
We were disappointed that they had Jasmine Milk Tea on the menu but stated that they no longer carry it. Like what? Why don’t you cross that item out on the menu then instead of having so many people ask for it?
Food:
+ Wonton Egg Noodle Soup $ 8.25
(Fried wontons and mushrooms in a savory broth with egg noodles)
First of all, it’s not fried wontons, its steamed wontons. There was about 4 large pieces of wontons in the soup. They were good. And the soup broth was delicious. Good amount of noodles as well. Only complaint is that there needs to be more mushrooms! There were like maybe 3 tiny chopped pieces in there.
+ Sizzling «Steak» Filet Mignon $ 10.95 (Bo Luc Lac)
(Soy protein served with spring mix salad and jasmine rice)
This dish was pretty interesting. Strongly flavored sauce. The soy protein was good. Spring mix salad was quite plain. Jasmine rice was very dry. Good portions though.
Overall, food is not bad for what it is.

I like the place and the food. I’m not a vegetarian totally but I’d come back from time to time maybe once– twice a month. For those who aren’t used to a lot of soy protein taste, this may not suit your palette but still give it a try. I ordered a couple of entrees and a starter:
1. white ‘fish’ in diced tomatoes– it tastes like a sweet and sour fish dish w/​o the fish, the protein was so-​so, a little bland and ddnt finish the plate.
2. Papaya salad– unripe papaya in strips with some ‘bacon’ protein jerky, its tangy, refreshing, bit spicy but tasty!
3. Hot and Sour soup with egg– I personally don’t like it. Overpowering funky smell, was thinking bc of the egg (optional) but thats just for me.
Now their beverage section is a diff. story. Some of the iced teas are new to me (they have quite a lot of choices). So today I ordered two drinks,
1. Avocado smoothie no boba– it wasnt sweet at all, smooth, milky. Overall, its okay.
2. Chrysanthemum tea– I love it! There’s a lot of things going on in the drink, daisies, fruit seeds, etc. For me it was quite a treat!
Dessert
1. Peanut butter vegan cake– it was more on the dry side. Very bland. Tolerable. Just okay.

The atmosphere here is great. The outside is a gray strip mall, but the inside is set up with the walls like verandas with shuttered, mirrored «windows» that make the place feel more open. I love it!
Unfortunately, the food is all my stereotypes of a vegetarian restaurant. It’s bland, tastes healthy without necessarily being so, and has unappetizing fake meats. The mock duck was so tough is was almost impossible to cut, and was smothered in an unappealing, overly sweet brown sauce. The noodles were good, but the broth wasn’t particularly exciting. But hey, the vegetables weren’t overcooked!
Service as fine, and the prices (around $ 10 for most items) were… also fine. Overall, nothing terrible, but I wouldn’t bother coming back on my own.

Tried this place one night after reading all the Unilocal reviews. The ambiance is very modern but cozy with very cute décor. Its also very spacious and airy (+2stars)!!
We ordered the infamous dishes: sizzling «steak» filet mignon, papaya salad and black rice pasta with coconut milk. The food was quite tasty. We’re not vegetarians, but opted to trying the food here to see what all the rage is all about. It did not disappoint us!
My palate felt like it was having «steak» even though it was not real steak! (+1star) LOL
My wife really liked the black rice pasta, but maybe bc she loves coconut milk and it was drenched in it. (+1star)
We also ordered the Chrysanthemum tea (hot and iced)
The iced tea was a bit too pulpy for me, but my wife liked the hot version for herself. My wife also had a slice of the vegan cookies n’ crème cake to-​go, but she didnt really like it too much.
We really liked the cute dinner ware and presentation of tea. The service was friendly and good. (+1star) We will definitely be back again to try more items on the menu.
Our total bill was $ 55 including tip.

Being both vegetarian and Vietnamese, so naturally, I’m here almost every other week. Mainly because there’s not too many specialty vegan/​vegetarian Vietnamese restaurants. Even though this place has a mix of some Thai and Chinese dishes, but they were definitely flavored the Vietnamese way. How do I know that? It tastes exactly my mom’s BEST cooking, making me feel right at home.
AMBIANCE & SERVICE
Let it be date night or brunch, the Pottery Barn like décor set the mood to be more casual than romantic. I love the Buddha decorations and the mirrors on the walls.
Service is either hit or miss. Sometimes it felt slow/​inexperience and less enthusiastic. Other times, the waiter is tentative and great.
DRINK
Overall, love their drink size (size does matter ;)) and cup/​jar/​vase type. Don’t change!
— Avocado Smoothie (asked for almond milk and no dairy) — Kind of disappointing.
— Chrysanthemum Iced Tea — Love. It’s more sweet than tea, but refreshing.
— Strawberry Lemonade — I love how fresh this is, even though it was largely on the sweet side, personally.
FOODS
Being a veteran vegetarian/​vegan for so many years, I’m used to the mock meat scene and am less impressed with them «being like meat». Here, I felt like they did a good job overall across the menu to flavor the mock meat to imitate the Vietnamese cuisine that I grew up with before I became a vegetarian. To curious future vegetarians, you can find most of their mock meat in 99 Ranch, Thuan Phat, Lucky Seafood, or T&L Wholesales.
— White «Fish» in Diced Tomatoes — Honestly, this tastes like something my mom usually make in the kitchen. While it makes me reminisce, it did left me wishing I tried something else.
— Orange «Chicken» — My family brought this home to me to-​go. Maybe because of the transport, it fell flats. Overall, there’s better dish to try.
— Asian Chicken Salad — Ok, but not really worth it for me.
— Jack Fruit Salad — My mom said the Loving Hut version was better. Overall, it’s ok. Canned jack fruit. The sesame rice crackers were sort of stale and not crisply baked.
— Satay «chicken» lettuce wrap — Not impressed. The sauce was probably the best part. This dish weren’t really creative for me. They do utilize the Veggie Grill/​Gardein «meatless chicken» here.
— Fiery Shrimp — It tastes great at first 2 – 3 shrimps, but then it gets too sweet — very vietnamese like.
— Summer Rolls /​«Shrimp» and «Pork» Spring Rolls — Overall they’re ok. Sauce is good.
— Phở — So there are several kind of phở: 1) Beef or 2) Chicken. The way you eat the type of phở is completely different. It bothers me when people who comment about the phở doesn’t even know the difference. It’s not only the obvious mock meat choices. With «Beef», you typically dip the «beef» in a separated Hoison/​Siracha. With the «chicken» phở, you don’t really use the Hoison sauce. Overall, it’s good phở. It is way better than anything I get a normal Phở places (where it’s just water and vegetable on noodles).
— Hue Style Spicy Noodles — Depend on the day, this dish can be really good or really disappointing. Typically, the lemon grass is sauté and put in the soup, but there was a day where I felt like the soup was completely off and completely been over power by the lemon grass. Hope they check the soup taste daily!
— Sizzling «Steak Filet Mignon» — Pretty solid dish. I wish mine came out a little more sizzling hot.
— Avocado Rolls — Tastes ok.
— Vietnamese Sandwiches — Ok, so $ 6.75 for a Vietnamese Sandwich is a little over priced. BUT to be fair, it’s one of the tastiest vegan vietnamese sandwich that I’ve eaten anywhere, even comparing it to the sandwiches from Little Saigon in Santa Ana (that’s saying a lot). I rather eat this than a typical boring $ 10 sandwich any day. Totally worth it if you want something to-​go!
— Wonton Egg Noodle Soup — YESH. Best vegan wonton soup I have anywhere. Request non-​egg noodles for vegans!
— Braised «Duck» with Egg Noodle Soup — It was like the 3^rd time I asked for non-​egg noodle that they finally have it so I could try out this soup. It wasn’t the best I had. I would go with Wonton ones if you’re deciding between the two.
— Eggplant & Tofu Delight — Solid dish. You’re not going to be disappointed, but it’s also not too much wow because I find the Loving Hut version just as tasty.
— Nam Yang Style Noodle Soup — I asked without the quail egg. Overall, good Hu Tieu. Solid dish.
— Spicy & Sour «Shrimp» and Tofu Tamarind — This tastes great. Just like how my mom makes it.
— Green Papaya & «Beef Jerky» Salad — This is a Vietnamese/​Thai influence street food that I love. Overall, they did a great job, much better than the Sipz version.
— Kungpao «Chicken» — Honestly, this is the best dish here and the reason why I keep coming back. It’s like the most addictive dish ever. This made me from a I-don’t-anywhere-else-to-go kind of fan to a PLEAZE-​FEED-​ME kind of fan.

I have to confess, I’m not one that will knowingly go out of my way to eat vegetarian. Sure, I’m all for the veggies, but veggies with bacon? Always better. So when a friend suggested we try out purplemint, I was in, but hesitatingly so.
Surprise, it was delicious! I love Vietnamese cooking in all forms and this without the meat? I didn’t even miss it. The summer rolls are great and the peanut sauce that comes with them was awesome. Hard to believe the ‘meat’ in the meatless dishes was veggie friendly. Steak, shrimp, chicken, everything was great. Love the interior décor, almost feels as if you’re eating in a fancy schmancy spa, so that means it’s all healthy, right?
Can’t wait to go back and try more.

So my heart is partial to Plumeria and its vegetarian take on Thai food, but this place is super cute too! Best part– parking is a breeze in this unassuming shopping plaza.
There’s a variety of drinks (nonalcoholic) available here too– I recommend the Jasmine milk tea, Key lime lemonade (freshly squeezed– so good!) and Buddha delight (pineapple and orangey).
In terms of the food, make sure you get the kung pao ‘chicken’ and summer rolls! Those were delicious. Another favorite dish among our gang was the egg noodles with chicken– everything was spiced to perfection.
This is a great place for a girls night or random night out with the beau– reasonably priced, timely service and decent food.

Soooo amazing! My husband and I tried this place out even tho we aren’t vegan/​vegetarian.. And I’m so glad we did! It was delicious!!! Everything tasted sooooooo good. The beef tasted just like beef! And the chicken just like chicken! We got the «duck» wrap appetizer which was my favorite! So tasty! Plus! The place is super cute. It has an adorable rustic feel to it and the service was quick and friendly! We can’t wait to eat here again!

Very nice vegetarian Thai bistro in Granville. I attended a birthday party here and the service and food was excellent. Despite how busy they were the staff was very attentive and knowledgable on the entire menu and make great recommendations!
Highly recommend!

Great food but slow service.
Try Krispy tofu, kung pow chicken, lemon grass chicken, any spring rolls.
Place looks nice and it’s always ½ full or full on weekend nights.

This place would definitely get 5 stars from me except the service is just a bit «off». The people are very nice and the servers are pretty attentive and do try to please… It just seems like they need a bit of training. Subtle annoyances such as not being served any silverware until they deem it necessary, and when they do, it’s not a full set… So when I wanted to share my shockingly amazing ice tea with my friend, there were no spoons. And when I wanted to cut my orange chicken into smaller pieces, there were no knives. Also things like when I wanted to treat my daughter to her birthday dinner here, they had no candles to put on their dessert much less a complimentary dessert for the birthday girl.
That aside…
The food is amazing! I am not vegetarian or gluten free or vegan but I eat here anyway.
The prices are extremely reasonable. Most entries (maybe all) are under $ 10. And for that you receive filling portions which are healthy and stand-​out delicious.
The drinks are amazing! The coconut milk is served fresh in the shell and you can scrape away the soft cream as you drink it. And the chrysanthemum iced tea with aloe vera sounds kind of awful but it looks like something you’d get at a tropical island restaurant and tastes absolutely delicious. I’ve never had anything like it. A MUST order item. And the side sauces are extremely flavorful.
Great attention is given to food presentation and it is lovely. The hot tea is served in a beautiful glass pot with the loose tea leaves in a center chamber. The drinks are stunning to look at. The rice dishes are perfectly semetrical.
The décor is waaaaaay too chic for the area. It really would fit better if located in a more trendy chic area such as on 30^th Street in Southpark. It is truly LOVELY. The furniture is that of things I would easily use to decorate my own home. Kinda rustic Asian Pottery Barn looking… or like those gorgeous DIY outside white light country wedding photos you see from time to time with glass mason jars made to look completely classy. The indoor wooden bridge over the coy pond entrance. Fresh single rose buds in long stem water bottles… Lit up glass dessert display cabinet… Beautiful lounge area… really just very calming and elegant. However looking out the window I am staring at Arby’s when I should be looking at The Smoking Goat!!!
This place is always pretty empty which makes me sad because that would seem the hallmark of a place that will be going out of business eventually. I think the owners must be relying on word of mouth. But in my opinion, since they did not locate in the right place, they must invest heavily in advertising. Word of mouth will take 10 times as long and that wait costs a ton of money in idle space, help, and equipment. They need to hit it hard and generate a serious buzz.
I’d say stop reading Unilocal and GO TRY IT for yourself!!! When is the last time you had no wait and low prices at an amazing tasting and healthy restaurant??? Yeah, exactly.

Food hear has blown me away. I’ve been to sit and for take out. Each time I’ve gotten the Kung pay chicken. When I dined in I surprised by the interior. It’s really nice.
This place only gets 4 stars because the service was a bit off but still good otherwise. I’ll definitely be a regular here.

Yes! A brand new Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant in San Diego!
I really love Vietnamese vegetarian restaurants. You have to thank the Buddhist community in Vietnam; they’re the reason why Vietnam has such an amazing vegetarian cuisine.
If you guys don’t know, Southern California has the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. The community is located in Orange County to be exact, in a neighborhood known as «Little Saigon.» It’s about an hour and thirty minute drive from San Diego and the joy of Little Saigon is the huge amount of Vietnamese restaurants located there; that’s the neighborhood where I discovered the greatness that is Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine.
If you guys wanna sample Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine before heading out to Little Saigon or even Vietnam, then check this restaurant out.
When I walked in, I noticed how beautiful the interior is. Good job, this restaurant is a perfect date spot.
I haven’t tested yet to see if I need a gluten free diet but yes, I’m one of those annoying and crazy people who enjoys eating gluten free. Today, I was dedicated to eating gluten free so the dishes I ordered here contained no gluten.
The menu lists meals that are gluten free and meals where you can request for a gluten free option
I ordered a White «Fish» in Diced Tomatoes (gluten free option) and a Jackfruit Salad.
In my opinion, the gluten-​free White «Fish» in Diced Tomatoes is a major rip-​off. The waitress told me that since I asked for the meal to be gluten-​free, the «fish» is just gonna be fried tofu. I accepted because I was so hungry. Looking back, I regret this decision and wished that I thought about this more clearly. Look, when I do my grocery shopping, I always buy tofu. Tofu is seriously cheap. So, with that being said, I don’t recommend ordering this gluten free. Regarding the flavor of this meal, it’s alright, nothing extraordinary. I mean, part of the fun of eating mock meats is to see if they actually do taste like meat. Well, I didn’t get to experience that since all I ate was tofu.
Now the Jackfruit Salad on the other hand, was amazing. It was prepared beautifully and the flavor was out of this world. I really liked the «shrimp» on this salad. Not only did it look like shrimp but it tasted like shrimp also. I highly recommend this.
All in all, I like this restaurant and I’ll definitely be back. Be wary of some of the gluten free options though

Finally tried this place out & couldn’t be happier. So GOOD !!! I had the ‘beef’ Phở & it was simply amazing. Great flavor, fresh ingredients, and it’s veggie. Also had the Avocado rolls to start — Yummm. My GF had the broccoli and shitake mushroom entrée (just as amazing) — What flavor !!!
The ambiance is very nice & it’s super affordable — WIN WIN WIN with the Purplemint !!!

Absolutely amazing. I am half Vietnamese and was raised with the Vietnamese culture surrounding me so it’s a must to love Vietnamese food. But I am a vegetarian so it’s kind of hard to satisfy your phở craving when most –if not ALL stores only use meat broth to make their phở. BUT this place. This amazing place has great vegan/​vegetarian phở! Oh my god it’s so good. Their chickun phở is great and so are their lettuce wraps and spring rolls. I need to come back to try more. On top of that, customer service is great. I’m in love.

2.5 stars
The ambiance and décor are nice but a wee bit cold and sterile feeling. Service was non-​existent. Food was just okay. Now for the details…
Early-​ish on a Wednesday night, there weren’t a whole lot of tables occupied and they didn’t fill up over the course of our couple of hours there. Our eggless roll appetizer came out before our drinks. I thought the egg rolls tasted fine, but my dining companions said they were just okay. My green apple iced tea was way too sweet to my liking and my boyfriend’s Thai iced tea wasn’t sweet enough.
For our entrees we chose the phở with tofu and vegetables, lemongrass «chicken», and braised «duck» with egg noodle soup. I thought the phở broth was super bland, even after I squirted a bunch of sriracha in it. I was also a bit annoyed that the vegetables were left in very large pieces which made it hard to eat — you shouldn’t need a knife to eat soup (not that one was provided anyway). I found it odd that the «duck» was served on the side of the noodle soup. My boyfriend said the texture was off, but the flavor was ok. Our friend thought his lemongrass «chicken» tasted pretty good and had a good texture.
For a dining room that was essentially empty (ours was one of only 3 – 4 tables the whole time we were there) you’d expect better service. Unfortunately, not the case at PurpleMint. The food came out quickly, but then it was hard to track down a server. My boyfriend got up to get his own salt and pepper and I was halfway through my phở before I was able to get that much needed sriracha. At the end of our meal, the server dropped off the check — with all of our plates (even appetizer) still on the table — and disappeared. We sat and sat and sat, still with our finished plates in front of us, until we finally got up to track down the server so we could pay and leave. It’s a definite pet peeve of mine to have unnecessary plates left on the table.
PurpleMint is another in a long line of Asian fusion vegetarian/​vegan restaurants in San Diego. Which is to say that it’s nothing special and there are others doing the same thing better. What irks me is the heavy use of fake meats. Although I eat meat, these days I cook predominantly vegan at home and I’ve never prepared «chicken,» «beef,» «fish,» or «duck.» Believe it or not, it IS possible to cook tasty, healthful meat-​free dishes without the use of pretend meats. Now I just wait until that word gets out to restaurants…

Came here on a Wednesday night. The place was maybe a quarter to a third full. Although in a strip mall, I found the atmosphere to be nice.
I tried their mock «beef» Phở, and I added veggies for an extra couple of dollars. My bowl of phở came out very quickly, and it was quite tasty. It only took about about ²⁄₃ of the bowl to fill me up (the remainder they happily put in a togo container for me).

Ate here last Friday, first time, as part of a meet-​up with fellow vegans.
The restaurant is located in an area known as Grantville, and it is pretty hectic traffic-​wise. It’s also located in a strip mall and finding a parking space can be tricky.
Décor of the restaurant is pleasing. Menu is wide-​ranging. Lots of terrific options.
I had the filet Mignon, a mock meat dish, which was superb. Others mentioned how much they enjoyed their entrees as well. Servings were very generous.
Hard to make judgement about the service, as we were part of a meet-​up. People arrived late, for example.
It’s a great restaurant with an inventive menu. It’s in an area of San Diego I hardly ever go to, though. This place might do better in a less-​hectic area

This is our second time coming back and mainly because the quality is great. Everything is fresh and MAJORITY ORGANIC!
Super friendly service.
Awesome cute décor.
They are having a hard time getting people in here and I don’t know why it’s so gooood!

Delicious food! Food ranges around $ 10 a plate, average price for some peaceful food =] beautiful ambiance, the set up inside is fancy and pretty. Great service.
My friend would like me to add «their sriracha is the shit!»

On my new quest of searching out plant based delectables around the city, this is the first Vietnamese restaurant I have stopped in.
The menu is full of vegan /​vegetarian versions of timeless Vietnamese dishes like phở, spring rolls, and many more.
Drink: Avocado Boba Smoothie. Delightful whipped drink made with organic aguacate and almond milk in lieu of condensed. A tad less sweet than the norm but velvety goodness all the same.
Appetizer: Wontons. Tiny empanada shaped bites, filled with mushroom tofu blend. Good but not as epic as one of my all time faves, cream cheese wontons.
Main: «Fish» fillet in tomato sauce. Fermented silken tofu, complete with a seaweed «skin.» Tastes puzzlingly accurate. I don’t really have the words, you have to try this. I can’t fathom how its possible. The tomato sauce pairs great and makes it a hearty meal.
A good faux meat asian eatery that vibes a little different than Loving Hut and the others.

This place is so amazing! I crave it and could literally eat here for every single meal. Is vegetarian and tie. They have all of the typical favorites Plus a lot of very exotic new dishes. I am having so much fun trying a new one every time I come in. The outdoor patio is very cute with lights strung up in the ceiling and curtains flowing. The chairs are made of wicker so it has a very outdoor porch kind of feel to it. Inside there is a little pond with Koi fish. It looks like a very modern Asian style garden with light wood and lots of open space.
I like to take my friends here because it is always impressive and I know all the food is good. I would recommend the chrysanthemum tea which is served in a half carafe. Also the fresh summer rolls are delicious and great for sharing.
Any vegan would be in paradise here because of all the options.
My favorite is the filet mignon with onions. I also love the fiery shrimp for an appetizer.
Price point is very reasonable and you can get dishes under $ 10.
Watch out though because once you try it it becomes addicting, yes it’s that good

Absolutely lovely vegetarian restaurant with pleasant peaceful décor, good food, and great service.
I was there with a group, so I got to taste a myriad of dishes:
The summer rolls were absolutely wonderful and the peanut sauce was delicious. The mint gave them a great flavour and the jicama a nice texture. Will definitely order again.
The crispy egg rolls were very good, but nothing compared to the summer rolls. They were served with lettuce and mint and came with the usual sauce.
I’m not a big proponent for mock meats and rarely order them, but my friend got the Kung Pao «chicken» and it was absolutely delicious. The pieces were breaded and fried and were very reminiscent of actual chicken. The sauce was layered and the cashews elevated the dish nicely.
The egg noodle stir fry was also delicious. It was filled with fresh vegetable and tasted good. I added some of the peanut sauce I received with the summer roll and the dish completely changed and was even better.
The Chinese broccoli and shiitake mushroom dish was delectable.
The iced jasmine tea was perfect for such a hot day and the ac was delightful.
Will definitely be back.

This place looks like a nice and peaceful back porch. I loved the décor.
My friends and I shared the Avocado Egg Rolls that came with a tamarind cashew sauce. I liked it. The avocado was creamy and warm inside the crispy wrapper.
I ordered the Crispy Eggrolls & «Beef» Vermicelli for my main dish. The fake beef was flavorful but had that expected slightly weird texture that fake meat has when it’s trying hard to be a substitute for meat. Other than that, it was your typical bun (that’s what it’s called in Vietnamese in case you didn’t know).
I also ordered Fresh Young Coconut Juice to drink. To my surprise (and contained inner giggling), a whole coconut arrived with a cute little drink umbrella. The juice wasn’t as sweet as I would have liked, but the yummy meat I could scoop out afterwards made up for it.
If you’re a vegetarian and are trying to find somewhere to eat that won’t be torture to your omnivorous friends and/​or significant other, I would definitely recommend this place.

The Purple Mint certainly surprised me when I stopped in for lunch last week. From the outside I was unsure what to expect on the inside, but was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. The décor is very modern and open. It is very clean and not overly cluttered or decorated. It feels like you stepped into a cottage for a nice lunch.
I ordered some summer rolls and the orange chikn. The rolls were just ok, definitely not the best I have had and something I would not order again. The orange chikn was absolutely delightful. The chikn was nice and crispy in a tangy orange sauce. Unlike many fake meat «nuggets» these did not have an overly chewy texture nor did they get soggy.
There were some good looking cakes in the dessert case, but I opted to get donuts a few doors down. Given this is just down the hill from my house, I will be coming back. Given the cool atmosphere, this would be a good place to bring a date.

From the outside of this restaurant I got the impression that it would be small and pretty basic looking inside. Boy was I wrong. When you walk through the doors you cross a small bridge like platform with a small pond on either side. The pond like areas are decorated with candles, large stones, a couple of statues and plant life. The colors in the restaurant are soft and natural (Ivory tones and shades of beige and natural wood) and it’s a fairly large restaurant, with a covered patio area as well.
The setting is very relaxing and comfortable and the staff was very friendly. The restaurant felt open and welcoming. I had to place my order to go because my husband was in a hurry. I ordered the Phở Beef Noodle Bowl ($ 7.75) and an order of Shrimp and Pork Spring Rolls ($ 4.75).
It took about 10 – 12 minutes and during that time I was able to take in the simple elegance of the restaurant. It was clean, organized and not overly decorated. The Phở Beef Noodle Bowl was delicious tender and seasoned nicely. The Springs Rolls with the chopped peanuts in a peanut butter sauce was yummy.
The next time I am in the area I will stop in for a sit down lunch or dinner.

A highly rated Vietnamese Vegetarian Bistro in Grantville, and in a strip mall generally known for its sketchy Restaurants to boot? We were intrigued and decided to try it based on the high Unilocal reviews and a look at the menu on-​line. Plus my fellow Unilocalers have uploaded some very informative photos.
Parking: Our first visit was for an early Dinner on a Friday afternoon about 5:00pm. Parking was not a problem at that time, but I think it can be, given there are also Thai, Greek, Italian, and Japanese Restaurants in this small strip mall, plus a Soup Plantation and a Subway. The parking lot has about 100 spaces, but with seven Restaurants plus other businesses, this can not be sufficient. So if looking for parking, or having to walk a few blocks gives you mental issues go at an off time.
Ambiance: Amazing décor for a Vietnamese Restaurant. Tastefully decorated in a sort of rustic Noveau-​Farm European style, complete with Koi Pond and a tiny bridge you must cross. Very clean and comfortable seating. Lighting good.
Service: Attentive, friendly, timely and polite. I have no idea why PurpleMint gets bad reviews about this. I suspect it’s the reviewers, because I have commented about this in other reviews. I think that some reviewers may have no patience, manners or common sense. Anyway, the service gets five stars from us.
Food: Based on review recommendations we tried the Avocado Egg Rolls, avocados, sun dried tomatoes and black beans. What a combo, the ingredients turned into a paste and melded together. According to the menu this was served with a tamarind and cashew sauce. I tasted neither, but it seemed to taste of Dijon Mustard, balsamic vinegar, honey and cumin. A complex mix and it went perfectly with the Egg Rolls.
Main Dishes were «Sizzling Steak Filet Mignon», a sort of Fajitas served sizzling and consisting of Tofu Meat and white and red onions and a delicious brown sauce. Very good portion, but I would have liked more Sauce. The sides were white rice and a spring mix salad in a delicious vinaigrette. The other main dish was Lemongrass «Chicken», with Tofu Meat that tasted similar to the steak, but with different seasoning. The taste of Lemon Grass was discernable, but also onion, garlic and chili. Served with fresh steamed Broccoli and white rice. Everything was delicious, fresh, well cooked and seasoned.
At this point we asked ourselves what this has to do with Vietnamese cooking, given the ingredients, tastes and mode of preparation. We are used to the Vietnamese restaurants in City Heights, Linda Vista, Monterey Park, etc. The answer is not much. This is a different and new way of cooking. We enjoyed it very much and will be back to try more. Highly recommended!