Tofoo Com Chay

This little place is such a gem. The food is very tasty and cheap. They have inspired me to go vegan.

The interior of the restaurant is somewhat disorganized and the restaurant is very small. the chicken kabobs were delicious. I ordered the bun mang (bamboo noodle soup) and It smelled so wonderfully fragrant. However, it was pretty bland. The fake meats within the bowl were great. The fake chicken was the best I’ve ever had! It even imporised a sugarcane as a bone. LOL. The chicken texture was similar to a real chicken, the flavor was close, but most importantly it was fresh and delicious. I think the broth would be the only component of my dish that needed work on :)

I have been eating at this place for the past year, and I feel bad that I haven’t reviewed it earlier.
What actually made me realize the value of this place is, when I had lunch with my wife at Phở 69 (hands down, the worst phở I have ever tasted). The food at Tofoo Com Chay is prepared with love, it is very cheap and most of all vegan. Whatever you get from there you will never be disappointed, the people who work there and the owners are friendly and sweet. It is always my easy choice when I want to go for lunch in the neighborhood.

I don’t wrote much reviews but i have to say that this place is amazing. I am vietnamese and when i eat at viet restaurants i tend to know what flavor is expected and i gotta say. The #13 bun hue was great! It hard to find good bun bo hue (meat version) for the price of $ 7 and had all of the right flavors! Will be coming back to try more dishes!

I came here for lunch with several friends (there were 7 – 8 of us). Luckily my friends got there earlier (11:30) and got the tables outside. This place is tiny!
With people sitting outside, and a line out the door, it’s very cramped as the employees are trying to take food out and clear tables and there is not enough space. There’s barely any room inside.
The food was tasty, but I can’t say how fresh it may be. It’s all in the cold case, and they microwave it after you order.
Oh, and a homeless woman kept trying to steal food off of our table while we were eating. I know this is not the business’s fault, but they did nothing to deter her or assist us.
I would give it more stars for the food, but the atmosphere and general dinginess of the place ruined it for me. I won’t be going back.
If you want great vegetarian food, just go a few blocks farther east and eat at Vegetarian House.

I have the spicy noodle soup, #13.
Omg!!! The broth is the best one i have ever tasted!!! omg. I dont know wht else to say lol.
In the concept of veggie restaurant… hmm… i love veggie. I can eat a lot veggie. I personally just just like the concept of turningveggie into meat-​like-​food. (i mean they reform the beggie to look like meat) I saw chicken drum there which i think is really weird.
If a person is vegetarian, why does the person bother to eat the veggie in a meat-​form?
Anyway, #13 is gooooood. The BROTH!!!

Egg rolls — freshly oily fried :))
Bun Bo Hue — flavourful and lots of vege with it, slightly oily side
Vermicelli Salad — decent amount of vermicelli with fake fried «meats», subtle smoky flavour.
We might go back do try other items on menu (dry noodles or 2,3 items with rice), though we not a big fan of those preserved «artificial meats».

It’s completely vegetarian. So that’s a big plus for our family. We were there on Saturday afternoon. We ordered a 2 item combo, A simple fried Chow mein & Fried rice. I thought all the items were great but my wife didn’t like the chow mein very much. We also ordered a bakalava like dessert to go, which was also very tasty.
I might update this review in the future after trying the Phở.
BEWARE! There is seriously limited seating. We arrived there with out baby in the stroller and we had to wait outside for a while to get a seat. The lady who was eating at the table, took her food to go so that we could sit and eat. That was so nice of her. And we had to pay in cash, so carry some with you.

«Vegetarian — that’s an old Indian word meaning lousy hunter.”―Andy Rooney
All jokes aside, if you’d have asked me ten years ago to go eat at a Veggie restaurant I probably would’ve either A) slapped you or B) laughed until I pissed myself. However, this now being the kinder, gentler me, I’m more willing and open to try just about anything and everything the world has to offer―see my Pizzle pics (
) if you don’t believe me. Toofoo Com Chay (TCC) is currently the #2 Veg-​head restaurant (
) on Unilocal with over 800 reviews and a solid 4-​star average; with those impressive stats in mind, I had to see what’s doing.
Appetizers:
#1: Spring Rolls (Cha gio chay) — At most Viet spots the Spring Rolls aren’t deep-​fried, but here they are. These were my least favorite item at TCC, as they had an off-​flavor and taste that I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it was old frying oil??? 2*
#2: Summer Rolls (Banh Trang Cuon) — These are their fresh variety of Viet Rolls and were actually quite tasty! The «Pork» was pretty convincing and the sweet and tangy sauce made a nice accompaniment. 4*
D2: Veggie Roti Drumstick– Soybean paste enveloped around Bamboo Stick to mimic the appearance of a Chicken drumstick. While the texture was a bit odd and took some getting used to, the taste was strangely addicting as the sweet Mushroom glaze on the Paste was really good. 3.5*
House Specialities:
#13: Spicy Noodle Soup (Bun Hue Chay) — This Vegetarian rendition of my beloved Bun bo Hue was my favorite dish here at TCC; the Lemongrass flavor and spiciness was there, but the «beefy» flavor was lacking. Still, overall it was really good and worth checking out. 4*
#15: Bamboo Veggie Chicken Soup (Bun mang Chay) — The «Chicken» in the broth was actually really good and very light. I enjoyed all the mushrooms, pieces of bamboo and rice noodles but they go a bit heavy on the black pepper to season it. If they eased-​up on it this would be really good, instead of pretty good. 3.5*
Service & Ambiance– The service here can be a bit frantic and erratic but they still manage to get our orders right. The place itself is probably the tiniest restaurant I’ve ever been in as I literally feel like Godzilla in there. Fortunately there’s tables outside to dine at, but the only issue is dealing with the weirdos walking by. Service 3*/Ambiance 2.5*
Value– This is by far TCC’s strong suit as you can get a Main dish *AND* and app for around $ 10. At most Viet spots it’s $ 10 just for a bowl of soup! 5*
While TCC has failed to convert me from Carnivore to Herbivore, it has opened my eyes to the possibilities that maybe it’s not as bad as it seems. For the time being, it will definitely be in my rotation for Downtown eats, especially on #MeatlessMondays.

I actually took my boyfriend here, and he was not informed that the whole restaurant was vegan and that all the meat (beef, squid, etc) was imitation (all the labeling on the menus definitely helped me tricked him). He had no idea, he was so oblivious. After half of the meal was devoured, i tell him. HE THOUGHT I WAS LYING. We laughed so hard and finished everything.
Rate Scale: (1 – 5)
We got: Seafood Phở– 3, Roti Drumpstick– 5, the kabobs-​4 (literally real meat texture), and the Vermicelli beef bowl-​4.
The only reason i gave it 4 stars is because of the small space, there was no room for sitting. We had to sit out on the street which was super loud and cars with exhausts were polluting the environment. And one of the lady at the counter was rude to me when we were ordering.
Overall, a great experience!
P.S CASHHHHH ONLYYY

This place is amazing. I am so sad to say I have been going here for a few years and have yet to write a review. Every single thing on the menu is delicious. There is nothing else around quite like it, so whenever I want vegetarian it is the only place i go.
Pros:
close to my house
delicious rotating items
phở
cheap
did i say DELICIOUS?!
cons:
small eating area
parking due to being downtown
cash only
Faves:
Veggie pepper sausage
Spicy Phở
Kung Pao Chicken

Why did it take me so long to try this place??? Oh yeah, because I. LIKE. MEAT!
I am the carnivore in my group of friends. Every time we go out to eat, I’m always like: shabu shabu? ayce kbbq? steak and eggs, anybody? I never choose the tofu option when there’s a beef alternative because mMMmmm beeeeef.
I’ve gotta say, this place makes me question everything I know about vegetarian food and my pro-​meat way of life. You cannot tell that the «grilled pork» is not really pork. The «teriyaki chicken» texture is different (chewy and bouncy) but the seasoning here puts many other restaurants to shame. I am addicted to their vermicelli salad with grilled pork and a teriyaki chicken skewer. $ 7 for a big portion. I prefer it over a real vermicelli bowl elsewhere!
Food is great here, but a few things to know (and get over) to be able to enjoy the food here:
1. cash only
2. tight seating and a kiiiinda dirty looking (LOL)
3. street parking only since it’s Downtown SJ
4. There’s also some homeless people that walk by when you dine there. They have harassed us a few times for not giving them money instead of offering them food.

A little hole in the wall with AMAZING and cheap vegan phở. My first time last night here, ³⁄₃₁. I entered into the restaurant and was given a warm greeting. I ordered the vegan phở, #12, I think and substituted the fake meat with mushrooms. I did the same for the summer rolls. The phở was spicy and so fresh! I love this place and will be back again!
Please note: CASH ONLY!

When you’re feeling the need for Vietnamese food, this is your spot. I LOVE how big the portions are for the price, and the fake meats are all very yummy tasting. You can even customize it (I dont like pork so dont like tasting pork, and I get mine all fake beef). Quick service, have yet to try something I didnt like. My favorites are the phở and spring rolls. Good veggie assortment to throw into the soup and spicy sauces!
~~IMPT: Cash Only!~~

Was in here about a month ago. Decided to stop by after reading some reviews.
1. Didn’t realize it was cash only
2. The food looked very greasy
3. Place doesn’t look sanitary
4. I was shocked when they microwaved the food for the customer before me
I passed on this one.

CASH ONLY!
FOOD
— Roti Chicken: soy paste wrapped in bean curd, cooked on a piece of sugar cane. Tougher with slightly dry texture to mimic chicken. Okay flavor. I had higher expectations with the rave reviews. And I was kinda bummed that it only came with 1 piece with my combo plate. I thought I would get at least 2. ³⁄₅
— Braised Eggplant: eggplant and tofu and basil. The eggplant was cooked well. Both eggplant and tofu had great flavor. It was surprisingly good. ⁴⁄₅
— Spring Rolls (egg rolls): 4 rolls which consisted of shredded cabbage, tofu, mushroom, green beans, and carrots wrapped in egg roll wrapper and deep fried. This was okay. I’ve definitely had better vegetarian egg rolls. ³⁄₅
SERVICE
Fair. Your typical Vietnamese restaurant service. I ordered a 3-​combo plate but the lady gave me a 2-​combo plate with a side order of egg rolls instead. That was more egg rolls than I wanted and it ended up being more expensive than a 3-​combo plate. Then, they forgot to give me my egg rolls. I had to ask for it. 2.5÷5
FINAL THOUGHTS
I would come back and try their noodle soups. My friend had the bun bo hue which she said was really good.

I went there for lunch after my class in SJSU. Very small place but you can’t really judge a hole in the wall based on appearance!
Food:
I got the teriyaki kabob with brown rice. The kabob wasn’t freshly made to order. It was pre made inside their container which was under a warmer. Taste was good but I expected a little bit more since it was plain tasting. Brown rice was good. My buddies got the spicy phở and it was really good. I’d get the phở since its made right there.
Service:
It is really a hole in the wall, but people who work there are nice. I had to wait for a bit for them to charge me. No receipt or anything. They charge you on the fly. There are couple tables inside for seating and they mainly use the street for their seating. I’m not sure if they accept CC since I paid cash.

This is a hole in the wall close to down town San Jose. You’ll be surprised with the taste… We ordered phở, fried rice, summer roll, and spicy noodle. They were all good. One thing is that the fake meat taste really good… Also great value. Portion were good… With the place so small, probably a good idea to tKe out instead. Other wise great…

I love Tofoo Com Chay. All of the food is vegan and they have a great variety of veggie meat to choose from.
The staff is also very friendly and fast.
My go-​to is the phở, but all of their hot entrees and deli items are really good, too.
The only bad thing is that seating is very limited, so I usually opt for take-​out instead of dine-​in.

Better than most non vega phở. Better than most non vega phở. Better than most non vega phở. Better than most non vega phở. Copy paste due to my review is «currently shorter than most».

A coworker once told me, «plants are what food eats.» I stole that phrase to describe my eating habits. It’s clear that when I am forced to go to a vegetarian place, I start with a preconceived skepticism of the food.
Tofoo Com Chat overcame that skepticism. They presented several typically meat-​filled dishes using their vegan meat substitutes and the substitutes passed.
I had a Grilled Veggie Pork Sandwich (banh mi). Their veggie pork had the surprising texture of pork. The «meat» chewed like pork and it fell apart like extremely tender slow-​cooked pork. It even tasted kind of like pork, though with a very strong bean aroma. I was pleasantly surprised.

First time here, look like a little hole in the wall. I had the Hue Chay soup and my friend had the rice veggie plate both plates where very good, and the price was very affordable, we will definitely be coming back!

This place is so yummy!
I love their fried rice and their phở.
Although, seating is limited, tables turn fairly quickly and there’s always seating outside.
For appetizers, we usually get their egg rolls. I haven’t really ventured off those three items but I’m thinking of ordering a rice plate with sides next time!

Tofoo Com Chay specializes in vegetarian Vietnamese food. When you come here, please come down from your michelin 5 star expectations because this restaurant is a small mom and pops owned business.
It is literally a hole in the wall as it barely fits 5 people comfortably. Also, CASH ONLY.
Although the restaurant may not look like much, the food is great! They have a variety of food items from Vietnamese noodle soups, to sandwiches, to Vietnamese classic dishes. They also have flan, Thai tea, Vietnamese coffee, and assortments of Asian jelly drinks.
I have ordered the summer rolls, the fried rice, and the drumsticks and absolutely enjoyed all of these dishes!
The summer rolls ($ 4) were light and yummy. It came with three rolls and «fish» sauce. I liked that they used a different flavor of protein for each role, for example one roll had a teriyaki flavored protein and the other had a different flavor. It was like a variety pack of rolls!
The fried rice ($ 6.50) was one of my favorites! It was oh so delicious. This is a must! My carnivore boyfriend loved it!
The Roti drumsticks ($ 6) were really really good as well. A bit oily but still great. Recommend as well!
The prices are reasonable and the food is NOT bland by any means. Solid place for cheap vegetarian food.
My only tip is I would recommend ordering to go because the restaurant is so small. I couldn’t even imagine eating here with a group of friends, although they do have a couple of seats inside and outside of the restaurant.

TL;DR: Hole in the wall. Cheap. Vegetarian. Delicious.
After speaking with the owner, we found out that this place has been open for about 16 years. Their incredible vegetarian food is a testament to their staying power in the ever-​growing downtown part of San Jose.
We ordered the Ph ($ 7) and the Bùn Hu ($ 7). The Ph was great! The broth was flavorful, the noodles were chewy, and the entire dish was very similar to the regular stuff. The Bùn Hu is a spicy lemongrass based noodle soup that has vermicelli type noodles. It also reminded me a lot of the original dish. Both soups were scattered with their veggie-​gluten meat substitute slices and bits of tofu. They are also served with a side dish of bean sprouts, lime, basil, and jalapeño. And may I add, the bowls are huge! You get a lot of noodles and broth. Make sure you go on an empty stomach!
Because we are used to eating gluten meat substitute, we also ordered a teriyaki «chicken» skewer ($ 2). It wasn’t bad at all! It didn’t taste quite like teriyaki, but it was sweet, savory, and unique.
Everything was so good, we decided to order the Bún Riêu ($ 7) to-​go. This dish isn’t actually on the menu but we overheard several people ordering it. It’s currently still chilling in our fridge, but I’m sure it will be just as great as everything else we had.
For three huge bowls of soup and a «chicken» skewer, the total came out to be $ 23. Really not bad at all! We will definitely be back for more.

I found this place on Unilocal,and was excited to go to a four star, vegetarian, Vietnamese restaurant. However, there is so much that I didn’t get from reading these Unilocal reviews
1) All the food is pre-​cooked, cold, and then microwaved…
2) The restaurant does not look sanitary at all
3) As I started eating (very mediocre Vietnamese food), a homeless woman came up to us, asked us for money, asked us for money, we gave her a Roti drumstick — she took a bite of the drumstick, said «ew», AND PUT IT BACK IN MY PLATE. All of this without any concern from the staff.
Needless to say, I walked out of there immediately, and am never going back.

This vegan spot is very close to SJSU, which is convenient for a quick lunch. The place is very compact with a few narrow seatings along the food line and few tables for outside seating. I tried the bamboo noodle soup and stir-​fried chow mein. The food was a little salty, but good flavor overall. The chow mein had lots of tofu, wish they added some mushrooms. The price is decent $ 7 – 7.50 for very good portion. Overall, friendly service, good food, but the place needs to be a little cleaner.

Great spot for lunch in the downtown area. Excellent food, large portions, and very affordable. Not to mention, the couple who operate the place are super friendly and accommodating to their customers. Yes, it’s a hole-​in-​wall kind of place, but these are the gems that I look in eateries in downtown SJ.
I always get the Bun Hue soup and it is super delicious (not mention healthy) at an affordable price. Again, such a gem in downtown!

I have been going to this place for the past four years and it takes good every time. I bring friends and family, too.
It is close to transit. There are bus stops, bike parking, and car parking. The sidewalk is wide for street seating in front of Tofoo Com Chay.
I like the Phở and sandwiches. There is so many choices to try and the prices are great. It is compact, so be aware personal space is limited.

I give three stars for the place itself. But four stars for the food. Really enjoyed my vegan vermicelli salad.
It is a little whole in the wall. Parties for two would be best. Only one table that seats four and it’s outside. Parking is so so as well. I’d still come back.

Here I am in San Jose, my first time in California and it’s 100 degrees outside. After seeing all the reviews, I’ve decided to check out this place. I’m staying downtown and even though it looks close on the Unilocal map, it’s far. Like a good 25 — 30 minute walk from 1^st st.
Now there’s a lot of hype about this place and granted I am not a vegetarian. The food is OK. I don’t think the owners speak much English. My «for here» turned into a «to go» box and the evil eye. Also, microwaving my food in a plastic box… not sure how I feel about that.
Based on suggestions, I got the drumstick. I got one (a single piece) and I ordered 3 items with brown rice (and technically, not brown. It’s white sushi rice with wild rice that stains the white). I tried to get the basil tofu but they’re sold out. So I try the eggplant, decent but very oily — that isn’t new. Most Asian dishes with eggplant tend to be oily. And the last was this sweet and sour tofu.
I am disappointed and I trekked over here, still on Eastern time and ready to devour my way out of a camel. It was edible and OMG so cheap. $ 7 including all taxes… it does cater to the student population, which I assume are plenty here. It’s always busy though, so they must be doing something right or there are just a lot of wannabe vegetarians… I mean fake meat…
Other tips, no AC, small seating area and fairly salty but I’m quite sensitive to that.

I have been meaning to come to Tofoo Com Chay for the past few years since SJSU is super close to here, and I finally decided one day for lunch to give this place a try! I was craving spring rolls, but when I walked inside, I was so impressed by how many delicious-​looking items there were to choose from!
What caught my eye was the egg plant and braised bean curds with brown rice. Everything came out to be only $ 6 for so much food! I was so impressed with the portions here. The food was too oily for my liking, and the brown rice was hard as well. The taste of the braised bean curds made up for everything that was lacking though!
One thing, I wished they did not have to microwave the food in front of the customers. Maybe this is snob side of me talking, but shouldn’t the food already be hot in the display case? And this also makes me question how fresh the food really is. At least warm up the food somewhere else.
Basically, come here for the portions and cheap price!

I found out about this place when I was studying at San Jose State. The food is very affordable for college-​budget lifestyle. For somebody who is extremely foreign to vegetarian food, I learned so much and opened my mind about the world of vegetarian cuisine after eating here. I didn’t know that there is vegetarian chicken, pork and beef! I didn’t know that there is such thing as vegetarian fish sauce. Wahhh?
Location (⁴⁄₅): The restaurant has limited parking. You will have to rely on street parkings or park at the nearby Vietnamese restaurant. You can also try street parking on San Fernando Street or nearby university garages.
Service (⁵⁄₅): The owner and everyone here are so friendly! He once shared that he wakes up everyday around 6am to cook all the food. So, you never have to question about the freshness of all dishes here. I saw so many people come in for togo food. There are also outdoor and indoor seats for those who want to eat here.
Food (⁵⁄₅): I LOVE the food here! I’m a full-​time meat appreciator and man this place converted me. I always come here for their rice dish and the marinated bean curd skin. LOVE it! Another favorite dish is the bun bo hue. It can be on a slightly spicy side, but it’s so tasty! If you want something different, I highly recommend the bamboo soup. The flavor is so intense that guarantees to blow your palette!
Please come here if you are looking for a vegetarian restaurant with affordable price and high quality food!

Delicious vegetarian food «fast food» style. The items are displayed in the counter, some items (ex: soup, noodles) can be made to order.
Everything is pretty affordable, a little greasy but good. Price ranges from $ 3 to $ 10.
Space is very VERY limited inside for seating, roughly 10 seats max.
CASH ONLY and service is friendly. Will definitely return.

This is a hole in the wall place, but it was actually really good! Who thought vegetarian Vietnamese food could actually be so tasty?! First off, this place is pretty small with three small tables inside and three outside. It’s really a kind of run down place, but don’t be fooled! You order up front (cash only) and just wait for your food to come to you!
I got the vegetarian Bun Bo Hue and I shared a spring roll with my friend. The spring roll was so refreshing and so good! It’s definitely a snack for the spring time to beat the heat. Now, onto the Bun Bo Hue, the portion was huge! I’m paying about $ 7-​$ 8 for a large bowl, which was great! The soup was so delicious! I have no idea how they were able to make a vegetarian broth that tasted so meaty. Their imitation meat was great also! It tasted like meat, but it wasn’t meat. I was having a veggie phrase while I tried out this place so I was super excited and happy when I tried it out. Everything in that bowl was really good though. They did a really good job in making it and it’s so delicious. Since it’s a vegetarian dish, it felt really light in the stomach, unlike the piles of meat in the actual Bun Bo Hue or any types of noodle soup. I didn’t feel bloated from the soup either! It was a great experience.
Overall, I will definitely be back. It’s a little further from where I would go for lunch, but I think I would make it an exception whenever I am craving something vegetarian! The price is reasonable and the good is phở-​nomenal! Highly recommend!

I don’t normally give out 1 stars… but Tofoo really let me down.
After seeing all of the positive reviews on Unilocal,I finally convinced my meat-​eating friend to join me for vegetarian phở! Being a pescatarian, ain’ nobody know how hard it is to get some meat-​free phở around here. Also, Tofoo is in the Viet part of SJ and all of the great reviews must mean its legitimacy is still untarnished, right? WRONG.
I got the famous spicy bun bo hue and was totally turned off by the lack of flavor and alternative «meats» being used. The noodles weren’t even like normal phở noodles and the soup was definitely oily like a lot of other skeptics have pointed out. The spicyness was at a great level, but that doesn’t make up for the lack of yummy quality in the noodles. I was, to say the least, disappointed. ALSO my friend and I sat outside and were approached by two homeless people all throughout our meal… so that didn’t contribute to our dining experience.
Trust me, Tofoo is nothing special. Unless you’re super desperate for vegetarian/​vegan Vietnamese food at cheap prices… I’d say don’t even consider coming here. AND THIS is coming from a Unilocaler who is obsessed with cheap prices and legit Viet food. Nothing to see here, so move on.