If you are an expat or passing traveller in Da Nang, there is no doubt you have heard about the vibrant, welcoming, and delicious restaurant Loving Vegan. With its extensive menu offering large portions of tasty and high-quality Vietnamese and western dishes at local prices, the restaurant is usually buzzing with both expats and Vietnamese. The menu serves dishes such as the most delicious BBQ Cauliflower wings with their very own homemade mayo that seriously tastes like mayo, to the largest bowl of My Quang filled with tasty surprises, Loving Vegan will always have you leaving satisfied and full. After visiting the restaurant practically every day, I got the urge to find out the story behind the owner's impressive menu and smile, so my translator and I interviewed Dong over some tra da.
The owner of Loving Vegan, Mai Van Dong, was born in Hong Kong in 1991. His family migrated to Vietnam when he was very young. I began asking Dong about where his vegan influences originated from, and whether he has been a vegan for long. He told me that his mother is a practicing Buddhist and worked out at the sea while he was growing up. She believed that by her family practicing a vegetarian diet, Buddha would bless and keep them safe and healthy during her trips out to sea, and her family's new life in Vietnam. So, since Dong was 8 years old, he has been vegetarian. Today, Dong is a vegan and has been since 2009.
The journey to opening Loving Vegan has been a challenging one for Dong, who had originally hoped to go to university. He explained a little about that experience for him; ‘I took the exam to go to university twice. The first time I didn't achieve enough points, and the second time my father passed away very close to the day I had to do the exam, so I felt as though I could not take the exam at that time. Due to this, I didn't go to university in the end, I started working. I worked in Hoi An for two years, and from 2009 I began working in kitchens in Da Nang’. This ignited a fire in Dong, who opened the doors of Loving Vegan in May 2019.
We spoke about vegetarian culture in Vietnam, and Dong explained that vegetarianism is deeply ingrained here. In Vietnam, for 4 days every month following the lunar calendar, you eat vegan food. Also, due to the large community of Buddhists in Vietnam, a lot of people follow vegetarian Buddhist diets. According to the statistics on The Association of Southeast Asian Nations website, ‘there are currently about 11 million Buddhist followers, more than 17,000 pagodas, nearly 47,000 Buddhist monks, 04 Buddhist Institutes, 09 Buddhist Colleges and 31 Buddhist training schools in Viet Nam.’ Dong spoke of how veganism is becoming increasingly mainstream in Vietnam. He said, ‘veganism is very popular now, the younger generation nowadays have changed their minds about eating a vegan lifestyle, because it has been proven to them to be good for the environment and health.’
We spoke of Dong's relationship with veganism and what it means to him. Dong believes that since he has become vegan, he's been eating better food, and isn't consuming any products from animals at all, which aside from not supporting the cruelty of the animal farming industry, he is also becoming more conscious about sustainability. He believes that a vegan lifestyle goes beyond food, saying ‘veganism is good for our health, but it also has to be about caring about the environment, we have to use less plastic or whatever we can replace and search for the best methods possible to generate the least amount of waste.’ This has been implemented in Loving Vegan, through the use of glass straws, compostable takeaway boxes, and tissue made from bamboo, which is easier and quicker for nature to decompose.
I spoke to Dong about the marriage between western and Asian food on his menu and why he chose to provide both cuisines. Dong expressed, ‘when it came to opening the restaurant, I didn't think about profit mainly, to be honest, some of the ingredients that come from the western cuisine I serve are very expensive. However, I try to make it a reasonable price for both Vietnamese and foreigners because I want to convey the message of eating vegan food to as many people as possible, at an affordable price.’ So yeah, basically Dong is the best person ever, and he's not lying. From cocoa smoothie bowls covered in seeds, fruit, and coconut, to stacked cheese and coleslaw toasties, to my favourite dish- teriyaki tofu, everything on the menu costing below $3. There is something for everyone, at a low cost.
To finish, I asked Dong was there any specific message that he wished to share with people who visit his restaurant. He nodded, and said the following, ‘nowadays the environment is a large global issue, people should know that eating vegan food is one of the most powerful ways to protect our environment, and I wish to convey the message to people to consider eating vegan more often to help to look after our planet. Also, by eating a vegan diet we treat both people and animals equally.’ Dongs message speaks for itself, and by visiting Loving Vegan, you can do just that, AND experience delicious food at a seriously affordable price. From the first time, I stepped into the restaurant, to the last time I visited- I have felt nothing but fulfillment. The service, food, price, and people are top class. Thank you Dong for your open heart, honesty, and providing us with absolutely banging vegan food!
Loving Vegan's address: 202 Đỗ Bá, Bắc Mỹ Phú, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
References
Thanks Katie, great interview & insights into the amazing restaurant proprietor, his background and reasons for going fully vegan. Hope I get to enjoy his food one day.xx