Chay Restaurant

I adore Vietnamese food, but as a veg*n, it's difficult to be assured that your dishes are veg*n in traditional Vietnamese restaurants. I am so very thankful for Chay, as it is absolutely delicious and fabulous. However, there is no online ordering just old-fashioned call it in. Please note that they prioritize the dining room cooking over carry out, but, if you go during a very busy time, you'll probably be better off calling in your order and picking it up up. The restaurant is not gigantic, but it's not tiny. It's a good size, but, veg*n Vietnamese makes folks come a running', so the place can feel smaller than it is. What to order on the menu? All the things! We went for the papaya salad, which was the biggest serving at a restaurant for this dish, ever. I jest not nor speak in hyperbole - there was so much food! This is true for ALL the dishes, even the mango sticky rice where I feel like the serving of the pandan sticky rice was twice as much as other establishments. They have so many delicious dishes, I can't wait to go back for more. They have fried rice, fried noodles, soup noodles like pho and others, vermicelli platters, spring and summer rolls, papaya and other salads, tofu dishes, vegetable dishes (like bok choy or string beans), and many other dishes. I'll probably be back vey soon! See you there! Updated from previous review on 2025-08-14

Literally incredible for everyone, and then even more so if you’re a fellow veggie/vegan. I’ve eaten in so many major cities and Chay is a top 5 spot over 10+ years of traveling, and hands down my favorite spot in the food-rich DMV. The flavors are so unified and cohesive (and fragrant!!), quality is 5/5 every time, portions are generous as is the service, and the creativity of the vegan chef(s) is genuinely unmatched. Wish I could ship everything to my home city. Eat here as much as you can. Thank you for existing Chay!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I had the best experience at Chay with my family. While we did have to wait a little over 30 mins, the food was delicious and the menu options were spectacular. We had the Bun Bo Hue, Thit Kho, Bi Chay Rolls, and Fried Wontons. The owner and staff were friendly and inviting, made an effort to get to know us, and even made great recommendations.

Can’t wait to come back here again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Speaking as a Vietnamese person, this is the best vegan food I’ve ever eaten (and I’ve eaten chay food in Vietnam). The portions are generous, the food is very flavorful and varied, and the presentation is amazing! I recommend the chicken curry with banh mi and the bun mam platter. Staff is always super nice and genuine. Cannot find better in the DMV!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food here is very disappointing. Too simple for how much they’re charging. Employees are nice so is the atmosphere. But I didn’t come to a restaurant for that. Will not be returning.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

Absolutely delicious!! This is one of our go to spots! Thit kho is my favorite!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Imperial Mango Salad

Amazing food. The Pho Deluxe is a must try!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a great time dining here tonight. The owner and his wife were very friendly and welcoming. Service was excellent and quick. Food came out pretty rapidly. We had the Clam Dip (highly recommended), crispy noodles and lemongrass tofu.
Everything was great and we will be back again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was outstanding. Everything was fresh and cooked to order. Delicious doesn’t do it justice; everything we had was that good - summer rolls with carrots, peppers, greens and avocado; Singapore noodles with crunchy green beans and fresh mushrooms and vermicelli noodles with cucumbers, carrots, tofu and a generous helping of peanuts and fried onions.
In addition to the food, the servers were very friendly and accommodating and eager to please.
All in all, an excellent place to enjoy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Loved this vegetarian Vietnamese spot! The food was amazing, and the service made the experience even better. The staff was super friendly, attentive, and gave thoughtful recommendations that really added to our visit.
We tried a few appetizers based on their suggestions – the Chay Nuggets were decent, but the Grilled Chay Rolls were excellent! (Fun note: someone at the next table ordered three plates of those, so clearly they’re a hit.)

For mains, we had the Banh Mi sandwich, spicy noodle soup, vegan crispy fried noodles, shaky beef, and Thai basil chicken — and honestly, every single dish was packed with flavor. You can tell they really care about how everything tastes.

Dessert was a bit of a miss for us — the mango sticky rice felt a bit dry and the Thai tea was just okay — but the food overall more than made up for it.

The space itself is cozy with lovely decor, and there’s plenty of parking. They don’t take reservations and the dining area is small, so be prepared for a little wait — but it’s totally worth it.

Definitely going back, and we’re excited about their new location opening in Chantilly around Thanksgiving!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Friendly staff.

Food was good.

There was enough parking too

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My wife and I absolutely loved Chay! Probably the best vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine we’ve had in the area (and we’ve had quite a bit!) and definitely the restaurant with the most diverse vegetarian options!! Among other dishes, we tried and loved the shaky beef, lemongrass drummettes, Nem nuong rolls, and two different vermicelli (banh hoi) platters (S2 and S5). Would strongly recommend them all, particularly getting the platters, which provide an array of delicious options. We also had the specialty jasmine green Thai tea, which was perfectly done. The owners (Lan and Thi, I believe) were quite friendly and gracious, and the service was excellent and fast. They noted that they create all of the fake meats in-house, which is quite impressive. We’ll definitely be returning soon!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We tried Chay for the first time and shared several vegan dishes including the Beef and Broccoli, the Vegetable Delight with tofu, and the clam dip with rice crackers appetizer. The clam dip was quite tasty and very different than any other vegan seafood dishes we've tried at other restaurants. The other two dishes, which we've had at several other Asian restaurants in the area, were fine but not necessarily better. Though, in fairness, we were impressed by the beautiful presentation of all of the dishes on our plates. All of the servers were very attentive and welcoming. Portions were generous and reasonably priced. We would recommend that one try to visit at an off time, as the dining area is small and reservations are not accepted.

Kind people serving good food. This is one of our regular places to eat — so good and the service is incredible, even when packed! Dumpling soup is so yummy on a cold day and their Chay fried tofu is AMAZING! Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

appreciate this place exists!