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Andy Nguyen's Vegetarian
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Vegan Vietnamese, Vegetarian, Vegan [Edit]
2007 BroadwaySacramento, CA 95818
(916) 736-1157
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
303 reviews for Andy Nguyen's Vegetarian
Review Highlights
-
"Try the treasure rolls, and the wraps." In 14 reviews -
"Cousin #4: Can we try the Limitless Compassion." In 9 reviews -
"Tempura fries are great too." In 11 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
303 reviews in English
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Review from Shane T.
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Mothers day brought me to Andy's for my first time. It wasn't until after I arrived I found out this place is vegetarian. As a passionate carnivore I panicked and started feeling nauseous. The thought of not having some sort of beef, chicken, or pork sadly made my stomach turn.
After sifting through the menu and ordering a flavorful Thai Iced Tea I decided I would find something basic. All of the Earth people plates I saw looked appetizing across the room. In addition my company ordered salad and the other ordered soup with meat looking substances. I ordered garlic pan fried noodles with pepper off the menu special board. Wishing I had some great tips from Yelp I checked in and actually got a 10 percent discount. Things were looking up from here.
I just didn't have the courage to try the meat (beef) looking specimens. The noodles I must say were perfectly prepared and tasted delicious. I ate every bit of them with my chopsticks. Prior to that I did eat one of the fresh spring rolls. It was tasty with sauce added from the side dish. The spring roll made me literally feel lighter as if I could float. I felt cleanly and what it was like to eat healthfully. Almost like eating a noodle and saw-grass wrap I quite at just one roll since I was hungry and I still hadn't got over no meat in my diet this afternoon.
Ultimately I would go back but the price point was expensive. My dish in its entirety might have cost less than a dollar with all its ingredients, however they charged $8.50. Normally I would not have a problem with this should the amount represent the value. At the end of this dish don't expect any leftovers to take home. Sadly I left with a curbed appetite hungry for more. No wonder most Earth people are not overweight. -
Review from Diana T.
FOOD - 3 stars. Meat lovers won't be stranded here if you like mushrooms and tofu. The texture is similar to black or portobello mushrooms, meaty.
Awakening of Faith, $9, good but tofu and/or mushroom toppings were a but scarce, see photo.
Peaceful Existence Curry Clay Pot $10, would not recommend. Unflavorful for curry, it had one large potato sliced in half and the half piece was still too large. It comes with two fried round balls of I dont know what exactly (they call it the soy chicken drumstick) but it was good. However the curry in itself just wasnt flavorful. It looked and tasted like yellow water.
SERVICE - 4 stars. Ask for Chanel to serve you to get great friendly service! Asian girl I had just was NOT friendly whatsoever.
VALUE - 4 stars. I just REALLY appreciate seeing menus that shows whole dollars. I think it shows sophistication and honesty? LOL! Its kind of like Ellen Degeneres' commercial for JCP where when they charge .99 cents for something; it makes you feel like duh, really? Does the subliminal message of seeing the lower dollar number really work? Not on me. 90% of the items priced are under $10.
AMBIENCE - 3 stars. Its ok but table and chairs could use some updating and signs above the counter gives it a more casual feel than it should.
OVERALL - 3 stars. I like my veggies. I really do; but Ive had better vegan and vegetarian food elsewhere. Food was fresh and thats a plus BUT their receipe on a few dishes could be a lot better. Ok, but not sure if I would make specific plans to return.
Yelpers check in to get 10% off.
Reading this? please vote below or comment. Thanks! -
Review from Irma A.
Folsom, CA
4/29/2012
This was our 2nd visit to Andy Nguyen's Vegetarian restaurant and we left with full & happy bellies just like the 1st time. Coming here on a Sunday night was a good idea because it's not as busy and our food came out pretty quick. This is a restaurant that doesn't look pretty, but don't judge a book by its cover! If you are a veggie lover, this place is perfect! And if you want to simply try something new and healthy, then you must go here!
We had the Buddha Rolls to start with, and we tried one of their daily specials a shot which were Tofu Tacos that resembled carnita tacos and were delicious! We also shared the Eight Fold Path Salad, and it was so light and filled with so much flavor. Asian sesame dressing was great! And we didn't stop there! My fiancé had the Patience Noodle soup, which is the faux Pho soup. She's always wanted to try it since I get the beef pho quite often, and she loved it. I tried this veggie Pho myself, and it deals very similar in taste but had lots of great vegetables, tofu, and soy meats. Yummy! And I tried the Awakening Mind Chow Fun and yum! So much better, tastier, and healthier than a Chinese chow fun by far. I will never order a greasy chow fun from a Chinese restaurant again! Their veggie chow fun had so much flavor, and plenty of vegetables that I loved.
The last time we came here we had the Crispy Lotus rolls and the Tempura Pepper Flake Okra... Both were amazing! -
Review from Shery Y.
Sacramento, CA
5/25/2012
This place is soooo good. I am not a vegetarian but if I could eat at Andy Nguyen's everyday, it wouldn't be hard to convert. I loved everything about this place. The service is great, the appetizers, dish, and desert! YUMMM, I highly recommend.
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Review from Mother F.
Sacramento, CA
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
What happened? I love Andy Nguyens, fake meat is one of my main cravings (along with cheese, chocolate, and fried anything) but this trip was not at all up to par with my previous visits. I paid for extra ham in my Peaceful Existence, but didn't get it and all of the veggies were crudely chopped AND undercooked. My Treasure Rolls weren't as good as usual either. No flavors seemed consistent with what I'm used to. Kinda bummed about it really. If this would've been my first visit instead of my tenth, I don't know if there would be a second. :(
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Review from Julie Ann T.
Sacramento, CA
4/25/2012
Totally amazing and wonderful- I am totally amazed at their awesome skills with vegan & vegetarian foods- the food is phenomenal and I would love to know their secrets to making their food sooooo amazing!
This is fantastic Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten Free cooking- we work effortlessly to make our food taste like this!!! -
Review from Ron R.
Sacramento, CA
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
First off, let me confess that I'm not a vegetarian. Our friends had a Groupon deal for Andy Nguyen's, so we went along. However, I did go to UC Santa Cruz, so vegetarian food is not totally foreign. Overall, the meal was good, but not memorable. The lack of wine or beer on the menu was certainly a negative from my perspective.
We started with the Budda Tacos and Treasure Rolls as appetizers. The Budda Tacos were probably the best part of the whole meal. Small, but very tasty. The Treasure Rolls were okay and I liked the peanut dipping sauce. A good start to the meal.
I had the Ten Thousand Buddha's Vietnamese Bistro Burger with the side of tempura fries. The burger was about what I'd expect from a veggie burger--certainly In n Out doesn't have anything to worry about here. The fries were very good--very crisp and not over-cooked. My wife had the Love of Life soup, which she enjoyed. I had a taste of it, and the veggies were well cooked and not soggy. I wasn't crazy about the broth however. Just personal preference.
The service was very good, and probably got them the third star in my review. The wait staff was attentive and helpful. Service was fast, even on a Saturday night. Would I go back? Sure, and I'd definitely order the tacos again. I think I'll constrain my burger orders to the meat serving restaurants however. -
Review from Caio M.
Sacramento, CA
4/22/2012
I love this place. Even though I am not a vegetarian, I find the food delicious. If you want to eat some tasty healthy food, this is the place for you. However, if you are not adventurous or dislike ethnic food, then you should go somewhere else. I always take my (more sophisticated) friends from out of town there, and they love it. Nice staff, great food, laid back environment. One of my fav places in Sac.
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Review from R R.
Antelope, CA
4/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Get a noodle bowl for $8.50. That is all the food you will need :)
The desserts are also really good. I love the ice cream dish. -
Review from Ashley D.
San Jose, CA
1/4/2012
I was actually dining with Sophia T and she described all of the events perfectly. I'm still appalled at the service our waitress provided- if you could even call it service. I just think it's RUDEness.
I can understand being a little slow with our orders, but...
1) Not checking up on us
2) Another table ordered the same dish waaaay after us and got their dish first. Uh....
3) Forgetting our order and not apologizing
4) Not being able to calculate our groupon and bill and being ridiculously rude to us about it. "Do you need me to explain THIS to you?" WTF.
5) Taking forever to give us the correct amount of to-go boxes
However, the other waiter looked apologetic about the whole thing.
But..I don't care how good the food is- I'm never coming back ever again. It's really too bad since we were all excited to try this place out. -
Review from Rosa D.
Hayward, CA
12/27/2011
O to the M to the G. Best vegetarian restaurant ever. Anyone who thinks differently, can eat a piece of chicken leg!
Seriously, their food is so flavorful and meaty while remaining meatless. Their chicken skewers (soy skewers) are so delicious. They may look like meat, but definitely don't taste like meat. Unless you hate the site of anything meat-looking, then of course, you may not enjoy.
Their spring rolls, thai iced tea, anything in a clay pot, soy with cashews and many more dishes are delicious. They have so many options...so many healthy options for everyone's tasting.
Try them if you're not the picky, non-adventurous, boring vegetarian.
The only bad thing is they don't have any locations in the Bay Area - they're only in Sacramento. -
Review from Amy J.
Sacramento, CA
12/20/2011
So. Unbelievably. GOOD. If a restaurant can do veggie food well, I give them huge props-- I think it's probably challenging to find a way to get food tasting good without the aid of butter, cheese, and other savory flavor-ers. Er, you know what I mean.
We ate our dinner family-style, sharing a salad to start, then the two entrees plus brown rice. The portions were not large-- I'm glad we ordered the salad, because otherwise I might have left hungry. As it was, there were no leftovers. The food was so good that I wanted to lick the plate, but my Heloise-like manners kept me from that. That, and the fact that I was in public.
The salad, called Eight Fold Path, was fresh, crisp, and flavored with just the right amount of sweet sesame dressing. It looked like an explosion of colors, and those colors tasted good. Our entrees: the slightly spicy, nutty-sweet Supreme Wisdom, and the light curry-like Dharma Seed. Lots of stir-fried veggies, crisp tofu, amazing sauces, unreal flavors. The names sound a little silly here on Yelp, but they fit in with the Zen that is Andy Nguyen's.
Will definitely be back. Will definitely fantasize about the food until then.Listed in: Bragosaurus, On Repeat
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Review from margaret t.
Sacramento, CA
2/12/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I've been a couple of times and I really love Andy Nguyen's because I'm a vegetarian and I can eat anything on the menu without having to modify anything. Actually, that's both good and bad. It's good because, like I said, anything goes. But it also sucks because I can never make up my mind! There's too much going on.
The first time i came, I got the patience noodles. It's basically vegetarian pho and it was amazing. I thought the broth was seasoned well and the portion was relatively big. It wasn't as spicy as I would have liked though. I also had the treasure rolls, which are essentially spring rolls. They had rice noodles with fake soy meat, herbs, and veggies accompanied with a peanut dipping sauce. It's a must try! The boyfriend got the peaceful existence clay pot. It was two balls of fake chicken in curry with veggies. He thought it was okay and pretty filling.
The second time I visited, I brought my little sister along. We opted for the lunch menu which is a total deal. I tried the peaceful curry- soy meat and veggies in yellow curry and she had the universal love- soy chicken with vegetables in a lemongrass sauce. It came with rice, soup, and salad, and by the time we finished it all, we were both in a food coma.
Service can be pretty slow at times, but they're always friendly. I like how serene and calm the restaurant was and how the names of the entrees matched that atmosphere. You should def. give this a try. FYI- you get 10% off the bill if you check in on yelp! Utilize that discount and order some treasure rolls! -
Review from Paul B.
Sacramento, CA
12/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
My partner and I came here for dinner last night. I hadn't been here in years, ten or fifteen years ago, when this place was still a Vietnamese diner style place. Now it's trying to be a fine dining establishment. They should have stayed with their strengths.
We ordered five items, plus iced coffee: Treasure Rolls, Soft Garden Rolls, Patience Noodle Soup, Ten Thousand Buddhas (soy beef burger), and the Supreme Wisdom (mixed veggies and tofu in peanut sauce).
The place is small, but nearly every seat was taken. The vibe is modern and hip, but there were only two people working the front of the house, and we waited several minutes before we were even acknowledged. From there, we were seated right away at the furthest front corner table from the door, which I liked. Had the shades been up, we could have watched the traffic on Broadway, but no matter.
The person who seated us did not take our drink order, and we waited ten minutes before our waiter came by to take our order, then twenty minutes before the first roll arrived. The food came out in waves after that: soup, second rolls, entrees.
The Soft Garden Rolls were excellent, nicely flavored and the dipping sauce was very good. I enjoyed the texture, and we gobbled them up.
The soup was also excellent, with noodles that weren't too soft, the soy "meats" were surprisingly good, and the vegetables tender without being mushy. The flavor of the broth was delicious, subtle and complex.
The Treasure Rolls were also fantastic, and the peanut sauce was flavorful and tangy; the crispy soy "ham" had a smoky bacony flavor that was startlingly good.
But then the entrees came out.
I was so excited because the rolls and soup were so good, but the entrees were beyond disappointing: they were downright bad. My dish, the veggies in peanut sauce, which is similar to a Thai praram, had this unbearably bitter note to it that lingered in my mouth for almost an hour after dining. I couldn't quite identify where it came from, but it made the dish very unpalatable.
The Ten Thousand Buddhas was supposed to be a soy "beef" burger, but it looked like a cheap chicken patty that you might find under a gas station's heat lamps. My partner didn't even eat half of it. It was pink on the inside, almost like raw chicken, even though we know it was soy. It was profoundly disappointing.
The people in the front of the house were moving in slow motion, too, even though the place was packed. If I were a waiter in what is supposed to be the premier Vietnamese Vegetarian restaurant in town, I'd be moving like a tornado, checking up on patrons. It was impossible to flag down one of them until they brought the check. Thankfully, I had a Yelp Check-in offer on my phone for a 10 percent discount, because I'd have been fuming otherwise.
As it was, I can't recommend any of the entrees, as they were just about the worst Vietnamese dishes I've ever encountered. Even worse than that terrible Slanted Door-owned place in the Downtown San Francisco Shopping Centre, and that's going far.
The rolls and the soup were outstanding, though, which is why this place gets the two stars it does get. -
Review from Jessica T.
Sacramento, CA
12/9/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Something changed with the Peaceful Existence Clay Pot. It used to be a spicy pot of delicious comfort and now it's all brothy. I just end up with watery yellow rice and a hint of the flavor that used to knock my socks off. Maybe if I'd never eaten there before, it wouldn't be so disappointing but when you know what the kitchen is capable of and then end up with something that's mediocre, it's a bummer. I now dub thee "Sadness Clay Pot".
What would have been a 4, is a 3 due to the Sadness Clay Pot and some other minor entree issues. However, what would have originally been a 5 was knocked down to a 4 because the service leaves a little something to be desired. The kitchen tends to be slow, which I'm fine with since it's all fresh stuff, but I would like to see the server from time to time if I'm going to be sitting there for a while. Also, once the food comes, it's rare to see the server again until they drop the bill.
The soup is always a good choice, my favorite being the Patience Noodle. It's spicy, sweet, gingery, fresh and has tons of noodles, veg and fakey meaties. I've always been happy with the apps, from fresh spring rolls to meat substitute ribs (they're surprisingly tasty). This is really good vegetarian food but could use a little polish. -
Review from Newton L.
11/3/2011
This isn't a just good vegetarian restaurant. It's a good overall restaurant. The dishes are prepared with care, with good presentation, freshness, and flavor.
As someone who is native Vietnamese, seeing Vietnamese dishes prepared with some innovation is refreshing. Still unmistakably Vietnamese, the dishes add the restaurant's own personal flair rather than rehashing the same recipes over and over again. Even the names are innovative, adding a whimsical character to the place. Overall, the theme works, and probably makes the food taste better than it already is.
As a huge meat eater, the lack of meat in this case didn't leave me longing. Actually, the dishes were quite satisfying and I may have enjoyed my mongolian "beef" more than the mongolian (real) beef at other places. Quite remarkable. Also, Vietnamese food typically gets its characteristic taste through the use of fish sauce, but somehow they were able to capture the flavors without it. It's an absolute miracle!
Service was also excellent. The spiky-haired skinny fella with the jade pendant was top-notch and deserves a big Christmas bonus. :) -
Review from Helen H.
12/7/2011 4 photos
I was trying to exemplify what the menu said- patience. Even so, I was a little more than irritated when our waiter took the orders from two different tables that came in after us. The food also took a while to come out. My friend and I were here for about an hour and half.
Our entrees came out before our appetizer. The waiter told us the cooks were running behind.
My friend ordered 'Love of Life'. Her soup was supposed to have udon but they used another type of noodle instead. I liked the vegetable broth but didn't care for the rest of it.
I ordered 'Limitless Compassion' (spicy Mongolian beef sautéed w/ crown top broccoli, red onions, bell peppers & black truffle oil). It was good but not as good as real meat.
My entrée didn't come with rice either. It was an extra $2 for organic brown rice or jasmine rice.
Organic Maha Mushrooms: The blue oyster shitake mushrooms were big. The sesame seeds, panko bread crumbs and tempura made them extra crispy. The sesame soy citrus dipping sauce added flavor since the mushrooms themselves didn't have a lot of flavor.
Thankfully, I was able to make room for dessert. The fried banana ice cream (drizzled with chocolate syrup and sprinkled with crushed peanuts) can probably be shared between 4 people. It was a simple yet satisfying.Listed in: Asian Food
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Review from Liza L.
Folsom, CA
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Vegetarian? Moi?I walked in the door last Sunday with shrimp and grilled chicken on my mind but what I got was a vegetarian only menu. Ok, I'm flexible...I can swing it. I ordered the Buddah Spring Roll and I can honestly say that it was the BEST Spring Roll I had ever tasted. The sauce had to have some kind of gastronomic crack in it! Every dip was orgasmic! It was almost like spring roll porn! haha....ok, so next was the Dragon Bowl. This consisted of shitaki mushrooms, tofu, carrots and other veggies. We had this dish solo - NO rice! Yeah, you heard me... NO rice! It was PERFECT! The flavors were savory and the dish was very filling for two people. Yum!
Andy Nguyen's is a must if you're in the area! All the positive reviews are dead on! Order that crazy delicious Buddah Roll and be ready for a cigarette followed by a nice nap. Its that amazing! -
Review from Magnolia C.
Sacramento, CA
1/7/2012
I don't give a flying f#%k how busy you are... It's ridiculous that we waited over 35 mins to get our food, and the remainder of the time waving our hands in the air for some attention. Even when it came to paying the tab they were nowhere to be found. Wake up!!!
Food was alright... Edible. We got the appetizer sampler ($15) and the dragon clay pot ($11). IMHO... Quite expensive for a bunch of veggies. The clay pot was extremely salty.
Blahhh. Will not return. -
Review from Darina H.
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had a groupon or living social deal for Andy Nguyen and given that I have never been to this restaurant before, I thought I would try it. I went on a Friday night and boy was it busy. We arrived around 6 PM and it looked like almost every single table was filled. We grabbed a table by the door (a small mistake since it was freezing that night and when people came in and out, the freeze would come along with it).
The menu is superb and I loved all the cool names given to each appetizer and entry. It all looked fabulous and we probably could have tried everything and anything. The smells that came out of the kitchen was amazing and we knew that whatever we ordered would be great!
For appetizers, we ordered the buddha Rolls: Infused lemongrass shitake mushroom, rice noodle, Asian herbs, red onions, carrots & daikon wrapped in rice paper. Served w/ a soy ginger dipping sauce. Delicious!!!
For my entree I ordered the Dharma Seed: Mixed vegetable sauteed w/ coconut sauce, served w/ sesame breaded firm tofu. The veggies were wonderful but I wish I had more because it was so good. The firm tofu was breaded just perfectly!
In the midst of it all, my fiance's order either was forgotten or they were just super busy because I got my entree about 10-15 minutes before he did and we were waiting for quite some time. I had to ask another waitress (who wasn't serving us) to inquire about the status of my fiance's order. It wasn't until we said something that they brought it out.
Ambiance: 5 stars
Food: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Good food but wish the service was a little better. -
Review from Laura R.
Sacramento, CA
10/17/2011
Whether a vegetarian, vegan, or meat-lover, if you're craving something a little different, try this place.
Personally, I fall into the meat-lover category, but I don't miss it and I don't leave hungry when I eat here. One of my favorites is the Treasure Roll, which is a Thai-style rice paper roll made with soy shrimp and a very tasty peanut sauce. The veggies taste very fresh, and you won't miss real shrimp.
Another favorite is the Ten Thousand Buddha's soy burger. It has some heat to hit, a little on the spicy side in a very good way. And it's served with tempura fries that are crispy and out of this world!
Definitely check out the fresh-squeezed juice blends here. They're really fabulous and made exclusively with fresh fruits and veggies. Yum!
Although the service is really slow on the way out (you have to practically beg them for the check), I find that getting the food is fast enough and at least the service is with a smile. -
Review from Vonda R.
3/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I have frequented this establishment at least a dozen times and have always walked away content. Yes, the service can be on the slow side on occasion, but it's worth it to me since the food is SO good!
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Review from Kachet J.
Sacramento, CA
11/13/2011
It's been 40 minutes since I sat down and I'm still waiting for my food.
If I werent anxious to use this Living Social deal so I'd never have to come here again, I'd get up and leave.
So disappointed. -
Review from Tina M.
Sacramento, CA
12/5/2011
Arrival: around 4 pm
Poor staff response
slow to clean tables
my sweet and sour soup was SWEET! but not sour *sadness
we came before a couple and the couple's to go food was done before our (negative score)
this shift of staff (i guess because they were tired) slacked off--we got our food after more than 30 minutes of waiting at table, got our water about 15-20 minutes after we were seated--didn't want to order a drink due to poor response for requests.
sadly, the waitperson did not fully represent the service & quality for A.N.V.
plus, at least they seem to have done it (better representation of A.N.V.) for the next sit-in guests after us (a larger party) -
Review from Tri V.
The food here is good. The prices are high. Depending on certain items you order the portions are small. I always order the enlightened mind rolls and you should trust me and try it. You will see the name is befitting. The noodle soups are on par or a little less than the other vege pho places (Huong Sen, Noble Vegetarian). They opened my eyes with the nori fish wraps. It is very, very good and I learned how to make it myself at home. Blue lady tea is also unique to this place. Very aromatic and subtly sweet (indescribable sweet scent of flowers).
At times the wait can be long. I've found myself hurrying to order so I can get my order in before other people's. Even when there is only three tables. So when it's busy prepare to take the time to enjoy your meal. My biggest complaint has to be the menu. The menu consists of a lot of traditional Vietnamese dishes but they named it all sorts of crap. I have to really read the descriptions to make sure I'm ordering what I want. The slow readers out there are going to have an even harder time. Do you really need a whole sentence to name every item on your menu? I don't even remember what I ate when I ordered the "Compassionate Mind Enlightening Buddha Meditating on Lemon Grass in front of the Temple of Peace".Listed in: What The Pho?!, The Vegetarian Option
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Review from Allison M.
Sacramento, CA
2/18/2012
Delicious. Just. Delicious. And I'm not a vegetarian, but the food was just fantastic. I cleaned my plate, which might mean the portions are a bit small, or I'm a bit of a pig. Just be warned they don't serve soda, if you like soda with your meal. And the service was quite good, so I don't know why other yelpers are yelping. We went at lunchtime on a weekday, and the server was prompt and attentive. We'll definitely be back.
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Review from Bhanie C.
interesting place, they have a zen like atmosphere and everything on their menu had an interesting name to it, like the love of life which was a soup we ordered, it was super sweet and suppose to have udon noodle but instead replaced with some type of flat noodle. The tempura garlic fries, would have been more interesting if they had made a special sauce for it, instead of having ketchup. It was good, but greasy. We also had the Buddha roll, my first bite was full of ginger so i had a bad taste in my mouth for the longest time. Our last dish was the Awakening of faith, its like a noodle salad with a sweet dressing, but no flavor again!
Service was good and prompt, but i don't think i will be back, because with all the food we ordered i left hungry! Its a great place for some who doesn't eat meat, but I am a meat eater and i love my cow and pigs! -
Review from crystal c.
Sacramento, CA
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is the kind of place that makes people close minded about trying vegan food. I haven't hated a dining experience this much in a very long time.
Here's what should have tipped me off. When we walked in, it didn't smell good. There were at least 10 tables with people eating at them, so they had been cooking recently, but there was no aroma of delicious cooking food. It didn't smell bad, but it didn't smell good. From now on, I'm not going to eat anywhere that doesn't smell good.
Husband is vegan and we regularly cook and dine out vegan. It's not like we're some carnivores who rolled in here and expected "normal" food. We LIKE tofu. I hadn't gotten around to trying Andy Nguyen's, and it was only when they offered the recent Groupon that prompted us to head over.
We ordered the Crispy Lotus rolls, the Wish Fulfilling Jewel soup, and the Flower Adornment Sutra. I'm going to pause for a moment right here. If I have to read every freakin' word on the menu to figure out what the hell could possibly be "Wish Fulfilling Jewel" about some soup - I am already a little turned off. Out of everything we ordered, the only descriptive or accurate word in there was "crispy". But, okay, it's obviously a trippy-hippy Buddha kind of place, so let's continue.
The crispy rolls were tasty, but way overpriced. We could have gone to Loving Hut (formerly Au Lac) and gotten three orders of BETTER rolls for the same price.
The Wish Fulfilling Jewel soup was not what I wished for and did not fulfill me in the slightest. The broth was almost completely tasteless and the ingredients were almost completely raw - not al dente - RAW. Couple that with the fact that nothing in the soup was chopped up small enough to actually fit into our spoons and this soup was a nightmare. As far as I can tell, they made a half-assed salad and poured hot water on it.
The Flower Adornment Sutra boasts "tofu, shitake mushrooms & broccoli sauteed in spicy sweet basil sauce" on the menu. Let me correct this to, "slimy tofu straight out of the package with slug-like canned-feel mushrooms and overdone stinky broccoli in a salty salty salty sauce". It was that bad.
We ate all of our rolls, but only managed to choke down half a bowl of soup each. When the entree arrived, we each took three or four bites, looked at each other, sighed, and asked for the check. It was obvious that the servers knew we didn't like our meal, and we refused to-go boxes, but they didn't even ask us how it was despite the fact that we'd barely touched it. We ALWAYS take leftovers to go.
We thought about ordering juice, just $6.50 for a glass of juice? No thanks.
I really wanted to like this place, but it's honestly the worst food I've had (vegan or otherwise) in a very long time. If you're looking for vegan or vegetarian Asian food that doesn't totally blow and empty your wallet, try New China, Loving Hut, or Boon Boon Cafe. -
Review from Alissa T.
Sacramento, CA
11/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I can't even really be specific on what to order because then the whole menu would be listed. Right now they have a living social deal, so if you have been wanting to try this spot now is the time. I really enjoy eating here. Everything is fresh and tasty.
I prefer to eat here for dinner so that I can take my time and savor the flavors as oppsed to coming in during the lunch rush, gobble everything down and rush back to work. -
Review from Ann S.
Sacramento, CA
11/6/2011
My top two favorite vegetarian restaurants is Andy Nguyen and Green Zebra in Chicago. Food is fresh, flavorful and unique. The plating is beautiful. Reasonably priced.
I have been here with many friends who didn't even realize that they were eating no meat until I told them. I've order 90% of the menu. This place never disappoints. -
Review from Nina R.
Sacramento, CA
11/3/2011 5 Check-ins Here
No, I'm not a vegetarian but I LOVE this place. One of my new favorites.
GREAT FOOD! -- Everything I've tried so far has been superb. The treasure rolls, lotus rolls, peaceful curry, limitless compassion, universal love, and most of the juices are amazing!
Awesome service! Quick and friendly....
Prime Location... 21st and Broadway, in the middle of it all.
Good lunch prices... Yelpers get 10% off for checking in!
I took my sister here and she LOVED it. I could eat here everyday. -
Review from Molly B.
8/26/2011
I am not a vegetarian, but I eat vegetarian meals on a fairly regular basis. One night finding myself super hungry and not in the mood for the taste (or smell) of meat I opted for Andy Nguyen's Vegetarian.
This is a Buddhist inspired restaurant. All of the dishes have lovely names like Supreme Wisdom - Mixed vegetables, tofu & button mushrooms in spicy coconut peanut sauce w/ mint, cilantro & crushed peanuts, Loving Kindness - Mustard greens w/ organic portabella mushrooms, tofu & ginger in a veggie broth, and Generating Compassion - Baby-back sugarcane soy ribs w/ black truffle oil, & spicy bbq peanut sauce. The menu has a key denoting vegan, vegetarian, food allergy, etc.
I chose Awakening Mind Chow Fun - Steamed chow fun noodles w/ grilled soy meat, shitake mushrooms, tofu, Asian herbs & caramelized onions in a soy vinaigrette sauce. It was your basic chow fun and it tasted pretty good. What I liked most about it was that the "meat" wasn't just generic or bland fakey meat. It had a nice texture and it's own unique flavor to it. I ate most of my meal and boxed the rest.
A word of advice, don't come here if you are feeling very hungry (stomach growling, light headed kind of hungry) because the service is so slow. In fact I don't think I have been anywhere in Sacramento where it was slower. Poor customer service or a gentle lesson in patience? Let's be forgiving and call it a lesson.Listed in: Asia Extreme!
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Review from Letie W.
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
What is with all of these 4* & 5* reviews??? Vegan or not, after reading these reviews I was not impressed. I was seriously expecting better.
Pet peeves of last evening-
1. What is up with the sign in sheet? I walk in and was asked to sign in. That's fine, but where's the pen?? I sign the board after digging in my bag for one. I would have asked for one, but there are no waiters to be found. Not sure what the point was since no one looks at it. The groups that followed us (3) didn't have to sign in to get a table. The waiter just memorized-who came 1st, 2nd, 3rd. My suggestion? Burn the sign in sheet. If you're not gonna use it, lose it.
2.Service is soooo SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW!! 10 min wait for a table. Not sure why so long when there were 5 open. 20 min wait to order food. Not sure why because the restaurant is semi-empty. 10 min wait for food (which was the quickest part of the dinner). 15-20 min to eat. 10 min wait to get bill. I finally had it and went up to the register to pay for my meal as I didn't feel the need to wait another 15-20min for my waiter to pick up the check, run the card, so we could leave. Not sure what he was doing, but he wasn't moving his @$$ fast enough.
3. Everything tastes sweet. Maybe it's the overwhelming taste of fish sauce to mask all other flavors, I'm not sure. I can assure you, after a few bites of Universal Love Lemongrass and the Chow Fun, they just all tasted the same-sweet. So, how much sugar was added to each of these dishes? BTW-yes, I'm familiar with Vietnamese Cooking (which is health, flavorful, etc.), but the dishes I had did not exemplify this.
4. This place may be vegan, but is no where near healthy. The menu exudes healthiness. Fresh juices, vegan entrees, veggies and more veggies. Let me just throw this out there for all of you that are trying to watch your weight and think eating here is a healthy alternative just because it's vegan. You're wrong! I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but what makes food healthy is the way it is prepared, not the cuisine. I didn't find my dishes flavored nor prepared in a healthy manner (too much sugar).
The 2* is JUST FOR the host/guy bussing tables/server/along with the many other hats he held (good sized guy with curly hair with ponytail). If I could only tip him I would. As for the slender waiter with glasses (?), he's gotta go if he can't take the heat (non-attentive, spacey, whiny-complained about his pains). Along with my many other complaints, he's one of the primary ones I won't be going back. -
Review from Samantha L.
Sacramento, CA
I've driven by Andy Nguyen's a countless number of times, but never really paid attention to it. Honestly, from the front, it doesn't look like anything special (not to judge a book by it's cover or anything). But finally on a Saturday night, around 8:00 p.m., my boyfriend and I decided to check this place out. There were about four other tables occupied at the time, and the place seemed lively. The hostess/waitress quickly greeted/seated us and gave us our menus. We ordered:
-Treasure rolls ($7): It's about two spring rolls cut up into six small pieces and served with a delicious creamy peanut dipping sauce. The spring rolls tasted very fresh and the simple flavors were really good. The soy shrimp and grilled tofu ham tasted just like real meat. The crispy lotus strips added a nice crunch as well. A very tasty dish.
-Awakening Mind chow fun ($9): Steamed chow fun noodles with mushrooms, tofu, and grilled soy meat (tastes sort of like ham), in a soy vinaigrette sauce. This was also very tasty and the portion was plenty to share between the two of us.
Overall, I am really glad we tried out this restaurant. I thought the food tasted really good, and not just good because it's vegetarian- actually really good. The restaurant is casual, but it still seems kind of nicely decorated and the lighting is a bit dim, so it could be a nice place for a date too. I would recommend Andy Nguyen's for sure.
Notes:
-Check-in with the Yelp App for 10% off!
-Completely vegetarian! -
Review from Ryan N.
Sacramento, CA
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here on a Monday, had to wait about 15 minutes to get a seat, nowhere to really wait. Poor patrons had to look at my arse for a good 10 minutes before I decided to rotate my cheeks inwards. Probably overcrowded with Living Social Couponers on the prowl! This spot has some ambience though, good work on that!
Ordered the Treasure Roll, incredible! Fresh veggies with a little bit of crunch, puts those Houng Lan sping rolls to shame. The Awakening Mind Chow Fun was the tastiest thing, made you forget all about meat, nice assortment of veggies and soy products. We also tried the Universal Love Lemongrass, that was pretty good, but I wouldn't order it again.
Overall, I give this place thumbs up, I'd like to return and see what other yummy treats I can find. They have lots of elixirs (all fruit/veggie drinks) I'd like to slurp down. When can i go back?!?
I've seen this place my whole life but never ate here, probably because Hoa Viet was right down the street. I found my new vietnamese spot! -
Review from Erik E.
Sacramento, CA
3/6/2012
The girlfriend and I wanted to try this establishment for awhile now, unfortunately it didn't quite make it to a 4. Realistically it is about a 3.8. The Vegetarian offerings were more then adequate and the service was on point. The food was a little on the bland side, but the portions were large. The Pad Thai was a little dry and the noodles were hard to separate. The Pho was quite spicy and the option for blending your own amounts of sauce was not available. I would try again only to disprove the lackluster first impression.
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Review from Vicky T.
10/17/2011
Ordered take-out from Andy's to fulfill a random Asian food craving late one evening after getting Yelp's approval. The food was mediocre and kind of pricey, especially for no meat.
I'm still on the fence on whether I'd go back. -
Review from Wendy H.
Hacienda Heights, CA
11/30/2011
Review is very personal opinion,yet I would gave 5 stars to Andy's. Since we have Green Menu Team chat there whole night. I love the idea of green meals decoration.
Green Menu Card holder will get discount of 10% off.
http://greenmenu.org/a... -
Review from Priscilla G.
Sacramento, CA
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend and I experienced the worst table service byfar EVER here. We walked in and 3 employees walked by us without even acknowledging us. Finally, some one told us we could sit at "this table over here" or one of "those tables over there".
We didn't know what to order so we asked our server for suggestions. One was the mongolian beef, which was cold and doused in sauce. The other was Supreme Wisdom, a vegetable and tofu dish, which was also cold and doused in sauce. We aslo ordered a Nirvana salad which never came and was not included on our bill, whatever. No one ever checked in on us for me to let them know our salad was missing, or that we needed our waters refilled. A different server brought us our bill and our to-go "box" which was really a tupperware cup, not very practical or efficient. Needless to say, this was the only time I have EVER not left a tip.
The one thing I enjoyed was my Farmer's Market Elixer, YUM! I recommend this, but it's not worth coming back for. -
Review from colleen w.
Sacramento, CA
1/1/2012
The food is good, but be prepared for very slow service. I arrived for dinner at 8:15pm which is way past the "dinner rush" - the place wasn't that crowded - average amount of people, but it took at least 20 minutes for a waiter to take my order. Since nobody gave me a menu, I had to hunt it up myself by going to the counter and getting it myself. I've been here several times over the years and slow service is the norm. The staff is quite polite and helpful - just not enough of them! It seems like a family business that only has relatives working there and not enough of them to staff it properly since many of the other Yelp reviews all state the same thing - slow service. I was very hungry, which made the time pass much slower, of course! Some folks sitting next to me were singing "Happy Birthday" to their guest of honor and there was a lot of frivolity with a birthday cake they brought, presents - so at least that bit of lightheartedness help distract me from how starving I was and how incredibly SLOW the service is!
I advise you NOT to come to this restauraunt if you are already really, really hungry - because it always takes such a long time for a wait staff person take your order - until you finally get your food. Eat some nuts or a snack before you come here! The food is good, reasonably priced, very healthy menu, I like the fact it is healthy and a vegan place - but come on - please hire MORE staff! Even one extra employee would make a difference.
30 minutes after I was seated I finally got my appetizer and it was utterly delicious - forgot the name of the beverage - everything on the menu has New Age-y Buddhist titles - an utterly delicious fresh squeezed carrot, orange and ginger juice. I highly recommend that beverage to start your meal with an appetizer.
My appetizer was Buddha rolls - very healthy, fresh appetizer since I don't like fried food that typical Asian restraunts rely on like tempura and fried egg roll. To me that fried stuff is just pure clog - the Buddha rolls are fantastic! I like the rice paper so much better than deep fried wrapper - lots of crunchy fresh shredded veggies - daikon, carrot and some mystery "crunch" element - couldn't figure out what it was - but very good tasting. The dipping sauce for Buddha rolls is described in the menu as being soy-ginger based - but there was no soy sauce since this is a fairly clear dipping sauce - I couldn't find soy in it, but it was so yummy I wish they sold that dipping sauce by the pint so I could take some home! The waiter said it was rice vinegar, chili, ginger based. Not too spicy, just a little bit of chili to give it a slight bit of zip - which was great, since I am turned off by overly spicy food - the dipping sauce was the best part of the meal! Scrumptious!
I ordered Dragon Clay Pot because I love fresh Asian mushrooms - the menu misrepresents the ingredients - Oyster mushroom and Shitake mushrooms are mentioned first in the ingredient description - but I only had 3 very small pieces of mushrooms in this dish. In no stretch of the imagination should this be listed on the menu as a dish that uses mushrooms as a primary ingredient. The amount of mushrooms in this dish was no more than 2 tablespoons! Not even one whole mushroom - but some small bits and pieces - no more than 3 small chopped up pieces of mushrooms. That being said, it was delicious - nonetheless - although very disappointed the menu misrepresented what the ingredients are. I'm not a curmudgeon who sweats the small stuff, but if a menu cites mushrooms as the first ingredient - then by golly - PUT some darn mushrooms in it! Dragon Clay Pot is mostly chunks of seasoned tofu, bok choy, carrots, baby corn, bamboo shoots, onions, cooked cucumber (yes it was COOKED cucumber, which is the way cucumber can be prepared in Vietnam - takes some getting used to - but unusual and definitely an acquired taste) Dragon Clay Pot is in a wonderful broth based on truffle seasoning. The broth was the very best part of the dish - very savory and densely flavored.
I didn't have any dessert since I was full with what I ordered, but there are some unusual and intriguing desert items - all with an Asian theme - I want to try the Vietamese mochi next time I eat here - and will be POSITIVE not to show up starving hungry - but have a little snack before I arrive - because you can always count on having to wait about 30 minutes from being seated until you get your appetizer - then another 20 minutes or so until your entree arrives. I hope the owner reads this and hires more staff to speed up the service.
