The Otto East open toast, chickpea patty, vegan cream cheese with miso kumquat dressing. Photo: Reka Markos

I first tried La Bonté almost two years ago, the week I came back to Vietnam. I was overwhelmed with the delectable sounding choices. While waiting on a friend, I tried one of their frothy smoothies and then ordered the smokey tempeh sandwich on recommendation. I was impressed, but now I had a mission - I knew I had to work my way through the menu until I understood the healthy soul of La Bonté's delicious food.

La Bonte cafe. Photo: Reka Markos

Great vegetarian food comes in many forms in Vietnam, yet La Bonté stands out from the crowd, as it strikes a tasty balance of fresh, yet filling food. My tendency to over-order does not serve me well here, as I was quickly found satisfied with a full-feeling belly.

Smiley staff at the counter. Photo: Reka Markos

The thoughtful descriptions of the food on the menu wouldn't be out of place in a high-end restaurant, and this little café delivers on the high expectations. Aside from their secret recipes, I found out everything I wanted to know about the little cafe.

Beautiful crockery in the upstairs seating. Photo: Reka Markos

I sat down with owner, Anh Vu, and asked her about the special little menu she's curated. Her food is very much based on flavors that she's tried elsewhere and enjoyed.

“It's about personal experience," says Anh Vu. "I spent a few years in London, where I tried a lot of dishes, it's all about my experience about how the dish should taste, and about the texture. So for the flavors we try to balance sweet, sour, and salty, and we also try to source this from local and natural ingredients.”

Local jams on display. Photo: Reka Markos

La Bonté, having opened in late 2019, hasn't had much a revamp, aside from some recent menu additions. The few simple dishes they offer speak volumes, having solidly remain on the menu since day one.

“We had the same menu for 3 years because although we originally just had 7 dishes, we have quite special ones,” explains Anh Vu.

The Imperial Tempeh and Kale Granny smoothie. Photo: Reka Markos

It is apparent that the finer details such as presentation have been well thought out, even the barista is well-honed in their craft, making beautiful, creamy coffees with ease. Starting her own business had long been a dream in the pipeline for Anh Vu, as she says, “I always wanted to open my own cafe - I have a lot of experience in the food and beverage industry, and the reason I wanted to focus on vegan and vegetarian food is quite personal.”

Making homemade ricotta cheese. Photo: Reka Markos

After a trip to Bali, she was highly impressed with the vegan and vegetarian cafes there, and with what they were doing - “really good food”.

Important to note is that the menu is vegetarian, rather than vegan. Anh Vu comments on the current economics of opening a vegan establishment.

“The vegan option is still a niche market, a lot of people are afraid they won't get enough protein, so for some dishes we add the egg for extra protein. I'm really thankful because a lot of our customers are not vegan or vegetarian, but they just come here because of the food that's good for your health, and has good flavour.”

One of the best shakshoukas in town. Photo: Reka Markos

La Bonté is intent on providing pure, unprocessed food, that is health-focused without compromising on taste. After eating there, aside from the fullness of overindulging, it's undeniable that the food makes you feel good. Anh Vu wanted to look at what food involved both the body and the mind, and set out to create a nutritionally balanced menu.

New menu at La Bonte. Photo: Reka Markos

“We're still trying to test more dishes because I'm still learning about nutrition," says the owner and veggie lover. "A lot of people think that vegan and vegetarian food contains less protein but we try to figure out what is good for your health and what provides enough nutrition for the body.”

New menu items, cauliflower salad bowl. Photo: Reka Markos

She's also conscious of nourishing both body and mind, in the sense that her food is honest food. There's minimal cooking or processing done, just wholesome ingredients that are well sourced and beautifully assembled.

Avocado, kale and egg open toast on sourdough. Photo: Reka Markos

Her dedication is visible through all of the offerings of the menu; “I also try to make real food - when you eat something here, you know what it is. Not processed, not like vegan meat. I'm not trying to say it's not good, I'm just saying that we should know what we are eating.”

Transparency seems to be at the core of La Bonté, vividly seen in the food. Although Anh Vu's not opposed to imitation meat products, as delicious as they are, she is ultimately partial to veggie options.

“If it's mushroom then let it be a mushroom - not like fake meat - that's what we're trying to do here.”

Hot vegetable dish served with crusty sourdough slices. Photo: Reka Markos

A conscious business not only cares for their customers' well-being, but also that of the suppliers. Making sure to use locally sourced ingredients, Anh Vu and her staff recognize the importance of good quality, as well as supporting local producers.

“We also try to work with local suppliers for coffee, tea, and vinegar, we have natural pineapple vinegar, and jam. We try to contribute to the market,” says Anh Vu.

Pineapple vinegar, locally sourced. Photo: Reka Markos

At La Bonté, in addition to caring about locally sourced, good ingredients, they are treated with respect. Cooking times are minimal to preserve the nutrients and authentic flavours.

“Basically we just marinate, grill, or pickle, so it's less cooking time but still has a lot of flavour - so we try to balance all of this for a great result.”

Dessert options at the cafe. Photo: Reka Markos

The flavours, to attest to that, are indeed incredible. The shakshouka comes served in a piping hot dish, with fresh crusty bread on the side - one of the best I've had in Hanoi. Thick, rich tomato sauce, with a slight kick, and creamy globs of ricotta mixing in with the heat. There is a wonderful balance of flavors and textures in this dish, with the sweet tomatoes, tangy, crusty bread, and creamy ricotta. It is evident that there was thought put behind this dish, as with the others.

Piping hot shakshouka and a Super Berry smoothie. Photo: Reka Markos

An absolute winner is the Imperial Tempeh sandwich - a favorite among both carnivores and vegetarians. The touch of bitterness from the radicchio lends itself well to the smokey tempeh, cutting through the decadently creamy garlic aioli. It's such a popular sandwich that when trying to photograph the food, it's the one I ended up capturing time and again, as customers order it without thinking twice.

The Imperial Tempeh sandwich on sourdough. Photo: Reka Markos

As good as the fillings are, the real star of the show is without question is the crusty sourdough and multigrain loaves, freshly baked in-house, completing the dishes with finesse.

Freshly baked sourdough loaves. Photo: Reka Markos

Anh Vu recalls her inspiration to create her charming cafe.

“The idea to open the cafe was very simple, I just wanted to sell good bread, good coffee, and at that time, three or four years ago, not many people knew about sourdough bread. It was quite difficult to sell the whole loaf, so I had to think of things to do with the bread, like sandwich or toasts, so customers can taste what the bread is like with the filling.”

The Akari sandwich with grilled vegetables, homemade miso hummus and vegan mayonnaise. Photo: Reka Markos

Essentially, the dishes serve as a showcase for how good the bread is. My first time in the cafe, I even remember asking if they sold whole loaves, and intending to go back for more. Both sourdough and multigrain loaves are baked daily, as well as the enticing desserts displayed at the counter.

Sourdough cinnamon buns. Photo: Reka Markos

There are great vegan and non-vegan options available, including sourdough sweet buns, a twist on the classic sourdough, and the moreish, thick-cut loaf cakes.

Dessert selection on the counter. Photo: Reka Markos

Ukraninan expat Vlad Cameron is a big fan of La Bonté and returns for more sourdough sandwiches throughout the week.

“I do believe the owner has a particular talent in mixing up good flavours," says Vlad. "Also there's a great combination of the fresh and high quality ingredients - its very nice food. Even though I think Vientam is generally quite rich in high quality, and well flavored foods, this is something else. It's always amazing to see the sweets that they have on the front counter are always changing, always evolving, there's always something new.”

Vlad enjoying a coffee and the view. Photo: Reka Markos

Besides coffee and veggies, patrons can also enjoy amazing smoothies. La Bonté's are some of the best around, flavoursome and creamy, where the freshness of the fruit stands out. Anh Vu remembers from her childhood, “When I was still in school, I had breakfast smoothies, and I really missed that. What we make now is also very simple. It's 100% fresh fruit that we freeze, and when you order we blend it.”

My personal favorite, the Super Berry, is a luscious blend of homemade vegan yogurt, homemade vanilla extract, water and fresh fruit.

Supporting local produers. Photo: Reka Markos

Although Covid was hard-hitting for the service industry, La Bonté made it through with the help of the supportive customer base. The business was kept afloat, and Anh Vu says, “We are so thankful the landlord because at that time we got three months free rent, and we are so thankful for that, as well as for the local customers who still came to buy bread . It was only me working at that time making the bread and sandwiches, and we could survive at that time because of the loyal customers.”

Upstais seating at the cafe. Photo: Reka Markos

The artisan flavors found in La Bonté are truly unique, ones that I haven't yet seen replicated with the same level of dedication and care. The cafe are soon to move to a new location in the area, hopefully bringing their loyal customers and wonderful creations with them.

Empty plates, full bellies. Photo: Reka Markos

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