ChuMinh Tofu & Vegan Deli

I'm not vegan but this food is delicious and I'd take it over most meat dishes any day! My favorites are the spicy tofu banh mi, the bbq tofu banh mi, and the vietnamese pancake. Or to just go wild at the buffet :) Sometimes they have fun extra items that aren't listed on their menu, like fried sesame balls with mung bean filling and a purple banana pudding that is really good. There are a few tables for 2-4 people, and one table for 6-8 people. ChuMinh has been a well-loved community staple for years, and I hope they stay around for years to come. They are so friendly and the owner is quite possibly the kindest person I've ever met. There are people who are uncomfortable being around unhoused folks in the neighborhood -- I get this, but I have rarely felt unsafe from the unhoused neighbors. My opinion is that I wish it was easier for people to get the support they need, and it seems like the restaurant prioritizes both serving customers, and treating everyone with humanity, which makes me respect them all the more.

This place has some serious issues with their online ordering system. I placed an order at 7:19pm, knowing they close at 8. Got an email confirmation and a receipt.Showed up at 7:45. They were closing, and there was no order for me. I showed the guy my email confirmation and receipt. He told me they'd rejected the order. They were closing early today, he said. He pointed me to my name in their system alongside a "Rejected" status.I told him I hadn't received news of this rejection, and asked if they had planned to share it with me (would have been nice to know before I drove from West Seattle). No real answer, or concern.I also told him my card had been charged. "You'll see a refund in the next few days." So they'd had no problem taking my money and sending an email confirmation (as of this review, I've paid for this order and haven't been refunded). Again, no real answer. No apology, or even acknowledgement that I'd been inconvenienced.The thing is... this isn't even the first time they've done *this exact thing*--it's the third. But the first two times, they apologized and made my order on the fly. This time, they were like, "Meh."Something is seriously broken here. I'm completely over this place.

We tried their buffet and were very underwhelmed. I believe most of the items are frozen and reheated. Serves us right for choosing buffet I suppose. Regarding the ambience, it's a very homely setup which I'm fine with but the water jugs etc were just dirty and the place had a weird smell.Not going back.

Been here many times and i have grown to love the spicy tofu banh mi so much that this place is a five star just because of that oh and their egg rolls. Man something so simple and i cant even find a bussin banh mi in los angeles. I am still on the search. The people here must have bland tastes because i went to their suggested places and those banh mis were heeella bland lol. The search continues but this is my main banh mi place oh that pho though was unphogiveable because it got nasty after a few hours and im traumatized i dony want to try it again ill stay with the safe things

This is hands down my fave place in Seattle, not just banh mi but everything, I have never had anything I don't like here and the women who runs it is the sweetest person ever. This place is Seattle's gem.

Incredible service at the register. The employee walked us through the menu and ordering process, answered all of our questions and helped us make our final decisions. I ordered a tofu banh mi. My wife ordered sesame balls and spring rolls.As we waited for our food, we were served complimentary egg rolls. They weren't as crispy and fresh as I would've liked but they were free so one can't complain too much. The banh mi was absolutely delicious. One of the best things I ate during my nine days in Seattle. The spring rolls were fine as were the sesame balls. A couple of notes: after the initial ordering and delivering of our food, we were pretty much left to our own devices. We got our own waters, cups and napkins. Also, the area around the restaurant doesn't appear to be the greatest. My family and I (wife, two elementary aged kids) walked here from the train station and were fine but probably not something I'd do later at night.Overall, the Banh Mi here was definitely five star worthy. Everything else fell slightly below that.

Where do I begin? I was first recommended this joint by my bestie who's a vegan and frequent this place like it's her holy land. We finally made it here on a weekday afternoon, greeted by the nicest woman behind the counter (the owner herself). We immediately fell in love with her demeanor. Super warm and friendly, and they feed the homeless with their food and other charity work. All around amazing person!She asked us if we had been there before and we told her we were recommended by a vegan friend who's not even Asian. And she said please thank her from me. We proceeded to ask her what she would recommend us to get as first-timers. She said that her Spicy Tofu, Spicy Chicken Lemongrass. and Barbercue Pork are the most popular ones. She went on to explain that all of her ingredients are homemade and made from scratch by her. Knowing we would be sharing half of each banh mi, she offered to slice the sandwich for us. Very thoughtful!We got the Spicy Tofu and Barbecue Pork, plus she gave us a couple of vegan egg rolls to try. Jesus, the foods are all freaking delicious!! The bread was toasty warm with crunch and crust, and the topping inside was amazing. The barbecue pork was sweet and flavorful, while the Spicy Tofu was fantastic with the kick from the spices and chili. While both of them were very good, surprisingly I personally preferred the Spicy Tofu more. Both banh mi came with cilantro, cucumber, sweet and sour radish carrot, jalapeno, chili sauce, homemade vegan mayo.They also have a vegan buffet. Parking is plenty in their private lot. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this place! You'll truly savor every bite!

There's something so comforting about a buffet inside of a well protected store surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Yes the entrance is intimidating but once you breech it there is a wide assortment of flavorful vegan! options for either buffet or sandwich enjoyment. I had to try a spicy tofu sandwich. My marker for bahn mi is actually the accoutrements that accompany the base of usually protein. I need lots of what my family refers to as fart carrots. The picked veggies and the dash of cilantro plus that homemade baguette make it a banh mi. The sandwich itself is probably better fresh off the press but i was adventuring in Seattle for a day so i had to wait a few hours to dig in. The tofu is good, not that spicy on my S Korean raised tongue but maybe for some others? I'd say it's a Thai medium.

Favorite spot in the entire Chinatown International District! I've been coming here for years and will recommend this to anyone regardless if they're vegan or not. My favorite is the lemongrass chicken banh mi! Nicest staff in the entire world and they definitely deserve your support. Love how Chu Minh supports our neighbors with food and mutual aid every week.

Amazing food. While I was waiting on my tofu bahn mi I looked at their incredible buffet options. I loved this sandwich bc it had a lot of tofu, the tofu was cooked and seasoned well. There was a good amount of veggies in it too. The bread was lightly crisp on the outside and soft inside just how I like it.Service was quick too! I got my sandwich in under 10 mins. This is located in a not so great part of town so it's a little sketch. Definitely plan on getting food to-go or better yet get delivery for this.Ate this bahn mi so fast I didn't get a pic!