v'restaurant
Shamballa vegetarian
"Shamballa - the kingdom for pure spirits and believers of cause and effect.... is the haven of peace, tranquility and eternal happiness.... is the mysterious capital between reality and fantasy.... is the medium between Earth and the Spiritual... From our hearts, Shamballa wishes to deliver the inner peace and mother nature’s tasteful delights to everyone."
ABOUT
The word “shamballa” can be traced back to Sanskrit where it means a place of peace, stasis, and joy, and based on tibet’s most sacred writings by kanjur tanjur, shamballa is a hidden kingdom nestled north of the bodhi gaya city, a holy place in Buddhism where the Buddha was enlightened under the bodhi tree. In Saigon, Shamballa invites guests into a place that ties the past with the present. The space was inspired by Colonial French architecture designed with the wild fauna of the countryside to create a balance between urban and rural. Every meal served at Shamballa has organic ingredients that are carefully selected and masterfully prepared.
Monday – Sunday: 10:00 – 22:00
Review
Shamballa Vegetarian has a location advantage that it could escape the hustle and bustle of the city from the main street. We loved how mysterious the entrance was when we pushed to the giant rustic door. The restaurant is indeed a peaceful haven that has a colonial French-inspired style with a grandiose ceiling and wooden furniture. We felt that the place presented its philosophy based on Buddhism and created a calm atmosphere throughout the dining experience. The staff is very professional, helping us with the order and paying attention to us when we reached for assistance. As for the food, we ordered some signature dishes inspired by Vietnamese cuisine. The lotus seed egg rolls had interesting stuffing and super crunchy texture, deliciously matched with the House sauce. The salad dish tasted a little bit strange as the combination of sea grapes, and winged beans was not as good as we expected. We also both did not like the mint leaves inside the dish. The Hue-style tofu cakes were quite delectable and flavourful; we liked the crispy texture as we made the first bite. Overall, the food was well presented and delightful.
THROUGH THE LENS OF V'AESTHETE
Lotus seed egg rolls ( traditional egg rolls with lotus seeds, green beans, taro, carrots, and sweet potato filling) served with House sauce
Hue-style tofu cakes (fried tofu, buckwheat, carrots, enoki mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms seaweed, starfruits)
Sea grapes and winged beans salad (winged beans, cabbages, sea grapes, carrots) served with roasted rice paper and House sauce
Overall view of our order (Lotus seed egg rolls, Sea grapes and winged beans salad, Hue-style tofu cakes)
Which elements impress us?
We like the peacefulness and Buddhism philosophy related concept of Shamballa Vegetarian from the entrance to the interior design. The staff is quite attentive, and they have a friendly attitude throughout the dining service. The menu has a varied range of dishes inspired by the cuisine from the central of Vietnam.
Which elements could be improved?
The only salad dish could be better with a different combination or another touch of well-mixed ingredients, perhaps without the mint leaves…
V’aesthete rating
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food
★★★★☆
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service
★★★★☆
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price
$$$
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space
★★★★☆