The Purple Mint Vegan Bistro

A MUST-eat in San Diego!! I’m never afraid to write a critical review, but I have no ounce of criticism for this restaurant! In my Vietnamese family, my cousin is vegan and I am vegetarian. We managed to convince our family of 8 to give this place a try, worried that any negative experience would dissuade them from trying meatless food again. Everyone LOVED the food. Expansive menu with SO many options. Flavorful, properly cooked vegan beef, chicken, fish, duck, shrimp, tofu (yes, we tried them all, via passing the dishes around the table!). I’ll never forget the delightful shock on my grandmother’s face when she tasted and saw how authentic the fake “sizzling beef” was. 11/10 will be back again, and will recommend to friends in the area- to both meat and plant-based diners :D Service was exemplary- our waiters constantly checked on our water levels and satisfaction. Menu clearly labelled and organized - only suggestion would be for the restaurant to come up with a “family” meal consisting of all the different proteins with a group bowl of rice, so everyone can try different things! Venue is recently renovated- so very clean and modern. Plenty of parking nearby, on the residential streets and plaza parking lots. All the other diners around us seemed excited and happy with their food- we all kept turning our heads nosily as each dish came out from the kitchen.

The food was fantastic. The restaurant is decorated really nicely. Very inviting atmosphere. We ordered numerous dishes and they were all fantastic. Good portions and all seasoned well. The service was also attentive and very helpful.

One of my favorite vegan meal experiences ever! I was wanting some comfort food and this place got all the flavors right. The crispy rolls were my favorite, passion fruit it lemonade was good but a tad too sweet for me. The orange chicken is such a classic and they did it so well! The service was amazing and fast too.

We ate her twice a day, everyday, during our week long visit. Hands down the best vegan restaurant in SD (best restaurant period, vegan or no). Food is super complex, fresh, light, and packed with flavour. The service is unmatched - people like CJ create a warm and welcoming environment. Drinks like passion fruit lemonade are very flavorful and the food is very affordable, with large portions. We recommend: the tofu banh mi, the won ton soup, the hot and sour soup, sweet potato curry, and the duck lettuce wraps. They switched locations because their old building turned into apartments so please continue supporting this small business so it can remain a SD institution!

Purple Mint is my Cheers, they know my name, they know my order. I have been a regular at Purple Mint for years and it just occurred to me that I need to write a review. This restaurant is special. They take extra care in their food creations. Little details like garnishes, an orchid in your drink. The food itself is delicious. About 1/2 of the menu is gluten free. They are very aware of celiac needs and I have never had an issue. They have a variety of flavor sensations. Our favorite dishes are the "prawn" garlic noodles, the eggplant tofu and the sweet potato curry. The service is fantastic. I look forward to seeing the same people greet me all the time. They really take time to be helpful and connect. Their prices are reasonable. They have decorated the new location in a very cute way. It's a wonderful restaurant. I highly recommend it.