By The Beach

Six Senses Con Dao

By The Beach is the main restaurant at Six Senses Con Dao, one of the finest resorts in Vietnam and the only luxury option when visiting the beautiful islands of Con Dao. Whether it’s a laid back lunch after a morning at the beach or a relaxed dinner at the end of the day, we guarantee you’ll be eating some food that will make you smile.

By The Beach at Six Senses Con Dao

For guests staying at the resort, consider treating yourself to a night eating a menu designed especially for you by the Executive Chef when you book an ‘Evening by the Kitchen’ experience. It’s something that we think you’ll remember for a long time.

If you aren’t staying at the resort, you can get a little slice of luxury by making a reservation to dine with them, just call ahead and be sure to mention you are vegan.

The best news is that Six Senses Con Dao is one of the most vegan friendly resorts in Vietnam, where you’ll have no problems getting delicious food that is not only cruelty-free, plant-based and nutritionally balanced but is delicious and creative too.

We’re on a Vegan Food Quest to find, eat and write about the best vegan food in the world and we can tell you now, we definitely found it at By The Beach.

The Vegan Food

The vegan food at By The Beach was definitely one of the highlights of our stay; serving everything from healthy, superfood packed salads to more indulgent vegan classics, we were always spoilt for choice.

The healthy food section on the menu already contains a lot of vegan options and (as with all other items on the menu) the staff were happy to veganise other dishes as requested.

Dishes to try include roasted pumpkin, beetroot and fennel salad which combines the peppery flavours of fresh watercress with juicy pomelo and rich roasted vegetables. The flavour packed superfood pesto, made from almond, walnut, wheatgrass, kale, basil, mint, coriander, garlic, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and lemon, had a great texture as well as taste.

The roasted pumpkin, beetroot and fennel salad was a flavour packed vegan delight

Local Vietnamese ingredients or flavours had been included wherever possible, like with this raw Vietnamese version of a pad thai salad. Fresh crunchy vegetables, little nuggets of goodness from the edamame beans, fresh Vietnamese mint and basil and a dressing made from soy, lemongrass, lime, ginger and coconut oil.

Fresh and crunchy Pad Thai salad

We loved the quinoa superfood salad which was full of beans, chickpeas, pomegranate, quinoa, sweetcorn and watercress, dressed with a tart, zesty lemon dressing. It’s the kind of food you eat to make you feel good.

Amazing and delicious Quinoa Superfood Salad from the Healthy Menu

Life as a vegan isn’t all about eating salad (although when salads are this good it’s hard to deviate) so you’ll be pleased to know there is also a delicious thai potato and chickpea curry to enjoy. Full of chickpeas, potatoes, tofu, and a medley of other vegetables (okra, broccoli, carrot and cauliflower) the sauce is spicy enough to give a warm building heat in the back of your throat and is made with tomato, coconut milk and coconut oil, keeping it light yet rich at the same time.

A light and rich vegetable and tofu packed curry that’s full of healthy ingredients

For people who love to share, try the mezze plate (which was an instant hit with us). Eat your fill of babaganoush, sweet potato hummus, muhammara and cous cous tabbouleh as we’ll as roasted vegetables, cumin glazed carrots, pickles and olives with a fresh oven baked flatbread.

The colourful, vibrant and delicious mezze platter

Flatbread fresh from the oven

Our top recommendation (not to be missed before you leave) is definitely the ‘Banh Bao Burger’; If there’s one thing we love more than vegan cake, it’s a vegan burger and this special vegan creation fuses all the flavours of Vietnam into tasty vegan burger form.

There is a clever use of the steamed Vietnamese ‘banh bao’ as the bun and a mix of Vietnamese herbs like lemongrass and ginger in the patty, which is made from rice and sweet potato before being crumbed and fried to give it a crispy outer shell. Served with sweet potato fries, mushroom tempura, onion rings, grilled corn and a side of salad, this is an epic vegan burger feast.

Plus, this burger is laden with cubes of fermented tofu; the ‘blue cheese of the vegan world’ which is a popular condiment in Vietnam (be warned though, it’s not for everyone so if you aren’t sure then ask for it on the side). Add your own hoisin, chilli or spicy peanut sauce and you’re in exotic vegan burger heaven.

The legendary ‘Vegan Banh Bao Burger’.

Not on the menu, but created by the chef and his team who will always try to create something special for you (with enough notice), we were also served a dessert that would silence any critic of vegan food. It had almond milk peanut butter ice cream, a coconut cream rice pudding brûlée and a spiced poached pear that tasted like Christmas.

It was as delicious as it was beautiful

Something to silence people who say vegan food is boring and tasteless.

If you are lucky enough to be staying at Six Senses Con Dao and wish to experience a true vegan fine-dining adventure, book an ‘Evening by the Kitchen’ where you can eat delicious food whilst watching all the action in the kitchen. You’ll also get to talk to the chef making it a truly wonderful experience where you can hear about the inspiration behind each dish.

It’s a vegan foodie’s dream

Book an ‘Evening by the Kitchen’ experience if you are staying at Six Senses Con Dao

Our meal started with gorgeous crispy crumbed tofu served with a Thai green curry sauce; it was firm and tender inside and crisp on the outside and the spicy sauce was so good we have could drunk it all.

Deep Fried Tofu with Green Curry Sauce

Then there was a smooth sweet potato and ginger soup with a crispy onion garnish that was intense and wonderful; a swirl of chilli and lime flavoured sauce was pleasingly sharp and spicy and added crunch came from a crispy garlic toast.

Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup with crispy onions and garlic toast

This was followed by ‘Nature’s Best Salad’ (a take on the salad we ate at By The Beach and raved about) which had new potatoes, balsamic shallots and chickpeas added to the roasted pumpkin, beetroot, fennel, pomelo and that ‘superfood pesto’.

There were purees of all the different vegetables which are as light as air, and a pomelo reduction which complemented the texture and the mild aniseed flavour of the soft roasted fennel.

It’s a salad which covers all the bases of taste, indulgence and health at the same time.

‘Nature’s Best Salad’ full of plant-based flavours and textures

The main course was a mushroom ravioli, that was another masterpiece of fusion cooking. Fresh vegan pasta stuffed with courgette and mushrooms, a creamy smooth sweetcorn puree, fried leeks that give a salty kick, the mixture of greens and the sweet rich hoisin sauce; it was a dish with the flavours of Asia fused into it.

Mushroom Ravioli with all the flavours of Asia

For dessert there was a chocolate tasting plate that was full of fun, flavour and a lot of chocolate. We delved into chocolate the fondant, sliced up the chocolate log adorned with cherries, scooped spoonfuls of chocolate and coffee mousse, sipped on a white chocolate and chilli soup, devoured the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream with honeycomb in seconds and did our best to nibble our way through the chocolate swirls, fans and curls that garnished this platter of chocolate dreams.

Vegan food has never tasted so good

Chocolate Tasting Plate

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Make a reservation at By the Beach to sample the very best in vegan cuisine, eating fresh, healthy food or something a little more indulgent. Try the legendary banh bao burger (with the fermented tofu if you dare) to experience fusion food at it’s best.

For guests staying at Six Senses Con Dao, don’t forget to book your ‘By the Kitchen’ experience for a chance to eat your way to vegan heaven. Let the chef create something that you’ll love and enjoy your ‘behind the scenes’ experience whilst eating some world class vegan fine-dining.

Please read our detailed review of the vegan friendly luxury resort, Six Senses Con Dao.

We were guests of By The Beach but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views

By The Beach
Six Senses Con Dao
Con Dao District
Ba Ria Vung Tau Province
Vietnam

Telephone: +84 64 3831 222
Email: reservations-condao@sixsenses.com
Opening Hours: Daily from 0700 – 2200