Lunch at Quang Minh Buddhist Temple

I first heard about Sunday lunch at Quang Minh Buddhist Temple in Braybook, when my friend M invited me.  His partner T is Vietnamese.  They have returned in recent months from a nearly year long stay in Vietnam.  M worked as a volunteer teaching English.   

Bowls of vegetarian bun bo hue can be purchased.  The queue below is lunch that you don't pay for.  This lunch includes rice, sometimes noodles, and usually two vegetarian and tofu dishes.  You also receive a small bowl of soup.  The first time I went, it was a delicate melon and tofu soup.  The second time was a sweet and sour soup, as you would find in canh chua, with slivers of bac ha (lotus stem) in it.  Delicious!

Vegetables and rice

Melon and tofu soup

On our most recent visit, near the bun bo hue queue, there were containers of fried mushrooms with a little chili that you could buy for $5.  I'd like to get them next time.

At the front of the temple, there is an outdoor market under a large shed.  There are about a dozen stalls.  Some sell, clothes, there is a fruit and veg stall, one selling Buddhist decorations, another selling rolls of fabric and another selling containers of food to take home.  My two favourite stalls are the one that sells the che, three colour and four colour drinks, basil seed drinks and longan drinks.  The other sells desserts to take home or eat there.  This is my favourite.

Pandan waffles (banh kep)

Three colour drink (che ba mau) $2.50

Longan seaweed drink (che sam bo luong) $2.50

Cooking chuoi nep nuong 

Eating chuoi nep nuong with coconut milk and 

roasted peanuts $3.00

Chuoi nep nuong is sticky rice parcels wrapped around (in this instance) red bean paste (they can contain banana or mung bean paste I believe). They are fried, then cut up and served with coconut milk sauce with tapioca balls and toasted peanuts.  I have had this on each visit.  Serious comfort food!  M and I get our food and sit on benches outside and soak in the atmosphere.  For M it just makes him more eager to return to Vietnam and for me, it increases my desire to visit.


Update: Lunch seems to be from 12.00 to 1.00.  I went once, closer to 1pm and some of the market stalls had begun to run out of tasty stuff.  I think getting there at 12.00 is the optimal time.  You can have lunch, then wander about the little market at the front.