Bồ Đề Tịnh Tâm Chay

This place is an institution for vegetarians in OC. It has been here for ages. Services can be hit and a lot of miss. If you come early then it will be better per my observation. I ordered to go most of the time so I can avoid the hassle plus the long wait for the foods. Prices wise, same as other veggies places. Menu is big with variety of dishes from appetizers, soups, salad, main courses, family courses, hot pot, to desserts. Foods are generally good to great here, especially with hot pot but others are good/great too. The decor has been the same for ages but somehow it works well for them…very calm and peacefully plus spacious.

⸻ My wife has been a vegetarian for over 10 years, and we have visited this restaurant many times. The older lady owner has always been very kind, calm, and welcoming, always greeting customers with a warm smile. We also often interacted with the younger woman working there, whom we later learned is the daughter-in-law. Both of them have always been extremely kind and respectful, and we never had any issues with them. Unfortunately, we had a very unpleasant experience today with the owner’s son. My wife called the restaurant ahead of time because we were in a time crunch. She politely asked if they could set up a table for three since we were about 10 minutes away and already knew what we wanted to order, just to save time. In the past, one of the women there had helped us do something similar. The man who answered the phone immediately said no in a very rude and irritated tone and insisted that no one there had ever done that before. Despite the uncomfortable phone call, we still went to the restaurant. We got a table and placed our order. Afterward, my wife politely mentioned to the older owner that the person who answered the phone earlier had been rude. At that point, her son came out from the back and said he was the one who answered the phone. Instead of calmly discussing it, he immediately accused my wife of lying and became very aggressive. My wife calmly explained that someone there had helped her before, but that it didn’t matter anymore since we were already there. She only wanted to point out that he shouldn’t speak so rudely to customers. Unfortunately, he escalated the situation. He began waving his arms and leaning toward my wife over his mother in a way that felt threatening. He loudly said he hates people who lie to him and that this is simply the way he speaks—people can accept it or leave. At one point he grabbed a water bottle from the table in a way that made the situation feel even more tense. His mother actually had to step in and push him away from my wife. As a husband standing there watching this happen, it was extremely upsetting. We came there simply to support their business and enjoy a vegetarian meal, not to be yelled at or accused of lying in front of everyone. What makes this especially disappointing is that this is a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant filled with Buddha statues and symbols that represent peace, mindfulness, and kindness. Yet the son—who said he now runs the restaurant—displayed behavior that was the complete opposite of those values. We have always respected and supported this restaurant, which makes this experience even sadder. No customer should ever feel threatened or disrespected when they are simply trying to support a business. The way he spoke and acted toward my wife was deeply unsettling, and it raises serious concerns about how customers may be treated if a situation escalates further.

I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years and have visited this restaurant many times. The older lady owner and her daughter-in-law have always been kind, calm, and welcoming, which is why I kept coming back. Unfortunately, today I had a very disturbing experience with the owner’s son. I called ahead because I was in a time crunch and politely asked if a table could be set for 3 since we were 10 minutes away and already knew what we wanted to order. Instead of responding politely, he spoke to me in a very rude and irritated tone. When I later mentioned this to the older owner, her son came out aggressively, accused me of lying, raised his voice, and used threatening body language. He leaned toward me, swung his arms, and grabbed a water bottle in a way that made me feel like he might throw it at me. I genuinely felt unsafe, and even his mother had to push him away from me. It was shocking to be treated this way when I came there simply to support their business. What makes it even more disappointing is that this is a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant filled with Buddha statues symbolizing peace and compassion, yet the person who says he now runs the place behaved in a way that was the complete opposite of those values. No customer should ever feel threatened in a restaurant.

During our week-long vacation in CA, our friends invited us to dine at Bo De Tinh Tam restaurant. The cuisine was exceptional, the servers were very polite, and the ambiance was warm and cozy. The parking lot is spacious.

This is one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants in OC. Their restaurant is clean with nice decor. Their menu offers so many items you will surely find something you like. All the food I have ever had here is delicious! I love that every dish has so much flavor. Their use of veggies and fruit is amazing. They have many drinks to choose from as well. The only problem I've ever had is the service. For one it is incredibly slow. I've always just chocked it up to their laid back vibe. But it is slow. And at times non existent. It's the food that always brings me back!