"The San Gabriel Valley’s newest Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant gives neighboring stalwarts Veggie Life and Thien Tam a run for their mock meats. Located in South El Monte, Buddha Vegetarian Restaurant (not to be confused with similarly named Happy Buddha Kitchen in Temple City) wows diners with its pitch-perfect noodle soups. Swing in for satisfying but meatless renditions of pungent bún mắm, Northern Vietnamese favorite bún riêu, and Central Vietnamese bún bò Huế. The snacky appetizers on the menu like bánh Ít ram and bánh bèo are also worth a taste." - Cathy Chaplin