Thanh Tinh Chay is a vegan, vegetarian restaurant, specializing of course in the cuisine of Viet Nam. Helen, the proprietor, adopted a Western name upon emigration to the U.S. She and her staff make all of the food from scratch, in their kitchen. The mock meat choices are absolutely delicious. I am especially fond of the Teriyaki chicken, and “Helen’s Noodles”. The vegan desserts are better than the “real” versions they represent. The crème brûlée is addictive.
The restaurant is in an area of San Diego known as “Little Saigon”. Many of the residents resettled here when thousands of South Vietnamese people fled their country in the late 1970s, as the North Vietnamese took over the south.
The mood of Thanh Tinh Chay is chill and welcoming. Helen believes that you experience life in the quality and manner that you intentionally bring to the journey. That’s why all of her ingredients are carefully chosen, with high standards for quality in the process of preparing meals. That’s why she painted the building, inside and out, a calming shade of green. That’s why she put up big phrases on her walls that welcome us and thank us for being there. That’s why there is a large screen monitor showing constantly changing, gorgeous nature scenes. That’s why the table water is filtered and specially made each day with light flavorings of mint or citrus.
The people who dine here are often Vietnamese, but there’s always a wide range of people who have been fortunate to find it. Families, retirees, neighborhood residents, younger couples. All colors, shapes and sizes.
Tonight, when Cheri and I were there, it occurred to me that this restaurant–its owner and staff–has a large influence on the people who come in. We feel welcome. We put healthy food in our bodies. We are immersed in a positive environment of sights and messages. Helen and her team take the time to get to know us and tell us something about themselves. We become more than customers and staff. We become friends.
While I am sorry for the reasons that caused Vietnamese immigrants to come here, I am still grateful that in San Diego Cheri and I can have this experience with a culture from the other side of the planet. I know that we are better for it, and I hope that the good people of Thanh Tinh Chay are better for having known us. Perhaps we’ve made them feel more welcome in this strange city and entirely different culture. Maybe we formed a bridge, rather than a wall.
When the day’s news torrent continually paints a negative picture of immigration, it’s easy to forget that for the vast majority of immigrants, their desire is to provide for themselves and their families–to live a good life in peace. This country has been built by such immigrants.