In a mostly-abandoned strip mall behind a ten-foot cyclone fence in Seattle’s Little Saigon district, all the storefronts are boarded up, except ChuMinh Deli. It’s obvious why — this is 12th & Jackson, where Seattle police and authorities have for years ignored a 24/7 crowd of very arrestables buying and selling stolen merchandise on the sidewalk.
Some years ago, the slums of San Francisco were home for me, but this is far less homey. To reach the car-width gap in the fence and approach the restaurant, I weaved through about a hundred buyers and sellers, amid needles, beer cans, merchandise, and shopping carts. People huddled in groups of 10-12 around individual sellers, then made their way away with their purchase, and more buyers elbowed in.
An old black man said to me, “Want a mini-fridge?” Actually, I do, but lugging it home on the bus would be such a hassle. Do you deliver?
The bedraggled entrepreneurs and customers seem to respect ChuMinh’s boundary, though — during my lunch none of them approached the restaurant or even stepped into the parking lot.
Given its location, ChuMinh Tofu Deli is a surprisingly busy and welcoming place. It’s small, but didn’t seem uncomfortably crowded, even as most of its 30 seats were occupied at 1PM on a weekday. It’s a deli, with bánh mì and assorted Vietnamese offerings, but I didn’t come for a sandwich. I came for the buffet.
There’s only one ‘food island’ with perhaps two dozen options to choose from, and you’re in the kitchen, at least part of it, as you fill your plate. I needed to maneuver carefully, mindful that my backpack didn’t bump the employees behind me, tending to pots of rice or something. (I didn’t want to leave my backpack at my table.)
There may have been labels above the food trays, but I didn’t notice them, so can’t tell you what I ate. I did not try everything, but everything I tried was either very good or very, very good. The flavors are all over Asia and always scrumptious, with minimal spice-heat; I had nothing to drink, and needed nothing. And through the entire meal there were no unpleasant bites of gristle, because there’s no meat in the building; it’s an all-vegan buffet.
The vibe is very folksy, the staff smiley and friendly. Along one wall is a community bulletin board like you might see at a laundromat, and ChuMinh is very much part of its community. You’ll find offers for shared trips to Vietnam, helpful hints for responding to drug overdoses, a trans=pride poster, an ad for senior dog care, an invite to next week’s make-a-zine night down the street, etc. On my table, one of those plastic stand-up ads where some restaurants push specials or wine instead held a short essay urging people not to be silent about climate change.
At the cash register, a sign invites customers to submit art and “help decorate our space with us.” Some volunteered paintings are on the window’s glass, helping to block the ugly view of America out the window. The paintings are more ‘fun’ than artsy. My favorite was the green horse wearing a red bow announcing, “My name is Gift (he/him).”
Excellent music: Jazzy 60s-style instrumental recordings played at a volume that allows either conversation or appreciation of the tunes. Being alone, I went with the latter. Two customers, separated by about twenty minutes, sorta danced to the music, wriggling in their seats.
All in all, then, it’s an unusual restaurant, with very good food and a funky-but-real feel. The price is a few bucks more than I’d hoped — your choice of $30 for all-you-can-eat, or $12 p/pound by the plate. Unsure I could eat 2½ pounds of anything, by the pound seemed a wiser choice.
I devoured two plates of tofu, noodles, and vegetables. The first was $10 or so, and the second $9, which means I paid twice. Wish they’d simply charge by the plate and only once, either before or after the meal, but who am I to question the operation of a restaurant that’s not out of business at 12th & Jackson?
My trip was specifically to eat at ChuMinh, and I wouldn’t come back just for the restaurant — it’s a long, bumpy, boring two-bus ride, about 45 minutes each way from home. But I absolutely will come back to ChuMinh, any time (and maybe every time) I’m in Seattle’s International District.
ChuMinh Tofu Deli
Food: excellent.
Price: OK.
Service: very good.
Transit: #7, #14, #36, #60, #106
Verdict: BIG YES.
5/9/2026
itsdougholland.com
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