Vietnamese woman quits $7,700-a-month job to open vegetarian restaurant

Ngoc Diep, 57, owner of Shamballa vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, once held a senior management position in a large corporation, earning over VND200 million (approximately $7,700) per month. However, a near-death experience during a trip to Tibet in 2012 profoundly changed her perspective on life. Suffering from severe shortness of breath and facial swelling, Diep relied on oxygen masks and care from local monks and nuns for nearly three weeks. "At the face of death, I realized that such a high salary means nothing," she recounted. Upon returning to Vietnam, she continued her corporate job and business trips, but her outlook on life had irreversibly shifted. She adopted a strict vegetarian diet and began to focus more on meditation and aspects of life previously overshadowed by work. Initially, Diep struggled to find vegetarian meals that suited her palate. This led her to experiment in the kitchen, developing dishes that were both delicious and visually appealing. In 2018, she decided to leave her office job and open a vegetarian restaurant. While friends called her "crazy," her family respected her choice. In May 2019, she opened her first Shamballa restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. The name, derived from Tibetan philosophy, symbolizes a realm of peace and reflects the transformative journey that changed her life. The restaurant initially attracted many foreign tourists, but just seven months after opening, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, severely impacting business. She depleted most of her savings and had to borrow from friends. However, she found strength in the words of her meditation teacher: "If I could help 10 people have a vegetarian meal without the killing of animals, I would create merit not just for myself but for others." This belief, coupled with the beauty and meaning she found in her work, prevented her from giving up. With the economic recovery in 2022, the restaurant's business gradually improved. In 2022, she also opened a branch in Da Nang, offering vegetarian dishes inspired by Vietnamese cuisine. In 2025 and 2026, Shamballa Da Nang was recognized in the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list. Diep emphasizes that for more people to embrace vegetarianism, the food must be not only delicious but also accessible and suitable for daily life. She is now developing concentrated broths and cooking sauces to allow people to enjoy Shamballa's flavors at home. Source: VnExpress International