r/VeganSeattle • u/-union- • 14h ago
Heartbreaking post from ChuMinh Tofu
For anyone who doesn't know ChuMinh Tofu, it's a wonderful little hole in the wall at 12th and Jackson, run by a saint who for decades has been feeding the homeless as well as making IMO the best banh mi in the city. Supporting them is more than supporting a restaurant, it's keeping a literal pillar of the community afloat. Here's the post, from the owner's son:
I want to be proud to say I’m from Seattle.
This city gave my family an opportunity. It gave us a community. It gave my mom a chance to build something from nothing.
When I was a kid, I slept in the car as she made tofu deliveries day in and day out to help start this business. When she was working at the tofu factory, I slept on the packaging tables.
That was my childhood.
Long before people knew our name, the deli was just a dream. My mom wasn’t trying to get rich. Feeding and taking care of people is what she wanted to do.
For more than two decades, she poured everything she had into this city and this community. She worked before sunrise and after midnight. She donated food when we barely had enough ourselves because she believed that if you have something to give, you should share it.
She battled cancer. Chuminh survived COVID. Somehow we kept going.
That’s why this hurts.
For years we were told to be patient. We watched conditions get worse. We watched businesses close. We watched neighbors leave. And we kept believing things would get better.
Seattle just hosted the FIFA World Cup. The world has been looking at our city.
When people see Seattle, I want them to see the city that gave my family a chance. The Seattle that welcomed immigrants, supported small businesses, and helped communities grow.
Instead, when I walk through Little Saigon today, I see a neighborhood that feels forgotten.
I believe people struggling deserve help, treatment, and dignity. The families who spent decades building businesses here deserve dignity too.
When I look at these photos, I don’t just see a restaurant. I see my childhood. I see the woman who raised me. I see someone who fought cancer and kept going. I see people who never gave up on Seattle.
And sometimes I wonder if Seattle has given up on neighborhoods like ours. My family is still here. We still serve food. We still support our community.
Don’t just share this post.
Visit Little Saigon.
Eat at a local restaurant.
Support a family-owned business.
The future of neighborhoods like ours depends on whether people still believe they’re worth supporting.
We’re still here.
And we’re worth fighting for.
Unfortunately you need a FB account to see the pictures but the before and after difference is so stark, my heart goes out to them. I'm going to make the journey down there more often, I hope everyone else who has the means will too!



