Asia Gets Its First Vertically Integrated Vegetarian Fast Food Concept Restaurant, WOW Burger

Hong Kong-based WOW Burger is heralding a new era in the ubiquitous fast food industry with its innovative and forward-thinking approach, bringing Asia its first plant-forward fast food concept restaurant.

Making its debut at Basehall in Jardine House, Central Hong Kong, WOW Burger offers vegetarian, inclusive comfort food at an affordable price, the restaurant says. Its aim is to satisfy the dietary preferences of a diverse consumer base while also pointing the meat-loving region toward plant-based options.

WOW Burger

The WOW Burger concept is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Zacki Hamid, Sunil Datwani, and Jason Girard, and supported by founding investor Manav Gupta, the CEO of Brinc. The vision for WOW Burger was to craft a fast food experience that didn’t sacrifice taste or quality, and they’ve certainly delivered.

WOW’s menu takes traditional comfort food and gives it a modern spin, incorporating distinct Hong Kong flavors. The company says its in-house signature patties, packed with over 20 grams of plant-based protein, don’t skimp on taste or texture, ensuring even the most devoted meat lovers are catered to.

Menu options range from the flagship WOW Cheeseburger, the Wow Chick’n, and the fiery WOW Spicy Chick’n. There’s also the Wow Truffle burger with its blend of Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, baby arugula and a house-made truffle sauce.

The chain offers traditional American burger-style sides including fries and tots with a range of sauces, and dairy-free milkshakes made with oat milk.

Vegan Hong Kong

While Singapore has been leading the way as the first country to approve cultivated meat, Hong Kong has been pioneering Asia’s shift to plant-based offerings. The region was the first to debut the vegan Just Egg by Eat Just and was first to bring Beyond Meat’s vegan burgers to Asia — efforts led by Green Monday, the meatless campaign and its sister markets and restaurants, Green Common.

Hong Kong has since become a destination for Asian market entrance. Last month, popular U.S. ice cream brand Coolhaus made its debut across Asia. Coolhaus uses Perfect Day’s precision fermentation whey in place of conventional dairy.

Last summer, Hong Kong’s vegan meat brand Plant Sifu brought its products to seven Chinese restaurants across the region, working with popular chefs to develop authentic dishes aimed at the growing flexitarian demographic.

Wow Burger is now open Monday thru Saturday from 11am to 9:30pm at Basehall in Jardine House, Central Hong Kong.