Hong Kong Burger Chain Goes Plant-Based For Veganuary With New Chef Menu & Vegan Dessert Tarts

Hong Kong burger chain Beef & Liberty has gone plant-based for the month of January as part of Veganuary, the global movement encouraging people to ditch meat and dairy for 31 days. For the whole month, the restaurant’s Lan Kwai Fong location will be taken over by its sister vegetarian brand, Leaves & Liberty, offering a brand new chef-curated fully meatless menu boasting a majority of 100% vegan-friendly dishes, including a special burger created by renowned chef Peggy Chan of Grassroots fame. 

To celebrate Veganuary, the popular pledge to eat plant-based for one month to save the planet and animals, Beef & Liberty is turning its flagship branch in Lan Kwai Fong’s California Tower into an all-vegetarian and vegan restaurant. For just this month, the iconic burger chain in Hong Kong will be taken over by its sister concept Leaves & Liberty, marking the first time the delivery-only brand will appear in a brick-and-mortar location. 

Read: Interview with Veganuary co-founder Matthew Glover on why 2021 is the easiest year to go vegan

The reality is that in order to help save the planet, we all should be eating less meat and more vegetables.

Justin Kennedy, Co-Founder, Leaves & Liberty

Designed by group development chef Neil Tomes, the new 100% vegetarian menu will put veggies, pulses, fruits and nuts in the centre of the spotlight, offering diners a range of dishes that are good for the planet but leaves no compromise on taste or experience. Among some of the highlights include vegan starter Charred Spiced Cauliflower and colourful plant-filled Rocket & Candied Bamboo Salad, and 100% plant-based burgers like the Pulled Jackfruit featuring a vegan ginger mayonnaise coleslaw and the Impossible Double Smashed made with Impossible Foods’ famous heme-filled plant-based patties and topped with vegan cheese. 

“From the start of our existence we have acknowledged the environmental impact of livestock farming. We go to great lengths to mitigate it in our supply chain and reduce it as far as possible in our operations. But the reality is that in order to help save the planet, we all should be eating less meat and more vegetables,” said Justin Kennedy, co-founder of Leaves & Liberty. 

I wanted to introduce a whole food, plant-based burger that Hong Kongers would love.

Chef Peggy Chan

In addition, Leaves & Liberty will be serving up a special limited-edition burger dubbed The Aftershroom, created by chef Peggy Chan who pioneered Hong Kong’s plant-based eating scene with Grassroots Pantry and Nectar, and has since published her first cookbook as part of her sustainable food activism. 

Featuring a breaded lion’s mane mushroom patty slathered in vegan kimchi and butter lettuce in between sweet potato buns, sales of the 100% plant-based Aftershroom burger will see HK$10 go towards nonprofit The Nature Conservancy to support environmental programs across Asia.  

“I wanted to introduce a whole food, plant-based burger that Hong Kongers would love. Many have said that lion’s mane mushroom – which resembles a large, white, shaggy lion’s mane – tastes almost poultry-like, similar to the stringy, delicate texture of chicken thighs or lean pork,” said chef Chan of her unique creation for Leaves & Liberty’s month-long pop-up. 

Leaves & Liberty offers the perfect diet-friendly dishes that are nourishing, environmentally conscious, and above all, delicious.

Chef Neil Tomes

“I decided to combine this meaty superfood sourced from our mushroom suppliers, Luen Kee Ho, with kimchi slaw and Yangnyeom for a punchy and flavorful Korean twist. The burger is unique, and definitely one to choose over a regular Korean Fried Chicken burger.” 

What’s more? There’s vegan desserts available at the restaurant to finish off the meal, with chef Jessica Chow of Hong Kong’s first-ever plant-based pâtisserie Bien Caramélisé’s Passionfruit & Lemon Tart on the menu. 

With a chef-curated menu full of plant-based dishes, chef Tomes says that the Beef & Liberty team simply “cannot wait to welcome guests” at their flagship. “Leaves & Liberty offers the perfect diet-friendly dishes that are nourishing, environmentally conscious, and above all, delicious.”

Leaves & Liberty Lan Kwai Fong will be open from January 1-31 for both dine-in and delivery. Address: 3/F California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, Hong Kong. 

All images courtesy of Beef & Liberty.