Where To Eat (Plants) This January: New Vegan Restaurant Openings, Menus & Food News

It’s the news you’ve been waiting for – the most comprehensive list of new vegan bites and eateries to try out across Hong Kong. For our very first edition for 2021, we’ve put together yet again another impressive list of new plant-based restaurants who have joined the scene, menu additions at our favourite cafés and more. Here’s the latest this January.  

Newest plant-based restaurants to visit & veggie-filled bites to try out

Yau Veggie Bistro opens doors in Western district: Hong Kong’s westside is getting hot and crowded with new plant-based restos and has recently welcomed Yau Veggie Bistro, an all-vegetarian and vegan place on South Lane serving up fusion cuisine. On its menu is everything from Thai massaman curry to Japanese donburi and even “foie gras” and no-beef wellington. 

Grain of Salt now serving your daily dose of plant-filled nutrition: After a few weeks of refining and testing recipes and getting the shop ready, Grain of Salt has just opened on Central’s Gough Street. While still in soft launch, the 2-in-1 kitchen and eatery is all about creating dishes that are nourishing for the body and soul, so you can expect to dig into colourful chia puddings and hearty whole food salad bowls when you visit. 

Big Dill has opened its second location in Soho: Hong Kong’s favourite 100% vegan comfort food joint has just expanded and opened its second location in Soho district’s Staunton Street. Partnering with Brooklyn Bar & Grill, the New York-style pub that serves cocktails, wines, spirits and beer on tap, Big Dill will be dishing out its menu of craveworthy vegan bar snacks, from “mozzarella” sticks to pretzels, “sausage” rolls and more. 

Leaves & Liberty takes over Lan Kwai Fong with 100% meat-free menu for Veganuary: This month, Leaves & Liberty has taken over Beef & Liberty’s LKF flagship with a completely meat-free chef-curated menu. Aside from loads of vegan burgers to choose from (including Chef Peggy Chan’s Aftershroom), there are new salads, sides and appetisers (many topped with local dairy brand Garden Hill’s vegan offerings) and even dairy, egg and butter-free desserts (made by Hong Kong’s first 100% plant-based patisserie Bien Caramelise). There are some vegetarian dishes, so do specify if you’re vegan and definitely ask for the vegan brioche buns!

CookDuck now delivering vegan & vegetarian cooking kits & meals: CookDuck is coming to the rescue as dinner service for restaurants remain closed in Hong Kong. This new local delivery platform is now making grocery shopping and meal planning easy with its 100% meat-free range of rotating dishes, from vegan alfredo to vegetarian onion soup that you can whip up at home in no time – they prepare everything and all you have to do is follow the instructions!

Beloved plant-based restos step it up with revamped menus & offerings

Soulistic launches festive plant-based Chinese New Year collection: Local vegan startup Soulistic, founded by Hong Kong vegan chef and plant-based nutritionist Tiffany Lau, has just launched its new festive collection for the Lunar New Year. Using seasonal ingredients harvested from Lau’s own farm, the new collection of 100% vegan products includes traditional festive cakes like lo bak go (radish cake) and lin go, the glutinous rice cake often enjoyed during this season. Plus, Soulistic’s versions are low sodium and low-GI too. 

Miss Lee debuts new 100% vegan afternoon tea set: Miss Lee, the modern Chinese vegetarian restaurant is stepping it up yet again with its new 100% vegan afternoon tea set consisting of 8 different bites. On the menu are hawthorn and black sesame scones, tapioca crackers with wasabi and lotus root, and all-vegan Chinese dim sums like osmanthus and goji berry jelly and steamed red date cakes. Oh, and some of Miss Lee’s most popular will also feature in miniature form, like fan favourite “smashing pumpkin” cakes with sesame and walnut praline and X.O. rice noodle rolls. 

Omni-joints adding plant-based options to their menu

Little Mario’s pizza joint has a 100% plant-based menu: Little Mario’s Pizzeria has long been an omni favourite in Kwun Tong, but it’s now launched a totally meat and dairy-free menu to cater to the growing number of herbivores and flexitarians! From “magic mushrooms” pizza topped with four different types of mushrooms to vegan bread knots, the menu is guaranteed to leave you nothing but satisfied. Plus, normal dairy cheese on all their main menu items can also be swapped out for the vegan version for HK$10. 

Mott 32 debuts new plant-based menu: High-end Cantonese restaurant Mott 32 is now offering a separate plant-based menu, featuring adapted versions of many of its classics. Guests will no doubt be wowed with their signature peking “duck” made from crispy tofu skin and piping hot Chinese pancakes, Shanghainese minced “pork” soup dumplings, and salt and pepper “squid” made from coconut meat and crispy baby corn. 

Local dessert joint ‘ello adds 4 new vegan doughnuts: ‘ello, a local dessert shop that won over Instagram influencers when it launched a pop-up at K11 Art Mall last year, is now selling its brand new handcrafted vegan doughnuts on its online store. There are four new 100% vegan doughnuts in total, including dairy-free milk chocolate with oreos, strawberry jam, nuts and maple syrup, and mango jam with coconut cream. 

Still want more? Try these vegan bites that have just landed in town

Takeaway vegan poon choi at The Tea Room: The Tea Room, the restaurant operated by the One-Eight-One Hotel, is now selling 100% vegan poon choi for takeaway during the Chinese New Year season, featuring a wide variety of mushrooms, asparagus, taro, lotus root, daikon, butternut squash and cauliflower. 

Get vegan momos at Momo Moment: This small Nepalese takeaway joint in Kennedy Town’s Forbes Street is now offering authentic momo dumplings that are vegan. While the rest of Momo Moment’s menu does contain meat and dairy, their spiced potato momos are completely plant-based and are reportedly fingerlickin’ good. 

Bravo Fine Foods now stocking Italian plant-based cheeses: Boutique importer Bravo Fine Foods is now selling Italian plant-based cheese product lines like the sprouted brown rice based MozzaRisella, which is not only vegan but also free from lactose, sucrose, soy and gluten. 

Lead image courtesy of Mott 32.