There is good news and there is bad news. The good news first: finding vegetarian food in Hong Kong is not difficult. Cantonese restaurant menus are filled with vegetarian-sounding dishes and come with loads of tasty vegetables and noodles. Unfortunately, the reason they’re often so tasty is because while the dish may be meat-free, there’s still a good chance that it was cooked in fish oil or beef fat.
It is not to worry. There are many more options; including many bona fide Buddhist and Indian vegetarian restaurants. Below are some of the best.
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Chungking Mansions
Direction
b2, Chungking Mansion, 36-44 Nathan Rd , Tsim Sha Tsui , Hong KongGet directions
Web
Visit the website
Head to Chungking Mansions to enjoy a variety of Indian and Pakistani restaurants within this building, many of which offer a wide selection of vegetarian dishes. Pakistani restaurants tend to have the tastiest selection of vegetable-only dishes, including some fantastic saags and barthas.
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Veggie SF
Direction
Hong Kong, 10/F, 11 Stanley Street, CentralGet directions
Telephone
+852 3902 3902
Web
Visit the website
Now for something completely different. If your tour of Hong Kong’s vegetarian options has taken you from Chinese restaurant to Chinese restaurant and again, Veggie SF is a breath of fresh air. This laid-back restaurant is peppered with Americana and is designed to be a slice of San Francisco style. While exaggerated stars and stripes are nothing new to the Hong Kong restaurant scene, you don’t often see an American vegetarian restaurant, at least not around these parts. There are burgers, pasta, and rice dishes on the menu, from lasagna to soy burger cheeseburgers to pumpkin fries. They also make a deadly line of desserts, including an attention-grabbing green tea ice cream.
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Chi Lin Vegetarian
Several Buddhist and Taoist temple complexes in Hong Kong offer vegetarian meals. The Chi Lin Vegetarian Restaurant at the Chi Lin Convent wins as our top pick because it is a full restaurant rather than a canteen and because it is one of the closest to downtown, many of the others are in the New Territories. Chi Lin Nunnery is a beautiful ensemble of buildings amid tranquil grounds in North Kowloon, with the restaurant itself located below the waterfall. The food is fresh, natural, and the emphasis is on well-crafted Chinese vegetarian dishes rather than meat replacement. Try the fried pumpkin spring rolls.
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Kung Tak Lam Vegetarian Cooking
Direction
Hong Kong, 7/F, 1 Peking Road, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha TsuiGet directions
Telephone
+852 2312 7800
This chain of vegetarian restaurants offers a menu of Shanghai classics with the meat swapped for tofu and soybeans. You will find many noodle dishes mixed with cucumber, mushrooms and white carrots, but also a wide selection of traditional meat dishes, such as Peking duck, which have been recreated in a vegetarian style.
