Restaurant Review: Confusion Plant-Based Kitchen

Considering the number of times that I've been to this restaurant, you probably expect that I've tried every single item on their menu by now. "So why is that not the case?", you may ask. And that's because every day, the menu changes. Hence the name Confusion Plant-Based Kitchen. 

Spinach 'Cheese' Quesidillas

Price: Tacos, quesadillas and wraps are priced at no higher than $80 - very reasonable when considering the portion and comparing it to many other vegan restaurants in Hong Kong - whereas the Beyond Burger is $145 (it is common for the Beyond Burger to be priced much higher than the other dishes offered). The portions often come in twos or threes (as seen above), so they're mostly great for sharing, too! Excellent deals for the food you're getting.

Falafel Wrap

Environment: The overall environment of the restaurant varies largely with the time you go. At 6pm, it will be completely empty. 30 minutes later, it will be packed with all types of people. I personally prefer it when there are less people, because the lack of space in the restaurant means that when it gets crowded, you may have to share a table with other customers, the waiters can't respond quickly to your raised hand, and everything gets a little hectic. The result is also not a lot of walking space, and you might end up tripping over other people's stools or even their feet! 

Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Happy Cow Ice Cream

Tofu Tacos

Food: From Mexican food such as tacos and quesadillas, to Greek food such as falafel wraps and platters, to Japanese food such as soba noodles and yams, to Western food such as burgers and fries, to my favorite desserts such as chocolate crepes and lava caves, Confusion has it all. Additionally, most of their sauces are homemade with secret recipes, and I've never tasted a sauce that didn't pair perfectly with my dish. 

(Click on the image if you want a detailed review of the dish!)

Banana and Chocolate Crepe

Location: Although slightly isolated from the main road, Confusion Plant-Based Kitchen is not too far from the Sheung Wan MTR exit A2. This short walk is what makes it a hidden GEM and thankfully (at least for some customers), prevents it from being overcrowded.

Beyond Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Service: Each time I visit, I struggle to select an item from the menu and always end up asking the boss which dish she'd recommend. Everything she's recommended has always been amazing, and she caters her recommendations to your personal preferences, too! The staff here are very flexible and outgoing; to put this in to context, once I was eating with a friend when she suddenly told me about her craving for hot chocolate. Our conversation was overhead by one of the waitresses, and next thing you know, they were mixing up a vegan hot chocolate just for her, even when it wasn't on the menu. So the next time you go, even if something you want is not on the menu, there's no harm in bringing it up! ;)

Restaurant Review: The Joomak

Thoughts on the Big 5:

Food: You can't find food like this anywhere else in Hong Kong. The food at The Joomak is all Korean-style, so you can find sweet and spicy rice cakes, fried 'chicken', sushi with pear (surprisingly delicious and super refreshing), and 'beef' rice - feel free to click on each image for a more detailed description of the dish! I love the food here, and it's amazing that the restaurant has managed to create a fully vegan menu out of one of the most meat-centered cuisines (they still offer meat dishes, so it's perfect for occasions that involve both omnivores and vegetarians/vegans), and it is solid evidence that eating vegan food does not require any sacrifice. They also have a vegan free-flow on Wednesdays - $198 per person for 90 minutes! 

Grilled Sweet Corn with Vegan Cheese and Sweet Potato

Price: The food here leans more towards the expensive side - no doubt pricier than small shops on the street selling Tteokbokki and Kimbap. You can get appetisers for $50-$100, mains for $80-$150, and desserts for $50-$100. As a reference, everything in this post added up to around $500 HKD and would be able to satisfy around three people. [I was granted free spending on all these items, however, this is not a sponsored post!] 

Spicy Tteokbokki

Location: The Joomak is located in Harbour City - a two minute walk from the Star Ferry pier and also nearby the MTR station (Exit A1). It's conveniently placed in respect to the rest of Tsim Sha Tsui, however, it may take awhile to find once you enter the mall - you will need to go up a few flights of stairs/escalators, walk a few corridors, and make a few turns until you finally find the restaurant.

Environment: The restaurant itself is quite large, meaning that it's not a very noisy atmosphere and easy to have conversation without being disturbed. Nothing in particular about this restaurant stands out as not being environmentally friendly; they don't advertise themselves as an eco-friendly place, but the only real problem is their plastic straws.

Service: To tie this in to the previous point about eco-friendliness, although the waiters are always ready do their jobs, on both times that I ordered a drink and requested for no straw, they still gave it anyway. I'm not sure if this is because they are more proficient in Chinese and less so in English, but there could definitely be some improvements to the service overall (just basic communication things). 

Spicy and Sweet Fried 'chicken'

Pear Kimbap

Chia Seed 'Milk' Pudding (Sesame and Strawberry)

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Restaurant Review: LN Fortunate Coffee

Food: The food here is so unique, you won't be able to find anything similar in other vegan restaurants in Hong Kong! They have the most common Hong Kong snacks such as egg waffles and satay, they have comfort foods such as hotdogs and burgers, they have warm food such as soup noodles and curry rice, and they have desserts ranging from matcha cupcakes to egg-less waffles! LN Fortunate Coffee takes gold in the category of innovation, and it's an ingenious ways to attract non-vegans to try something new. I don't think I've ever tasted anything at this restaurant that wasn't enjoyable! 

Curry Satay (10/10)

Price: However, the price for the portions at LN Fortunate Coffee is slightly disappointing. Although the food tastes incredible, I feel as if I am not getting my money's worth when all I see in my $100 dollar burger is one meagre slice of soy beef. They do offer set meals that are more reasonable and come with a side of orange juice, potato fries, and a salad, however, I personally think that the main dish could be bigger. The same goes for the appetizers and snacks that come in quite small portions but are priced at around $50 per dish. 

This portion size?! :\

Environment: Vegan food, metal straws, free water refill, a bathroom, and free wifi...what more could you ask for? LN Fortunate Coffee is probably one of the most comfortable vegan restaurants that exist in Hong Kong, and I commonly see people sitting there to socialize, have meetings, do work on their laptops - pretty much anything! They are also quite sustainable in their practices: you can refill water as many times as you want, and if you want something sweeter or something more caffeinated, whatever the drink is, it will either come with no straw or a stainless steel straw.

Location: Only about a two-minute amble from the Sai Ying Pun MTR station (Exit B2), LN Fortunate Coffee is extremely convenient, and it's also a great place to go if you want to get work done while snacking on some delicious vegan food/drinks.

Pepper 'Beef' Burger

Hotdog

Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting

Matcha Cupcake (also 10/10)

 

Staff: I love visiting this restaurant, because the staff are always extremely kind and welcoming - they're always ready to take your order, listen to feedback, or have a conversation! Although they mainly speak Chinese, they are very patient even if you don't. Once I changed my cupcake order a good three times in the span of a minute, and they were still okay with it!

Overall, LN Fortunate Coffee is a must visit if you're in Hong Kong. Every time I go there's always a new dish on the menu that hasn't been done before, and the although the portions may be modest, the food never disappoints. Even if you're just craving a small snack or dessert, you can stop by very conveniently; whatever you're looking for, they have it all!

Restaurant Review: Hemingway's By the Bay

As a bold attempt to convert the way people eat, Hemingway's By the Bay phased out all seafood from their restaurant last August, and by January, they turned a new leaf and transformed the beach-side restaurant into one that can be entirely enjoyed by both vegans and vegetarians alike.  

Although the idea of abstaining from meat is daunting to many, Hemingway's successfully spins a creative twist onto all the usual dishes, tempting non-vegans to experience the realistic Beyond burger, shepherd’s pie, spaghetti bolognese, and BBQ pulled ‘pork’ sandwich - which shocks customers who discover that it is in fact made of jackfruit. While remaining tasty, these plant-based alternatives largely reduce the damage done towards the environment.

Hemingway's also enables convenience to its customers by being the first restaurant to implement the use of The Last Straw's bright green paper straws. By providing an alternative choice, they make the process of living sustainably both easy and impactful. These simple changes momentarily divert us from the disconcerting truth that if people continue to consume meat and dispose plastic at an unsustainable rate, there will be more plastic than fish left in the ocean by 2048.

Hopefully, the bold transition that Hemingway's has undergone will inspire other restaurants to do the same, and collectively, Hong Kong will strive towards fostering a more sustainable and healthier environment. 

Potato Skins

Thoughts on The Big 5:

Food: Their menu offers a wide range of comfort foods, many of which are spicy Mexican-style dishes that contain beans, guac, and salsa. They have burgers, pasta (bolognese!), and pizza - anything you'd expect at a typical Western restaurant - except everything on the menu is vegan! The pizza is slightly cheesier and sticker than usual, and the crust is harder than most pizzas (they are not a pizzeria so can't expect their pizzas to be super high quality), but they're still delicious nonetheless! For the burgers, they use Beyond Meat, and you can either order it as a full burger or order three mini sliders to share (I love that option)! Hemingway's is a great option especially if you're sharing among a group of people. They're one of the very few restaurants in Hong Kong that sell vegan pizzas, so those are no doubt a must try. :)

Price: $100-$200 On the more expensive end of the spectrum, but as most of the dishes are quite large, they are great for sharing and end up being quite worth the price once you split the bill. ;)

Location: Located in Discovery Bay, Hemingway's is not the ideal 'go-to' for many Hong Kongers...unless you live in Discovery Bay. Discovery Bay is a 30 minute ferry ride from Central pier 3, but it's definitely worth the trek if you want some great vegan food!

Comfort: You have the option of both indoor and outdoor seating which is great, because if you want to enjoy the sun, you can sit outside, whereas if you'd prefer to eat in an air conditioned space, then the indoor seating is for you! At night, the restaurant becomes a bar with live music playing and a vibrant atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. 

Staff: One of the greatest let downs of this restaurant has got to be its staff. Every time I've entered the restaurant, there has been no one to welcome me in, and I've had to figure out whether or not the seats are available just through trial and error. The staff seemed to be missing all the time, and it's extremely difficult to find a waiter/waitress to take your order. Another major downside is the fact that on most days, the restaurant only opens at 1pm, so if you want to have lunch before that, then tough luck! 

Overall, a few improvements can be made to the service at this restaurant, but otherwise, Hemingway's is a great restaurant to visit - especially if you're not ready to plunge into the vegan lifestyle just yet, but slowly want to transition by eating the usual comfort foods and realizing that vegan diets do not deprive you of anything tasty! 

Chick'n Tikka Pizza - this photo is now published on Hemingway's menu!

Spaghetti Bolognese with Beyond Meat and Garlic Bread

Chick'n Tikka Pizza 

Pulled Jackfruit Pizza

The Great Vegan Debate: Beyond VS. Impossible Burger

Mock meats: the best way to convince an omnivore that vegan food is anything but boring. They have the ability to fool even the most adamant meat-eaters and fulfil the occasional cravings of plant-based foodies. Two of the most popular variations in Hong Kong are the Beyond and Impossible meat: both entirely plant-based, they have the frightening ability to 'bleed' - making them freakishly realistic and intriguing. More importantly, they both share the same objective of reducing people's carbon footprints by providing a more eco-friendly yet delicious alternative to the usual burger. I am always thrilled by the sight of a plant-based burger on a restaurant's menu, so this article will attempt to give a rundown of the main places in Hong Kong where you can give them a try, which one the majority of Instagrammers (who answered my poll) prefer, and which one I prefer!

Here are some basic facts about the Beyond Burger (the rest you can find on their website): 

• 20G of pea protein in each patty
• Beets are the secret behind the bleeding

WHERE TO FIND THE BEYOND BURGER:

1. Confusion Plant-Based Kitchen

Beyond Burger from Confusion Plant Based Kitchen, Hong Kong

The Beyond Burger from Confusion is extra 'cheese'y, and it comes with a side of either tofu fries or purple yam fries. Absolutely delicious - this burger is one of the few permanent items on their menu and is extremely popular and loved by all! Costs $145 HKD and is very filling. 

 

2. Kind Kitchen

Beyond Burger from Kind Kitchen Green Common, Hong Kong

The Apple Puree Beyond Burger from Kind Kitchen tastes great, but it is probably on the blander side of the spectrum (due to the lack of 'cheese'). However, it is layered with a smokey vegan mustard sauce which adds a spicy and fresh taste to it. This burger costs $108 HKD and pairs perfectly with the crispy, fresh, and salty fries on the side. 

 

3. Hemingway's

I don't have a photo of the Beyond Burger from Hemingway's, but I had a bite of it, and - just like all other Beyond Burgers - it tasted delicious! It had a strong smokey flavour, making it seem as if it was barbecued. It costs $138, and it is served with either sweet potato fries or fat chips.

 

4. The Butcher's Club

The Beyond Wu Tang Style Burger from The Butcher's Club

Despite the off-putting restaurant name, The Beyond Wu Tang style burger is hands down the best Beyond Burger I have ever eaten. It is a plant-based version of their popular Wu Tang burger, and it does a perfect job of imitating the succulent taste of a regular burger. Part of what makes it so delicious is its combination of vegan mayonnaise, kimchi, and vegan cheese (look how beautiful...). It is also fried in Sriracha, which adds an extra dimension of spice to it. Priced at $120, and it's no doubt the most reasonable ones to have!

 

Recently introduced to the vegan scene in Hong Kong, the Impossible burger can be found in restaurants such as Little Bao, Beef & Liberty, and Cali-Mex (in beef bits as opposed to a burger).

Fun facts:

• 20G of wheat protein in each patty
• Heme is their magical bleeding ingredient
• Hong Kong is the first city out of the US to have the Impossible burger!

*The Beyond meat is available in retail at grocery stores such as Green Common and Just Green, but the Impossible meat can only be eaten at a select few restaurants

 

WHERE TO FIND THE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER:

1. Beef & Liberty

Impossible Burger from Beef & Liberty, Hong Kong

This Impossible burger does an excellent job of looking like a real, beef burger. However, I'm not sure if I was just unlucky, but I thought it tasted very plain and dry - nothing extraordinary. There were a bunch of greens that gave it a minty flavour and I liked how the 'meat' was cooked so that it was slightly crispy and had a smokey taste, but I think it would have been better with a layer of vegan cheese or some other sauce, as is the case with any other burger! I also found out after eating this that their bun wasn't even vegan, but now they are implementing a vegan bun at all branches.  Costs $135 and is currently available at @beefandliberty 's Stanley, LKF, and airport chains! 

 

2. Little Bao

Impossible Bao from Little Bao, Hong Kong

This was the first Impossible meat I tried, and I was amazed by how REAL it looked and tasted! This little restaurant on Staunton street is a popular eatery that adds a creative twist to the usual Chinese dining style. Famous for it's white bread Baos, the Impossible addition to their menu is a brilliant way to attract more customers! The patty was so juicy, and it was cooked with caramelised onions and other vegetables which gave it a nice smokey and salty flavour - which paired perfectly with the soft, sweet, white buns. It was on the more expensive side, $148 HKD, but definitely worth a try!

 

3. CALI-MEX

Impossible Meat Burrito, Cali-Mex

Not a burger, but I thought it would be worthwhile to mention that you can also try the Impossible meat at Cali-Mex in Sai Ying Pun (not sure if it is available at all branches yet)! A nice addition to the burrito or burrito bowl, the Impossible meat adds some extra protein and flavour to your meal. I personally couldn't really taste it, but I was still amazed by how real it looked and it was fun to eat it nevertheless! 

 

I created a Google Maps collection for all the locations (that I know of) where you can eat Beyond or Impossible meat in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, I don't have the premium feature to embed it into my blog, so you can access it here. 

THE VERDICT:

Beyond VS. Impossible

Which burger is the preferred option, according to my Instagram followers

Before writing this post, I would have confidently said that I prefer Beyond meat over Impossible meat. Although it doesn't look as realistic, it has more inherent flavour, the patty is juicier, and I love the smokey flavour and aftertaste that it has. After refreshing my mind about the Impossible Bao, I do think my opinion may be slightly skewed due to the disparity between the number of times I have tasted the Beyond burger compared to the Impossible burger, but I still believe that the Beyond burger is more to my liking. If I had to recommend two of my favorite burgers mentioned in this post, it would no doubt be the Beyond Wu Tang Style Burger from The Butcher's Club and The Impossible Bao from Little Bao!