In 2016 Hong Kong averaged around one addition per month to its all vegan restaurant list. At the end of Q3 2016 the number of all vegan restaurants and cafes in HK doubled compared to the same point in 2015. Here’s the deal.
(Veggie SF)
January – Veggie SF had been in business since January 2010 as a lacto ovo vego restaurant. In January 2016 this 1950s San Francisco style diner upgraded to all vegan. Owner Paul said, “Older and wiser. Initially we set up mainly on religious reasons. As we’ve learned more it’s now more about animal compassion. Vegan is the way to go.”
March – Loving Nature had been operating as a coffee shop in Kwai Hing for a year. Then they moved to new premises allowing them operate as a cafe. As an affiliate of the Malaysia based LN / Loving Nature chain they are all vegan.
March – A second LN / Loving Nature affiliated presence opens in Hong Kong. Under the banner of LN Fortunate Coffee this Sai Ying Pun eatery gets the punters in for spaghetti, bagels, sandwiches and waffles. And of course coffee.
(LN Fortunate Coffee)
April – Veggle Cafe opens as the first all vegan eatery in Kwun Tong. The chef is previously from the now demised Life Cafe. Veggle trumps Life Cafe though since Life Cafe wasn’t all vegan. Western style food.
June – A change to the investors at what was previously Queen of the East vegetarian restaurant in Causeway Bay. Queen of the East becomes Benzhen Vegetarian but with the non-vegan ingredients removed as part of the re-brand. Benzhen retains the Buddhist philosophy of its predecessor.
August – Ohm opens in Sheung Wan marketing itself as all vegan, all organic, all fair trade. A place for a beer or a coffee but also with a small food menu.
August – After going into partnership with the people from Alpha Living Planet, Beauty and Juice in Kwun Tong upgrades to all vegan. The upgrade completes in August with an all raw food vegan menu.
August – The Chinese University of Hong Kong opens an on campus vegetarian restaurant. The contract is won by the people behind Luen Wo catering. They go one better than making the food all vegetarian. They make it the first all vegan restaurant at any of Hong Kong’s universities. The restaurant is named Vegether.
(The Veggie)
September – How many people a year ago said Kwun Tong would become a vegan restaurant hot spot? The Veggie opened in September 2016 to be the third all vegan eatery opened in Kwun Tong this year. Unlike the two previously mentioned places in Kwun Tong, The Veggie is a Chinese food place. It’s a pretty fancy one at that. Exquisite ingredients are imported from ecologically oriented farmers in the fresh air of Yunnan province.
September – Anything But Salads (pic below) declares the last non-vegan ingredient removed from their menu. This is little surprise since they have been edging that way for some time. They also refurbed their presence in Sheung Wan the month before to convert it to a cafe. There is a question mark over the future though of ABS as a vegan cafe. The entire business (not just the cafe) is currently up for sale.
So 10 new places for all vegan dining have appeared in Hong Kong this year by the end of September. Extending the time window slightly further… One year ago there were 11 all vegan cafes and restaurants in Hong Kong. Veggie Mami made that number 12 in October last year when they declared they had upgraded to all vegan. Thus in the last 12 months the number of all vegan restaurants and cafes in Hong Kong has doubled.
(Veggie Mami)
In many regards this increase should be no surprise for a city of Hong Kong’s size. Tech savvy Hong Kongers are wired up and tuned in to worldwide trends. There’s the forces of resistance though pushing against the trend. The meat / dairy / egg / fish / sea food industries have highly financed lobbyists and Merchants of Doubt keen to spread anti-vegan propaganda. Even in Hong Kong there are some slightly surprising forces pressing against all vegan dining. In talking with the leadership team behind the recently opened (and short lived) Soul Concept in Wan Chai the question had to be asked: Why did the menu include lacto vegetarian food? The answer? Because they asked the Hong Kong based Green Monday people for advice. The Green Monday people told them not to be all vegan. It seems the Green Monday people aren’t as green as they’d like people to perceive they are.
There’s no suggestion that there won’t be set backs along the road (such is the way of the restaurant business). There’s the question mentioned above re Anything but Salads. Popular Vegetarian was a sad all vegan loss at New Year to what was likely exorbitant rent increases. At some time another place will close or revert to non-vegan. The overall trend is overwhelmingly clear though. Hong Kong is following the direction from other parts of the world. All vegan restaurants are increasingly part of the HK dining scene and will be here to stay.
The growth rate so far in 2016 of Hong Kong all vegan restaurants and cafes will rival anywhere on earth. There’s currently 21 such places elevating themselves above other restaurants in HK that claim to target healthy, compassionate, environmentally minded customers. What will be the next addition to the list?
Image source: Hong Kong Hotels
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