枣子树 or Jujube Tree is a causal-fine dining vegetarian restaurant group that operates outlets in Shanghai and in a couple of other cities. Offers an extensive range of modern Chinese vegetarian and vegan dishes, including some with mushrooms and some with mock meats made from tofu, seitan, and/or yam. Menu has English with photos of dishes. This branch has a small health food shop in the foyer. Buses 112, 37, 24, 20, 23, 330, 21, 15, 19, JiangNing location. Shanghai subway, Line 2, left out of exit 1. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-9:30pm.
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Last update on 02 Feb 2023 by Lauraleec
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63 Reviews
First Review by toxi
juliotnunes
Points +744
Vegetarian Lifestyle - Edit
The restaurant has a nice atmosphere to it and it’s up stairs. Staff is friendly and the menu is in part English so if your Chinese is horrible it will be easier to order. Had the dumplings and orange chicken with rice. Very good and plenty for two. Came to 256 Yuan/$36. Definitely going back.
Read morePros: Friendly staff, Decent prices
Guest
Sorana
Points +2277
Mock meat heaven - traditional Chinese - Edit
Zao Zi Shu is the best restaurant to not only try out traditional Chinese dishes in their vegan/vegetarian versions, but at the same time it was the perfect place to take my heavy-meat-eating Chinese friends to! Trying out mock meats for the first time was a great experience for them, especially by having typical Chinese meals that they were used to.
Read morePros: Good value & taste for money
Cons: Traditional heavy food
Guest
flyinglars
Points +78
Good place to eat - Edit
Very clean restaurant, large menu (also in english and pictured), friendly staff
Read moreGuest
Brit
Points +76
Yummy - Edit
Try their deepfried monkey head mushrooms or the silken tofu tomato curry with rice :) really good food with an Asian twist!
Read moreGuest
TheresaChristine
Points +21
Delicious veggie food and nice atmosphere - Edit
Loved eating here! Their menu has images and an English translation which makes it super easy to order. I couldn't decide there was so much to choose from! I ended up getting the plate of dumplings which were so savory and delicious, along with a lily pear juice. I saw two other tables with tourists but the rest were locals. I will return here during my Shanghai stay.
Read morePros: Nice atmosphere in the restaurant, Great food, Easy to order from the menu
Guest
SmadarCaspi
Points +15
מסעדה מעולה - Edit
מסעדה מצוינת, אוכל מגוון ומעולה, אנין ועדין. שירות אדיב ומקצועי. חזרנו לשם פעמיים במהלך שהותנו בשנגחאי
Read morePros: הרבה אפשרויות טבעוניות
Guest
oskeewowwow
Points +1198
Excellent Vegan Chinese Food - Edit
I went here with my meat eating coworker. We both really enjoyed the food. The best dish was the mock meatballs with baby bok choy
Read moreGuest
silverlady
Points +44
vegetarian lifestyle - Edit
Have been coming to this chain for many years, never disappointed
Read morePros: popcorn tea
Cons: no alcohol
Guest
PennyAllyson
Points +147
Delicious and beautiful dishes - Edit
All of the six dishes we tried were delicious, from the spare ribs to the baked potato mud [most convincing stringy cheese ever]. Lots of TVP but there are also plenty of whole food options. Nothing was drenched in oil like many vegetable dishes found in non vegan restaurants in China.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-08-29
Pros: Six or of six were first rate, Cheese on potato mud was super good
Cons: A little pricey , Small portions
Guest
H2OAddict
Points +686
Absolutely amazing! - Edit
I've had vegan food in multiple cities across China and this has so far been the best. Each dish we had was superb. It is a bit greasy and most dishes are based around mock meat/meat substitutes which could turn off some people, but my parents and I were on vacation, so we partook in things we don't normally eat at home. (They are salt oil sugar free and I'm mostly whole food plant based.) Everything we had was tasty and naughty!
Read moreFrom the mock Beijing duck to the potstickers, we really enjoyed every delectable bite. The other dishes were also off the chart fantastic.
The restaurant is easy to find with easy access to and from the metro. It's on a corner with a very obvious signage and the inside is clean and tidy. As other reviewers have stated, there was a distinct language barrier, but the staff was attentive and we were able to easily order with the pictured menu with English descriptions. It's easy to point at what you want and they appreciated my sad attempts and communicating in Putong hua.
The restaurant wasn't too crowded and the tables were easily spaced. Also, the chairs move, which is nice, because so many restaurants in China have heavy furniture that's difficult to navigate. We were lucky and had very nice locals who chatted with us as we ate about Shanghai, veganism, animal rights, and what we were doing in the city. I love friendly diners, so it was an extra special touch!
I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone who either lives here or is visiting!
Pros: Exceptional plating, Atmosphere, Picture menu
Cons: Upstairs restroom
Guest
SuBravo
Points +406
I love this place - Edit
Excellent food (all vegan) and very nice staff. And the best thing, they don't close between the early crazy Chinese lunch time and dinner! Perfect for travellers that eat at any time they can.
Read moreGuest
XOXO
Points +1836
Loved it - Edit
I had no idea what I eat but it was delicious!
Read moreTake a risk, is all vegan!
Guest
Nirankarkaur
Points +344
it depends on your order ;) - Edit
Easy to find if you go out Exit 1 and turn left, then walk on the other side of the road and turn right on the first big road! Walk 3 min and the restaurant will be on your left. So basically I love the place as it's vegan and close to subway. I just made a wrong choice and went for the braised chicken szichuan style as it was covered and cooking in oil. I had a few mouth full as I was super hungry but told them that I can't eat it. I remember last time I was here some of the food was so greasy and I didn't think about so much oil in that dish...so be careful with your choice.
Read moreBuckwheat sprout Temaki was over the top delicious!!! I can highly recommend it as it's healthy and delicious without any oil!
The baked potato mash was good but better to share and eat it with steamed veggies.
Staff is friendly but doesn't speak well English but also that's part of the Chinese experience I guess ;-) Happy to come back and choose wisely ;-)
Pros: much choice , nice environment and area
Cons: some of the food is very greasy, too much fried food, some dishes are very expensive
Guest
HelenFry
Points +61
Very nice! - Edit
Really lovely; delicious fake meats and nicely flavoured vegetable dishes. It's relatively heavy, as vegetarian fare goes, and some of the dishes are quite big - 2-3 dishes per person, depending on how hungry you are, is about right. Vegan options not labelled.
Read moreGuest
forevergold
Points +32
Delicious! - Edit
Stumbled across this place on our way to a different vegan restaurant and decided to give it a go. Food is delicious, especially the vegetarian steak. Hands down the best food I've had in China so far. Fresh and tasty! A lot of mock meat, which I love. Would definitely recommend it!
Read morePros: Delicious food!, Good service
Cons: No alcohol served
Guest
CharlieDenman
Points +132
Great place - Edit
Really nice place! It is smart so great for dinners with family/ friends or just to pop in for lunch. The menu was amazing - it really was hard to decide what to order!
Read moreThe curry was delicious, as were the dumplings and fried/tempura mushrooms :D
Pros: Smart , Clean, Great menu (lots of variety)
Cons: Bit expensive
Guest
MMC
Points +279
Nice veggie life in Shanghai - Edit
The upstairs dining area is a bit more formal and upscale but the downstairs us nice as well with great service. I had 3 dishes - 2 were really excellent: the asparagus wrapped in veggie bacon served on a sizzling platter and the veggie mock meat dish served with small buns which were described in the menu as corn but seemed more like wheat and were delicious! The mushroom tofu rolls were good but paled next to the other stellar dishes. These 3 dishes made 3 meals for myself as I could only finish a small portion and had enough for lunch and dinner the next day. This and fresh squeezed OJ was well under $30 so I would not consider it expensive. Like most of the Buddhist veggie restaurants in China they do not serve beer or wine but have a nice selection of juices and non alcoholic beer and wines.
Read moreGuest
SagarJain
Points +13
Good atmosphere , Good food - Edit
For vegetarians , the food is good , service is quick, no English speaking staff but manageable to communicate with the menu.
Read moreSlightly pricey but worth it !!
Guest
m@earthville
Points +9620
One of the best i tried in Shanghai - Edit
Zaozi Shu (Vegetarian Lifestyle) serves very well-prepared food in an elegant atmosphere, with warm and good-natured service. The whole experience is a good notch or two above the typical Chinese eatery in every respect.
Read moreThe menu is diverse, and particularly favors faux meats, though there are plenty of other options, too.
Enjoy!
Guest
Mashta
Points +55
Foreigner friendly, no MSG, extensive menu, chinese favorites - Edit
Great place for mock meats and tasty dishes. Menu in pictures and english included so easy for foreigners. Try the sweet char siu pastry dim sum, black bean fry steak pieces, and fried rice. Reliable service and quality. Careful not too order too many strong flavours though, best to balance with fresh too or your tongue can feel a little funny afterwards, even though it promises no MSG.
Read moreGuest
risen
Points +23
Good Service And Food - Edit
he sevice was really good and the fake meats had me doubting if it really was fake. Even my meat eating boyfriend was very impressed. The price of food for 2 with drinks was as I recall about 250 yuan as it is in the expensive end but really really worth it.
Read morePros: Atmosphere, Service, The Food
Cons: Price
Guest
veljay
Points +51
Definitely Coming Back! - Edit
We tried six different dishes, 2 cold (the sweet and sour ribs were great!), 2 hot and two soups. All well presented. The flavours were good but I would have preferred a bit more spice. The staff were all happy and friendly too!!
Read morePros: friendly helpful staff, clean restaurant, English
Guest
slumberstreet
Points +26
Review - Edit
I haven't been to many nice, proper restaurants here in Shanghai yet, so it was nice to visit a place that is more clean and has a more "professional" service compared to other places + friendlier staff even though they don't really speak English.
Read moreThere were so many things on the menu that I wanted to try - but we were only two people, so we just ordered 4 dishes. It was very nice and spicy. They have a lot of mock meat on the menu, and we also ordered some - only one of them that contained something that was to meaty for me. It was supposed to be pork, which had some kind of fat on the side (to make it more authentic, I guess), but I definitely don't miss animal fat.
We did also end up with two dishes that are pretty similar to each other, but with different flavors - so the pictures on the menu is not totally accurate.
We brought our own water, because they don't serve that (they serve tea, juice etc.)
I will definitely go back here so that I can taste their other dishes!
I gave this place 4 stars, but only comparing it to Shanghai restaurants, I would actually give it 5
Pros: nice restaurant - but maybe not the best atmospher, no MSG (says on the menu card), vegan, tasty
Cons: the drinking options
Guest
vegangirl13
Points +34
Nice Food, Slow Service - Edit
We really had a nice evening with tasty, fresh,chinese food.
Read moreAthmosphere was ok, light could be more dimmed, everything seems a bit cold.
Service staff understands a little English, is a bit slow.
Pros: Vegan Food , Location, Little English
Cons: light
Guest
schumacher62
Points +478
All you need - Edit
we ate here twice while in shanghai, and once at the other location. service is fast and the menu is substantial and varied. all presented quite nicely, and priced quite inexpensively.
Read morethere is a small vegan-vegetarian shop in the front door of both locations, selling for the most part items you would not really need to buy, like katchup and noodles and etc. i mean to say, its not a grocery store but acts like one, and its not hugely convenient to buy these items if you are only going there for lunch.
i had the set menu one time, and it was perfect for lunch. it had five or six items, and the only turn off was the jelly thing for desert. i know the chinese like jelly foods, but as a westerner it didnt really hit the spot for me.
teas were great, and juices are available. watch out for the "malt beverage." its really just a non-alcoholic beer from germany, not really the refreshment i was after.
all in all a great find in shanghai. crowded and popular, but fast service in a modern cool setting.
Pros: very tasty items, fast service, quick turn over for lunch
Cons: a distracting "store" as you walk in, probably no parking.
Guest
selena
Points +371
Great - Edit
Loved this place! Busy, bustling, slightly upscale but not super fancy, competent friendly staff, English menu, extensive menu, beautiful presentation, attentive service, clean. Not super cheap but I think good value. One of my favorite veg places I've visited in Shanghai out of the 6~10 I've tried so far.
Read morePros: Extensive tasty menu, Clean, good vibe, Friendly attentive staff
Guest
shanghaivegan
Points +79
Best Jujube Tree in Shanghai - Edit
The restaurant is a 5 minute walk away from the West Nanjing Road metro station. It's spacious and has big windows, with a small supermarket attached with organic items, mock meats etc. Upstairs rooms are available for larger groups.
Read moreThey have a better menu than other locations in Shanghai and the cooking skills of the chefs seem also better.
The staff is friendly and makes a good effort to communicate with you in english if you can't speak chinese.
Pros: Vegan restaurant, Convinient location, Good cooking
Cons: Some dishes aren't cheap
Guest
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