Doufu Mafia's favorite vegetarian meals in Hong Kong

Proving that Hong Kong vegetarian food is varied and wonderful, ovo-lacto vegetarian food blogger Doufu Mafia takes us to her favorite vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong:

Can you tell this vegetarian sushi from the real thing?

Kiosk's vegetarian sashimi

Whenever I crave Japanese food, Kiosk never fails to satisfy. This Japanese vegetarian restaurant is owned by Mrs. Chen and her son Kelvin usually helps out at the outlet. He's friendly and speaks good English. It's common for vegetarians to opt for the predictable corn and cucumber varieties in normal sushi outlets, but here they serve vegetarian versions of meat floss, abalone, salmon and sashimi.

I've never eaten real salmon in my life, so I can't tell you if this vegetarian version tastes like the real thing but I find the texture pleasant and the aftertaste refreshing especially after you dip it in wasabi

and soya sauce.

One of my must order dishes whenever I come to Kiosk is the vegetarian version of takoyaki (octopus balls). This dish is made of tofu and carrot bits. I like how the thin strips of seaweed and mayonnaise sauce combines with the tofu balls. Be careful when it comes out steaming hot as it might burn your tongue when biting too fast into the gigantic tofu mush.

If you're a fan of seaweed, then I strongly recommend you get these tofu sticks too. The crispy seaweed grabs your attention immediately.

Kiosk also serves seasonal dishes. During winter, you can get the stone pot rice. The vegetarian beef stone pot and fish eel stone pot rice are my favourite. I like the special sauce that comes with the beef stone pot one, it's sweet and thick and goes hand in hand with the crispy and burnt rice from the edges of the stone pot.

Kiosk, G/F 2R Hung Fai Building, 2Q-2Z Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, opposite Gala Shopping Mall along Ladies Market.

Vegetarian shrimp dumplings.

Three Virtue's vegetarian dim sum

Yum Cha is ingrained in the Hong Kong lifestyle but most dim sum places here are rarely vegetarian friendly. I love bringing my friends to Three Virtues on the weekends where we can blend in with the locals as we tuck into the bite sized dim sum. I like to bring my meat eating friends or those who are stopping over Hong Kong just so they get a taste of local food, veggie style.

Like the usual dim sum places, you have to tick your own dishes from a list. Siu long bao is always my first choice here. You dip it in red vinegar and bite into the succulent dumplings. It's made of

vegetarian ham and lettuce bits, big enough to finish under two bites.

Whenever I go to the roadside stores, I can only order plain cheung fun although I prefer cheung fun filled with ingredients inside. This lo hon tsai cheung fun is filled with the right amount of mushroom and fungus bits and the thickness of the rice flour sheets is just right. The soya sauce is served separately but I like to pour everything over it so that the sauce soaks into the skin of the cheung fun to give it a richer taste.

I usually can't resist ordering this pan fried turnip pudding in XO sauce whenever I come here for yum cha. Unlike the usual rectangular blocks, it comes in cubes so you don't feel too greedy when you attack the plate of turnip pudding again and again. It has crispy edges and hints of XO sauce when you pop them into your mouth.

This veggie version of ha gau or shrimp dumplings is filled with vegetarian prawns, radish, celery and

carrot slice. I like to bite into the skin which is not too starchy and is filled with enough ingredients.
Three Virtues, 1F 395, King's Rd North Point, HK, 4F JD Mall 233-239 Nathan Rd, Jordan, Kowloon.

Soland

Soland's vegan private kitchen

I recently discovered this vegan private kitchen and sometimes bring my work contacts here for lunch. It's in a very discreet place but most vegans rave about it and I usually spot a few yoga instructors eating here.

What I like about eating at Soland is I'm always full but not bloated. I come out of the restaurant knowing I have put very wholesome food into my body and not feeling guilty about eating a huge meal. I've met owner Chris a few times and she's always busy taking the food orders, serving and

collecting money as well. Make sure you call before you go because their food runs out fast.

Located on Gilman's Bazaar, you need to look for a Hainan chicken rice store on the ground floor and then turn left into a narrow stairway, then walk up three flights before a small sign tells you you're here. It's very cosy inside and they play relaxing music that makes you feel like you've escaped your crazy work and the busy lunch crowd.

Soland serves a set menu that usually starts with a big bowl of soup. Here I had the celery soup with

pieces of pasta and sesame sprinkled sparingly on top.

The main dish usually consists of fresh salad and couscous with pumpkin or radish slices to complement your rice or pasta. The food is fresh and raw but in a healthy and wholesome way.

If you go early, you get to choose the sauce, which is usually tomato or cream sauce. Sometimes, you get to choose brown rice or spaghetti but the last few times I was back, I was given brown rice.

At the end of your meal, you get to choose your drink from almond or soya milk, smoothies or Dandelion coffee. The dandelion coffee doesn't contain caffeine and it's not sweet so I usually add a few spoonfuls of raw sugar to sweeten it. A good round off before taking the long walk back to office.

Open Monday to Friday, noon-3pm. Soland, 3F No 6 Gilman's Bazaar Central, tel +852 9473 3412.