Vanimal has swept in and stolen the trophy for best restaurant in the area. Co-owner Paul Hui has made vegetarian food not just a healthy option, but a very sexy option. The look-at-your-phone-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance is tucked away on a side street with just a hint of neon to attract the eye. Inside is a surprise – the decor is minimalist, the styling is industrial, and the lighting is seductive. The barmen are attentive and creative, and while at $110 the cocktails are pricey, boy are they worth it. Order the mad men, which is made with tobacco-infused whisky, for a taste of the 1960s, or the leeches’ blood, which includes vodka, beetroot juice, pomegranate and lime. Or better still get the bartender to craft you something special – you won’t be disappointed whatever they make.
Photo credit: Facebook
Hui has created a vegetarian restaurant that everyone – including macho men and carnivores – will want to go to. The menu is fun rather than pretentious, and there’s not a pair of yoga pants in sight.
In a nod to traditional seafood spaces, there’s a ‘catch of the day’ section, where guests can go and inspect and pick out vegetables for use in personalised salad, complete with homemade pickled juice and herb infused oils.
The grilled French horn mushroom ($128) cooked with a buttery soy sauce, is a meaty delight, while the slow cooked Japanese egg, cepe & shitake beurre blanc, & Jerusalem artichoke chips ($88) is a dish you’ll keep coming back for. The Mixed Bean Croquette, served with turnip powder to aid digestion ($98) is a nice light bite.
Photo credit: Facebook
Photo credit: Facebook
Vanimal’s paella ($368) is already a favourite with regulars but make sure you save some space for a ‘sweet ending’.
This is a high end restaurant with prices to match, but you won’t leave hungry, which is often the complaint leveled at other healthy options. This is clearly a labour of love from owners Hui, Alfred Wan, and Peranza Or, who are at the venue most nights to make sure punters are happy.
Hui, who is an ad-man by day and a gastronomer by night, already runs a private kitchen in Lan Kwai Fong. He says: “I think people in Hong Kong are more and more interested in vegetarian food. I wanted to create a menu that was fun, I want dishes with a range of colours and textures, so you don’t miss the meat. The focus is on creativity not on the fact that it’s better for your health – that is a bonus.”
Vanimal
Facebook Page/T: 2872 8880
G/F, Shop 1, Cadogan, 150 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island
Hours: Mon-Sun: 6:00pm – 11:00pm
