Kyoto Joe has launched a new vegetarian concept that everybody is going to love
We’re so here for restaurants that give vegan and vegetarians equal-opportunity dining experiences. From the spicy vegan menu at Chilli Fagara to the green dishes at Arcane and every single thing at Kailash Parbat, us vegetarians just want to be able to “choose” from more than just one dish on the menu; is that too much to ask? One restaurant aiming to please is Kyoto Joe, a Japanese restaurant in central that has recently launched an all-you-can vegetarian concept.
Green Nights at Kyoto Joe
From Monday-Wednesday, you can now enjoy Green Nights at Kyoto Joe, two hours of all-you-can eat vegetarian deliciousness between 6:30-10:30pm. We love the fact that this takes the idea of Green Mondays a step further, and the diversity is really quite amazing. For two hours, you can chow down on a selection of stunning dishes, so obviously we had to go and try it for ourselves.
Tell me about the food!
I’d never been to Kyoto Joe before, so this was a completely new experience for me, and I’ve got to say that all the food was outstanding. There was a great balance of healthy and more sinful dishes, meaning that you’ll leave feeling full, but not stuffed to the brim.
We started with the Horenso Dengaku Tofu, deep-fried bean curd in spinach tempura crusted in black miso sauce which was as delicious as it sounds and next up was the Spicy Vegetable Tartar. This dish was one of our favourites of the night, a real curveball that blends spicy mayonnaise with tempura sliced vegetables and served on Romaine lettuce leaves for freshness – so good.
The Yasai Salad is a mix of daily fresh vegetables with avocado, tomato and a carrot dressing. Though it might look simple, this burst of freshness was a lovely complement to the heavier dishes throughout the night.
From the Yaki Mono options, we tried the wonderful grilled shiitake, gingko nuts, mock chicken and green pepper, all fresh and kissed with that great flavour you get off the griddle.
Next up was the sushi course, and expect rolls that push the boat out here. We sampled the Mala Roll, with mixed vegetables tempura wrapped with avocado, which was lovely but my favourite was (surprisingly) the Edamame Roll which comes with tempura green bean, lotus root and chilli bean mayonnaise topped with cheddar cheese.
On this menu, the vegetable gyoza come stuffed with mock shrimp which was an interesting twist, but the unanimous winner of the evening was the Sweet and Spicy Vegetable Tempura. Getting that perfect crunch on point, this dish is then bathed in a delectable sticky sauce and covered in sesame seeds. Just. Wow.
Okay. So maybe this meal wasn’t as healthy as I fake-remembered it to be, but this a really nice addition to the vegetarian dining scene in Hong Kong. We’ll be back for more.
Kyoto Joe, 2/F, 1 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong, p. 2804 6800
