100% vegan, and 100% yummy! POP Vegan reinvents western cuisine with fantastic dairy-free recipes.
In Hong Kong, you don’t have to be an omnivore to be impressed by the city’s culinary offerings. There are especially a fabulous variety of vegetarian restaurants in Central and Sheung Wan, such as Mirror & Vegan Concept and Confusion Plant Based Kitchen. POP Vegan, one of the latest vegan establishments, has just set foot in Central’s bustling SoHo and we’re here to give you the low-down on what signature dishes you should try.
POP Vegan in SoHo, Central
Situated on Elgin Street in SoHo, Central, POP Vegan is an upscale and trendy vegan restaurant, great for a business lunch or a date night. Opened with the mission to bring peace and joy to its customers with an innovative menu of contemporary meat-free cuisine, POP actually stands for Pursuit of Peace. And if you’re into plant-based cooking, there is also a wide range of vegan cheese (including vegan Gouda!), condiments and drinks available at the counter for you to shop after the meal.
Signature dishes at POP Vegan
For starters, POP Vegan is known for its interesting array of salads, including caesar salad with vegan chicken, fig salad, tuna tartar salad and more. The Vegan Tuna Tartar Salad, especially, is a stunning – and tasty – work of art. Combined with vegan tuna (made of konjac), avocado, mango, quinoa and tomato tartar, it’s a refreshing zesty salad that pleases both the eyes and the palette.
My favourite dish at POP Vegan was the homemade Hedgehog Mushroom Steak. Instead of serving up the popular Beyond Meat or Impossible Meat, POP Vegan’s steak is made completely of juicy bits of hedgehog mushrooms. Serving with roasted vegetables, hash browns and the special green peppercorn sauce, the dish is brimming with rich and (almost) meaty flavours. Definitely a must-try!
Looking to try something subtle and fragrant? The Orzo Perlato Ricette is a pumpkin risotto made with orzo, ginger, lime leaf, lemongrass, coconut and crispy taro. Whether it’s the chunky orzo perlato or the delightful lemongrass flavour, everything just adds up to a heartwarming and beautifully-executed dish.
It’s not common to see vegan pizza in Hong Kong, or basically anywhere. That’s why POP Vegan attempts to change things up. The Four Seasons Pizza is a flavoursome and colourful invention consisting of spinach, pumpkin, eggplant, tomato and most importantly – vegan cheese! Even though the crust isn’t crispy enough for my liking, it’s still an absolute scrumptious and mouthwatering treat. If you want to take things up a notch, give the truffle, mushroom and spinach calzone a try. Packed full of sauteed mushrooms and truffle oil, it’s incredibly flavourful and aromatic. It’s also perfect for sharing.
POP Vegan, 1/F, 28 Elgin Street, SOHO, Central, Hong Kong, p. 2628 6211, 中環蘇豪伊利近街28號1樓
