Sasha is vegan and currently a college student. She is happily discovering the best meatless restaurants and eating her way through Hong Kong. She takes Meatless Movement on a tour of the tastiest vegan places to eat in this bustling city right now.

Tell us more about yourself, please

I’m Sasha 🙂 I was born in Siberia, Russia, but moved to Spain at a young age and have lived there up until graduating high school. At the moment I’m completing my undergraduate degree in Hong Kong; I arrived here last October and have since been slowly exploring all of the wonderful veggie spots around here!

Thankfully that was the right decision to make and almost four years later I am still vegan.
HK vegan · 香港純素

I became a vegetarian when I was fifteen years old. Unfortunately, I don’t have a very heartwarming story to share, something like “I watched this groundbreaking documentary” or “I wanted to advocate for animal rights starting from a young age….”Actually, at that time my mental health was not doing well I happened to come across an article which stated that meat and fish are high in fats and hence they might provoke weight gain. I took that comment very literally and decided to cut both of them out out of my diet cold turkey, not even replacing them with any other plant-based protein sources.

Because I was so young, I wasn’t aware of the effects this decision would have on my body, both mentally and physically – there was no one to guide me and tell me how dangerous this was… A year later, I went into recovery. My blood tests results were awful and I was being pushed by my family to eat fish again, at least until I can improve my health. Somehow, doing very much the opposite, I decided to go vegan. I thought that if I closely monitor my diet and ensure that I consume an adequate amount of protein, I can slowly heal my body (a lot more thought went into the decision making process, but it wouldn’t be very interesting for me to share).

Thankfully that was the right decision to make and almost four years later I am still vegan.

I want my posts to push them to try out new locations and explore the vast range of plant-based options Hong Kong has to offer
HK vegan · 香港純素

Around February 2020, I decided to start an Instagram blog where I would review vegan restaurants and dishes around Hong Kong. Initially, I was very private about my identity, not wanting to show my face, writing very neutral and to-the-point captions. However, as I became more and more integrated with the plant-based community, I began feeling more confident and safe in the walls of my little blog.

Nowadays, my captions really showcase my personality, which I hope makes them more engaging and entertaining; I show my daily meals and sometimes share recipes via my stories; most importantly I have become vulnerable and open to sharing my thoughts and feelings relating to my mental health. Everyone is incredibly supportive and always responds with kind messages and suggestions; I’ve also made many foodie friends who introduce me to even more local hidden gems, so I’m very thankful for this community.

I hope that my posts can introduce a variety of vegan foods to people! Whether someone has been veggie for a long time or is still familiarizing themselves with this lifestyle – I want my posts to push them to try out new locations and explore the vast range of plant-based options Hong Kong has to offer!

My reviews are also brutally honest, which is an aspect I put a lot of emphasis on. Too many times have I gone to a restaurant after seeing it on my Instagram feed, only to end up with a beautiful yet disappointingly tasting food on my plate.

Where to eat vegan food in Hong Kong

If I had to recommend some good food places it would definitely have to be Paradise Veggie, Tin Tin Vegetarian, and Po Lin Yuen!

Paradise Veggie is a wonderful buffet in Causeway Bay with so so many options for you to try! Their dishes are very creative and practically all vegan – they have octopus and fish balls, meat skewers, sweet and sour pork, squid etc…!! All plant-based of course.

Tin Tin Vegetarian and Po Lin Yuen are both very local spots (I go to their North Point and HKU locations, respectfully, as those are the most convenient for me) with a lot of delicious dim sum options and typical Chinese food made vegan (radish and taro cakes, sweet and sour pork, abalone, duck, char siu buns etc). Both places are also very affordable, with most of their dim sums costing around $7!

If someone is interested in veganism/ vegetarianism, I think it is incredibly important to go in baby steps; familiarizing yourself with all of the food alternatives, which supplements to take, where to eat, what to eat, and learning to alter recipes can be so so overwhelming!

I think people can start by following some online blogs and social media accounts that can introduce them to simple yet delicious recipes and good restaurants. Surrounding yourself with a supportive and understanding community is also very important – they could guide you, answer any of your questions and give you clarity.

So far I have not faced any challenges in being vegan. Growing up in Spain, I had access to very affordable and creative plant-based options in stores (although VERY few restaurant spots). The main issue was eating out with my family, since my parents are big meat lovers, although as time went by we found places which accommodate all of our diets!

Coming to Hong Kong I was warned how not vegan friendly it is and even had people give me their condolences… yet, this is the most vegan-friendly place I have lived in thus far! Because of the large Buddhist population, there are a lot of vegetarian (practically vegan) restaurants; there is also a lot of different cuisines offered, so I never get tired of eating out.I am also incredibly lucky to have friends who are all so willing to join me and explore fully plant-based restaurants!! After starting my account, I’ve even had people ask me to take them to some of the spots that I had reviewed!

I tend to hype a lot of my favourite restaurants up, so I don’t really need to convince anyone to try meatless alternatives. I think my excitement about good food radiates and doesn’t really leave people with the option to question the fact that they will be eating a fully vegan meal! This of course comes with years of experience and begging people to eat at vegan spots with me :’)

Even though my reason to become plant-based is not something I’m glad I experienced, without it, I may not have changed my perspective towards the environment, animals and my diet. I am very proud of myself for making such a bold decision at a young age and sticking through it for all these years, despite any of the difficulties that I faced, like my eating disorders and my move across the globe. I really hope that more people can begin changing their perspectives and incorporating plant-based foods into their diets!

Switching to plant-based milk and opting for a meatless dish will make such a big impact for YOU and YOUR body!! It doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated, really, just give it a try 🙂