LSA Reviews: Yuan hopes to bring a culinary revolution with vegetarian fine dining

The growing trend of individuals opting for a no-meat or less-meat diet because of health, environmental or religious reasons has led chefs to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan options in their menus. In response, Lubud’s F&B Group has introduced what could possibly be the first fully vegetarian fine dining restaurant in the city with Yuan.

A Review of Yuan

Launching a completely vegetarian fine dining restaurant is surely a brave effort in Hong Kong where most vegetarian restaurants are very old-school local establishments or Indian places such as Woodlands. For a while, Miss Lee valiantly tried to elevate vegetarian dining at The Wellington – albeit not to fine dining standards or prices – but it was closed earlier this year to make way for the more “nature-inspired” fine dining of Feuille upstairs.

I admit I trudged along to Yuan with some reservation. It didn’t help that it now occupied the Hollywood Road space of the ill-fated Kontrasto, a source of meh memories. I was heartened that Chef Ronald Shao, whose meals I have always enjoyed at Mian, was working with head chef Law Chi Kei. The 12-course menu ($1,280) looked promising and well thought out. The welcome drink, a blend of bitter melon, celery, cucumber, kale, and green apple, set a refreshing tone for the meal that awakened the palate.

The meal started light, with a canape of preserved ginger and iceplant served in a crunchy cone, followed by two Chinese buns accompanied by an olive vegetable spread. The appetiser of avocado, organic tricolor quinoa, dried green papaya, and pistachio spring roll and sacrodon aspratus, lily bulb, potato and cashew provided good textures and taste.

The cold dishes started with the broad bean purée, sweet green pea, truffle caviar, and pickled mustard greens, said to be a favourite of the Empress Dowager Cixi. The pureé was sautéed to a beautiful soft and creamy texture.

This was followed by a duo of yam and white asparagus, and a wonderfully contrasting century egg, black bean tofu, pickled ginger, and black bean jelly. A refreshingly clear and sweet Matsutake mushroom and delicate chrysanthemum tofu soup prepared the palate for the warm dishes to come.

The winter melon, preserved vegetable, and wild yellow mushroom dish was a standout on the menu: this was the chefs’ vegetarian interpretation of the popular braised Tung Po pork with the melon representing the skin and fat, and the minced preserved vegetables being the meat. I appreciated the lightness of the normally rich and oily dish.

One of my favourites of the night was the portobello mushroom, inspired by the western stuffed conch. The mushroom was filled with shredded king oyster mushrooms, jicama, and morel mushrooms, then baked to perfection with a cheese topping. The jicama added a slightly crunchy layer to the dish.

Finally, the mock abalone, carrot, cucumber, sprouts, and spicy inaniwa noodles dish provided a delightful combination of textures and a touch of heat. The mock abalone, along with the fresh vegetables and spicy noodles, creates a satisfying and well-rounded dish. The meal ended with a lychee dessert and a “nine-sweet grid” which comprised of nine cubes of different sweet and some savoury tastes and came a map. It was a fun end to the evening.

Being a carnivore, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the meal. The menu was balanced and carefully considered. Although the restaurant is allium-free – which means it does not use pungent vegetables such as scallions, garlic, chives, leeks, and onions – the food does not want for taste. And, despite the modest portions, we left satisfied and full.

Cuisine

Chinese Vegetarian

The Vibe 
Nothing much had changed on the startling white exteriors except for the new restaurant sign. The interior layout has stayed the same too although there have minor tweaks to the décor to give it a more zen-like ambience. The one thing I disliked about its predecessor was the floor-to-ceiling windows which afforded diners a view of a bus-stop and passersby – and the passersby a view of them. When we were there, they had place curtains from the floor up to about shoulder level which meant that you would look up to see people staring at your food through the glass every so often. One woman even started making faces at us! I’m told this would be rectified and I hope it gets done sooner than later.

Quick Notes

Price for two:

Lunch tasting menu ($1,360+) excluding drinks

12-course tasting menu ($2,560+) excluding drinks

Address:

Shop 2, G/F, Chinachem Hollywood Centre, 1-13 Hollywood Road, Central

Tel. 2728 7278

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm to 3pm; 6pm to 11pm (last order 10pm)