If there’s ever been a city in desperate need of a cool vegan hangout, it would be Shenzhen. Just look at us. With two Starbucks at every corner, startups popping up like complaints after a new iPhone release and a frantic worship of creativity, we are practically San Francisco. And now we have a place in town with a cool name, cool location, cool decor and a 100-percent vegan menu, which is, well, cool.
Green Room is the new (and, as far as we know, the only) vegan restaurant in Shenzhen. It’s a multi-faceted, colorful and lively hub for all things hip. From the earthy decorations to dim lighting and a funky buzz, Green Room feels like Hollister – with food. And the food is amazing. You may be vegan or you may not, but taste is taste. And once you taste what Green Room has prepared, a meatless life may seem quite fulfilling.
With our WeChat feeds overflowing with Green Room dish recommendations and rocking reviews, we came prepared. On a Wednesday night and just two hours before closing, Green Room is packed. Yet, our orders arrive at the second-floor table so promptly we barely have time to set up our camera.
Eggplant roll ups (RMB70) are our first choice and live up to the hype we’ve seen online. Tender, flavorful and rich with cream cheese, they melt in our mouths and swiftly disappear from the plate. Wait a second – cream cheese? Is this dish not vegan or are our taste buds playing tricks on us?
The latter: the rolls, like everything else in the restaurant, are absolutely vegan, and what we taste is skillfully prepared tofu. So, if somewhere in the middle of your meal you feel the urge to exclaim, “now that can’t be vegan!” we feel you.
Next we dig into the juicy, organic kale salad (RMB40/60), which sparks a debate on whether or not the plant can be found in Shenzhen and if yes, why didn’t we know?
It’s impossible to say no to the walnut cashew mushroom burger. At RMB90, it comes with oven baked potato wedges and Asian coleslaw. The burger is tall, substantial and well complemented by confident, zesty flavors of coleslaw.
Leaving Green Room without trying the restaurant’s signature desserts is almost disrespectful – especially since dessert is how it all began. Stephanie, Green Room’s proud visionary, got the town talking when she started making vegan ice cream, or ‘Nicecream’ as she calls it. The frozen dessert is listed on the menu in three different flavors. There’s also a delectable cheesecake (RMB50), served in a jar and bursting with natural coconut flavor.
The verdict? We’re coming back. For the Thai-inspired coconut soup, wild mushroom pate, baked falafel bites and all the other goodies we didn’t get to try. Plus, the people are pretty awesome. Dining at Green Room feels something like attending a hippie peace rally – the cause is great, the people are rad and there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.
Price: RMB150
Who’s going: vegans, vegans, vegans and their friends
Good for: hipster hangouts, cool parties, planning a revolution
See listing for Green Room here.
[Images via Mike Jordan.]
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