Vegan Dim Sum and Street Food - Realities and Restaurant Details
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Vegan Street Food and Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong 2027
Foreword by Jamie
Vegan Dim Sum and Street Food - Realities and Restaurant Details
After more than 50 years living in Hong Kong I still find myself explaining to visitors that the city is not a vegan paradise, even if the options have improved since the days when a plain plate of steamed vegetables and rice was about the only reliable choice. I wrote separate pieces in 2026 vegan street food and vegan dim sum. This post brings them together, updates what has changed on the ground, and keeps the same plain observations I have made while walking the streets of Hong Kong and sitting in the restaurants.
Vegan food is not a big thing in
Hong Kong. That does not mean I take the subject lightly. I doubt there are many articles out there written by someone who has lived here for 50+ years and walked the streets with 7,000+ guests for more than 15 years. The least I can do is take it seriously and set out what actually works, what does not, and why I leave the specialist food tours to people who know the Hong Kong Food Culture better than I do.
I am not a foodie. I prefer a proper sit down meal over anything on a stick, and I still find a lot of pure vegan food rather bland compared with the flavours I grew up with here. That is simply my taste. Plenty of guests ask about plant based choices, so here is what works in 2027 without the marketing language. Food is subjective. Ask 100 people and you will get 100 different lists.
The Practical Limits of Vegan Street Food
Hong Kong street food has never been built around plants. Fish balls, siu mai, curry fish balls, egg waffles made with the usual batter, and most things on sticks rely on meat, fish, egg or oil that has already cooked all of the above. The range of vegan eats on offer will never match traditional Hong Kong street food. If you know where to look there is variety, but it is limited and you need to check carefully.
This is pretty much how vegan street food looks in Hong Kong. It is not fancy dining. It is cheap eats on a stick. Frankly it is not the sort of food I would eat, which is another reason why I do not do food tours. I have eaten at close to 1,400 Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong since 1972 and I am pretty picky about what I stuff in my mouth. I have been spoiled over 50+ years here with plenty of fine dining and great restaurants, and I simply never got into the whole street culture with two exceptions. I am quite partial to egg waffles and I am quite partial to Cheung Fun (rice noodle rolls). That is pretty much it.
I am well aware that most of the population of Hong Kong think I am nuts for not being a street food person. What can I say. It is just me, not the food. It is not just vegan street food that I do not care for. I am not a big fan of vegan food full stop. I can eat it but I am always underwhelmed by the taste. Like I said, I have been spoiled over the decades.
What you can usually find without too much hunting. These are the eight types that most commonly turn up as plant based options:
• Cheung Fun (rice noodle rolls)
Soft steamed rice noodle sheets, usually cut into pieces and served plain or with soy sauce, sweet soy, or sesame sauce. The basic versions from vegetarian counters are often safe if you stick to the plain or soy-only options. Tourists like them because they are light, filling, and one of the few street items that feel recognisably Hong Kong without being heavy. You will find them at vegetarian shops in Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, and around Temple Street. Price is typically HK$15 to HK$25 (about US$2 to US$3.20).
• Braised wheat gluten (mien kin)
Pieces of wheat gluten simmered in a savoury sauce, sometimes with a little vegetable. This is the classic vegetarian snack sold at traditional vegetarian shops and some market stalls. It has a chewy texture and a mild savoury flavour. Visitors who want something more substantial than a plain noodle roll often go for it. Available at many of the same vegetarian counters as the Cheung Fun. Around HK$20 to HK$30 (US$2.50 to US$3.80).
• Vegan egg waffles
A few specialist shops now make egg waffles with plant based batter instead of the usual egg and dairy mix. They still have the familiar crispy outside and soft inside. Tourists love the original version for the texture and the fact that it is easy to eat while walking. The vegan versions are less common but turn up in places such as Sai Ying Pun and North Point if you look for shops that specifically advertise plant based batter. Expect to pay HK$20 to HK$35 (US$2.50 to US$4.50).
• Temple Street Night Market plant based snacks
Temple Street now has a proper street food section. You will see some plant based options among the stalls, usually simple items on sticks or in paper cups. It is popular with visitors because the market itself is on most people’s night-time list and the new food section makes it more of a stop rather than just a walk through. You still need to check each stall carefully. Prices sit in the HK$10 to HK$30 range (US$1.30 to US$3.80).
• Tofu pudding (dau fu fa)
Silken tofu served warm or cold with ginger syrup or brown sugar. It is naturally plant based and one of the safer dessert options. Visitors like it because it is light, sweet, and easy to find at many dessert stalls and vegetarian shops. You will see it around Yau Ma Tei, Sham Shui Po, and some Temple Street stalls. Usually HK$10 to HK$18 (US$1.30 to US$2.30).
• Vegetable spring rolls or tempura style vegetables
Simple vegetable fillings in a light batter, fried and often served with a soy based dipping sauce. These appear at some vegetarian takeaway counters and a few market stalls. Tourists go for them because they are familiar and easy to eat on the move. Check the oil is not shared with meat items. Around HK$15 to HK$25 (US$2 to US$3.20).
• Mock meat or gluten skewers
Skewers of braised wheat gluten or simple mock meat pieces, sometimes with a light sauce. These show up at traditional vegetarian shops and occasionally at Temple Street. They give visitors something savoury on a stick that is not fish or meat. Price is typically HK$10 to HK$20 (US$1.30 to US$2.50).
• Fresh fruit stalls
Cut fruit or whole fruit from the market stalls. The safest and simplest option of all. Tourists like them because they are refreshing, especially in the warmer months, and there is no cooking or oil involved. Available at Temple Street, Ladies Market, and most neighbourhood markets. Prices vary but a small portion is usually HK$15 to HK$30 (US$2 to US$3.80).
Prices for these snacks sit around HK$10 to HK$30 (roughly US$1.30 to US$3.80) depending on the item and the stall. Cross contamination is the real issue. Shared woks, the same oil, and standard soy sauce mean the street is high risk if you also need to avoid gluten or have any other strict requirement. For most pure vegans the street is possible but limited. For anyone with celiac disease or a serious intolerance it is not worth the gamble.
I have been going to the Temple Street Night Market since it opened in the mid 1970s. I always thought there was something missing, yes a street food section. The new section should have been in place 20 years ago but I am not complaining. It is there now and it adds a new dimension to what to do at night in Hong Kong. It has proven to be very popular. And yes there are vegan street foods on offer at the Temple Street Night Market.
So in a nutshell explore vegan street food or even better, do a vegan food tour. I do not do food tours in Hong Kong. I leave that to local experts. Food tour companies are also very familiar with the street culture here and many of them embrace the vegan aspect. I have very specific reasons and part of it is that I do not speak Cantonese or write Chinese.
I am from Yorkshire in England and I lack the language gene. It is not through lack of trying. A lot of restaurants do not have English menus or staff who speak conversational English. And yet I have eaten at close to 1,400 restaurants in Hong Kong since 2nd January 1972. My wife was born in Hong Kong, we have been together over 40 years, her first language is Cantonese and a lot of her family are Chinese or half Chinese, so I have never had much of an issue in daily life. This does not translate to doing food tours though. Yes I could do them. No problem there. But they would never ever be as good as the food tours done by my friends. Most of their guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese and food culture is part of their DNA. It is impossible for me to compete with that. So please feel free to contact them for food tours.
Vegan Dim Sum and Sit Down Restaurants (Updated for 2027)
The safer and more satisfying choices remain the dedicated restaurants. These places understand the request, mark the menu properly, and cook with clearer protocols. Of the places on my short list I have only eaten at LockCha Tea House. It was just fine. You have to take into account that I am not a foodie and I find a lot of pure vegan food rather bland. Someone who is vegan will probably love these places and rave about them, which is great.
Veggie Kingdom (Tsim Sha Tsui)
7/F, VIP Commercial Centre, 120 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Phone: +852 2366 0336 or +852 2366 3233
Website: veggiekingdom.hk
Fully plant based. Proper vegan yum cha with mushroom siu mai, rice noodle rolls, turnip cake and the usual favourites done without meat or egg. Dim sum items run about HK$48 to HK$72 (US$6 to US$9). Booking is wise at weekends.
Veggie Kingdom (Causeway Bay)
4/F, Kyoto Plaza, 491-499 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island
Phone: +852 2366 9223 or +852 2366 9138
Same fully plant based menu and the same practical prices. Convenient if you are already on the island side.
LockCha Tea House (Hong Kong Park)
G/F, The K.S. Lo Gallery, Hong Kong Park, 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong Island
Phone: +852 2801 7177
Vegetarian with a high proportion of vegan dishes, often clearly marked. You order tea with the food. The setting among the lotus ponds and gardens is calm. A light meal sits around HK$150 to HK$250 per person (US$19 to US$32). This is the one I have eaten at.
LockCha Tea House (Tai Kwun)
Shop G06-07 (or 01-G07), Block 1, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Island
Phone: +852 2276 5777
Same vegetarian dim sum approach in the historic compound, with a more contemporary feel and the option of tea cocktails or tea beer if that appeals. Same price range.
Kung Tak Lam (Tsim Sha Tsui) 2 of them
7/F, One Peking, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Phone: +852 2312 7800
Long established Shanghai style vegetarian restaurant with dim sum and mock meat dishes. Many vegan options. Mid range, roughly HK$150 to HK$250 per person (US$19 to US$32). There is also a Causeway Bay branch.
Other reliable names that keep coming up for plant based meals (not always pure dim sum):
• Years, fully vegan, several locations, more fusion and comfort food.
• Treehouse, plant based casual, multiple spots across the city.
• Green Common, supermarket style with cafe options for quick meals.
• Traditional Buddhist places such as the vegetarian restaurant at Chi Lin Nunnery if you are already in Diamond Hill.
A meal at these places typically costs HK$100 to HK$300 per person (US$13 to US$38). That is the range I see most visitors spend when they want something reliable rather than a single snack.
Practical Advice for Visitors
Really the best option if you want to eat vegan in Hong Kong with any confidence is to do a food tour with one of the three companies I work with. They know the current stalls, the dedicated kitchens, and the places that actually handle vegan requests properly. They update their routes as things open and close, and their guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese who grew up with the food culture. I do not run food tours myself for the reasons I set out earlier. These companies do, and they do them very, very well. Hong Kong Greeters in particular has a specific vegetarian food tour.
Hong Kong Foodie Tours
Website: www.hongkongfoodietours.com
Phone and WhatsApp: +852 9223 7466
Email: info@hongkongfoodietours.com or tickets@hongkongfoodietours.com
Hello Hong Kong Tours
Website: www.hellohongkong.com.hk
Telephone: +852 9704 4108
Bookings: bookings@hellohongkong.com.hk
Laura: laura@hellohongkong.com.hk
Hong Kong Greeters
Website: www.hkgreeters.com
Email: info@hkgreeters.com
Telephone and WhatsApp: +852 9015 5307
Carry a simple note in Chinese explaining you are vegan if you are eating independently. No meat, no fish, no egg, no dairy, and no honey if you are strict. Prefer dedicated vegetarian or vegan restaurants over asking a regular Chinese Restaurant to adapt. The upmarket places that already handle special requests tend to be more careful with plant based orders as well, simply because the staff are used to them.
Hong Kong has over 17,500 licensed restaurants. The vast majority are not set up for strict vegan cooking. The dedicated places listed above and the specialist food tours with the three companies are the practical way through that number. I do not take the subject lightly just because vegan food is not a big thing here. The information above is what I have seen work on the ground.
So there you go.
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