Famous Vegetarian Restaurants in Shanghai
Shanghai has long been called "the paradise of foodies". As a prosperous metropolis, various types of cuisines from different countries gather in Shanghai, which can be tailored to different countries, religions, seasons or recipes. In this article, I will introduce some famous vegetarian restaurants in Shanghai for vegetarians.
1. Godly Restaurant
Founded on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month of 1922, Godly Restaurant is the first vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai. It has been operating in Shanghai for one century that transmits a great and profound vegetarian diet culture. The making methods of vegetarian diets have been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. Godly is a truly gold-lettered brand in the vegetarian community. Located in No.445, Nanjing West Road, Godly Restaurant is a three-storey restaurant with 6 private rooms and 330 seats. With the antique, quiet and elegant styles with strong Zen sense, Godly Restaurant is popular with culture men, religious people, artists, and so on. There are many famous cuisines, such as the Merit Ham, the Butter Crab, the Roast duck, the Abalone Slice with Orchid, One Hundred Fried Shrimp Balls, Fo Tiao Qiang (Steamed Abalone with Shark’s Fin and Fish Maw), and so on.
2. Greenology Restaurant
Greenology means that the vegetarianism has no boundary. The store name is the best interpretation of the concept of the Greenology Restaurant. It is located in No. 22, the Bund, Huangpu District, the design style of the whole restaurant is simple and elegant, which is quite consistent with the concept of "returning to the true nature". Greenology Restaurant has gotten the title “one Michelin star” for successive two years. Greenology Restaurant collects vegetables from all over the world, so the dishes do not belong to any style of cooking. The cuisines have no boundaries of border, geography or cooking technique. Refusing fishes and meats, Greenology Restaurant advocates healthy eating habits by eating vegetarian food. Besides, it keeps a good balance between the healthy diet and the wonderful flavor. Greenology Restaurant attaches great importance to the plate presentation. The cuisines are elaborately arranged, which look like exquisite works of art. For example, one appetizer called "Qinghai Lake" sounds very magnificent. However, it looks like a lovely lollipop in shape. The jelly skin is made from the spinach juice, and the filling is made from mashed eggplants and cashew nuts with a little salted egg yolk. Sprinkle rice flakes before eating, which makes a rich and creamy texture. There is a variety of wines in the Greenology Restaurant, but in order to keep the original taste of vegetarian food, the waiters often recommend the low-alcohol wines.
3. Fu He Hui Restaurant
Located in No. 1037, Yuyuan Road, Changning District, Shanghai, Fu He Hui Restaurant is the representative of the Asian restaurant. It is a three-storey building hiding in the shades of the dense plane tree. Although it keeps a low profile, as a one Michelin star restaurant that occupies the first place on the top 50 restaurants of Asia, it is very popular and well-known in Asia. There is a grove of green bamboo in front of the restaurant. The whole decoration was created by the famous designer Lu Yongzhong. There is no flashy carvings or miscellaneous decorations. It is full of Zen spirit but not loss the modern elements. When you step in the restaurant, you will calm down and be unconsciously infected by simplicity and elegance. Fu He Hui Restaurant looks like an exquisitely designed museum with a profound history. The chef Lu Yiming of the Fu He Hui Restaurant insists on using high-level cooking techniques to make vegetarian food. He never deliberately creates the illusion of meat dishes but shows the original taste and essence of vegetarian foods. It looks simple, yet beyond simply. Three classic appetizers, including the Eight-treasure Glutinous Rice, the Candy-Like Stuffed Towel Gourd with Bamboo Fungus and the Perfume Lotus Ginger Tea, are very popular. As the ginger tea is poured into the bowl, the perfume lotus blossoms slowly in the tea and emits fresh fragrance.
4. GreenVege1 Restaurant
As the first completely vegetarian western restaurant in Shanghai, in the eyes of vegetarians, GreenVege1 Restaurant is regarded as their own home canteen. GreenVege1 is a vegetarian restaurant with an American retro style. The founded Yoli ever said: "Food is the transmission of the universe's love to all souls". When you step into the GreenVege1 Restaurant, you will be impressed by the San Francisco Renaissance style of the 1950s. Tiffany's silver pot, Cartier's salt shaker, the antique camera, the silver spoon and many exquisite kinds of stuff were brought back from all around the world by Yoli, so you can see every corner is well decorated by her with great efforts. There is a variety of organic vegetables that mostly imported from abroad. GreenVege1 mainly adopts the making methods of steaming and baking to avoid destroying the shape and taste of food. GreenVege1 Restaurant was rated as "Recommended Restaurant for Tourism in Shanghai" in 2014 and 2015, was recommended by LOHAS in 2016 and 2017, and was selected by the Dianping Site as one of the restaurants of the "must-eat" list.
5. Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant
Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant, called "Zaozishu" in Chinese, was named after the homophone "Zaozhisu" which means know the vegetarian diet early. Established in 2001, Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant not only upholds the concept that the ideal restaurant should be a place for vegetarians, but also the concepts of the smoke-free, alcohol-free, egg-free and meat-free. Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant is not just a restaurant. You can share everything and make friends here. At the same time, Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant also takes this opportunity to promote the idea of caring for animals and protecting our environment. Besides, Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant adheres to using pure water and organic tea. What's more, always serve fruits before the meal. These concepts are highly valued and approved by customers. Some vegetarian dishes of the Vegetarian Lifestyle Restaurant look really like meat dish, because it can make magics by its superb cooking techniques. For example, the Black Pepper Hericium Erinaceus looks pepper steak. A garnish of color pepper makes this dish more appetizing. "The meat" with full-bodied black pepper is tender and juicy. It also has the texture of meat. Although they look like meat dishes, they are made from bean products.
