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Hanoi Veggie Eats

During my travels on the junk to Halong Bay and hiking terrace rice fields in Sapa, I had the chance to explore some vegetarian restaurants in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Here’s the top 3 restaurants I like in Hanoi:

1. Tamarind Cafe

Glass noodle salad

Glass noodle salad

Tamarind is conveniently located in the heart of Old Quarters and listed in Lonely Planet too. This glass noodle salad is refreshing especially after a bit of shopping in the tropical heat.

Want to find out what the other veggie options are in Hanoi? click More.

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San Francisco Eats

San Francisco is one of those enlightened cities that supports Meatless Mondays, advocating “more tofu, and less steaks“.

Special thanks to my friends Ross and Paul, owner of Veggie SF cafe in Hong Kong, who recommended a good selection of restaurants I had to try while there.

Here’s the top picks:

Greens Restaurant

greens platter

Summer Sampler

Farro salad with Mediterranean cucumbers, sweet cherry tomatoes, eggplant relish with pine nuts, capers and basil; summer beans with tarragon;hummus; spicy tomato jam; olives and grilled pita.

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Power lunch @ Red Restaurant

When I first saw the lunch set menu at Red restaurant in Soho, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of vegetarian options. However, when the waiter found out about my dietary restrictions, he quickly returned with a vegan menu.

Now, that’s a restaurant that is talking to me…

First, the appetizer:

artichoke heart with avocado cherry tomato salad

artichoke heart with avocado cherry tomato salad

The starter has a long name, actually more like a very detailed description – Artichoke hearts with avocado, cherry tomato salad and honey mustard dressing.

The cherry tomatoes tastes refreshing and it goes well with the creamy avocado that is topped with rocket leaves.

Next up, the main course is served – giant eggplant with ratatouille.

eggplant with ratatouille

eggplant with ratatouille

Eggplant is an acquired taste but I’ve grown to love it now and what I like about this vegetable is that it can be cooked in many different ways.

While the tasty ones are usually deep fried, this ‘giant eggplant’ looks very healthy and tastes succulent. Fortunately, it is paired with ratatouille which goes well with the otherwise plain eggplant.

Do not be deceived that this eggplant filled with tomatoes and red peppers is insufficient, after finishing every bit of the vegetables, I felt really full.

I didn’t have enough space for dessert but Belle’s apple crumble and vanilla ice cream looked really tempting….yummy!

apple crumble and vanilla ice cream

apple crumble and vanilla ice cream

Located right below Pure Fitness along the escalators to Soho, Red allows you to people watch the busy lunch crowd while you savour your meal and catch up with friends.