Vegan-friendly
Organic
Western
Juice bar
Take-out
Asian
The flagship location of this western-style vegetarian cafe. Offers a variety of salads, wraps, veg burgers, and pasta as well as smoothies and cleansing drinks. Confirmed closed, Dec 2017.
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Last update on 08 Dec 2017 by SP
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Added by flamekat on 24 Sep 2011
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23 Reviews
First Review by meow123
MichaelRobinson
Points +2985
Much Improved - Edit
When I first moved to Shanghai I was unimpressed with this place but now they are one of my regular places to eat. The food is always consistently good and the menu indicates if it is vegetarian, vegan or Buddhist. My favourites are the Udon noodles, the matchstick pasta and the black bean patties with a green pea dip. The lentil soup is also amazing.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-10-04
Pros: Vegan choices, Menu in English, Nice decor
chiangzp
hi. Is it open or closed?
Read moreGuest
MarcWu
Points +67
Simply good! - Edit
I ate here last week while in Shanghai for two days after backpacking through southern China for a while. By the time I got to Shanghai, I was craving good quality, simple vegan food that wasn't, as most traditional Chinese food is, dripping in oil, and that didn't require 30 minutes of explaining what I eat before I could order.
Read moreThis restaurant gave me exactly that. The menu is both in Chinese and English, and the vegan options are well labelled. The menu is, additionally, very informative, listing the nutritional profile of every one of their dishes, which is quite nice.
An overwhelming majority of the food is actually vegan and not vegetarian, save one or two dishes. I started with the black bean patties served with a red pesto, which was very good, followed by the walnut pasta, which was good, although not necessarily amazing, but some of the other options might've been better, and finishing with the vegan cheese cake, which was delicious.
All in all, I highly recommend this place.
Updated from previous review on 2017-10-26
Pros: Bilingual and informative menu, Delicious food
Cons: a bit pricey for China, although still reasonable
Guest
maltman23
Points +4161
Yummy! - Edit
Me and my friend had the fixed price lunch. Lots of really good food! Very satisfying.
Read moreEdit: I just ate here again, with 7 friends, and all of us enjoyed the food. And the service was very friendly. Especially yummy were the "Ecstacy Balls" for dessert!
Pros: All vegan. , All good.
Cons: Atmosphere is not so interesting
Guest
HaileyPoLa
Points +1118
Delicious - Edit
The atmosphere in the restaurant is quite cozy, and the food is really nice. I've tried the Arabian Wraps and a quinoa salad, and both were good. On the menu only two items are non-vegan - one is a pasta, another is a cheese cake. They told me that they've taken down honey from their menu. It would be amazing if one day they decided to go vegan completely!
Read morePros: nice food , friendly staff, great location
Guest
TraceySGibbons
Points +26
Happy bellies - Edit
When we are in Shanghai, we order from this restaurant and even get take out to take to Hangzhou!
Read moreThe food is fresh and tasty. It is a bit expensive, but vegetarian/vegan food usually is.
Not to be missed!
Pros: excellent food, delivers!!, seasonal menu
Cons: expensive
Guest
GeckoHeaven
Points +386
Can't fault it - Edit
After 30 days travelling in China living off greasy temple food this place was a godsend.
Read moreFresh tasty salads, grains and pulses and pasta.
I would highly recommend the Kale and Quinoa salad and the Black Bean Patties.
Pretty much everything on the menu is great. There are also some very unusual ingredients which are interesting to try. All vegan dishes are clearly marked. We ate here 7 times in 4 days and loved every meal. The chef even prepared an airport snack bag for us when we left.
Perfect.
Pros: Great salads, Nice staff, Clean wholesome atmosphere
Guest
lunapavo
Points +162
good! - Edit
They have a menu online, but the in store one is slightly different and has more options. Unfortunately the one in store doesn't say which items are vegan. This is not a vegan cafe, so definitely ask! There are milk products in some of the desserts etc. We ordered the summer rolls, pasta, curry with brown rice and raw apple cake. All good. I really like how they have detailed nutritional info on the menu too.
Read moreGuest
EmmaOlmi
Points +190
Best in Shanghai - Edit
It's an adorable place with amazing food!
Read moreTried the different hummus platters, the curry, the pastas... Pretty much all amazing!
The place is cozy and intimate, it feel just like home to me!
Pros: healthy and organic ingredients , good selection , great atmosphere
Cons: a bit pricey
Guest
Tianci
Points +419
Excellent Food - Edit
The food here really IS good! However, vegans will want to read the menu carefully; the colorful menu has all the ingredients listed. One can also question the staff when in doubt.
Read moreThe staff is very courteous and helpful. Some staff speak a little English and the day Manager's English was excellent. Service was a bit slow, but suspect this is because the food is freshly made.
Pros: relaxed decor, clean, excellent food, some English
Cons: a bit slow if pressed for time
Guest
DaniM
Points +2053
I travel a lot... - Edit
...and this is probably the best vegetarian restaurant i've ever been to! The location is very cosy with just five tables and the staff is very friendly. And let's talk about the further important points:
Read moreThey offer so yummy food and the best thing hereby is that it is very healthy as well!
They have a large menu with many different tastes so everyone will find something delicious for itself! The food is mostly organic (i had a raw power salad among others).
They also offer different smoothies which are very good and healthy!
Pros: Delicious, Healthy
Guest
untemperedhope
Points +99
Decent food, a little pricey - Edit
When I went here, I was so hungry that I ordered two entrees. I was unable to eat my second entree! That said, they have nice portion sizes. They also have quick and friendly service! That said, the food was just ok. The veggie burger was a little on the dry side and the coconut curry was fairly uninspired.
Read moreGuest
anarchistanimal
Points +563
Tasty, healthy, international cafe - Edit
I went here a few times while I was visiting Shanghai as it was close to where I was staying. The menu is mostly Western / international-style vegetarian food, and there are always lots of travellers or ex-pats in the place. I tried the greens soup, a black rice dish, an avocado smoothie, and the raw apple cake. It was all good, healthy, and wholesome. There are a decent number of vegan options (probably half the dishes can be made vegan), but you do need to talk to the workers about this to be sure. That's ok - they speak some English, understand what a vegan is, and the menu has English. The price was quite high - aimed at foreigners - eg one time I paid 107 rmb for a modest main, smoothie and a dessert. The cafe itself has a nice, trendy but relaxed atmosphere. But it's very small, and often full at meal times. You can sit next door in the sushi place to eat your vegetarian food, as long as you don't mind watching and smelling all the fish being prepared and eaten.
Read morePros: Tasty, Healthy
Cons: A bit expensive, Not much seating
Guest
sglcklch
Points +2875
Nice staff and decor but food was off - Edit
Came here in a weekday afternoon for a late lunch. No problem finding a seat as the place was empty. Staff was friendly and spoke good English. They served typical western cafe food here: dips, rolls/wraps, salads, soups, a few simple main dishes, desserts and drinks. Menu was a bit ho-hum. They do use dairy and eggs, which are not clearly marked, so ask the staff if you're unsure. I ordered the lentil coconut soup and the jungle salad with falafel, both half-size. Was going to get a full-size soup but was suggested by the staff that it'd be too much for just one person. She was right; portions were pretty generous, good thing she advised me.
Read moreHowever the food was mediocre at best. The soup was very different from what I had had in mind. I thought it'd be thick, chunky and loaded with lentils/veggies, but instead it was thin and only had lentils and coconut milk in it. Think cooked lentils in coconut milk broth, that was it. As much as I love everything coconut, I found it too rich after eating just half the bowl. It was quite salty as well. The salad was OK, although a little overdressed. The falafel patties lacked depth of flavor and strangely had an aftertaste of honey to it. Also the texture was too smooth and mushy. At the end I got a slice of raw apple cake as well. It was refreshing but more like a soft pudding/mousse rather than a cake. Granted, raw cakes tend to have a consistency like that but this one was way too squishy. It shouldn't be hard to tweak the ingredients to make it firmer.
Place was very clean with a trendy decor. The booth seats, however, were too low for the table to be comfortable for dining (I have average height) and the beat-up seat cushions didn't help at all. The regular chairs should be better though as they seemed higher.
Actually I had tried their food at a party they catered back when they just opened. I had the dips with flatbread, rolls and lentil burgers, none of which were impressive. This time around, nothing was bad, but nothing was truly good either. Seeing that it is one of the only two places (as far as I know) in town that serves all-vegetarian non-Chinese fare using real food ingredients free of any fake stuff, I do get its appeal and may probably return at some point to try something else.
Pros: staff, portions
Cons: seats, bleh food
Guest
freeprincebandar
Points +305
Your typical neighborhood trendster spot - Edit
Near Changping Road metro and Jingan temple metro.
Read moreFood is pricey and portions are small. Western style presentation with western style prices is the name of the game here as you will see from the Western clientele.
Food is ok nothing to distinctive.
Pros: staff speaks English
Cons: not good value
Guest
cha222
Points +141
Probably the best place to eat out in Shanghai - Edit
In 3 days in Shanghai, we went to Kush 3 times: the place is relaxing, the food really yummy and healthy. All the ingredients in the dishes are justified and explained. Raw options. I love this place.
Read morePros: healthy and yummy cuisine, passionate people about food, clean, welcoming place
Cons: only 4 tables
Mathew
You need to try other places.
Read moreGuest
Peacelovevegan
Points +40
Super healthy, raw options, great juices - Edit
Love this place, especially since it's so hard to avoid the mock meat route of most Chinese vegetarian restaurants. Lots of healthy and raw options, the calories and nutrition facts are on the menu. Especially enjoyed the nori rolls, and the raw apple cake!
Read morePros: healthy, raw options, vegan options
Guest
tsap
Points +73
Shanghai Oasis - Edit
Vegetarians who want options other than mock meat will appreciate Kush. There are only four tables, but the place is clean and inviting. Made two visits and we tried multiple dishes. Dip trio is a nice starter, especially if you have been longing for hummus. Garden salad was fresh and light. Arabian and roasted veggie wrap were both tasty. Loved the lentil burger. The bun is a bit too thick, but it was great to have something whole grain. Mediterranean pasta had wonderful flavor. Only dish that was a disappointment was the roasted pumpkin salad, which was far too salty. English menu (can be viewed online) and friendly staff.
Read moreGuest
lizipfe
Points +272
A little bit of heaven - Edit
After living in China for 2 years it was so nice to be able to visit Shanghai and come to Kush. It was easy to find and even though I walked in without a reservation they still accommodated me (the restaurant is very small with only 4 tables!). I had the Kush jungle salad, at first I thought the portion was quite small but upon finishing I realised I was happily full, the salad itself was super tasty the only thing I would have recommended is perhaps serving the dressing separate so you can control how much you have but this is me nit picking! I found the prices reasonable for Shanghai and I am always willing to pay a bit extra for good healthy food. The nicest touch was the advice from Ally on each and every dish! A little piece of heaven!
Read morePros: Great flavours, Friendly staff, Quick service
Cons: Restaurant only has 4 tables
Guest
beateinhamburg
Points +29
Nurturing - Wholesome - Yummy - Edit
Kush is the best Vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai; I have visited it over and over again when I still lived there. Every friend I took there was delighted and they told me they would return. Once I even met a carnivore friend who lives in the neighborhood and eats at Kush quite often as he loves it. My favorites? Difficult to say: Spicy Tofu Burger and Lentil Burger are simply yummy. And the bun is edible! I am picky when it comes to bread, but these buns are just wonderful. I never really could make up my mind which of the wraps is the best. My solution: order half a Caprese and half an Island Wrap. They both come beautifully arranged on a bed of salad greens. If you go for half a portion they only give you half the wrap, but the full size salad greens, yeah!
Read moreThe Raw Power Salad is just divine, I did not know that you could use coconut oil for salad dressings, and now I have started using it at home, too. And after reading Bruce Fife's "The Coconut Oil Miracle" I was even more impressed that a restaurant makes the effort to use the oil which is best for you in at least one of its dishes. Not to mention the lovely taste.
Portions are quite big, so I had to learn to share with a friend or just go for half sizes. After eating at Kush I always felt like my body was recharged again with energy as well as had refueled on vitamins and minerals. And that is what eating is about: refueling your body to nurture it, food should be wholesome to make sure you stay vibrant and healthy. But this alone would not get you far, you also need the good taste. I have read some not so good posts and I am always wondering why that is. Whenever I went to Kush I made the right choices and I love this place. Or did I make the right choices BECAUSE I love this place ;-) "As within so without"
Pros: nurturing, wholesome, yummy
Cons: portions too big, no coffee - but they get it fr next door
Guest
flamekat
Points +388
We've tried.... - Edit
I already wrote a review on Trip Advisor, but have ordered from Kush quite a few times since then, assuming it must get better. Honestly, I'm starting to think the positive reviews posted on this site & others are from friends/family of the owners, as no one I've spoken to in person has enjoyed a meal at Kush, with the exception of the veggie burgers. I also don't understand this push to be considered a uniquely "Western" veg restaurant in Shanghai, when their menu is quite similar to Annamaya's & largely Asian.
Read moreThe soups are good. The burgers are quite good, but still nothing special. Annamaya's burger is much more flavorful & has a better texture and better bun. I also once had a nice stir fry that was the meal of the day on Sherpa's. But it was just a stir fry & nothing I couldn't make better myself. We once had a decent stew that was also a meal of the day. The Kush dip plate is a rip off with terrible hummus, only one pita, & the pesto dip is really just basil-flavored oil. They should just sell the cashew dip separately as it was the only thing of value in the plate.
It all goes downhill from there. There are two Thai curries on the menu-green & red. Neither has ever been the color it claimed to be, veering more towards yellowish brown in both cases. One red curry had been so over boiled that the pumpkin or sweet potato (hard to tell which) had disintegrated which negatively affected the texture of the entire dish. However, the worst part is there is no nuance of flavor-the only flavor apparent is that of chili. Lapis Thai or Annamaya are much better bets for vegan Thai.
As a previous reviewer mentioned, both soba dishes are very oily. They are also very sweet. In fact, sweet would describe the vast majority of Kush's meals. The seaweed salad is mostly wild rice-not much seaweed. The spring nori rolls are bland & come with sweet sauce. The tofu cheesecakes taste overwhelmingly of coconut oil & not much else. I also find it annoying that the dessert ingredients are not more specific. It would be nice if vegan items were specially labelled. My Arabian wrap came with feta in it even though that was not listed as an ingredient on the menu, so I couldn't eat it. I've also been told it is not possible to order the spring tabbouleh without egg or the roast pepper wrap without feta. Not very vegan friendly.
I may be lured again by the promise of a healthy and delicious veggie meal delivered to my door, but for now I (& my husband) are done. 1 cow.
Pros: they're trying, delivers, decent portions
Cons: untasty food, doesn't label vegan items, inconvenient location
Guest
Lynnetto
Points +40
Happy eating - Edit
My favorites! Arabian wrap, tofu cheesecake, detox drink, lentil burger, lentil soup, wild seaweed salad, spring tabbouleh salad (and likely more which I have yet to try). It is strange but true. Eating Kush food makes me happy. And it also inspires me to choose healthier when I am back at home preparing my own food. Thank you for the inspiration, Kush.
Read morePros: Lotsa greens, Option to go half size, So many drinks to choose from!
Cons: Sometimes inconsitent
Guest
eatinggreen
Points +608
Very average by world standards - Edit
Kush is nothing to write home about. The food is average at best, with most of it feeling like it is made by someone who does not really know how to cook. The burgers are terrible - white buns with some kind of mushy stuff in the middle. All desserts are non-vegan and packed full of things like cream cheese, which even omnivores should avoid if they value their health at all. The soba noodles were oily and devoid of flavour. What we did like were the salads and the juices, and in particular the one called Green Goddess. It may just be the one reason why this cafe is a necessary fixture in Shanghai (although it will cost you a fortune by Chinese standards). The other reason would be the free wifi, although there are only 4 tables so you do need to be careful not to get in the way if you decide to linger. We came here several times whilst busy with work to get our fill of raw veges, but have now opted to buy a blender and order organic veges home delivered to our hotel so we can make our own at a fraction of the cost and minus the pesticides and random things that keep on turning up in Chinese produce these days.
Read morePros: raw salads and juices, wifi, pleasant environment
Cons: terrible food, non-vegan desserts, not many tables
eatinggreen
Ok, we might take you up on that offer :) One suggestion - it would be really helpful if the ingredients of the desserts were made clear. We were unable to get a real sense what were in them other than that every one of them were full of things that vegans can't eat. We're not actually vegan but are health conscious so without further info they weren't very approachable. Really surprised the hear the burger buns are wholemeal, they certainly didn't seem it. Anyway, keep it at. It is a nice environment and a lot of people seem to be enjoying it (most we saw were foreigners who seemed to dig the Western vibe). Will stop by next time in Shanghai. Cheers.
Read moreGuest
meow123
Points +22
Finally western veggie food! - Edit
As much as all the Chinese vegetarian places in Shanghai are yummy, this place finally serves up some Western treats. The atmosphere is more like a cafe in very modern space. As you walk in you can already see the delicious desserts; we had the Tofu cake and it was incredible. Other than that, the salads are very innovative and not just a few lettuce leaves thrown together. The wraps are delicious, there is an amazing selection of juices and smoothies and all the other things on the menu like pasta and burgers sound yummy. The only downside is that the portions are relatively small for the price you pay. But I guess getting great vegetarian food that is nutritionally balanced (they work with a nutritionist!) has it's price. And I would always be happy to pay that and go back!
Read morePros: healthy food, plenty of vegan options, innovative!
Cons: maybe too small once popular, portion size
Guest
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