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• vegan fast-food in kowloon bay

loving hut in amoy plaza is literally miles away from the one in wanchai. for one, prices are happily way cheaper, with a simpler menu catering more towards solo diners. the dinner menu features about 12 main set meals (which come with rice and a drink), all priced within hkd42-48. other options include a variety of noodles (hkd30-37), spaghetti, laksa, and snacks like dumplings, satay and fried seaweed. a burger is hkd22 and a subway sandwich hkd25. menu (with no prices): http://www.lovinghut.com.hk/ealltest.htm the branch in wanchai is more brightly lit (dim yellow lighting is used here) and has a more chill-out vibe to it. staff there also seem less harried, perhaps because customers don't mill about the cafeteria counter waiting to whisk off their trays. the way counter staff worked here reminded me of the production lines of hk fast-food eateries such as cafe de coral or fairwood: plonk, plonk, plonk, stare at receipt, realise there's a mistake, shuffle dishes, plonk, plonk, plonk. there was a slight raising of temperatures and voices between a staff member and customer over the former's alleged brusque response to his request, which kind of detracted from loving hut's "be vegan, make peace" motto. that said, jeffrey the cashier was friendly and offered recommendations when i asked which were the most popular dishes. i went with one of his suggestions of "fragrant minced bean curd wrap in chinese toon sauce with rice" (香椿芙蓉包飯) (hkd44, includes a hot drink). i enjoyed it thoroughly and the portion size was ideal for one. if you're used to the procedure in loving hut wanchai, the menu on the wall here has no english, but there's a bilingual menu in a plastic folder on a portable stand just outside the entrance. after ordering, you will have to present your receipt to cafeteria counter staff to the left of the cashier and wait till they call your number. i reached there close to 9.30 pm (closing time is 10 pm) on saturday and it was still well occupied. it's evidently a popular place, and understandably why. i will definitely return if i'm in the area. sit by the left/right sides if you want to avoid face-to-face contact with the two tv screens. they're silent, in any case. Updated from previous review on Saturday September 19, 2015