• 5
• great way to share ideas and delicious vegan food

i started joining meat-free hong kong meetups more regularly this year and wonder why i didn't do so earlier. as a one-plus-year-old vegetarian in a meat-loving city, i often feel like the odd one out when dining with friends. here, i'm right at home amidst vegans, vegetarians, pescetarians, mostly or part-time veg*ns, and even curious or health-conscious omnivores. besides the wide spectrum of meat-free-ness among attendees, there's also a good mix of locals, expats and travellers, which makes it a great forum to listen to and share stories, ideas and recommendations. most of the time, the organising team takes care of the ordering of food (ensuring it's all vegan) and so we get to share and try a huge variety of dishes, something you can't enjoy when dining solo or as a couple. if you're hesitant about attending a meetup alone, don't be - most people turn up on their own and are thus open to meeting and conversing with other strangers. stevie (happycow co-ambassador for hk) and the organising team are friendly and do their best to make everyone - first-timers especially - feel at ease. each time a participant arrives, he puts his superb memory to task and re-introduces everyone at the table, spot on. while you're free to choose where to sit, i've noticed that he will take pains to ensure you have at least one or two others next to you who speak your preferred language (usually english/cantonese). i encourage you to pop by to a meetup if you have the chance.