Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Chinese

Non-profit social enterprise vegetarian restaurant. Serves healthy Chinese-style dishes without MSG or fake meat. Sells a small selection of groceries. Has English on menu. Kitchen closes before 10pm. Wan Chai MRT Exit A2. Reported closed Oct 2019.


Venue map for Happy Veggies - Wanchai
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22 Reviews

First Review by sglcklch

TraveLaika

Points +495

Vegan
18 Feb 2019

Incredibly happy service and good food

I went there around 5 min before they close and it was so lovely service, so great food (from the daily menu options) and the people working are super friendly, happy and helpful. Truly recommending!😉Its nothing fancy, but yummy and great service, location!

BrettAllan

Points +47

Vegan
23 Jan 2019

This is a must!

This non for profit eatery is just fabulous.
Loads of vegan options and the staff's smiles and friendliness made this one of my favourite places I've eaten in for a while.

maltman23

Points +4125

Vegan
03 Dec 2018

Yay! Wonderful vegan Chinese food!

If you have a group, go for the fixed set meal for dinner. The excellent vegan food just keeps coming and coming. The only down-side is that you will probably eat too much. For our group of 13 people, the cost was 160 HKD each.

Pros: Excellent vegan food, friendly

RunEatWorld

Points +2898

Vegan
15 Nov 2018

Great fast Chinese food

At lunchtime it's set menu only, with a visual display of the 6 dishes on offer (no English description). Just fill out the form by circling which 3 you would like, and it comes to $60 with rice and soup. Add dessert for another $5. You pick up your food immediately then try to find a seat in the crowd restaurant. Expect to share a table with strangers. Food was great, surprising filling, prefect for a quick lunch.

PickleRick

Points +933

Vegan
01 Oct 2018

Quite good value

I quite like this place.

The lunch set is $50 if you go for the standard (without add-ons). Sometimes the set soup can be a bit... bland. But the other dishes I quite often enjoy. It feels very homemade - especially the ones that use fermented tofu.

Dinner is pretty good value as well, normally it comes out to 220-300$ split between 2 people and ordering too much😁(2 dishes, a soup, a rice).

The dinner soups are really quite nice. The aubergine dishes are good, especially the one with basil (I think that was it).

The social enterprise factor is a big plus for me. The wait staff are really sweet.

The menu is in both Chinese and English.

Sometimes it can feel like a bit of a cafeteria, because of the lighting and the furniture finishes. It's a small quibble and I just try not to pay attention to that as much xD

Pros: Good value, Super friendly, Social enterprise

Cons: Kind of a cafeteria vibe

DZet

Points +976

Vegetarian
06 Sep 2018

Bland..?

I wasn't aware they avoided msg and stuff. Ordered the spicy eggplant dish, and found it very bland, and not spicy at all (maybe because I look like a Westerner they made it less spicy?) I looked around but saw no sauces either to give it some taste. Price is not super high, and I can take low salt, but it should have some kind of taste. Didn't try the dumplings though.

Pros: I guess it's healthier.

monisonfire

Points +4799

Vegan
27 Jul 2018

lovely place!

this is a nice place, serving a beautiful purpose, which is worth supporting! might be a bit on the pricier side, but ok for Hongkong standards. the dumplings are some of the best i have ever had - the filling was very varied and yummy! there’s a lot to choose from, too!

Pros: a lot if options, taste, concept

kennyBee

Points +45

Vegetarian
28 Aug 2017

good variety of Chinese dishes

Excellent variety of vegetarian versions of traditional and contemporary Chinese dishes. Delicious!

CarlosGP

Points +335

Vegetarian
14 Jun 2017

Healthy food and good karma

I have been to this place 4 times in one week--the place is simple, as is the food, but besides serving a good cause, the menu is healthy and the food is great, with very reasonable prices.
Particularly at lunchtime, the system is based on set menus that are served very quickly and always enjoyable.
Just don't expect a fancy place and know that the food is based on natural flavors, but other than that, I highly recommend it.

Pros: Good location in Wanchai, Very reasonable prices, It serves a good cause

Cons: Can't think of any

TraceySGibbons

Points +26

Vegan
15 May 2017

Good food

Operated by the deaf. People don't speak English, but Mandarin is fine.

Food was simple but good. It was traditional Chinese food but vegetarian.

We had a good experience!

Pros: price, homey , helpful staff

Cons: limited menu

ElenaPrivatsky

Points +58

Vegan
20 Feb 2017

Great food, friendly stuff

The food is great, plus you get fresh veggies. The soup is clear so don't expect too much. Dishes with egg are listed, so easy for vegans. Loved it!

Pros: price, taste, location

Cons: opening hours

Saray

Points +28

Vegan
31 May 2016

Great vegetarian spot

Typical Chinese food, all vegetarian. We haven't seen any lacto or eggs so would say it's vegan but double check just in case. Simple but very tasty. Deffo coming back. $ HK48 for a nice set meal.

kaibun

Points +878

Vegan
07 Apr 2016

Avoid!

No English spoken, unhelpful staff, uncertain what is vegan, food overpriced (you can get the same food or even better food in loads of different places in HK for a better price)

JW

Points +157

Mostly Veg
11 Oct 2015

Friendly staff - good cause - so-so food

Had lunch at this place on a random weekday during peak hours. Very crowded but the set lunch was fine. It is quite greasy though....

Had dinner on another occasion. No set dinner offered so one has to order a-la-carte. Had the steamed mushroom rice but it was very plain. I guess it is not a dish to be order on its own. Fairly pricey for a pot of steamed rice at only slightly below a hundred.

In general it is a good place to go for lunch, but there will be a lot of other choices in the area for dinner. The restaurant runs on a good cause which does worth supporting though!

Pros: supporting a good cause

Cons: A bit pricey for dinner

mrrfrost

Points +340

Vegetarian
13 Oct 2014

Social enterprise restaurants

This medium-sized restaurant is on the 1st floor and mainly employs hearing-impaired staff and also some retirees.

The extensive menu is in both Chinese and English and there are pictures as well so you know what you are ordering!

There was a member of staff on hand who could speak English in case of any difficulties.

There was so much to choose from and all the dishes we ordered were very tasty. The ma-po tofu could be chosen with your desired degree of spiciness, the fruity fried rice was good and the steamed dumplings were filled with veggie. The tofu balls were a little bland on the inside but the crispy salt and pepper breadcrumb exterior made up for it.

Including tea, the total cost was $290 for 4 dishes, very reasonable for Hong Kong.

Their mantra is less salt, sugar and oil, no MSG or processed vegetables.

We went on a Saturday evening at 8.30 pm and the restaurant was half full, though the kitchen closes at 9pm. They thrown in a free dessert as well.

It's taken me ages to come to Happy Veggies, will definitely be back again.

Pros: Social enterprise, Large menu, Tasty

Stevie

Points +11765

Vegan
29 Jun 2014

Happy Veggies, Hong Kong

Firstly thanks to the reviewers below who advised about this place being a social enterprise employing staff with hearing impairment. This provided a decent idea of what to expect and on within one minute of being there, I completely get what this place is all about.

I was welcomed at the door by a gentlemen and then shown to a table by a waitress who offered me a menu. I then went to ask what was egg free / dairy free. The waitress then invited back the gentlemen from before who understood verbal English. I was suggested to have a tofu mushroom dish which I duly ordered. The waitress brought this over and I ploughed in. It was delicious.

The waitresses all seem to communicate with each other in sign language so things work slickly when they talk among themselves. With the guy who can understand English (and no doubt verbal Cantonese) to bridge communication over to the waitresses, the system works well. In its no different from having a team of waitresses with perfect hearing and having the guy who spoke English to bridge the comms gap for speaking English.

This place is the fruits of a fabulous idea that is clearly being inclusive and providing experience and skills to people. Its a terrific place as far as I am concerned and one I am more than happy to support. I'd also suggest to others to give it a try.

There's an assortment of different awards on the wall ranging from the Time Out good eating guide to a family friendliness award to an award re social enterprise, and others.
Updated from previous review on Saturday March 15, 2014

Pros: Vegan friendly, A superb enterprise for social inclusion

JohnnySensible

Points +7596

Herbivore
10 Aug 2013

Happy People - canteen style food - low prices

Be patient!

Expect Happy Veggies to be packed with people at lunchtime.

The staff & volunteers are continuously being trained.

I have helped a little with table clearing when they have been crazily busy.

Some English spoken - specify if you are vegan & stress 'no milk whatsoever' - the menu is not to be relied on 100%.

This is a social enterprise.

Very reasonable prices.

Tasty simple dishes.

shanghaivegan

Points +79

Vegan
04 Jul 2013

Uncomfortably busy

I went there during lunch and the place was super busy as their set menu is very cheap. There is no signage in english and after looking a bit lost, one of their staff members pointed out that the place is run cafeteria style and one can create his set menu from 6 tiny numbered dishes with no english labels. All the seats were taken up, people were in a haste and it generally didn't feel very inviting. I didn't feel like waiting, so I went elsewhere. I can't comment on the food as I didn't eat there in the end, but don't expect a relaxed lunch during office lunchtime hours.

Pros: Vegetarian, Cheap

Cons: Super busy, No english menu, Small portions

Eric_

Points +729

Vegetarian
07 Jan 2013

Nothing special

Good food but nothing very special. Some interesting menu choices. There are too many vegetarian restaurants in HK for this one to really make your heart race. Depressing stripper area close by.

Cons: Price

freeprincebandar

Points +305

Vegan
25 Sep 2012

Nice staff, decent enough food

Near [censored] Chai subway. Went their twice. Want to support the place as they are employing deaf people and others with disabilities, but food is just little better than average--more what I would expect in Shanghai than HK. Menu uses plenty of mushrooms. Portions at least are decent value. Wait staff is friendly and helpful& speak English. They brought out special birthday cakes and moonpies for us as a special treat, but sorry to say, that were not all that good.

Pros: helpful waitstaff, social enterprise

Cons: deserts are not strong suit

daniellinor2

Points +69

Vegetarian
23 Jun 2011

Go there!

We went to Happy Veggies in lunch time. You chose 3 meals for lunch for 40 HK-dollars and the waitor was very helpful in translating the alternatives for us. The food was very good and it was a nice experience to go there.

Pros: cheap, friendly staff, nice food

sglcklch

Points +2815

Vegan
22 Feb 2011

Great food and for a good cause too

First things first, kudos to the owners as they hire people with hearing impairment to help them with self-reliance. What's more, they promote fair trade so they also have a small selection of those groceries for sale.

The big heart aside, food was delicious and healthy at the same time. I was very pleased with the fact that they only use natural foods to prepare their dishes, no fake meat, none, nada, which is a breath of fresh air compared to most other Chinese vegetarian restaurants in town.

As we were here for the first time, we were recommended four of their most popular items on the menu. First was the taro fish: a classic dish made with mashed taro, shaped in a fish mold, pan- or deep fried, and usually served with a sweet and sour sauce. Theirs was pan-fried and was very yummy, slightly crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, went well with their homemade tomato sauce. Second dish we had was steamed dumplings with dry pickled Chinese greens and water chestnuts. The filling combination itself was pretty creative, was mildly sweet and had a little crunch to it because of the water chestnuts. Then we moved on to another classic: braised vegetables in a red fermented bean curd sauce served in a clay pot. For those who are not familiar, it usually contains assorted vegetables (napa cabbage, carrots, celery, just to name a few), tofu products, cellophane noodles, and some kind of mushrooms. I have always loved this sauce and enjoyed this one as well.

The last dish was the baked rice with pumpkins and taro, which was also the one that caused some confusion. Obviously eggs were marked on the menu, but not dairy. I told them to leave out the eggs and asked if they also used dairy in the preparation, they said no. When it came it was covered in cheese, so I explained to one of the staff again and he kindly exchanged it for me. Vegans, make sure to inquire about dairy ingredients because they are not indicated on the menu. Back to the dish, it was sooooo good, the hint of ginger really spiced it up, but then again I love everything ginger! Dessert was sweet osmanthus jelly and was freebies.

The setting was clean and, like most Chinese restaurants, on the bright side, not much for ambiance. But who goes for Chinese for that anyway? Serving size was generous, which left us stuffed till the next day (I must admit though we might have ordered a tad too much); still we felt great knowing that we helped others and society as a whole.

Pros: yummy healthy food, amiable staff, the idea behind

Cons: dairy not marked




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