The chefs at Po Lin Monastery's vegetarian restaurant easily put their Singaporean counterparts to shame. I avoid local Chinese vegetarian food stalls' greasy fare and icky mock meats like the plague, but my opinion of vegetarian fare has been transformed after lunching at Po Lin Monastery.
Not only was my meal tasty and inexpensive (a standard lunch set costs an inexpensive HKD65/pax while a deluxe meal comes at HKD100/pax, my family of four opted for the former), it did a fine job of detoxifying my system after four days of non-stop eating!
Not only was my meal tasty and inexpensive (a standard lunch set costs an inexpensive HKD65/pax while a deluxe meal comes at HKD100/pax, my family of four opted for the former), it did a fine job of detoxifying my system after four days of non-stop eating!
I'm not a fan of Luo Han Cai, but as with all the other courses, the flavors in this dish were very clean and light. It's quite amazing how the chefs bring out the natural flavors in the ingredients without employing commonly-used aromatics such as garlic and onions, which are prohibited in Buddhism.
Who knew that soup prepared without meat could be so flavorful?
I adored the superbly fresh and silky beancurd in this sweet corn dish as well. As with the soup, the vegetable dishes came in very generous portions and we were all stuffed at the end of the meal!
Plump with crunchy turnip ribbons, the spring rolls were fried to crisp perfection. While they were the only deep-fried items on the table, the spring rolls contained barely a trace of grease.
The firm tofu pieces tossed within this colorful mix of vegetables were delightfully chewy (somewhat reminiscent of fish cakes!).
I daresay that no visit to Ngong Ping is complete without sampling the food at Po Lin Monastery. Do give the food here a try on your next visit to Hong Kong!
Meal coupons can be purchased at the base of the nearby Giant Buddha or at the monastery itself.
Vegetarian Kitchen
Po Lin Monastery
Ngong Ping Road, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island
Meal coupons can be purchased at the base of the nearby Giant Buddha or at the monastery itself.
Vegetarian Kitchen
Po Lin Monastery
Ngong Ping Road, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island