On another quest for meatless-ness in Shanghai, we found ourselves in Greenology, a multi-story vegetarian restaurant with a gourmet edge; a perfect first date spot for all the foodie Buddhists of Shanghai. They prepare a different menu for each floor, we ate on the Forest floor. We were put in a private room and supplied with endless amounts of tea, both the classic green as well as a more adventurous saffron and cinnamon blend. Click on the images below to view a slideshow of the intricate (and surprisingly meaty) dishes we had the pleasure of eating:
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The set menu for the ‘Forest’ level of the restaurant
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The first course: It was recommended to eat from right to left
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First fresh fruit jelly, to cleanse the palate
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Then braised stuffed lotus root with sweet and sour sauce, which tasted like a rib
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And finally, aniseed silverweed tubers and zucchini, the strongest flavour on the plate. It’s amazing how something so abstract could taste so meaty, a second helping definitely wouldn’t have gone amiss!
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The next course was burdock barley quinoa soup, which had a very deep flavour (surprising for broth) as well as a few surprise berries at the bottom
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Another trio of goodness: Stir-fried Chinese kale and lilium bulb, homemade organic non-GMO tofu stuffed with golden oyster mushrooms and an oatmeal crusted orange carrot patty
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The oatmeal crusted orange carrot patty was light and, dare I say it, moist
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The homemade organic non-GMO tofu stuffed with golden oyster mushrooms had an unexpected spicy kick to it, but there was no sign of any mushroom stuffing!
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I had never had lilium bulb before this and it was a nice crisp sweet accompaniment to the course
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Though the name ‘Brown Rice and Plum Vinegar’ is slightly offputting, this looked like champagne and tasted even better. Imagine Werther’s Original melted down into liquid, heaven.
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The lion’s mane mushroom with black pepper sauce was the best part of the meal. Again, I was amazed there could be such a meaty taste and texture from something so un-meaty!
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It was so filling as well, not at all like just eating some mushrooms
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Also, I had no idea what ocra was, but I am a fan. Cold kidney beans on the other hand, were not so breathtaking
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It wouldn’t be a meal in China without a bit of fried rice, but this had truffles in it, which gave it an extra tasty edge
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If it hadn’t said this sorbet was made of organic tofu and brown rice on the menu I wouldn’t have believed it!
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The organic tofu brown rice sorbet was incredibly sweet (especially considering the ingredients) and much creamier than the regular fruit sorbets I am used to
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And if all that food just wasn’t enough, they let you keep your chopsticks as a souvenir!