HKG: Chi Lin Vegetarian
Mushrooms galore!
Situated in the middle of Nan Lian Garden, a garden styled after the Tang Dynasty next to Chi Lin Nunnery, Chi Lin Vegetarian prides itself in serving Cantonese style vegetarian food.
Situated in the middle of Nan Lian Garden, a garden styled after the Tang Dynasty next to Chi Lin Nunnery, Chi Lin Vegetarian prides itself in serving Cantonese style vegetarian food.
Chi Lin Vegetarian prepares healthy vegetarian dishes that are low in sugar, salt and oil without the use of MSG. Without further ado, my friend and I agreed on the Set Lunch (4 Dishes) priced at HK$98.00 (~S$16.30) per person.
Appetiser
Taste: 8/10
Well, strictly speaking, the appetiser isn't part of the set lunch since it's given to each table. I must say that the beancurd bits were pretty addictive with their slightly chewy texture, which were also contrasted well with the crunchy preserved vegetables.
Soup of the Day (Set Menu)
Taste: 7/10
The soup of the day was red bean soup with other kinds of nuts and a bit of lotus roots inside. It was pretty thick, but lacking in the balance of flavour: slightly sweet, but not salty enough, if at all. To be fair, it was actually quite hearty.
Deep-Fried Stuffed Oyster Mushroom with Laver (Set Menu)
Taste: 8.5/10
My favourite dish of the day was the one which reminded me of home. The oyster mushrooms with smooth, meaty texture were coated with the thinnest batter imaginable; crunchy, with the juice bursting out on each bite. Pika's advice: Dip them in the pretty strong black vinegar if you like for a more adventurous taste!
Beancurd Rolled with Shredded Vegetables (Set Menu)
Taste: 8/10
The soft, slightly chewy beancurd sheets were made delectable with the filling of shredded mushrooms, julienned carrots and glass noodle. I also enjoyed the sticky sauce which came with the rolls as it was pretty flavourful.
Curried Vegetables (Set Menu)
Taste: 8/10
In my opinion, it tasted more like an Indian curry than a Chinese curry. It was pretty thick, mildly spicy and full of ingredients such as mushrooms, potatoes, eggplants and ladyfingers (my favourite!) which were enjoyably soft, but not overcooked.
Shredded Mushroom with Vegetables (Set Menu)
Taste: 8/10
More mushrooms coming your way! The sautéed vegetables were lovely as well with their lightly sweet taste, and most importantly, crunchy beansprouts without the raw smell.
Rice (Set Menu)
Since I took a picture of the bowl of rice I had, I decide to show it here. You can choose to have a bowl of congee instead.
Fruit (Set Menu)
Nevermind about the small amount; the dragon fruit and the cantaloupe were fresh.
Tea (Set Menu)
Taste: 8/10
Okay, I'm going to admit that I'm not a tea connoisseur. I have no idea what kind of tea I drank the other day, but it was quite nice and it somehow tasted somewhat like grass jelly.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
When I first arrived at the restaurant, I enjoyed the serene atmosphere with the calming effect of the cascading waterfall seen through the window. However, as more and more people came for lunch, the place became pretty crowded, and the serenity was broken, although not entirely since I was lucky enough to encounter people who didn't speak too loud. Oh, note that there is a minimum charge per person that you have to abide to.
Chi Lin Vegetarian
60 Fung Tak Road
Nan Lian Garden
Diamond Hill
Hong Kong
(Mon-Fri: 12 noon - 2.30pm, 6.00pm - 9.00pm; Sat-Sun: 11.30am - 9.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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