Dim sum is widely loved in both Hong Kong and Guangdong. But for vegetarians and vegans, there is usually little to choose from in most yum cha destinations (restaurants typically serving a dim sum brunch with Chinese tea). Fortunately, an increasing number of Chinese restaurants now offer a selection of plant-based dim sum that look and taste as good as they would if they were to contain meat or seafood.

Using Omnipork sourced from Hong Kong's Green Common stores and meat-free "beef" from the Los Angeles-headquartered Beyond Meat - Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel's flagship Cantonese restaurant, Celestial Court, now serves a dim sum menu that includes favorites such as pan-fried dumplings and steamed rice rolls with a meatless twist. When they arrive at your table, the aroma is the first thing you notice - intensely savoury and wonderfully complex.

The dumplings, in particular, have a satisfying bite; the wrapper has an al dente chew and a crunchy pan-fried finish. The release of warm and satisfying broth on your tongue is reassuringly familiar for lovers of Chinese dumplings while the filling is surprisingly meaty and flavorsome.

The pan-fried stuffed tofu puff with Omnipork and bamboo pith looks and smells astonishingly like the traditional meat-filled iteration of the dish. Executive chef Jack Chan has worked wonders to fashion bean curd to resemble cuts of fish, especially the imitation fish maw, which boasts the same bite and texture as the real deal. The tender layers of bean curd with its delicate flavors work extremely well with the crunch of delicately stir-fried asparagus.

The centrepiece of the meatless menu is the braised meatless meatball with eggplant and spicy termite mushroom, a main dish perhaps more suited to mid-winter than a mild autumn. The smell of the dish - reminiscent of meat and sweet spices slow-cooked in a clay pot - is instantly recognizable for those who have grown up with Chinese home cooking. Tuck into a "meatball" to savor the explosion of intense flavors of dried citrus peel, ginger, peppercorns and earthy red meat inside your mouth. The meaty texture of each bite is so convincing that you have to constantly remind yourself that you are in fact eating plant-based food.

Dining on these exquisite meatless dishes yields pure satisfaction and pleasure. This way one could enjoy a hearty meal while being environmentally conscious. The delicious taste could be a great incentive for meat-eaters considering giving vegetarian dining a go.

Aside from seven Omnipork and Beyond Meat dishes, Celestial Court's new dim sum menu also features several MSC-approved fish options, including a decadent seafood fried rice with scallops and lobster, to ensure that those who are passionate about sustainable fishing are also catered to.

If you are concerned that opting for sustainable and meat-free food meant saying goodbye to your favorite Chinese dishes, try Celestial Court's menu. If this successful adaptation of local favorites is anything to go by, the future of dining is going to be a lot greener and still as tasty as ever.

(HK Edition 11/15/2019 page11)