Shoukangyong has, for years, been the most reputable and inventive vegetarian restaurant in Hangzhou. Their strict adherence to Buddhist precepts means you’ll find no meat, eggs, or MSG on the menu. Smoking and alcohol are also prohibited. This may sound like a turn-off for some, but their location on Wushan Square has become a much-beloved haven for those who walk the middle path. Now they’ve opened a brand new location at the Dadou Road Cultural Area, right next to Xiangji Temple. For a Buddhist, you couldn’t desire a more convenient location, and as a Buddhist, you shouldn’t.
The interior at the new Shoukangyong is clean and simple. Minimally adorned, white-washed, walls prop up a wood-beamed ceiling over stone floors creating an ambience that’s appropriately austere. This decorative understatement helps to highlight this restaurant’s real draw: the food. Considering our lunch group consisted of nothing but unrepentant carnivores, we were eager to see what they could do.
And what they can do is a lot. Tofu is apparently the plastic of the culinary world. It seems like, in the right hands, it can be turned into anything. The menu at Shoukangyong is filled with classic meat dishes like hongshao “pork,” and kung pao “chicken,” but they’ve substituted the meat with a tofu doppelganger. On this trip we tried the cumin-flavored “sausage” (32RMB), which, while clearly not sausage, was better tasting than a lot of the sausage you’ll find at the market. The spinach dumplings (12RMB) were bursting with flavor and a satisfying mouth feel. The spicy “chicken” (42RMB) came out looking like it came straight from a Hunan restaurant, with the exception of the replacement of regular chicken with tofu “chicken.” On the upside there are no razor sharp chicken bones to concern yourself with. The “steak” and chips (46RMB) was okay. It was definitely filling, but we all found it a little on the bland side. The Shoukangyong fried noodles were a big hit. The tasty, fried, glass noodles are tossed with cabbage, carrots, bamboo, and some tofu “sausage” crumbles that left everybody wanting more. Thankfully we saved room for the sour and spicy mushroom soup. This was the easily the highlight of the meal. The broth was spot on. Not too sour or spicy but balanced and bold, while the array of mushrooms contained therein provided the perfect accompaniment. If you go, try this soup.
We washed all this down with a pitcher of freshly juiced watermelon (60RMB/pitcher), which was so refreshing we ordered another one. So if you are Buddhist, vegetarian, or just in the mood for something that is full of flavor and not fat, give shoukangyong a try. Only portions of the menu are in English, but there are plenty of pictures.
 "Shoukangyong Vegetarian Restaurant, Dadou Branch")
 "Shoukangyong Vegetarian Restaurant, Dadou Branch")
 "Shoukangyong Vegetarian Restaurant, Dadou Branch")
 "Shoukangyong Vegetarian Restaurant, Dadou Branch")
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