Chinese cooks have been perfecting alt-meats for centuries. This lo-fi eatery has only been at it since the early 2000s,but its form is comparably strong.

Enthusiastic staff help newcomers navigate the long menu,zeroing in on the big question – vegetarian or vegan – early on. Skip less interesting entrees and assemble a banquet of large plates. A clever imitation whole fish is made from tofu and seaweed,paired with coconutty tom kha gai-style sauce. Shanghainese sweet and sour pork ribs are made from mandarin-marinated mushrooms,grilled until sticky and caramelised.

Kung pao chicken is a tangy,peppery tumble of soy chook with spry broccoli,green beans and cauliflower,and lush rolls of bean curd skin mingle with plump shiitake,soft black fungus and thick oyster sauce. Dessert is a handful of sour-apple lollies from a grab-them-yourself bowl on the counter.

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Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs

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