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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