The bright and elegant environment raises people's expectations of Vegan; And for the details, it shows the gap between it and many established vegetarian brands.
Vegan is a transliteration of "Vegan", which means "vegan", that is, in addition to the absence of animal meat, its products also exclude products such as eggs, milk, cheese and other products, but as far as the store can see, many of its dishes contain spicy and stimulating substances such as ginger and chili, so it does not fully fit the concept of "vegan".
Although there is a strong Tibetan Buddhist atmosphere, the wall at the corner of the staircase is painted with hand-painted murals of Buddhist scriptures and stories, and the walls also display the store's Buddhist collection and some prints. But Wigan relied on excellent interior design to get rid of the cramped feeling, and it was bright and elegant, and there was no unusual feeling for non-believers to come. Compared to some smoky vegetarian restaurants, religious elements here have more of a temperamental influence on the style of the restaurant: at the entrance, for example, the two-storey space has a natural light reflected in the glass windows, and a tiled koi fish pond below, which is simple and solemn.
The restaurant has three floors, with small tables for up to six people on the first floor, private rooms for more people on the second floor, and a balcony on the third floor that was opened as a café in 2018. Such a combination of vegetarian food and tea house is not uncommon in Chengdu, and it is undoubtedly a reflection of the industry's adaptation to local consumer demand.
Compared to the environment, Vegan's vegetarian cuisine seems to be slightly inferior, with the main disadvantage being the abundance of imitation meat dishes and the heavy oil and salt. Although this is understandable in Chengdu, where the taste is on the heavy side, the excessively high ratio of oil and salt is always not good for health. The restaurant's signature dish is the practice of deep-fried tofu with sweet and sour sauce to simulate the taste of braised fish. The surface of the tofu is fried and crispy and soft, which is easy to eat, but the sauce is too thick, which not only covers up the aroma of the bean, but also looks greasy. The taste is also lackluster, and there are several imitation meat dishes such as "back to the pot meat", "one-finger Zen", and "signing". On the other hand, some of Vegan's dishes that do not simulate the taste of meat are more satisfying, such as the stir-fried lotus root fungus named "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond" and the "Colorful Avocado Roll" with avocado roll and apple salad. If you are a friend with a heavier taste, you may wish to try a dish of "copper porcini mushrooms", after stir-fried porcini mushrooms, the crispy texture is more prominent, and this dish is more restrained in the use of sauce, salty and fragrant.
Some regular customers pointed out that many of the waiters at the restaurant are from Ganzi Prefecture in Tibet, and their attitude is friendly and friendly, but they are not proactive enough, and customers often need to make requests to get a response. In general, Vegan's vegetarian dishes are not cost-effective, especially imitation meat dishes are not as good as the lower-priced jujube trees, but the quiet and quaint environment is still a good choice for entertaining guests or chatting with friends.
