The first thing a visitor notices about Hong Kong is that things are not always as they appear. Yet, penetrating beneath the surface is not as difficult as it appears, because in Hong Kong things are always not as they appear.

Visitors often hear that very few people in Hong Kong follow a vegetarian diet. From this you might conclude that it may be difficult to get fed because there are few restaurants and customers.

You would be only half-right. There are at least 60 vegetarian restaurants, not including those in the New Territories. Yet, I had to forego Sunday dining because the crowds made waits intolerable for me.

The first thing a visitor notices about Hong Kong is that it is a part of China. The first thing a visitor notices about Hong Kong is that it is apart from China. One country, Two systems? Things are not as they appear.

Arriving from Taiwan (where most vegetarian shops sell simple, light, nutritious meals in cafeteria style), I found the Hong Kong style of heavily oiled and salted meals (always served in formal restaurant style) to be disappointing at first. But the environment only appears formal. While eating in Taiwan's somewhat austere shops may feel like temple dining, in Hong Kong eating is a very lively activity.