Colorful Fruit and Lunch at Grassroots Pantry

I went on a bit of a fruit binge this week and bought guavas, papayas, persimmons, strawberries, and, on a whim, a huge pomegranate.

I unwittingly created a red and orange themed fruit platter:

It was a slow week at work and I ended up at Grassroots Pantry for  a healthy lunch with a few coworkers.  Their new space is beautiful, and the waitstaff wear clothes sponsored by Grana (the store where I bought soft tshirts for Michael for Christmas).  However, I thought many of the items on their menu was hit and miss.

The space is very airy, with high ceilings and a general loft-like feel.  The lamps are made out of various glass decanters.  Lots of wooden spoons and cutting boards line one wall.

 We all opted for their set lunch, which consisted of the daily soup, a starter, an entree, and a cup of tea or coffee, for HK$135.  Our daily soup was a carrot soup, which tasted fine but the texture was a bit gritty - they probably could have pureed the soup a bit more.

My friend ordered the kimchee pancake topped with seaweed, but she said she didn't like the texture.

 I ordered a quinoa kale salad, but they were out of kale so they replaced it with micro greens.  There was also a bit of beetroot and pumpkin seeds.  The dressing was really nice.

 I ordered the Chinese lamb stew, which of course (this being a vegetarian restaurant) contained no lamb but rather water chestnuts, mushrooms, and tofu.  It was a little bit salty - I think they overdid the miso flavor, and it actually was not served piping hot.  Instead, it was served atop a candle (I guess the idea being the dish would heat up over time) - but it took forever to heat and even by the end of the meal the broth in the pot was still only lukewarm.

 My set came with a bowl of brown rice and miso paste.

 I had a lot of food envy, as my friend's dish, the Szechuan vegetable stir fry, was much tastier and better.  We skipped dessert and ordered tea or coffee - I tried the Baked Heart Yunnan green tea.

 Overall, I would probably still come back here to try their brunch, or else order differently if I came for lunch.  The best thing about the place is probably the vibe, which is very chill and relaxing.

Grassroots Pantry
108 Hollywood Road
Sheung wan, Hong Kong
+852 2872 3353
Reservations accepted