Flavor Zì Rán Pǔ Shí Ziran Pu Shi

After a hike at Shoushan, a local vegan friend recommended this restaurant to us. It is quite small, so booking a reservation in advance, especially on weekends, is highly recommended. When we arrived for lunch on a Saturday, all indoor tables were taken, but we were fine with sitting outside in the summer heat. The owner kindly selected the entrees for us to sample some of their favorites. We made it clear that we are vegan and requested the set menu upgrade with a salad beverage, and he took care of the rest. The pizza we had was half margherita, half Roman’s pizza bianca with Violife cheese. The crust was reminiscent of airy, crispy Japanese rice crackers, a bit unexpected but still enjoyable. Just be mindful of the zucchini and potato slices sliding off the pizza if not held parallel to the ground! The spaghetti with asparagus and pesto sauce was loaded with various fresh vegetables such as king oyster mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, beech mushrooms, white button mushrooms, baby corn, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. We were curious about the source of their produce. The handmade pasta was perfectly al dente and flavorful. The mango juice was a refreshing choice for the hot weather. The salad was reminiscent of something ordered in the States, with a balanced amount of fresh fruit and dressing. Despite the heat, we truly enjoyed our meal there. The prices may be a bit higher, but the freshness of the ingredients and the quality of the pasta made it all worthwhile.

A local vegan friend recommended this restaurant to us after a hike in Shoushan. The restaurant is quite small, so I suggest making a reservation, especially on weekends. When we arrived for lunch on Saturday, the indoor seating was fully occupied, so we sat outside in the summer heat. The owner offered to choose our entrees for us so that we could try some of their popular dishes. We informed him that we were vegan and requested a set menu upgrade (a salad and a drink), and he took care of the rest. The pizza we ordered was half margherita and half Roman pizza bianca with violife cheese. The crust was light and crispy, reminiscent of Japanese rice crackers, which was unexpected but still enjoyable. Be careful as the zucchini and potato slices tend to slide off the pizza if not held parallel to the ground! The spaghetti with asparagus and pesto sauce was delicious, with a variety of fresh vegetables such as King oyster mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, beech mushrooms, white button mushrooms, baby corn, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. We were impressed with the freshness of the ingredients and wondered where they sourced them from. The handmade pasta was perfectly cooked al dente. The mango juice was a refreshing choice for a hot day, and the salad was a pleasant surprise, not drowned in dressing like many others we have had in the states. Overall, we enjoyed our meal despite the heat. While slightly higher in price, the freshness of the ingredients and the quality of the pasta made it worth the expense.

The spaghetti with asparagus and pesto sauce was loaded with various fresh vegetables, including king oyster mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, white button mushrooms, baby corn, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. We were impressed with the quality of the ingredients and wondered where they sourced them from. The handmade pasta was perfectly al dente. The mango juice was a refreshing choice for a hot day, and the salad was a refreshing change from the typical overdose of fruits and heavy dressing. Although we had to endure the heat outside, we enjoyed our meal immensely. While the prices may be slightly higher, the freshness of the ingredients and the quality of the pasta made the extra cost worthwhile.